#haruko daichi

[liliumsmangacaps]

[sasha042]

Someone-san.

[hakonohanayome]

Shimanami Tasogare - Yuhki Kamatani

[canon-lgbt-characters]

Haruko Daichi from Our Dreams at Dusk is a lesbian !

[anime-ships-all-good]

Daichi Haruko x Daichi Saki

Shimanami Tasogare

[choujinx]

SHIMANAMI TASOGARE (2015-2018) by kamatani yuuki

[dreamofimmortality]

rereading shimanami one of my newfound favorite relationships is daichi and tasuku's like . hghnfhfhg . realest wlw/mlm solidarity i've ever seen

[tanenigiri]

Review #29: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare (Volume 4)

Japanese title: しまなみ誰そ彼 (Shimanami Tasogare)

Story and art: Yuhki Kamatani

English publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment

Number of volumes: 4 (complete)

A glimpse of several futures.

[CW: Mentions of homophobia]

(This review contains story spoilers.)

When I got my physical copies of Our Dreams at Dusk, one of the first things I noticed was how much thicker Volume 4 was compared to all the others. As I began reading the series though, I realized that this last volume was much longer because it had the very lofty task of wrapping up quite a number of plotlines brought up in the first three volumes. And when I realized that this volume was introducing new plot arcs on top of that, I almost wondered why it wasn’t even thicker than it already was.

That said, this does mean that there’s a lot I want to talk about in this volume, but since I don’t want this review to be too lengthy, I figured I’d just focus on the three couples that get the spotlight here. With two of them already in the front cover and the third in the back, I figured it’d feel right to give them the focus, as most of the smaller plot arcs revolve around one of them anyway.

And of course, I should start with the women of the hour - Daichi and Saki, who go through quite a lot before their wedding at Triangle House. With the volume starting out by reminding us that Saki has yet to come out to her parents, you can already sense that the story is building up to that moment. Saki’s been in the background for the past two volumes, so we don’t really get the sense that she’s more willing to face the situation now than she was in the first volume, but with a wedding on the horizon, she definitely finds it more urgent than ever before.

Unfortunately, the way Saki’s parents find out is less than ideal - someone outs her to them. While it’s definitely realistic, I can’t help but feel incredibly sorry for her, as she already had a lot of hesitation about coming out to her parents, so someone else ripping off that bandage from her must’ve stung a lot. Daichi is also at a loss with what to do, as we found out back in Volume 1 that when she came out to her own parents, it was less than ideal.

Thankfully, the couple’s confrontation with Saki’s parents turn out to go quite well. We get a really great speech from Saki’s father here, where he admits that he was very much against the idea when he first heard it. But immediately after, he said that he hated himself for even thinking that when his priority should be his daughter’s happiness. We get a funny interjection from Saki’s mother here, saying that she would’ve been furious with her husband if he didn’t take it the right way. She seems to have already made her peace with her daughter’s sexuality quite some time ago, as she said that she “had a feeling about it.” It might not be the sheer open-mindedness of Tomoko, but it’s pretty much the best possible outcome Saki could’ve gotten.

This ended up a lot more optimistic than I thought it was going to go, but both Daichi and Saki deserve it. Their wedding happens with both of their parents attending, and they finally get to be their true selves in front of their families. It’s the most definitively happy ending out of all the characters in this series, and while I wish we got a bit more build-up for it - especially from Saki’s perspective - I do think it’s a great note to end their plotline on.

Moving back a bit, the person who ends up outing Saki to her parents is Tsubaki’s father, who we know from previous volumes has a pretty warped view of the LGBT community as a whole. So when he visits the drop-in center to apologize to Saki (though he doesn’t find her there as this happens around the same time as Saki’s conversation with her parents), Tsubaki is understandably mad at his father’s insensitivity. The dad is taken aback by his son’s attitude, but he then connects the dots and asks Tsubaki who “dragged him into homosexuality.” We know from the previous volume that Tsubaki is still confused about his identity, so he understandably becomes very defensive at his dad’s assumptions.

Who ends up saving the day, though, is Tasuku, who not only makes the bold decision of coming out to Tsubaki’s father, but also tells him why such an action is important for any LGBT individual. It’s a really great scene for Tasuku, as not only does it show how much he’s learned about the LGBT community across the past volumes, but it also shows how much more comfortable he is about his sexuality. He’s spent the past volumes learning from everyone in the drop-in center while also dealing with his own issues, so to see Tasuku be a lot more confident in this volume is really nice.

