Embrace Your Size: My Own Body Positivity

by Hara, Alethea Nibley (Translator), Athena Nibley (Translator)

What do you do when your body doesn’t match the ideal shape as dictated by society? What do you wear when sweats seem to be the only clothes that fit you? How do you deal with the constant, overwhelming waves of criticism about your appearance from yourself and others?

A love letter to anyone striving to embrace their size, this wonderfully illustrated, uplifting comic essay by a plus-size author chronicles her own journey with body positivity, what inspired her to change her mindset, and how she learned to love herself as she is.

Genres: Manga, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Memoir, Comics, Mental Health, Self Help

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Danika at The Lesbrary]

This is worthwhile if just for all the adorable illustrations of fat women!

Content warning for eating disorders, dieting, and weight loss discussion. Most of it is discussing her past issues with dieting and eating disorders, but she does also talk about dieting and weight loss in the present. It also uses the word "plump" instead of "fat" throughout.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/F_SqMa-Lu5o

This was such an encouraging and inspiring read!

While there are some struggles that Hara voices that I personally have not struggled with in the same way, I found her story no less relatable. Her transparency with her struggles and seeing how I'm not alone in feeling a certain way (such as the changing room not being "your friend") made her story one that reached out and wrapped around me. I've wrestled with how I am not as thin as I use to be and I feel like her encouragement and adamancy that you CAN still love your body is not as farfetched as I once thought. That doesn't mean its easy or will happen overnight, but I love her take on body positivity right from the beginning: ". . . being body positive means knowing it's okay not to force yourself into a single mold and having that weight lifted off your shoulders."

I feel her definition shines through in how she personally is living out those words with a fullness that doesn't come from any of the expectations that society says "real" beauty is, but an inner peace that you/she is beautiful and amazing how you are. It gave me courage to embrace that reality for myself and that it's not something completely out of reach, especially when she shared how what happens in the dressing room doesn't define your worth and/or beauty. SO good!

Overall, this was such a moving nonfiction read! It is my first time reading a nonfiction manga and definitely would love to read more as I found I was able to really understand what the writer was trying to convey (which has been a huge struggle for me with nonfiction novels in the past). I think this is a wonderful manga to pick up regardless if you are struggling with diet, weight, or a combination of the two. I would highly recommend this to ANY woman who is struggling specifically with the way they view and love (or don't love) their body and want a beautiful introduction to a world that can be a reality of loving all your curves and not just something that sounds nice on page.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

hara recounts her struggles from childhood through her late twenties in coming to a healthy body image for herself . It's very relatable, though the first half starts to ramble and get a bit repetitive. But I re-engaged when she dipped into pop culture with reviews of I Feel Pretty, Hairspray, and Queer Eye and an extended interview with a Japanese model.

[Sucre · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5? possibly?

i'm waffling on just how hard to be on this manga. i picked it up because i love hara's art that i've seen on twitter but honestly wish I could have found an art book instead. while i think hara sharing her story of her eating disorder is brave and a good message to get out there, this whole manga felt incredibly basic and not strong enough in its convictions. i've been invested in fat radical politics for years now so have moved beyond simple "body positivity" and can see the flaws in the movement, ones that are replicated in this manga.

there is a constant need to state over and over again that the author, and the body positivity movement in general, doesn't hate thin people and that thin people are just as much a part of the movement as fat people. after the first mention, it becomes more and more tired to read this over and over again. i really don't care about reading about thin people in a book meant to be for fat people. bringing them up again and again and pandering to their delicate sensibilities shows that the author lacks an understanding of the systemic prejudice against fat people and is focused very much on the individual.

there are multiple chapters on different media that the author enjoys, one being the 2018 amy schumer movie "i feel pretty" with a flawed premise (not to mention it starring amy schumer. ick) as well as the 2007 movie "hairspray", and the most recent "queer eye" netflix show. i really didn't care to read about summaries for these properties nor the shallow interpretations from the author. i can understand why they were included (each piece has something to do with body positivity to some extent) but it honestly felt like padding and added very little to the overall manga.

