#i want to be a wall

[paintingpuff]

I'm late to the aro positivity party but thought I could shout out a manga I read this year, I Want to be a Wall!

It's about an aroace woman (who is really into BL) and a gay man being arranged into a marriage and how they navigate that, growing closer and kind of becoming a QPR.

The stuff that really got to me was the discussion of the woman's experience with her asexuality (and aromanticism though that isn't explicitly labeled), how it connects to her media tastes and the way people have hurt her in the past. It was all absolutely heartbreaking.

A fun detail I also like is how the pair act out romantic tropes (Gift of Magi style misunderstanding, paranoia about "cheating,"), but they are all done through a platonic context.

(Ex. Even though they're not in romantic love, he still feels upset at the idea of losing their bond, or her getting hurt by someone he doesn't know.)

There's not too many chapters of it out, unfortunately (only like two volumes), but the ones I read are very enjoyable and I'd love to put this on other people's radar!

(btw, I got this manga rec from this video, and there's more in it!)

Asexual Manga and their Powerful Visibility

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=urXrwYmMdgA

#aromantic #asexual #queer #queer manga #aromantic manga #aromanticism #lgbtqia #gay #manga recommendation #i want to be a wall #gay manga #puff talks

[missmouseeyes]

October 22-28 is Ace Week 2023, so I’d like to give a spotlight to some manga I have enjoyed that have also touched on asexuality.

I Want To Be A Wall by Honami Shirono

A 3 volume Josei manga about the lavender marriage between Gakurouta, a closeted gay man who pines for his childhood friend, and Yuriko, an aromantic, asexual BL fangirl.

She Loves To Cook, and She Loves To Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki

An ongoing yuri Josei manga with a TV adaptation about two women who bond over food. The series recently introduced Yako, an asexual lesbian, and it’s possible that protagonist Nomoto may be on the ace spectrum as well.

Is Love The Answer? by Uta Isaki

A single volume josei manga about Chika, a young college student who has always considered herself an “alien” because she has no desire for romance or physical intimacy, but finds community with people like herself.

Our Dreams At Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani

A 4 volume Seinen manga about a closeted gay boy who gets to know the patrons of a drop-in center who all turn out to be part of the LGBTQ community. Someone-san might be considered a deuteragonist of the story.

I’d also like to mention two yuri manga I haven’t finished yet- I have only read the first volume of both- but because of what others have said I know they feature asexual characters!

Catch These Hands! (murata)

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon (Shio Usui)

#asexual #ace week #aromantic #aroace #gay #mlm #wlw #seinen #josei #josei manga #gl #yuri #i want to be a wall #honami shirono #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #sakaomi yuzaki #is love the answer? #uta isaki #our dreams at dusk: shimanami tasogare #yuhki kamatani #catch these hands! #murata #doughnuts under a crescent moon #shio usui

[19-bellwether]

I turned the page of this manga and got fucking jump scared jesus christ

#manga #i want to be a wall #check reblogs for more #i recommend this queer manga

[bottleblondefeelingconned]

Amazing aromantic representation.

It's called I Want to be a Wall by Honami Shirono. A story about a platonic marriage between a gay man and an aromantic asexual woman.

Interesting side fact: in Japan "asexuality" is commonly defined as a lack of romantic attraction as well as a lack of sexual attraction. Whereas in English, a lack of romantic attraction is given it's own definition of aromanticism.

#aro #aromanticism #aromantic #aromantic asexual #aromantic representation #aro representation #asexual #asexuality #ace #asexual representation #ace representation #amanormativity #just has some great queer representation in general #i want to be a wall

[mossy-aro]

Ace/aro books coming out this year that I’m looking forward to!

Is Love the Answer by Uta Isaki - stand-alone manga about a college girl who discovers she is aroace. The same mangaka also did ‘Mine-kun is Asexual’ a couple of years ago which I liked, though it was much shorter, so I’m happy to see a full length release from them. This came out just last week, so I’m super excited to read it when it gets here!