This more confident Tasuku isn’t lost on Tsubaki either, who’s own feelings about his sexuality were already in a flux and were only made worse after that exchange with his father. It leads to this great scene between them where Tsubaki acknowledges Tasuku’s feelings for him but admits that he isn’t ready to face them just yet. This is probably my favorite ending out of all the characters in this series, as instead of treating Tsubaki’s uncertainty about his sexuality as an issue that needs to be solved, the story simply acknowledges it as something he’s continuously working on. I praised Utsumi’s character in Volume 3 for having a different approach to his sexuality, and I can say the same for Tsubaki here - even if we can make all the assumptions we can about it (especially after the epilogue), the fact that the story leaves Tsubaki’s identity open-ended is a great way to show that he himself isn’t ready to put a label on it just yet.

Admirably, Tasuku isn’t heartbroken about this admission, and he even reassures Tsubaki that being confused about his feelings is fine and that he should take all the time he needs to sort them out. Not only is Tasuku using his personal experiences here, but he’s also putting what he learned from Misora and Utsumi in the previous volumes to good use. It only adds to his character development I mentioned earlier, as the Tasuku from three volumes ago wouldn’t have had the same reaction as the Tasuku here. He seems to be heading toward his own happy ending, though, as the epilogue shows Tsubaki telling Tasuku that he can call him by his first name.

(I also have to briefly mention that Tsubaki gets quite touchy with Tasuku throughout this volume, and I find it hilarious that Tasuku’s reaction to these gestures is very mixed. He calls Tsubaki out on it in the epilogue but they don’t really address it, and I think Tsubaki knows that Tasuku likes it anyway.)

Shifting the good mood a bit is Tchaiko, who I don’t think I’ve mentioned in my previous reviews but has been one of the constant presences in the drop-in center since Volume 1. He’s the eldest among the regulars in the center, but we don’t really get much from him in the first three volumes apart from his love of classical music. He gets a full on arc here, though, when we find out that he’s been in a 30-year relationship with his partner, Seichiro, and Tchaiko constantly visits him in the hospital as Seichiro is dealing with a grave illness.

I already had a bad feeling about where this was going from the start, but the conflict of this plot arc doesn’t actually come from Seichiro’s numbered days - it actually sounds like they’ve both quietly accepted it and are only waiting for the inevitable. Instead, it revolves around how Tchaiko hasn’t come clean about his relationship with Seichiro’s son, Akira, and we find out that Tchaiko times his hospital visits so that he’s there when Akira isn’t watching over his father. I was pleasantly surprised that the story went this route, and it even makes for a nice parallel with the two other main conflicts I talked about above - what with all three of them dealing with family complications.

These two largely stay in the background for the middle part of the volume, but on the day of Daichi and Saki’s wedding, Tchaiko gets a text from Akira saying that Seichiro is in a critical condition. This definitely catches Tchaiko off-guard, as not only does he have to deal with the imminent death of the love of his life, but he also has to contend with the fact that Seichiro had apparently told Akira about him. He then has a great scene with Someone-San, who we find out earlier in the volume have been friends for quite some time even before the drop-in center existed. Tchaiko relays all of his worries and indecision to Someone-San, but all she does in the face of those doubts is to push Tchaiko and tell him to go. True enough, when he gets to the hospital, Akira only smiles in acknowledgment and gives Tchaiko the opportunity to say goodbye to Seichiro.

Even if I initially found it odd that the story would introduce a brand new plotline when it still had to wrap up quite a number of them, I really appreciated its inclusion in the end, as it has a really unique vibe when compared to all the other plot arcs of the series. I’m not sure if it’s because this deals with a more seasoned couple, but the sense of satisfaction I got from seeing this plotline resolved is a lot different from the other two I talked about above.

And, really, that’s what makes Our Dreams at Dusk such a standout title for me - how it’s able to handle all of these stories and give them the depth they deserve. I was a bit worried that this volume was biting off more than it could chew, but in the end I found myself liking where all of the characters ended up. Sure, I may have wanted more out of some characters, but that’s really just another way of saying that I didn’t want this series to end at all.

