しまなみ誰そ彼〈たそがれ〉

SHIMANAMI TASOGARE

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
4
RELEASE
May 23, 2018
CHAPTERS
23

DESCRIPTION

Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he’s also terrified that he’s been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all.

(Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)

CAST

Tasuku Kaname
Touma Tsubaki
Anonymous
Haruko Daichi
Shuuji Misora
Chaiko
Natsuyoshi Utsumi

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

Limpix
90/100
How to better understand the LGBTQ+ Community
_How to better understand the LGBTQ+ Community_
That's a question I think the manga managed to answer very well.

The topic of the LGBTQ+ community, although it can be taboo or embarrassing for some, is something that we talk about more and more freely in our society, and the manga has for me approached this topic in a different way than what we are used to seeing when we read a manga rated "psychological" and "LGBTQ+".
- We put ourselves in the place of the characters, we understand their points of view, the difficulties they may encounter, and the injustices that are linked to being part of the LGBTQ+ community. At least, that"s what I felt while reading the manga.
It is in this sense a manga with a touching story, where we don't see the development of only one character (although it is focused on his evolution), but several people with different profiles, but all of them have a common point: to be judged or rejected from society for having a different sexual orientation.
- This diversity and equality in the distribution of each story of each character makes me feel like I don't really have a favorite character. Not because there was no one that I especially felt close to, but rather because I really liked them all, for who they are, and for all what they are doing.
This is not what I would call a yaoi manga, I did not felt that the focus was really on the Boy X Boy relationship compare to another manga. There is also nothing sexual in the story (I mean by that, any act of sexuality), but simply the romance perceived in different ways, with the ups and downs and (sadly) many obstacles that can be created as a result.

Honestly, I didn't expect to like this manga so much. It was really a great surprise for me!
I think it deserved 1 or even 2 more volumes. (especially to develop the story of Shuuji Misora at the end)
I had this little feeling of emptiness when I finished the 4th volume, this frustration of knowing that I would never know the rest of the characters' lives that I have followed and supported with love since the beginning. And that is for sure, a proof that I was really into the story!

I must admit that this is a manga that will tease your heart: whether it is with joy, sorrow, sadness, or even anger (or perhaps indecency) at certain times.
- And the drawing style might have played a role in that. I have found a certain beauty and I think I could even talk about elegance for some times. The visuals are what help you to feel the emotions of the characters.
And that what will conclude a 90/100 score for me. The 10 other points are for my frustration of not having more ahah

So you can consider it has an almost perfect score!~~
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frjendless
100/100
A manga portraying what it's like growing up LGBT. Spoiler: it will make you cry.
I've never written a review for a manga before, so you must understand how good this is for me to write one at all.

As a person in the LGBT+ community, I think this manga portrayed the alienation, the joys, the pain, the perseverance and the overall gist of what it's like growing up being LGBT and finding a community, in an amazing way. At first, it seems like we follow Tasuku Kaname's journey into queerness only, however as you read on you find out more about all types of different characters and their own journeys.

We not only see Tasuku open up to himself about his own gayness and embracing it, but we also see him struggle to understand !Shuuji Misora and their relationship with gender.!. This really hit me, because it shows that often times, even if you are in the LGBT community, we sometimes don't understand the people in our own community in certain aspects, and everyone's relationship with gender and sexuality is different. Their entire friendship is very touching and I'm really glad they got the ending they got.

Something I also heavily related to was the difficulty of coming out. Many characters have trouble coming out and facing the people they love with their own truths. This is tackled in many ways, with some characters being outed without their consent, to some openly doing it themselves and facing dire consequences. It felt human, and real and made me cry multiple times.

If you plan on reading this please be aware that this has bullying, the use of the f slur, and someone being outright transphobic to a trans character.

I also found that the way the homophobia (both internalised and from outsiders) and transphobia that was shown in the manga very realistic, and it definitely hit home at some parts. One of the most touching moments in this manga is when we find out Natsuyoshi Utsumi's story. His story really touched my heart, and I hope it will touch others' as well.

In addition, the art in this manga is breathtaking. I could not stop reading and read it all in one night because it had a wonderful plot that i couldn't put it down and mesmerising visuals. The metaphors of feeling like a fish out of a fishbowl when you're an alienated LGBT person in an LGBT-phobic world was a great analogy!

The main thing that got me hooked and made me read it all in one go was mystery. We have this character, Anonymous/Someone-san, who is just there in all of these people's stories, but no one knows about theirs. I kind of wished we had another volume just to see what the characters do after the ending.

TLDR: If you are apart of the LGBT+ community, or an ally, or just someone who wants to understand the queer experience, you should definitely check this out.
100/100 because I will be rereading and crying once again.
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onthefritz
90/100
A quiet, but powerful slice-of-life series about gender, coming out, coming of age, and found families
I love this series. You can really feel the soul of the Mangaka through the story telling and the artwork. There are some panels that have a splash of magical realism to highlight certain feelings, which was just a cherry on top. Opened a floodgate of tears in the end.

Volume 1

A quiet, but powerful slice-of-life series about gender, coming out, coming of age, found families, and how to be a good friend and supporter.

It starts off right away with our main character Tasuku who plans to take his life after being pushed out of the closet by classmates. He is distracted by this mysterious woman, and meets a group of people who become his safe haven.

This story is so subtle, but very powerful and emotional. You can feel the soul of the mangaka in these books as you are pulled along this journey, seeing the lives of these people who hang out at the drop in and help renovate old buildings.

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Talks of Suicide, Brief Suicide Attempt, Being Disowned By Family

Volume 2

This volume focuses on Misora, a middle school boy who likes to dress like a girl at the drop in. The conversation is explored around what his gender identify is or does it have nothing to do with gender?

This volume also shows how good intentions can still be harmful. How friends and loved ones can hurt us, whether intentional or not.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, homophobic slurs, molestation of minor

Volume 3

Tasuku's crush starts spending time with the group, toeing the line of friendship and flirtation.

We get pov and backstory from another group member Utsumi, who runs into a classmate from high school. Utsumi has moments of being a people pleaser to his past classmates, all while being tosses backhanded, "well-meaing" comments. Utsumi is a trans man, and he is deadnamed and told that being trans is a mental illness.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, homophobic slurs, deadnaming/misgendering, transphobia, internalized homophobia, bullying

Volume 4

All the tears were shed! It was a slow build, and the dam broke here in volume 4.

We get backstory on Tchaiko, an older gentleman that enjoys classical music and coffee. Through him we learn about the very mysterious Someone-san. Haru and Saki's relationship is outed to Saki's family leading up to their wedding at the triangle house.

Such a heartbreaking and satisfying conclusion! This series has characters and conversations about so many different members of the LGBT+ community. There is also talk about how finding your label can be gratifying and help one not feel so alone, but then there are people who don't want any type of label and don't want to be put in any type of box.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, homophobic slurs, hate crime, cancer, being outed
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