ボーイミーツマリア [Boy Meets Maria]

by Peyo .

演劇部のマドンナ。
彼女は、男でした――。
おちこぼれ部員×部一の実力派美女(?)
卓越した画力で描く、
Cannaが放つスーパールーキー!

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Romance, Queer, Comics, Graphic Novels, Contemporary

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2018

About the author

Pseudonym of mangaka Kōsei Eguchi (恵口公生 or Eguchi Kōsei).

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You don't have to be a boy or a girl. Just stay as Yuu."

The message is lovely. The plot, characterisation, and dialogues were all excellent and seemed authentic, presenting a realistic and emotional landscape.

One day, I hope that everyone can love who they love, be who they want to be, and live happily without the fear of being judged by society.

the second hand embarrassment I get while reading the first two chapters.

one of the most hilarious confessions EVER...

[Alienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

CW: rape, CSA

Seeing endless rave reviews for this makes me feel like I'm going insane. I'm not sure how much of my disappointment was the fault of marketing - the beautifully cutesy pastel cover art and a blurb that celebrates "fluidity" feel like a terrible indication of what the book is actually about - but let's be honest, Boy Meets Maria would've been on thin ice anyway.

I'll start with garden-variety stuff. The basic premise of these characters is interesting: a boy who wanted to be a hero but grows into a teen who wants to act like a hero, and a classmate who only acts female roles but whose "true" gender is a source of mystery. Their development, however, is all over the place; Taiga's crush on Arima evolves waaay too quickly, and his arc falls by the wayside as a result. (We'll get to Arima's arc in a sec.) In fact I'd argue that not a single one of the plot threads, characters or emotional beats in this book pan out in a way that's satisfying or makes any sense! The love story, such as it is, doesn't get resolved until the literal last page, and at that point it would've felt healthier if they stayed friends.

Okay. Now the hard stuff: So, the only character here who isn't paper-thin is Arima, and his backstory is...a Lot. (See the above trigger warnings, and for the love of god heed them because that shit is graphic and the book gives you no warning.) None of the messed-up stuff that happens to him gets dealt with in any meaningful way; the most it does is accidentally (?) imply that any kind of gender fluidity is the result of lifelong trauma and abuse. There are iffy consensual moments between the two leads too (including one almost-attempted assault), both of which are initiated by Arima and neither of which are ever addressed. Ultimately his arc has moments of real emotion, but they're buried under a plot and other characters that feel more and more superfluous as the story comes to an end. It's like there were two stories with wildly different tones that this author wanted to write and they just...smashed them together in a way that serves neither.

I don't usually give things one star, but other than some pretty art Boy Meets Maria has nothing to recommend it. I'm struggling to think who I could even suggest this to. People looking for a nuanced exploration of gender and sexual fluidity, or a sweet love story, or a hard look at what trauma does to people, or even just a fun trashy BL manga would all be disappointed by this book. It's a Big Yikes from me.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been writing and not reading as much. I found this nice little Manga from Japan translated to English by my new favorite company Seven Seas Entertainment.

The book explores gender fluidity. Maria, has some trauma in her past and it makes it difficult for her to figure out if she is a girl or a boy. There is more to it than this, but I don't want to give much more away. I see people give trigger warnings yes people should take that into account.

This all takes place in drama class pretty much and just like drama students, it is filled with plenty of drama. I do love Taiga. He wants to be an actor and a hero. I just love how he wants to give people a chance and figure out who they are.

There is a love story in here and it's simple and nothing complex really, but I enjoyed the story. I found the book to be an enjoyable read. It won't be for everyone. I thought it was great. I got a Kindle copy.

[Fátima Embark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué maravilla de tomo. Pensaba que sería el típico yaoi y no. Trata temas muy duros y lo hace de una manera brutal en un único tomo. Más historias así y menos ivreadas, ¡¡por favor!!

[not my high · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nie wiem co właśnie przeczytałam, ale jako niezdecydowana osoba niebinarna czuję się zauważona.

