I Want to be a Wall Vol. 1

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Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Yuriko is the strongest element of the book, honestly, and the portrayal her aromantic nature seems about right, but what I think the book does especially well is portraying the ‘death by a thousand cuts’ nature of others talking to those identifying as ace, which I’m going to wager is still pretty prevalent. Kagiura is trying to come to terms with his feelings for Hirano in the second volume of Shou Harusono’s spin-off to fan-favourite Sasaki and Miyano. When I read of high school Yuriko talking about being frustrated with how much people value love and romance, I had to set the manga down because that was exactly how I felt. It became a daydream, a constant companion as I edited book after book, white noise that drowned out any semblance of happiness.

Even when I did get together with my girlfriend/future wife and put the “bisexual” pieces together for myself, there were always questions asking when we’d have children, how we’d even go about doing it since we were two women (eye roll), and, ugh, “who’s the man in the relationship? Yet I Want to Be a Wall is so much more than story of a beard marriage between two queer people who are genuine friends: it’s a story about the walls we erect so we can stay safe.An asexual, aromantic boys love (BL) fan marries a gay man still in love with his childhood best friend. The incredible bonds that can form between humans goes beyond romance and this story showcases that well. Then in Chapter 5, the focus switches to Gakurouta’s point-of-view as he tells the readers how he feels about Sousuke and how their friendship has somehow weathered Sousuke’s many girlfriends (one can’t help wondering why Sousuke, a professional gardener, hasn’t yet settled down).

They comfort each other, talking about how they’ve come to terms with their identity and the euphoric feeling of finding someone who isn’t judgmental about it. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Then we see more of Yuriko’s school life, her long friendship with Ume-chan, their joint passion for BL – and how the two of them grew away from each other at university when Ume became much more interested in her appearance, partying and meeting boys. And I want to establish - the English translation does simply refer to Yuriko as "asexual," though it is established through conversation that she experiences neither romantic nor sexual attraction. We were able to sit down with Aiba for a gregarious and sadly brief conversation to discuss writing relationship dynamics, greater awareness of LGBTQ+ issues, and her latest work.There’s no girls like the protagonists of shoujo manga or the heroines of shounen manga… I can pretend like I don’t feel out of place… It’s another “safe space” for me.

This first volume shows them gradually adjusting to their new married life and figuring out what that relationship means for them. However, one of the most interesting conversations takes place later on between Gakurouta and Momo over lunch (once they’ve been formally introduced and various misunderstandings on Gakurouta’s part have been dispelled).His stance with a clenched fist and the action lines, demonstrates his determination to be the best husband he can for Yuriko (his wife). Not to be confused with Vladmir Nabakov’s (1955) Lolita, this movement actually uses the word “lolita” to mean frilly “French-inspired” fashion. After all, ace/aromantic people, the A in LGBTQIA+, are still greatly underrepresented in contemporary fiction.