Random thoughts that I couldn’t fit elsewhere:

Apart from Tchaiko, the other Cat Clutter member that finally gets the spotlight in this volume is Someone-San, who has really only spent the last three volumes being this mysterious presence that’s both critical to the plot and in the background. We find out here that she considers herself aromantic and asexual, but she doesn’t like putting a label on herself at all, with the name “Someone-San” even being given to her by Tchaiko and Seichiro. We also get a really great line from her about how her asexuality isn’t what defines her, and how it’s only one part of her entire identity. As much as I want to talk about her monologue about who she is, I honestly haven’t wrapped my head around it all that well and I feel like I’m still missing certain pieces about that chapter. I will say that it was a great set of panels though.

One of the other plotlines that gets wrapped up in this volume is Misora's, as Tasuku wants to invite him to Daichi and Saki’s wedding. It goes a lot better than I expected, as Tasuku simply goes through all of the things that he did wrong and asks for Misora’s forgiveness, which he gives almost nonchalantly, but you can tell that he appreciates the gesture. (Also his look in the wedding is his best one in the series.)

I’m kinda surprised that we didn’t get more from Tasuku and Tsubaki’s school life here, as I would’ve expected more people to point out the changed dynamic between the two of them considering that Tsubaki’s fairly popular and Tasuku isn’t. The only one who does point it out is Tachibana, Tasuku’s closest friend in school and teammate in the table tennis club, and all he really says is how he wants to join in on the fun too. I wonder if he’ll notice that there’s more going on between them?

Thanks for reading! You can read my review of the first two volumes here, and my review of the third volume here. Our Dreams at Dusk has really gone up my personal rankings the more I reread it, as there’s really nothing quite like it among the manga I’ve read so far. It’s a really emotional and fulfilling series, and I highly recommend it.

[all-kamatani-tournament]

Quarterfinals, Match 3: Yoite (Nabari no Ou) vs. Haruko Daichi (Shimanami Tasogare)

[image description:

image 1: Yoite on the back cover of volume 14 of Nabari no Ou.

image 2: Haruko Daichi on the cover of volume 4 of Shimanami Tasogare.

/end image description.]

The winner of this match will go on to face the winner of match 4, Miharu Rokujou (Nabari no Ou) vs. Someone-san (Shimanami Tasogare), in the semifinals.

[imasallstars]

The cover art for THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER　Cool jewelries! 004 album has been released and the album is set to be released on the 1st of March 2023. Alongside the group song, this album will also feature covers songs by each idol as well as their version of the Jewelries 04 anthem song.

Tracklist:

Tr.01　Starry Night 　Lyrics: Shio Watanabe　Music&Arrange: Go Sakabe 　Singer(s): Ryo Matsunaga, Miyu Mifune, Nono Morikubo, Hajime Fujiwara, Akira Sunazuka Tr.02　Mela! 　Lyrics: Haruko Nagaya, Iwase Kobayashi 　Music&Arrange: peppe, Shingo Anami 　Singer(s): Ryo Matsunaga 　※ original by Ryokuoushoku Shakai Tr.03　Rainy Blue 　Lyrics: Makoto Ooki 　Music: Hideaki Tokunaga 　Singer(s): Miyu Mifune 　※ original by Hideaki Tokunaga Tr.04　Kuusou Forest 　Lyrics&Music: Jin 　Singer(s): Nono Morikubo 　※ original by Jin ft. IA Tr.05　Asu e no Tegami 　Lyrics&Music: Ayako Ikeda 　Singer(s): Hajime Fujiwara 　※ original by Aoi Teshima Tr.06　EXCITE 　Lyrics: Kanata Okajima, Daichi Miura 　 Music: Carpainter, Kanata Okajima 　Singer(s): Akira Sunazuka 　※ Kamen Rider Ex-Aid by Daichi Miura Tr.07　Mitometekurenakute Iiyo 　Lyrics: Yuta Yashiro　Music&Arrange: Keita Inoue (MONACA) 　Singer(s): Ryo Matsunaga, Miyu Mifune, Nono Morikubo, Hajime Fujiwara, Akira Sunazuka Tr.08　Drama “After The Recording All Cool” Tr.09　Starry Night (off vocal)

[healeroflightanddark]

Family Ties, Chapter 8: Big Family

After breakfast, the Yuus went to explore the farm. Three of their cousins joined them, wanting to spend time with them and show them around. They introduced themselves as Ari, Kyo, and Megumi, and they were Auntie Asuka’s triplets.