dieting is talked about at length but, while she gives her own personal experience of how sick she became from dieting as a teen, she still promotes dieting (cutting carbs at dinner, for instance), just in "moderation". instead of discussing the science behind dieting and how diets overwhelmingly do not work and will not cause lasting weight loss, she thinks it's still a good idea to monitor food intake and focus on "healthy" (no such thing) foods.

the manga in general is also very, very scared to use the word "fat" except when depicting villains/antagonists using it as an insult. this could simply be a translation issue, but there are many placeholder words used instead (chubby, plus size) and she also includes influencers using different terms but avoids the word "fat" entirely. let's all embrace the word fat! it's not a bad word! it's a neutral descriptor!

i have other nitpicks i could go into but won't for the sake of brevity. for people who have had no experience whatsoever with fat acceptance, i suppose this could be a good starting point. it's nice to see so many different fat women depicted lovingly in lots of different types of fashion (even if there are side notes about using flowing clothes to "cover that belly" and other insulting fashion tips) and it has its heart mostly in the right place. as for me, i'll probably just go back to appreciating hara's art but won't pick up other written works by her. hopefully she'll get an official art book soon!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of a few different short comics by the same creator, so don't expect it to flow like a cohesive graphic novel. The art is very cute and the stories about Hara's life are touching. I wish there were more substance though, either personal stories about her life or investigation into various body positivity movements.

As someone who hasn't lived in Japan, I did appreciate the look into norms within the country. There's one panel where Hara talks about how easy it was for her to find clothing overseas, and throughout the book, I thought a lot about how much less stressful her life would've been in my hometown, with a wider arrange of clothing sizes (and also bodies?).

[alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely heartfelt autobiographical comics about the author’s experience with the Japanese body positivity movement - no matter how superficial or watered down that movement might often feel here in the US. A wonderful reminder of the connective power of art, too, and also just like. Fucking societal normalization lmao.

I definitely winced during the Amy Schumer “I Feel Pretty” recap chapter, but anyone who lived through the era of y2k low rise jeans should be able to hold grace for the journey. The current ozempic trend feels so bleak. I promise to be extra polite about every corny Dove ad campaign for the rest of my life.

HUGE fan of the author’s illustrative work. Check her out if u haven’t already

[Katya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like ut so much…

The plot itself is interesting, but the narration is just shallow and never touches the deep feelings. Also very repetitive. The art is nice though.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I saw that this existed, I knew I needed it in my life, and I am super positively surprised by it. It's very nuanced and inclusive and just overall really great. I'm not sure how to describe the way I feel about it, but it made me really happy to read. It was nice to see the author's own discovery journey, and how they slowly realized how many versions of beauty we never discover, because we are never exposed to it unless we go looking for it intentionally. It also made me want to watch Hairspray, so..

TW: fatphobia, internalized fatphobia, mentions of EDs as the author talks about her struggle and also how she broke out of it again (no graphic depictions or detailed descriptions)

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A manga memoir about the mangaka's personal relationship to her body. And it is indeed very personal, for the most part. Hara has struggled with eating disorders and body image, and the book is largely about her own experiences. That means there's not much about larger society, except as it personally affected her. My one real criticism that is that this seems to have been originally published as separate, short essays, then compiled into one volume, and it's really obvious in places.

[Silver]

This is a very good intro to concepts like body positivity and other related things by an author who learns firsthand how life changing those concepts can be. I really enjoy how Hara, the author, recounts her own experiences with her body image, eating disorders, and mental health. While she never goes fully into detail about what she experienced (nor should she have to), she illustrates and tells a very clear picture of what she went through and, to some extent, is still dealing with. She also touches on the different ways people are influenced to have different and often harmful views of their own body. Even when doing all of that, she never prescribes one solution to these issues and recognizes that it’s a complex issue that everyone is going to tackle and feel differently about. At the end of the manga, she even includes a conversation with someone else who writes essays about body positivity and that adds a much needed imo new perspective to the points Hara is making.