I want to be a wall (Vol.2) by Honami Shirono - manga series - releasing 17th Jan. I already posted about how much I enjoyed Vol 1 of this series, but for recap it’s about an aroace woman and her lavender marriage to a gay man who is unrequitedly in love with his best friend. I’m really excited to see how their non-conventional relationship plays out :) it’s very slice of life and cozy!

I am Ace by Cody Daigle-Orians aka Ace Dad Advice - releasing 21 Feb 2023. I’m glad to see a book about a sexuality actually written for an ace audience, because I feel like a lot of aspec books/articles are aimed at raising awareness with allos. I’m excited to see how this one goes!

Sounds Fake But Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Anything Else - by Kayla Kaszyca and Sarah Costello - releasing 21 Feb 2023. I’ve listened to their podcast a bit over the years and I’m curious to see what they come up with in this book!

If you want to see a fuller list of all the ace and aro books coming out this year, check out this list HERE!

#aro #aromantic #aroace #asexual #ace #aspec #ace books #aro books #aspec books #aspec recs #personal #I want to be a wall #uta isaki #is love the answer #I’d def recommend checking out the list - it has a lot more on there if y’all r interested #including a lot of fiction books!

[acesincomics]

This month, not one but two manga with aroace protagonists will be released in English!

Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai (Is Love the Answer?) by Uta Isaki and Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai (I Want to Be a Wall) Vol. 2 by Honami Shirono are both coming out January 17th!

きみのせかいに恋はない Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai

Is Love the Answer?

By 伊咲ウタ Uta Isaki

A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual. A complete story in a single volume, from the creator of Mine-kun is Asexual. When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just "hasn't met the one yet," but Chika has doubts… It's only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside--asexual--and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all--and that that's perfectly normal.

Available from Kodansha (Japanese) | (English)

わたしは壁になりたい Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai

I Want to Be a Wall, Vol. 2

By 白野ほなみ Honami Shirono | Emma Schumacker, Alexis Eckerman (Eng.)

Any good love story starts at the beginning: Where and how did the lovebirds meet? Was it love at first sight? And most importantly, was there a spark? For Yuriko and Gakurouta, their initial meeting was nothing to write home about—after all, matchmaking services aren’t unheard of. But a chance second encounter on the street revealed that as an asexual woman and gay man, they might have much more in common than they initially assumed. And in that moment, they felt not a spark but something better: the seed of a friendship, ready to take root and bloom.

Available from Kadokawa (Japanese) | Yen Press (English)

#Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai #Is Love the Answer? #Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai #I Want to Be a Wall #asexual comics #aromantic comics #manga #acespec characters #aroace characters #comics with ace characters #comics with aroace characters #comic: Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai #comic: Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai

[rolaplayor101]

I finally did the proper thing and bought some Aspec books! This is the second of my haul and I just got done reading it! I've seen posts about it here on Tumblr and when I saw my bookstore had it, I had to get it! We gotta support our aspec creators!

So first off, it's great. It's funny, there's lots of chemistry, and it's sweet. The second volume has a theme I really appreciate and it's the fact that THIS is what it's like to have queer friends! The comfort, the lack of worry about crushes, being able to open up about huge important parts about yourself that they would understand or at least feel a bit of relation to, it's just so good.

And showing Gakurouta getting jealous of Momo-kun, not because he's secretly in love with Yuriko, but because he cares about her and wants to keep being close to her and doesn't want their relationship to end because she found a intimacy with someone else, just, chefs kiss! Cause I feel that all the time, and it's also so nice to have it be allo person feeling it instead of a Aspec person-- it feels like a turn of the trope. Also...Gakurouta feels demiromantic to me, he so reads demiro, like, read it yourself guys, the way he describes his attraction to Sousuke??? Anyway

Also, like, Yuriko being happy that her two boys are getting along and becoming individual friends feels so good. The blush on her cheeks when she thinks about it. She's so me. It's a short and beautiful moment. Also the FUCINF CAKE REFERENCE OMG THEY HAD TO PUT A DESERT ANALOGY TO ASEXUALITY HUH

Also like, the brief mentioning of fujoshi culture.. it's good that they brought it up cause I really thought they were gonna skip past it, even if it was just a short bit.