“Hang on,” Yuya said slowly when the triplets introduced themselves. “So you guys are triplets, and then Auntie Ren, I think it was? has twins, and Mean Old Uncle is Mom’s twin…”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of twins and triplets in our family,” Megumi replied. “Uncle Ichiro, Uncle Toshiro, and Auntie Fumiko are triplets, Mom and Auntie Kaede are twins, Uncle Haru and Auntie Yoko are twins, Uncle Hiroshi, Auntie Sakura, and Kagura are triplets, but Kagura’s not really welcome in the family anymore after what she did. Then there’s Cousin Miki and Cousin Niko, the oldest cousins, they’re 32-year-old twins. Next is Cousins Hiroto, Mei, and Len, they’re 31-year-old triplets. Then comes 30-year-old Hina, she’s one of the few cousins that isn’t a twin or triplet, then 29-year-old twins Akiko and Akito, then 29-year-old triplets Seiichi, Tadashi, and Mio, then 29-year-old triplets Emi, Saki, and Yuki, then 28-year-old triplets Kenji, Nobuo, and Hiro, then 27-year-old twins Ayame and Ayano, then Ari, Kyo, and me, we’re also 26, then 26-year-old twins Daichi and Ryuichi, then 24-year-old twins Kasumi and Mitsu, then 24-year-old Yuno, then 23-year-old twins Kotone and Kai, then 21-year-old triplets Takumi, Kazuo, and Isamu, then 21-year-old twins Miwa and Misaki, then 21-year-old triplets Haruko, Rei and Asuna, then 20-year-old Yumiko, and finally 19-year-old Mayumi.”

Yuya frowned. “Mom is only 34, right? Doesn’t that mean that Cousins Miki and Niko were born two years after she was?”

“Yep, Uncle Haru and Auntie Yoko were surprise babies,” said Ari. “All of their siblings were between 18 and 21 when Grandma found out she was pregnant with them.”

Yuri hummed, intrigued. “So, which of our cousins belong to which parents?” he asked

“Miki and Niko are Auntie Ren and Uncle Hiroshi’s kids,” Kyo replied. “Hiroto, Mei, and Len are Auntie Kaede and Uncle Akira’s kids. Akiko, Akito, Yuno, Miwa, and Misaki are Uncle Jun and Kagura’s. Emi, Saki, Yuki, Kotone, Kai, Haruko, Rei, and Asuna are Auntie Fumiko and Uncle Ryou’s. Hina, Seiichi, Tadashi, Mio, Kenji, Nobuo, and Hiro are Uncle Toshiro and Auntie Amaya’s. Ayame, Ayano, Daichi, Ryuichi, Kasumi, Mitsu, Takumi, Kazuo, and Isamu are Uncle Ichiro and Auntie Sakura’s. And the three of us and Mayumi are your Auntie Asuka and Uncle Takeshi’s kids.”

Yugo was quiet for a moment, then slowly looked at Yuya. “How many cousins do we have on Dad’s side, Yuya?” he asked with trepidation. Yuya replied, “Only four.”

To which Yugo let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god, it’s going to be hard enough keeping track of all the cousins on Mom’s side.”

Ari, Kyo, and Megumi all laughed. “Don’t worry, little cousin!” Kyo reassured him. “We all lose track all the time. If you forget a cousin or a name or call someone by the wrong name, nobody will be offended.”

[liliumsmangacaps]

[mangaxyaoi]

Les Personnages

1ere Ligne : Kyon Kaïto Akio Haruko 2eme Ligne : Ken Jun Massa Ryuu 3eme Ligne : Tadhasi Tetsua Tomio Masaki 4eme Ligne : Yoshio Nao Hisao Eiji

1ere Ligne : Nori Tadao Raiden Daichi 2eme Ligne : Isamu Kin Jamy Wai 3eme Ligne : Kenshin

[hakonohanayome]

Shimanami Tasogare - Yuhki Kamatani

[your-lovely-rose]

• 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:

31.12./01.01. ┇ New Year's Day/Eve

— 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 - is a term coined by Cliff Arnall to define the most depressing day of the year, supposedly falling on the third Monday in January.