TW gw@łt, p3dofilia, używki, śmierć bliskiej osoby, dysforia płciowa

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es simplemente una maravilla. Esperaba una historia cuqui, pero he encontrado mucho más. La verdad, es que después de leerlo me he quedado algo tocada.

El principio es MUY divertido, normalmente las situaciones me hacen gracia y ya, pero con este me he reído de verdad en varias páginas. Después el tono del manga da un giro, a un suceso terrible y sigue con las consecuencias de aquello.

En este caso, la dualidad de género del protagonista está marcada por dos acontecimientos traumáticos y entiendo los comentarios de personas trans sobre que siempre se intenta justificar lo que no se comprende con algún "trauma del pasado". A mi modo de ver, este es el único punto "débil" de esta obra. A parte de eso, creo que refleja bien el proceso de aceptación de uno mismo del protagonista y sobre todo, cómo la gente que le rodea ve esta dualidad de género.

El autor, muy joven, falleció hace unos pocos meses y ahora que he leído este "Boy meet Maria" no puedo dejar de preguntarme que maravillas habría creado de haber tenido más tiempo, si hubiera podido publicar más obras y con ello ganar experiencia. Por desgracia nunca lo sabremos.

[jut · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm a sucker for non-binaries and traumatized people (arima is truly my baby right now) but also this comic was so good and explored every point proposed super well. i was sad to discover that the author died in 2020, but they did a great job and for this i will always be thankful.

[fish · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that feeling when the world seems like it’s caving in and crumbling around you, suffocating you to the point that you have to curl up to protect yourself? The feeling of helplessness that you started to accept it, then suddenly find a hand being offered right in front of you, promising you that “everything is going to be alright.” and “you are not alone”?

That is what Boy Meets Maria feels like.

[Ander · Rating 1 out of 5]

under-developed characters and story, coupled with unnecessary graphic depictions of r*pe. not really for me, unfortunately. I also didn't love the way it was almost implied that Arima's gender fluidity is to be attributed to all the trauma he went through. very disappointing overall

[Leila ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este manga me destruyó y me sanó al mismo tiempo.

3.5 de 5 estrellas.

[Tib · Rating 2 out of 5]

CW: pedophilia, SA of a child recounted in detail, death of a parent, child abuse

This...was not for me. It started at 100 and only went up from there. The story and character development were messy and felt rushed and it took a hard left turn out of nowhere showing Arima's rape as a child. This whole thing didn't sit right with me. Like, I get trauma like this happens and this messiness is a possible result, but I was not prepared for it at all with the cute, pastel cover and the vague and kind of misleading. I'm glad we are starting to get more diverse queer manga, but why does it all have to come with such huge trauma attached every time? I have enough of that just living my life, I don't want it in my means of escape too. Had I known how graphic the recounting of the trauma was (and of course the person who saved Arima as a kid was Taiga's father. Of fucking course it was) I probably wouldn't have even picked it up, or at least set my expectations a differently and wouldn't have chosen now to read it.

I've seen nothing but rave reviews for this and I'm really glad people enjoyed it and had it resonate with them, I'm just not one of them.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - This single volume manga is trying to do a LOT, and I don’t think it’s very successful. There is a pretty horrifying depiction of the rape of a child in the middle of this pastel covered manga. Arima/Maria was born a boy and raised as a girl by his famous (former?) actress mother, which has led to some gender dysphoria in the young child. We meet Arima and Taiga when they meet each other in an acting class. The latter is very enthusiastic and idealistic, and he blunders into his admiration of Arima. Their relationship is kind of adversarial, but only bc that’s how Arima operates with everyone.

In a kind of unbelievable twist, Taiga’s detached father turns out to be the man who saved Arima from castration by his pedophile teacher (I’m telling you . . . it’s really rough and the description didn’t really prepare me.) I think it was too much for this tiny volume to tackle, and the ending seems a little forced/rushed. I think Arima needs some intensive therapy, not a boyfriend.