So glad Japan has so many stranger to friends to roommate Aspec stories: Is Love the Answer, Koisenu Futari, Sukiyaki Tonight (which is the newest one), and now I've read this: I Want To Be A Wall. I can't wait for the next volume!

@kyanitedragon shouting you out cause I'm pretty sure I've heard about most of these through you! Thank you for your service 🙏

#I Want To Be A Wall #Manga #Booklr #Aspec Analysis #aromantic #asexual #Asexuality #Ace #Aro #Aspec #demiromantic #Qpr #Queerplatonic #Queer Platonic Relationship #Lavender Marriage #Queer Platonic Partner #qpp #Gay #Lgbtq #Queer

[resetmyfeelings]

#i want to be a wall

[aceinsearchofspace]

As Ace Week comes to a close, I would like to share my absolute favorite manga about asexuality. It’s I Want to Be a Wall, specifically volume 2.

What I love the most about this manga is that the main character, Yuriko, is not discovering her identity as an asexual woman. She has already fully embraced her asexuality and is navigating adult life in her platonic marriage with Gakurouta.

I am a huge fan of domestic, slice of life stories, and this manga is exactly that. Yuriko and Gakurouta learn what it means to be a family in their unique situation while going on their first vacation together.

Also, poor Gakurouta struggles to find non-explicit books to read while at the bookstore. A struggle I’m sure many of us experience when looking for a good romance book.

I Want to Be a Wall volume 2 is just very special to me, because it’s exactly what I’m looking for in an ace story: adults just living their lives while building their found family. It has become my number one manga recommendation, and I can’t wait for volume 3.

#asexual #asexuality #manga #ace week #i want to be a wall #aroace

[ladyloveandjustice]

My favorite Manga and Graphic Novels I Read in 2022

I read 54 different manga and graphic novel series in 2022 (you can see them here, from the beginning until the print novels start with Hench. I only included one from each series for my own weird reasons but I'm up to date on everything except Adachi and Shimamura and Prince Freya, which I dropped for now). You can also see my favorite novels of 2022 here! 

Here are my favorites!

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

A young girl gets involved with a witch who has has lots of skeletons (animal and otherwise). I’ve always loved Leyh’s work, and this is her usual super queer fantasy that has everything I adore- cute art, cool witches, animal magic, older butch lesbians with eye patches, lovable characters and lots of sweetness.

SHWD by Sono.N

It’s refreshing to see a dark sci-fi yuri about incredibly ripped adult women fighting monsters, and it really pulls off the horror of the monsters well with some gripping action. The characters were pretty charming too and there was a lot of attention paid to the trauma of the situation.

However, it does have a 'character who looks like a child', which is not my favorite trope for a lot reasons. It bothers me a bit less than other series because the art style does not do cutesy. She just looked like a short adult. The reasoning for having her there was...interesting, I'm not sure where they'll go with that, but it's original, though potentially weird?

Anyway, I like what it's doing and I'm interested to see where this goes. I hope we continue to get a variety of yuri like this published over here!

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This by Takashi Ikeda

Two ladies- 32-year-old anime screenwriter and 22-year-old newbie anime voice actress- live together and navigate their romantic relationship. It’s mostly done in short vignettes, but the central couple has a fun dynamic and the art is nice, and some plot threads slowly develop as the books go on. It’s a cozy read, and it’s nice to see the ups and downs of an adult relationship where they share living space. I also find the 32 year old attractive, to be honest, I’d date her.

Until I Met My Husband by Ryousuke Nanasaki, art by Yoshi Tsukizuki

An autobiographical story of the first religiously recognized gay marriage in Japan. It’s not super lengthy or meaty, but it’s a sweet read.

