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Sep. 30th, 2022 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kradeelavBL Metamorphosis (by Kaori Tsurutani) is a manga series that's been recc'd a few times by unbeatable taste of lukadian that I never got around to reading until tonight ... when I steam-rolled-marathoned through the entire thing. x)
It's the most utterly delightful light story of this teenager and this elderly grandma forming an endearing friendship over accidentally discovering they both read BL. The kind of premise that could be awkward in the wrong person's hands, but this author so very clearly understands the heartwarming and nostalgic spirit of sitting down with a thick tankōbon BL. (even for somebody who was very peripheral to BL culture in the sense of yaoi itself not appealing to me, but knowing like JP fen sites, the entire bishie-central 00's on dA, going to anime cons, following all the mangaka - it still hit all the right notes without being alienating.)
hilariously, there was a interesting meta-textual element of understanding where both women were in their life ... an unsaid draw to this manga is the parallel quality of compare-and-contrasting a highschooler student (who feels slightly like an outsider weirdo) and her routine with a 70 year old's (who's been recently widowed, and also feels a little out of step with normies), and the interior ruminations they thought about - whether it be about the cute anime boys or dealing with the pains of waiting in convention halls. sure was a realization when I found myself really vibing with the grandma's headspace, but strangely not an unwelcome one, in all honesty? there was something wholesome of being reassured that being a fan of a book or a game doesn't have to end on a magical set of years - and it wasn't a heavy-handed message either.
the artwork itself is frankly gorgeous in an understated way; goes the extra mile to give older folks dignity, which imo is super rare with both eastern/western artists. It's stylized, but there's nuances there, frankly gorgeous settings, and a subtly delicate graphic design storytelling hand of introducing the occasional elements like a smart-phone call and the online form to apply to comiket. x)
the plot itself is not especially deep or dramatic, but that's honestly something that works here -- I've been feeling a little heartsick from all the various world news, so something light but not so ridiculously "eyerolly unrealistic fluffy' was absolutely perfect for the soul. Will probably try to grab this next time i'm in half price books with friends.
(the fact that one of the mangaka ladies that appeared in the series looked scarily like me with the hairstyle and flannels and had a throwaway line about drawing a cute 2D man that just hit right was just yet one many very endearing nods among many of being Seen >w< )
lukadian that I never got around to reading until tonight ... when I steam-rolled-marathoned through the entire thing. x) It's the most utterly delightful light story of this teenager and this elderly grandma forming an endearing friendship over accidentally discovering they both read BL. The kind of premise that could be awkward in the wrong person's hands, but this author so very clearly understands the heartwarming and nostalgic spirit of sitting down with a thick tankōbon BL. (even for somebody who was very peripheral to BL culture in the sense of yaoi itself not appealing to me, but knowing like JP fen sites, the entire bishie-central 00's on dA, going to anime cons, following all the mangaka - it still hit all the right notes without being alienating.)
hilariously, there was a interesting meta-textual element of understanding where both women were in their life ... an unsaid draw to this manga is the parallel quality of compare-and-contrasting a highschooler student (who feels slightly like an outsider weirdo) and her routine with a 70 year old's (who's been recently widowed, and also feels a little out of step with normies), and the interior ruminations they thought about - whether it be about the cute anime boys or dealing with the pains of waiting in convention halls. sure was a realization when I found myself really vibing with the grandma's headspace, but strangely not an unwelcome one, in all honesty? there was something wholesome of being reassured that being a fan of a book or a game doesn't have to end on a magical set of years - and it wasn't a heavy-handed message either.
the artwork itself is frankly gorgeous in an understated way; goes the extra mile to give older folks dignity, which imo is super rare with both eastern/western artists. It's stylized, but there's nuances there, frankly gorgeous settings, and a subtly delicate graphic design storytelling hand of introducing the occasional elements like a smart-phone call and the online form to apply to comiket. x)
the plot itself is not especially deep or dramatic, but that's honestly something that works here -- I've been feeling a little heartsick from all the various world news, so something light but not so ridiculously "eyerolly unrealistic fluffy' was absolutely perfect for the soul. Will probably try to grab this next time i'm in half price books with friends.
(the fact that one of the mangaka ladies that appeared in the series looked scarily like me with the hairstyle and flannels and had a throwaway line about drawing a cute 2D man that just hit right was just yet one many very endearing nods among many of being Seen >w< )
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Date: 2022-10-01 06:26 pm (UTC)So glad you enjoyed it! Man, isn’t Ichinoe-San just… as the kids say “a mood”? I found myself often geling with her headspace as well. You’ve also nailed pretty much everything I love so much about this manga, especially the compare and contrast between the protagonists!
There is a genuine feeling of subtlety I’ve found to manga like this (extending also into most Queer and LGBTQ manga as well) that is just super refreshing and engaging. It feels very personal, very nuanced, part of it I think comes down to Japanese cultural experiences and the general high focus on the comfort of others, the whole or “the nail gets pounded down” or however that one saying goes.
Perhaps why it jives so well is because for many of us we still remember a time when this was the case in the states. It still very much is so in some places and social change is slow, but the relative freedoms we have in everything from moving about the world as being visibly queer to being “nerds” or into “niche hobbies” that are becoming more accepted into the main stream, these things are now the reality for younger people and is also the flavor being adopted by newer (western) media of a similar ilk, but we still remember when it wasn’t and how it isn’t 100% yet, so maybe that’s why manga like this just hits different? Don’t mind me getting off topic i rewatched Otaku no Video last night so been thinking a lot about this haha!
Man I loved that throw away line too, incredibly relatable. A sort of genuine affection for one’s ocs and creations that can be hard to see sometimes in professional manga, but is very present in doujin circles or doujin-like professional mangaka who embrace or capitalize on those roots by kinda doing whatever the fuck they want (CLAMP and Kaishaku especially come to mind).