[Leah Rachel von Essen]

Embrace Your Size: My Own Body Positivity by Hara is a lovely, cute cartoon manga about learning to embrace body positive thinking from someone who has experienced fat shaming, fatphobia, and an eating disorder. Some of the chat will feel a little simplistic to someone who's been through the body positivity movement already, but especially good for young or teen readers. I also have heard that Japan is a bit behind on body positivity compared to elsewhere, and so that might explain the more simplistic approach here. Translated by the Nibleys, who did Sailor Moon.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I typically don’t read a lot of manga, but this one was really sweet. It’s a memoir by a Japanese author who is plus-sized, and her journey through an eating disorder and discovering the body positivity movement. She talks about what worked for her in becoming more comfortable with her body, and acknowledged everybody’s journey is different. A very sweet and earnest read, I highly recommend!

[Shaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are adorable, and this book introduced me to the movie "I Feel Pretty." I ignored this movie when it was released because I am not an Amy Schumer fan, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, so kudos to the author for the recommendation!

If you live in the states, you are probably already familar with the body positivity movement. It is sometimes misunderstood as a message encouraging an unhealthy lifestyle. The author does a good job of combating these misconceptions, exploring what body positivity means to her, and what it can mean to different people.

I see the body positivity movement less as a celebration of being fat as "Can't we all just learn it's ok to not hate our bodies?"

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up
I'm almost always going to be a fan of any memoirs about people learning to love their bodies but I appreciate this one for bringing up how life changing representation of plus size people can be- even as the author states, an ad for eye glasses featuring a plus size woman can make people feel empowered.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't so much a story with a focused plot as it was several separate and distinct comics about a loose theme. Four stars because the art is spectacular and the gentle nudge toward body positivity is so needed everywhere, but especially in manga.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely obsessed with all the adorable cute illustrations of plus sized girls and the American media drawn in manga style drawings!!!!

[Emily✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet message delivered quite repetitively, but with lovely artwork. Embrace Your Size is hara's memoir of her own journey with body positivity, including her harrowing teenage years of disordered eating and shame. Could be a translation issue, but I didn't love how the word "fat" was avoided (except as an insult) with synonyms like "plump" and "chubby" throughout. Very self-focused with an emphasis on personal growth and encouragement--not necessarily a bad thing, but doesn't broach the topic of societal fatphobia or systemic oppression of fat (and other non-normative) bodies. Again, not bad, but also not very radical. Definitely nice to see a manga that features fat bodies, and I hope to see more fat characters in fiction manga in the future!

TW: fat-shaming and internalized fatphobia, eating disorders, vomiting

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

[rosie (donna tartt’s version)]

the illustrations / manga art of plus size women are wonderful! I also think it is an interesting autobiographical graphic novel but it did get very repetitive after a while

[Ghostly Writer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. It really spoke to me & made me feel a lot of emotions. Highly recommend!

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the concept of this book, but unfortunately it ended up feeling a bit shallow to me. It is mostly concerned with self-acceptance, and doesn't do much to acknowledge the societal and institutional hurdles that fat people have to face. I think the way it explores how being fat in a fatphobic world affects one's mental health were the strongest, but were also difficult to read because things get so dark for hara. It feels like a good starting place for understanding fatphobia and body positivity, but knowing how much more there is that hara doesn't touch on - issues like fat folks receiving worse medical care, for example - it just felt a bit lacking. If hara continues to write about the topic, I hope she is able to zoom out a bit, and talk about societal level issues, in addition to the individual stuff she focuses on in "Embrace your Size."

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the main theme of body positivity in this book, as well as hara's willingness to share her own journey, which she places expertly in the context of Japanese and international trends over time. But there were a few structural issues that are hard to overlook. The book feels piecemeal, with the same introductory information at the top of each section, as if the sections were written separately and never re-edited when combined into a book. There were also highly descriptive explanations of American tv shows and movies, which pulled focus from the author's story. I would have enjoyed this book more if it had tighter editing and better focus.

[Joseph Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the way the author described her struggles with her weight, and her overall perception of it. I feel like this is almost an instruction manual for someone who is typically bigger to see what their life could be like by seeing the struggle. It's relatable to see that someone else has the same sort of 'neuroticisms' of judging themselves by imaginary voices in their head, based off the fear of previous traumatizing experiences. Even people who are not typically big would be well served reading this book to understand the type of thinking a bigger person might have.