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

You might have heard of this book based on how it was banned in a lot of places, it’s simply an autobiographical story of growing up genderqueer. It’s a breezy read with some nice evocative art, and Kobabe is pretty relatable.

Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney, Art by Robin Smith

I read a bunch of the DC standalone YA offerings from the library this year and found most of them to be a let-down, but this was a good one. It follows a young Nubia, a black girl who discovers she’s an Amazon related to Wonder Woman herself, and uses her abilities to confront some very real dangers and injustices, while also struggling against racism and other forms of prejudice. Satisfying, solid YA.

Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? By Matt Fraction, Art by Steve Lieber

Another library read. A fun riff on the zaniness of Silver Age Jimmy Olsen comics with a healthy does of humor, it follows the bizarre life of Superman’s BFF as he tries to avoid assassination and does some viral YouTube videos .I especially liked the weird but sweet relationship Jimmy and Clark had in this, and the gentle dunking on Batman.

Run Away With Me, Girl by Battan

Maki’s girlfriend, Midori, broke up with her during her high school graduation, saying she had to “move on” to dating guys now that she was grown up. Ten years later, Maki runs into Midori and finds she’s in an abusive relationship with a man she’s engaged to after getting pregnant. Maki asks Midori to run away with her, but will she?

This is definitely a darker yuri- the abuse Midori faces escalates, and the dude she’s with is basically an incel- but it’s handling the subject matter well so far and I’m really interested to see where it goes. There’s been a notable amount of yuri lately that’s tackled the belief that love for other women is just a childish phase, but this is the first one I’ve seen that explores what happens to a woman who believes that and forces herself into a heterosexual relationship. The abuse Midori faces is not at all framed as her ‘just desserts’ or anything, but a tragic circumstance that happened to a woman who was desperate to fit in and not be alone. The art is also fantastic and distinctive. I really hope it sticks the landing!

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki

A slice-of-life foodie yuri manga! Nomoto cooks more than she can eat, and she notices her next-door neighbor is a big eater and invites her over. A very slowburn romance strikes up. I got interested in this because of the authors marriage equality activism, and it’s a cute read. It’s laid back and slow paced, but there are nice moments of realism that make it very grounded- the way the women talk about being mistreated at work, Nomoto complaining that all the fashion articles she look up talk about impressing men- it was relatable! I also liked that Kasuga is large and butch and doesn’t have to look conventionally ‘cute’.

Cheer Up: Love and Pom-Poms by Crystal Fraiser

A cute YA about an acerbic young lesbian joining the cheer squad and repairing her relationship with her people-pleasing trans friend. It’s for a younger audience, but it’s a sweet romance with adorable art.

I Want to Be A Wall by Honami Shirono

I’m interested to see where this one goes. An aro-ace woman and a gay man in love with his (seemingly, so far) straight best friend enter a marriage of convenience. Yuriko’s obsessive BL fandom can get annoying, but it’s always refreshing to see the ace character represented and the manga is realistic about the struggles we face. I’m rooting for this one!

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon by Shio Usui

A slow burn office lady romance, it’s just downright cute. It might be a little slowpaced for some but I enjoyed it!

Catch These Hands! by Murata

I’m a huge sucker for delinquent girls, so the story of two former delinquent girl rivals who meet again as adults, only for one to challenge each other to a fight with the condition that she’ll date her if she loses? Sign me up! This is, unfortunately, a little uneven- the second volume was kinda eh and introduced an annoying side character with some questionable tropes-but the third volume picked things up again and included a wonderfully absurd training montage. Though it starts with one of the women wanting to change and appear less like a delinquent and more ‘normal’, the clear message of the series is she doesn’t need to. If you don’t like any kind of violence, no matter how weird and divorced from reality, this isn’t for you though, as there is the whole challenge-to-a-fight thing, but it’s tongue in cheek and wacky enough I don’t mind.