[Lauren Lanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this all in one sitting (it’s definitely not 1:30AM right now…) because it was simply too good to stop. The message is so touching; Arima’s story made my heart break, then melt by the end.
Rest In peace to the author, this was such a beautiful piece <3

[Rupert Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

IF YOU ARE GENDER QUEER DO NOT READ THIS BOOK

I was told this was the epitome of a trans mlm love story. Boy, was I wrong.


The 5 star reviews make me think we read very different books. I haven't hated a book this much since ACOTAR, the writing is boring, stilted, forced, and bad. Characters are one-dimensional boring and traumatized unnecessarily.

There is NOT ONE redeeming quality of this entire manga.

The transness is awkward stilted and exceptionally poorly done. If you picked up this book expecting a trans love story you are not going to get it. Main character isn't actually trans even though it's marketed that way.

The whole story is a waste of paper. Worst $20 I have ever spent. As a transman I am ashamed to have it on my shelf. I wish it was never written.

Trigger warning: unnecessary: rape scene, use of T-slur, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, pedophilia, death of a parent, attempted sexual assault, and colourism.


The twist ending was the most forced bullshit I've ever read.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I didn't think this manga was going to be complex and sad...

[Aitor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que no es ninguna sorpresa que Japón, en temas de identidad de género, tiene la cabeza todavía metida en el culo. No me parece algo necesariamente malo: su cultura es muy distinta de la occidental y, lógicamente, evoluciona por vías distintas. Actualmente, hay autores (y aquí uso el significado neutro de la palabra) como Yuhki Kamatani o, de manera muy imaginativa, Haruko Ichikawa, que han sabido explotar el potencial del manga para tratar identidades no normativas. Por desgracia, en el manganime, lo queer tiende a entenderse como a) yaoi/BL o b) yuri, y normalmente de maneras más sexualizadoras y fetichistas que normalizadoras o reflexivas. Entiéndase con esto que estoy generalizando, y que autoras como Kanna Kii merecen mi respeto por haber dedicado una serie entera, aún en publicación, a una relación homosexual bastante normalizada. Sin embargo, creo que no me equivoco si digo que el yaoi y el yuri tienden a fantasear e idealizar sus relaciones. Son un paso adelante, pero creo que todavía queda mucho camino para llegar a lo que se está logrando en producciones occidentales (entendiendo que por aquí también queda mucho camino por recorrer).

A lo que quiero llegar con toda esta perorata es a que Boy meets Maria es un nuevo paso adelante dentro del queer en manga porque, aunque no considero que haga todo bien, sí se atreve con bastantes cosas. Para empezar, trata con la disforia de género, subvirtiendo en cierto modo el rígido sistema del yaoi. Me gusta esa viñeta introductoria de capítulo con Arima/María entre los lavabos masculino y femenino. No es una metáfora muy elaborada, pero funciona para establecer tanto las virtudes como los defectos del tomo: que 1) el personaje no tiene clara su identidad de género y eso va a ser un punto esencial de la trama, y 2) el manga se rige por códigos binarios. Hacia el final, PEYO parece asumir la posibilidad de no entrar en ninguna de las dos categorías, pero no me parece que haga un gran favor con ello porque se deja caer de manera demasiado sutil. Aunque, sin duda, es el desenlace que yo quería que tuviera, siento que podría haberse hecho mucho más al respecto.

Y es que ese es precisamente el problema: PEYO quiere tratar muchos temas, desde la disforia de género hasta la homosexualidad, la bisexualidad, la pederastia e incluso la violación. Nada de esto se lleva realmente mal; por desgracia, tampoco puedo decir que me haya convencido el resultado. El centro de todas mis diatribas internas es, precisamente, el personaje de Arima/Maria (que voy a llamar así por esa dualidad que parece mostrar hacia el final del manga). Después de un incidente traumático como el que se muestra gráficamente en el manga, me sorprende que actúe de algunas maneras. Comprendo que sea un personaje contradictorio, pero cosas como tener de plato favorito aquel en el que pensaba durante el incidente traumático me hacen arquear una ceja. No niego que pueda suceder; lo que me molesta es que el tomo se vea limitado por su brevedad y no explore este tipo de decisiones de manera significativa. Como superviviente de abuso, Arima/Maria se me antoja demasiado plano/a. ¿Por qué no mostrar el conflicto que deriva de la disforia mezclada con aquel evento? Sin duda, tienen relación. ¿Por qué no profundizar en la evolución del personaje desde el incidente hasta el presente? No me parece que el tema pueda tratarse a la ligera y el manga rebosa en comedia. Me parece perfecto que PEYO emplee el humor para amenizar el tono, pero hay un tiempo y un lugar para usarlo, y algunas escenas parecen rehuir del drama cuando más lo necesitan.