[RYAN PHAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I have read two other books from Asian Americans struggling with their weight. I read Hungry Ghosts and My Perfectly Imperfect Body. The art in those books fits my artistic sensibilities more. The pages are so vibrant with color and character design. However, the story falls a bit flat. It's because it feels like the authors are still too emotionally close to their eating disorder to fully explore it with the detachment and humor that time naturally brings. They are talking and writing from their wounds and not their scars. Now if they created sequels to their works and had the works juxtaposed, now that would be a powerful combination.

I love Embrace Your Size because she does not tiptoe about the issue about eating disorder. This is clearly a person who has gone through their entire emotional roller coaster and is now assisting others on their journeys. She starts the work by saying that she had callouses from all the self-induced vomiting. The story moves in this order:
1. Having weight fluctuations in high school (this is usually the entirety of some stories, but it is succinctly covered in the first chapter or so of this one)
2. Slowly learning to appreciate herself more and finding cosmetics and clothing that is suited for her and can help her see herself in a way that she has trouble perceiving before.
3. Understanding that society changes slowly and there is a generation gap, instead of being in the stage of raging against the machine... because she has processed all those emotions
4. Emphasizing the need for better representation of different bodies on the big screen and championing the good representations of plus-sized bodies. She also highlights how you can still be plus-sized and active in the gym.
5. Talking about societal change with a plus-sized model.
It is drawn in the style of a gag manga, which isn't my cup of tea, but the story carries it so hard for me.

[Peacefulbookery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of short comic essays about the author's life, focusing mainly on her everyday struggles with body image, disordered eating, and how her self-worth (and her art) was negatively impacted by (unrealistic) depictions of female bodies in pop culture, and positively impacted by plus-size fashion and body positivity media.

This memoir may seem simplistic and contain commonsense/basic body positivity messages, but Japan has its own cultural differences (see below) that that make expressing these messages a very courageous thing for an individual to do.

A note to readers unfamiliar with Japanese culture:

Body weight is not just an individual concern in Japan, but a social one. Most of the population undergoes some form of annual health check, which includes capturing weight data. Students are weighed every year; so are employees of domestic companies.

These standardised health checks inform government health policies, but also make individuals (especially women) extremely aware of the ways they do not conform to socially-acceptable body shapes/weights. All this is to say that self-awareness of one's body is cultivated not just through exposure to family, peers and social media, but also via authority figures in schools/workplaces/different levels of government.

This pressure is in addition to the unrealistic body images presented in pop culture - especially the extreme regulation of appearances of Japanese and Korean idols. Women everywhere are affected by unrealistic body images perpetuated in media, but please note that Japan's idol industry is just that - an industry - and while Anglophone countries have similar pressures, they are not overtly institutionalised to the same degree.

[Meepelous · Rating 3 out of 5]

They've rated this stand alone manga T for language.

Content notes for discussion of eating disorders, diets, weight loss and the like.

Generally known for her illustrations of fat women on twitter, Hara was "Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture, [and] currently lives in Osaka Prefecture She graduated from Kyoto Seika University."

Keywords that came to mind include school and media criticism.

Looking at the technical aspects of this stand alone manga, I would definitely say that the art is by far the strongest part. Cute, dynamic, and fairly diverse models.

Even on the writing side, things are technically fine as well. It's a collection of manga essays, so some chapters might work for you better then others. But it keeps things fairly interesting and moving quickly.

As far as inclusion went, my expectation of manga is low enough that I was very impressed to see Black people included throughout in a way that (as far as I could tell) was not exoticizing or othering. There's also some people in head scarves. Although Hara's style does not seem to include diverse hair textures.

Gender was also a bit one note, but sexuality saw a bit of diversity included.

And while I don't feel super great about going negative on someone's journey to self-acceptance, but the fat and class politics were distinctly middle of the road. Which felt like the weakest point of the collection overall. Especially considering that is the main focus of the collection overall.

Wrapping things up, an interesting read with some definite draw backs but also very beginner friendly. Three stars.

[June Amikam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Body positivity for beginners.

