“most hoes would drop just for the hair” I’m dead . But you’re right, this manga might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if they’re looking for a more straight-forward, typical yaoi (which is not a bad thing at all). I was about to drop it at first too. Not because of the hair lmao, but because of the old language - the way they talk and reference to things (that were diligently explained in the footnotes by the wonderful translators) - it was almost too complicated and hard for me to follow since I’m not a native english speaker. But I’m very glad I stuck out, because now I love everything in it: the characters, the plot, the artwork, the poetic overall mood woven throughout this story. This is no ordinary yaoi, this is a work of art because I can clearly sense how much dedication and thought the author put into this manga. My only regret is that I can’t read it in Japanese, since I believe we lose out quite a lot reading a work’s translated version. Ah, what I wouldn’t do to be able to read the “Just looking at where your shooting star was falling” part in its original language, I can only imagine how much more romantic and lovely it would’ve been. :”)
P/s: Terribly sorry for rambling on & on! :D
Dont worry! Talk as much as you want, if is yaoi i can write a dissertation here I've been in love with this series for a while now, im doing history at uni cause I want to become a museum curador/appraiser for East Asia, many objects, clothes and things mentioned in the story are recognizable and match with several antiques that I study about, is not like most of historical mangas out there that are focused on war or big changes in the environment (seems like the past always need to be connected with these big events), is more about daily life, but in old Japan, so simples and raw, for me is like an educational book (is so good how the author takes her time to teach us on the extras) And also I agree 100% with you, translation is good and all but we loose so much of a language when we translate, this manga and author are a huge success in Japan, sensei has like 60k of followers on twitter and her only big work was Momo to Manji, but we can see that theres a demand on the jap market for stories like this, while in the western audience is not that popular (actually is even rated quite low) but the most popular movies are not the best ones right? For me yaoi is like that too (≧∀≦)
Wow, that sounds wonderful! Given your educational background, stumbling across this manga must have been like stumbling across treasure for you, then! I imagine you must geek out quite a lot when you see a familiar object, piece of clothing, or understand the things they talk about right away, at least that’s what I would’ve done if I studied what you’re studying :D And I completely agree with you! What makes this manga so wonderful is that it focuses on the daily life of two very ordinary people. I love reading about them doing normal things: sleeping, eating, joking around, talking to young children or old grandmas (and making love, obviously ). This series is my go-to read when I’m feeling a bit sentimental - it’s very intimate and comforting. It makes you feel good when you don’t want anything too grand or dramatic, but still deep enough to leave you feeling a bit poignant. Im glad it’s doing well in Japan! I hope the author feels appreciated for this exquisite piece of work she’s given us and clearly put a lot of time & effort into. Oh, and if you like this manga, I suggest you check out Yuki to Matsu as well. It has a very similar vibe to this series: old japan, focus on the daily life. You should also check out Barbarities by Suzuki Tsuta, another hidden gem that’s very popular in the Japanese market but sadly goes quite unnoticed by western audience. It has a good storyline, amazing artwork and a slow burn romance - a rarity in yaoi :D Ahh, the only thing I hate about finding hidden gems is that I have no one to talk about it to, since so few people have read it (￣∇￣")
Yass!! I feel like "not only I'm already into this old stuff but is gay AND slice of life?" Just precious you know <3 I loved how you described the mood that the story puts you in, I love how is a mix of warm moments of the present and the sad and traumatic ones from the past, also their previous experiences with other parents (a turn off for many people) just makes it even more realistic, I can honestly sit here and imagine how many men had relationships like this or at least had a partner to lay around, get drunk together, I'm not romanticizing the past or anything is just that it feels so intimate and real? Oh I feel that the more I talk about it the more I like it Btw, can you believe that just a couple of hours ago I was making a review of Yuki to Matsu for one of my lists? Is exquisite girl! Holy shit, the art is just like a feudal acid, the characters, the plot, development, the end... amazing, 10/10! I put Barbarities on my "want to read" im interesting already as I can see some europe 17th century vibes going on, thanks for the suggestions and the amazing chat! Im following you now, so feel free to talk about any hidden gems with me if you want!
I meant to say "feudal acid trip" just something about how the smoke came out from Matsu's kiseru and how the snow was always present during the sex scenes, it was marvellous!
Ah, about people not liking to see the characters’ experiences with their previous partners, I can understand. That used to be one of my hang-ups as well. But then I thought “Well, everyone has a history. As long as they’re wholeheartedly in love with their current partner, then it’s all good.” That also applies to real life, no? Saves you a lot of unnecessary headache and heartache . And girl, same! There’s something about Slice of Life mangas (like this one and Yuki to Matsu) that make me want to believe a lot of same sex couples back then had managed to carve out a life for themselves. If you’re interested, you can look up Edward Carpenter, a famous author in his time, who lived with his male lover for over 20 years. There’s also a lesbian British author who spent her life with a female lover that I unfortunately forgot the name of. Not to mention homosexuality was more tolerated and normalizard in many Asian countries before Westernization. So yep, it was possible. We just don’t hear about them as much as the famous persecution cases because they lead fairly normal lives like everyone else.
I’d love to chat with you about the hidden gems, but I’m pretty much clueless on this site. I only go here to read manga and then log off. I don’t even know where the message button is or how to start a private chat with anyone . But I’ll try to figure it out lol.
Yuki to Matsu is indeed very marvelous, isn’t it? The second I saw the unique artwork, I immediately knew it was going to be something amazing! The ending is very sweet, but it also made me cry a lot to see them grow old together haha! You know when Yuki asks for a knife to cut up the meat for sensei, or when he carries sensei home from Edo? I love those small details of them taking care of each other, because these gestures may be simple, but they’re proof of a love & devotion born from a lifetime spent together :”) And that exchanging cups scene near the end? That scene is simply *chef kiss*, *inserts Poetic Cinema meme*, *insert Lady Gaga’s amazing show stopping gif*
Thank you sooooo much updater! I bought these series on Amazon jp and have the books, but is so nice to read it in english and also to know that more people are learning about this story! They are both so precious and not only the artwork but the plot and old Japan concept, descriptions, objects and scenarios are immaculate, a great and realistic story, definitely not for everyone (most hoes would drop just for the hair) but is one of my favourites