Por supuesto, también tengo otros problemas: el guion es flojo. Excesivamente lineal, demasiado típico. Su mejor baza es justamente la serie de temas que pretende tratar, de modo que puedo comprender que la trama pase a segundo plano para centrarse en esos temas, pero creo que eso no sucede. Desde ideologías tan conservadoras como que "los hombres deben proteger a las mujeres" hasta continuas sorpresas argumentales, pienso que PEYO no tenía muy claro cómo hilar todos sus conceptos. Hay casualidades a punta pala para unir esos puntos argumentales que no me han permitido disfrutar de la lectura, y que el protagonista tenga la típica ideología de personaje shônen me da la sensación de que no hay mucha complejidad ahí. Como es lógico, la relación simbiótica de los protagonistas es una idea genial y que ambos hagan cambiar al otro sin darse cuenta por estar demasiado centrados en evolucionar ellos mismos funciona muy bien para crear el gran final. El problema es el que ya he comentado antes: que no hay tiempo. Creo de verdad que si el autor hubiese dedicado un poco más, dos tomos, a esta historia, no habría tenido ninguno de estos conflictos más allá de ideologías que no comparto tan enraizadas en la obra que no se podría hacer mucho.

Comprendo que saltos como Sombras sobre Shimanami no ocurren todos los días y que, quizá, la sociedad japonesa tiene que ir dando pasitos con obras como Boy meets Maria. Esta mantiene muchas ideas que aquella parece haber superado ya, pero respeto a PEYO por haberse atrevido con tantos temas. Es posible que al final no haya tratado ninguno realmente bien (el de la disforia de género sería el mejor resuelto del grupo); tampoco realmente mal. Simplemente, se queda en un ejercicio interesante que, por lo menos, tiene un dibujo relativamente bonito y un storytelling bien contenido en sus pocas páginas. Es una lástima que PEYO nos haya dejado tan joven, porque si con unos 23 años era capaz de esto, ¿quién sabe qué podría haber hecho con la madurez que le habrían conferido los años? Merece, como poco, una muestra de admiración hacia una carrera que prometía bastante.

[Luisa... Per aspera ad astra ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Che diavolo sono...?
- Yuu... Ti chiami Yuu, giusto? Non devi essere un uomo o una donna... Resta semplicemente Yuu.