I found this book to be relatable, down to earth and very charmingly illustrated. It does discuss the matter of eating disorders, as the author depicts her history with bulimia, in a way that I found a little too.... casual, maybe? Which made me wonder if it might be triggering to people with similar struggles, but I can't speak from personal experience.

Overall, the book is a candid, at times difficult, but ultimately optimistic journal, depicting the artist's road to body positivity as a plus-size woman. To a modern western audience, the revelations in this book might feel a bit 'no duh'. Not that chubby girls in the west don't deal with self-esteem issues -- but the author describes such a dire starting point, from which she basically has to learn to see herself as human. It takes years for it to sink in that she's a worthwhile person, who deserves happiness and respect just like everyone else. While I'm happy at the progress she's made in regards to her self-esteem, it's saddening that she started out from such a dismally low point.

So while it probably won't be an eye-opener for most adults, it might make a reassuring read for younger teens. (But, again-- be mindful of the eating disorder talk.)

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw a lot of people complaining that this didn't go "deep enough". Could it have gone deeper? Yes. Should it have? I don't think so.

I personally think this is a very nice introduction to body positivity and learning to accept yourself in a world that wants cookie cutter people. She lightly touches the origin of the problematic system, but doesn't go further. As someone that already knows more about it, yeah, it seems a little shallow, but for me this reads as a manga meant for people that haven't really heard about or don't really what body positivity means. And I think it does the introduction into this world very well!

There were definitely a lot of relatable moments, especially the self worth tied to your weight and learning how to love yourself regardless. How it's not a switch you can flip, but you actively have to put in work and small steps to slowly get to a point where you're comfortable with yourself. Even as someone that's been diving deeper in this subject, and where we might have already gone past "body positivity" and the problematic things that brings with it, it was a good reminder of how far we've come and also a good reminder to keep putting in the work myself.

Thank you to the author for sharing your story ❤️

[nyas.library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cool reading experience. In this manga, the author tells her own story in a memoir format through cute illustrations! She bravely reflects on her times of struggle when perceiving herself through her weight throughout her youth in a series of short stories. Then also speaks on her first encounters with how she found positive affirmations of her size later on through fashion magazines catering to other people that looked like her. She defines what she knows now to be body positivity and reflects on her growth post learning about it.

Some of my favorite parts were when Hara has a chapter fangirling over the movies where she saw plus-size women as the confident protagonists rather than possessing any harmful tropes. Y’all know I always love to talk about movies!

I also loved the way she spoke about her relationship with art because I could relate so much to it. She seemed to have a few ‘falling outs’ with it based on her perception of herself, and I have struggled with the same, naturally, art is a reflection of the artist, and things like body dysmorphia can have very intense effects on the creative process. Alongside this, I appreciated how the author's storytelling isn't biased nor does it have a tone that’s only advocating for one side of the struggle surrounding being comfortable in your body, in a healthy manner.

🪷This was a quick read so I definitely recommend picking it up🪷

[Scipio Kento · Rating 4 out of 5]

"…as long as I could keep people from seeing the real me that I hate, I thought everything would be okay…"

This was a very sweet stand alone manga with a very big punch. Hara explains her personal experience with body positivity along with a few more perspectives. Her very relatable story sheds a light on silent struggles that a lot of people we know and love are going through. I resonated with this book because in my recent adult life I have been struggling with my weight. Not all body positivity struggles look the same and any unintentional change to your body can be jarring. Hara's point to include that message in her story made me feel very validated and seen. She touches on a lot of points that really help to bring perspective on the subject. I think my favorite part about this book is that she just wanted to share her story in hopes that it may help others. That's the best reason I can think of to share a story.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was super excited to see this manga on a book order so I had to check it out for myself. I love the premise, and the author goes into great detail about her own experience with her body and self image (as the subtitle says, “My Own Body Positivity”). I loved her illustrations, the way she describes her journey -TW for ED- and the little recommendations she gives for movies or shows that helped her. I do think it makes more sense with the chapters as separate issues, like a comic with this being the omnibus, which maybe it is and I’m just not finding that info? Because there is a lot of repetition in the book that made it a little hard to read at times, since it felt like a decent chunk of one section would be repeated in another.
Overall though, a really good read and a rare one in this format at that!