Continuing favorites:

Witch Hat Atelier- Can't believe Witch Hat punched the 'funny anime pervert' trope to dust like it deserves, while also exploring and denouncing victim blaming in a genuinely affecting way. This manga is legendary. Also I'm very worried for everyone.

Yuri is My Job!- Really escalated wonderfully with it’s tangled web of relationships, rich backstories, and commentary on how people, especially queer people, often put on a performance. What IS the true self? One character’s commentary on how she wanted her work place to ‘like romance without the romance’ (a la class S) yet can’t suppress her true romantic fantasies was especially well-done. There’s also a character saying ‘friggin’ heteros’. The accurate representation we need, clearly. I just really enjoy this cast of characters.

Spy x Family (A Yor arc! Finally! And there’s just as much murder and mayhem as that should entail!), My Love Mix Up! (continues to be adorable), Yona of the Dawn (dramatic backstory reveals!), How Do We Relationship? (it’s really interesting to read a gay romance where the central relationship is acknowledged as not good for both of them and they try to move on), Delicious in Dungeon (the dungeon adventures are ramping up!), A Man and His Cat (more kitty cuteness), The Way of the House Husband (more hijinks), Bride’s Story (another volume of the beautiful historical epic! It’s been a while.), The Adventure Zone graphic novels (continue to be a lot fun with fantastic art), I Think Our Son is Gay (continues to be a sweet look at a mom supportive of her gay son), Monthly Girls Nozaki-Kun (I’ll always love these idiots) and My Wandering Warrior Existence by Kabi Nagata (another entry in Nagata’s moving autobiographical series about the struggles of mental illness, self reflection, and queer exploration).

#my reviews #year in comics #snapdragon #shwd #the two of them are pretty much like this #run away with me girl #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #I want to be a wall #witch hat atelier #yuri is my job #catch these hands #doughnuts under a crescent moon #manga #yuri #dc comics #comics #books #recs

[joseinextdoor]

Chatty AF: Ace/Aro Representation in Anime and Manga

It's Ace Awareness Week, making it the perfect time to plug the two-part aspec rep podcast I did with Cy and Alex for Chatty AF! Because what better way to learn than through geekery? 💜🖤

✨️ Transcripts Included ✨️

Ace/Aro Representation in Anime and Manga - Part 1: General Discussion and Animanga Grab Bag

Ace/Aro Representation in Anime and Manga - Part 2: The Isaki Uta Appreciation Hour

#aspec #asexuality #aromanticism #ace awareness week #chatty af #anime feminist #podcast #transcript #uta isaki #i want to be a wall #is love the answer #shimanami tasogare #our dreams at dusk #sex ed 120% #acearo

[missmouseeyes]

"But the sweetness of sugar isn't all there is to like about desserts, you know?"

I Want To Be A Wall (Honami Shirono)

#i want to be a wall #honami shirono #manga #comics #josei #josei manga #asexual #aromantic #aroace #lgbt

[consumedshadow-mysticmc]

#i want to be a wall #Honami Shirono #manga #aroace #asexuel #gay #marriage #otaku #fujoshi #fandoshi

[mossy-aro]

I JUST READ VOL 1 OF “I WANT TO BE A WALL” AND ITS ACTUALLY SO GOOD ???? PLS GO CHECK IT OUT PLS PLS❗️❗️❗️

#i want to be a wall #aro #aromantic #aroace #aspec #asexual #ace #aspec books #aspec recs #aroace characters #lgbt

[out-of-context-aro-ace]

"You know your set when an aspec is on deck" (lololol) but the video is about asexual rep in manga, I just like that line and have never heard of it before

Video by @kamenootblr

#asexual #aroace #manga #is love the answer? #mine kun #uta isaki #doughnuts under a crescent moon #ace lesbian #shio usui #i want to be a wall #honomi shirono #koisenu futari #erika yoshida #catherine kobaly #video essay

[nyoomzz]

i want to be your wall!

#i want to be a wall #watashi wa kabe ni naritai #heheh. my qpr ever