Ok, stamattina ero uno straccio perché ho fatto le 4:30 per leggere Boy meets Maria 🤣
Ma dovevo sapere... Non potevo smettere di fermarmi finché non l'avessi finito!
Che dire... un BL decisamente atipico che si distingue dalla massa.
Anzi per il suo stile e l'atmosfera molto matura e seria mi è quasi sembrato un seinen a tematica lgbt che mi ha vagamente ricordato tipo Oltre le onde e She likes homo, not me.
Comunque da premettere che ancora è "soli" 5 anni e mezzo che leggo manga e di yaoi in particolare ne avrò recuperati meno di un centinaio perché la maggior parte purtroppo sono volumi unici e io non vado matta per le storie brevi in quanto c'è l'alto rischio che trama e personaggi non vengano sviluppati decentemente... però non credo mi sia mai capitata un'opera del genere: intensa, forte, drammatica e intrisa di significato, il tutto condensato appunto in un singolo volume.
Chapeau alla mangaka che ha saputo snodare una vicenda così delicata in pochi capitoli!
Fa riflettere tantissimo su svariate tematiche: la diversità; l'omosessualità; la violenza sessuale; la ricerca della propria identità di genere e come un trauma subìto durante l'infanzia e l'imposizione dei genitori sui figli riguardo i sogni che non sono stati in grado di realizzare, costringendoli così a diventare qualcun altro, influenzino pesantemente la persona in età adulta; l'essere logorati perché ad un certo punto non si sa più chi si è, non esiste un luogo al quale appartenere dove sentirsi finalmente accettati e amati; quella BRUTTA bestia della solitudine; il rifiuto; il fuggire dai problemi fingendo che vada tutto bene perché manca il coraggio di affrontarli e il conseguente reprimere i propri sentimenti e desideri; il fatto che le etichette che ci vengono costantemente affibbiate, i pregiudizi e gli stereotipi rappresentino il male dell'umanità...
Insomma gli argomenti sono vasti, attualissimi e difficili da assimilare, infatti sono rimasta stupita che siano stati affrontati con crudezza e realismo senza girarci attorno.
Verso la fine mi è scappata la lacrimuccia perché faceva così male veder soffrire Arima e Taiga ognuno con i propri demoni interiori da combattere e a tal proposito ci sono tavole che spezzano il cuore 😭
Bellissimo poi il duplice messaggio di fondo che trasmette il manga: da un lato il riuscire ad esprimere sé stessi e stare bene con sé stessi, trovando la pace e la comprensione di cui si ha bisogno, fregandosene di ciò che può pensare o dire la gente; dall'altro voler bene ad una persona in quanto tale indipendentemente dal fatto che sia uomo, donna, gay, trans, bisex, asessuale, bianco, nero etc. È un concetto così semplice da capire eppure nella società omologante in cui viviamo non c'è spazio per l'unicità ma si ammette solo ciò che viene considerato "normale".
Infine penso che se anche i due protagonisti non fossero diventati una coppia mi sarebbe andata bene lo stesso perché il loro rapporto va ben oltre il classico sentimento d'amore o d'amicizia, quello che condividono è un qualcosa di potente e intimo inspiegabile a parole... in ogni caso sono contenta del finale perchè si meritavano davvero la felicità ♥
Uno yaoi valido super consigliato a chiunque da comprare, custodire gelosamente e rileggere!

[Helen ⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

didn’t think i was gonna cry while reading a 7 chapter manga but here we are 😭😭😭😭

*check trigger warning* read for #2024transrightsreadathon

[marmarmar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't read it if you merely suspect that you won't be able to bear it. It is awful and it's not worth it.
Si meramente sospechas que no vas a poder enfrentar emocionalmente temas fuertes de forma explicita como la violac1ón y la pedof1lía hazte un favor y no lo leas. Yo desearía no haberlo hecho o mínimo no haber leído el capitulo dedicado a dichos temas. El choque emocional fue demasiado, estuve llorando toda la noche además de asustada varios días después. Así que si crees que no vas a poder tolerar, por favor no lo hagas, realmente es espantoso.

Yendo al tema. No sé qué intentó hacer PEYO con esto. Realmente no lo sé. Pasando del hecho de que es otra horrible historia en donde un personaje LGBT sufre de la forma más horrible, esto va un poco a la nada. La historia empieza de forma normal, yo esperaba que fuera una comedia romántica y eso era lo que me estaba encontrando. Después de que se conocen se hacen algo cercanos debido a que tienen un club en común y eventualmente el protagonista se entera la razón de por la que el interés amoroso usaba ropa de mujer y la desgracia que le ocurrió siendo un niño debido a llevarla puesta. Después de eso no pasa casi nada, hacen su obra de teatro y acaba.

No creo que esto haya valido la pena. La historia no iba ningún lado y definitivamente no fue la suficientemente buena para compensar el daño emocional que me causó leerla. Me tomo 10 días sentirme lo suficientemente tranquila para poder hablar sobre este manga y escribir una reseña.

Además, eso de que Arima se haga cercano a Taiga porque se parece al hombre que lo ayudo cuando estaba siendo abusado (que resulta ser el papá de Taiga) es, al menos, extraño. Y que la razón por la que esté confundido respecto a su género fuera porque su madre lo obligaba a vestirse y actuar como una niña, es decir, según los estereotipos de género respecto a cómo una niña femenina debe ser, me parece cuestionable, especialmente porque esto sería un factor por el que después sería abusado. No creo que haya llevado bien ni el enamoramiento de Arima por Taiga ni sus sentimientos respecto a su género. Sí puedo creer que tiene algunos sentimientos románticos hacia él y que con el tiempo podría desarrollar más dicho sentimiento.

Tengo que decir que el estilo de dibujo es precioso y que tanto Taiga como Arima me cayeron muy bien, aunque eso solo hace que me sienta peor por cómo fueron tratados en la obra.

Realmente hubiera deseado que esto hubiera seguido el hilo de los primeros capítulos. Siento que de haber sido una novela romántica sin todas las situaciones horribles que tuvo que pasar Arima, hubiese sido una historia maravillosa y PEYO hubiera podido expresar mejor lo que sea que haya querido decir respecto a los problemas de identidad de género. Claro, sin la horrible razón de que su madre lo obligara, que simplemente le guste la ropa de chica y ya. Porque tal cual lo puso parecía que solo era método de defensa contra los traumas de su niñez que solo le generaba más traumas e inquietud por su identidad.

En conclusión:
Desearía no haberlo leído.
Desearía que fuera otro tipo de historia.
Desearía que dejara de poner a persones LGBT en situaciones horribles.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow I didn't expect what I read at all. I expected a good romance involving someone who is trans/agender, and while it discusses gender to some extent, the message it gives is terrible.

What ruined it the most for me was that extremely graphic rape scene, completely unecessary and insensitive. That was the worst.

Besides having to go through that scene, the plot doesn't make sense on Arima's side. Arima was raised as a girl because his mother wanted to have a girl, but growing up he showed more interest in boy's things and felt uncomfortable as a girl, until the point he's raped (as a child) and decides to continue living as a boy.

Arima's entire gender fluidity as a teenager is because of his trauma; even though he seems to feel more comfortable as a boy, he acts on the stage as a girl and thinks he needs to be a girl to be liked. So his gender fluidity is a consequences of the trauma he passed, and I don't see this as a good message.

Anyway, I don't recommend this manga, read it at your own risk.

[Curious Madra · Rating 4 out of 5]

**WARNING THERE IS AN ATTEMPT SEXUAL ASSAULT INVOLVING A CHILD IN THIS SO PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**

Wow it's really a very dark BL story guys. The main characters Arima and Taiga had pretty decent character developments. Basically the story goes is that Taiga is literally a happy go lucky teenager, who just was influenced by superheroes from a very young age and he badly wants to do acting because of this. He also lives with his dad (a hero too). He then meets Arima who did a stunning performance since he's part of the drama club at the school, Taiga surprisingly confesses and Arima rejects him. Taiga also mistakens him for a girl. Then the rest is the pair of them getting to know each other though their pasts.

I'm not gonna say much since it'll involve a lot of spoilers throughout the 6 chapters of the story and want to let everyone read the whole story for themselves. It's definitely one of those BL that would pierce your heart, that's all I'm gonna say..

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy bonito, muy tierno y muy duro, aunque por desgracia pocos chicos de 15 años tendrían una mentalidad como la de Taiga.

Un tomo autoconclusivo que tiene un poco de todo: drama, comedia, traumas, buenos personajes... Muy recomendable si os gusta leer mangas con tramas "sencillas" pero relevantes.

Me ha sorprendido lo bien que ha tratado un tema tan serio y difícil, no es algo que se suela ver mucho. Creo que es algo que todo el mundo debería leer.

[Mewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Początek pachniał naiwnością, ale historia okazała się być mocna i dobra. W centrum znajdowała się trauma i dysforia płciowa, a podczas lektury moje serce rozpadło się i poskładało na nowo.

[T O À N P H A N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bị ám ảnh tuổi nhỏ cấu xé, cùng định kiến giới tính quấn thân, Arima cứ lẩn quẩn tìm kiếm con người thật của mình. Chông chênh cô độc trên con đường mịt mùng đó, Arima chỉ còn biết mượn những buổi tập kịch một mình để mạnh mẽ.
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Rồi cậu trai bắng nhắng ưa làm anh hùng kia tới, thổi vào Arima cơn gió lạ của niềm tin, cùng nhau đối diện quá khứ, thương và tự đứng dậy khẳng định bản thân mình.
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Nếp sống gia đình sai lầm của cha mẹ đã đẩy một đứa trẻ trở thành nạn nhân của xâm hại tình dục. Tên ấu dâm đó khó có thể trả giá nếu không bị phát hiện, nhưng đứa trẻ kia sẽ lớn lên với biết bao tủi nhục và mệt nhoài. Arima là một cậu bé hệt vậy, xước xát đầy mình. May sao, cậu vẫn có thể làm lại cuộc đời, vì đã gặp được một người biết trân trọng, đồng hành và yêu thương. Nếu có thể, hãy rộng vòng tay.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

An earnest and open doofus falls for a classmate whose gender and identity have been shredded by childhood traumas. [Definitely check for trigger warnings.]

The storytelling is a bit awkward and the tone is very odd, with lots of homophobia and transphobia and a general muddle about the LGBTQIA+ issues involved, but it still felt very sincere and kept me engaged with its energy.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapters 1-6 -- Extra: Boy Meets Et Cetera

[Chelsea Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars: ‘Boy Meets Maria’ by Peyo.
→ Age Range: Young Adult.
→ Genre: LGBT+, Contemporary Romance.
→ Book Type: Manga.

Favourite Quote: ‘You don’t have to be a boy or a girl. Just stay as Yuu.’

In-depth Rating:
→ Plot: ★★★
→ Character Development: ★★★
→ Setting: ★★★
→ Entertainment Level: ★★★★
→ Writing: ★★★

General Comments: A story of understanding the self, of discovering ones feelings and a manifesto of acceptance of the other despite appearances. Gender Dysphoria is addressed through the use of a glossy setting and, only apparently, a delicate story of misunderstood love and unspoken identities. It is in a succession of mutual discoveries, of understanding and misunderstandings that outline the evolution not only of the narrative, but above all, the inferiority of the characters. That said, it just felt short and would have benefitted from more depth.

Time Read: One Day.
→ Audiobook: No.
→ Audiobook Narrator: -

Re-Read: No.
→ -:
→ -:

Trigger Warnings:
→ Paedophilia.
→ Sexual Assault (Rape).
→ Gender Dysphoria.

[Monique · Rating 1 out of 5]

tw: forced gender-performing (parent/child); on-page r*pe of a young child; transphobic and homophobic language and themes

honestly, this story was NOTHING like i thought it would be. and not in a good way. i wish this story had been a soft, comforting read but it just wasn’t. this has very real themes and addresses trauma that i know trans* and gay people experience irl, but is it necessary to relive that real-life trauma in a coming of age story? some may say yes and that’s okay. i’m just not that person.

please read this story with caution and take care of yourself. the last little bit (literally the last 4 pages) were a delight (it’s their first date!) and i wish that dynamic had been the whole book tbqh.

[grayi ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The discussion about trauma and gender identity was solid and appreciated. I was pleasantly surprised, I wasn't expecting serious topics as such to be tackled so directly, without sugar-coating it. And accurately so, as healing is an ugly process: messy and full of setbacks.

This story managed to get me so invested in its characters, in such a short amount of time. ONE VOLUME, ONE. I could talk about Arima for hours and hours, and Taiga is so energetic, straightforward and cute, I want the best for them:(

Really glad I finally read it. Definitely not for everyone tho! Please look up the trigger warnings before reading.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

quiero escribir una reseña pero necesito un par de días para procesar esto 😢

[Kiwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Czuję się jakby ktoś uderzył we mnie ciężarówką, a potem otulił miękkim kocykiem.