• 𝐙𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐜 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬:

22.12–19.01 - Capricorn ♑︎

20.01–18.02 - Aquarius ♒︎

= 01.01. ♑︎

• 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲:

- Yoshiko Hanabatake (Aho-Girl),

- Haru Ichinose (Akuma no Riddle/Riddle Story of Devil),

- Gakushu Asano (Ansatsu Kyōshitsu/Assassination Classroom),

- Yoruichi Shihoin (Bleach),

- Principal Nezu (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- Mao (Code Geass),

- "Radical Edward" | Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV (Cowboy Bebop),

- Hajime Hinata (Danganronpa),

- Izuru Kamukura (Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair // Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School),

- Gao Mikado (Future Card Buddyfight),

- Kochoube Asuko | Asirpa (Golden Kamu),

- Asahi Azumane (Haikyu!!),

- Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen/Kaguya-sama: Love is War),

- Daichi Tachiaki (Miira no Kaikata/How To Keep A Mummy),

- Might Guy (Naruto),

- "Fire Fist" Ace | Portgas D. Ace (One Piece),

- "Mr. 1"/"The Killer" | Daz Bonez (One Piece),

- Takeo Gouda (Ore Monogatari/My Love Story!!),

- Tsubaki (Servamp),

- Masato Oujou (Shakunetsu Kabaddi/Burning Kabaddi),

- "Super Rookie" | Kaede Rukawa (Slam Dunk),

- "Vongola Primo" | Ieyasu Sawada / Giotto (Reborn!),

= 02.01. ♑︎

- Mariko/Maririn | Mimori Kishida (AKB0048),

- "Sir Nighteye" | Mirai Sasaki (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- Mutsuki Nakano (Danchigai),

- Ayumi (InuYasha),

- Mio Aoyama (Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai/The World God only knows),

- Maria Louise (Kidō Butōden G Gundam/Mobile Fighter G Gundam),

- Emelenzia Rudiger Beatrix (Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo!/Venus to Mamoru!),

- Tsubomi Kido (Mekakucity Actors),

- Kenzo Tenma (Monster),

- Peepley Lulu (One Piece),

- Mitchie | Mitsuhiko Nagafukada (Robotics;Notes),

- Isshinsai Ogata (Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi/Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple),

- Gralat Berlurik (Shoukoku no Altair/Altair: A Record of Battles),

- Akane Shinjo (SSSS.Gridman),

- Taichi Dan (Tennis no Ōjisama/The Prince of Tennis),

- Jun Fuyumi (The Idolmaster SideM),

- Ren-Ren | Reina Suzuki (Wake Up, Girls!),

- Marie Tennouji (Yumeiro Pâtissière),

= 03.01. ♑︎

- "Seiryuu" | Shin-Ah (Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn),

- Hiromi Iwasa (Baby Steps),

- Alecdora Sandler (Black Clover),

- Fujitaka Kinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura),

- Kyoshiro Tohdoh (Code Geass),

- Keisuke Yuuki (Fushigi Yuugi/Mysterious Play),

- Haruko Saeki (Idoly Pride),

- Masako Araki (Kuroko no Basket/Kuroko's Basketball),

- Gamabunta (Naruto),

- Aisa (One Piece),

- Iceberg (One Piece),

- Mukki | Mutsuki Tsuyama (Saki),

- Kotone Noda (Sakura Trick),

- Ichiro Ogami (Sakura Wars),

- Itsumi Natsume (Schoolgirl Strikers: Animation Channel),

- Arata Inanaki (Sousei no Onmyouji/Twin Star Exorcists),

- Bart Garsus (Vandread),

- "First Sniper" | Haruaki Azuma (World Trigger),

- Shinji Fuyushima (World Trigger),

- Yukino Yukinoshita (Yahari ore no seishun rabukome wa machigatteiru/My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU),

= 04.01. ♑︎

- Tsubomi Hiiragi (22/7),

- Michio Sumiyoshi (All Out!!),

- Tadaomi Kurama (Argonavis from BanG Dream!),

- Kaname Izuma (Beelzebub),

- Kyusaku Yumeno (Bungo Stray Dogs),

- Senku Ishigami (Dr. Stone),

- Aiichiro Nitori (Free!),

- Aobimbo | Aoba Tsuzaki (Jinki: Extend),

- Arthur Trine (Kidō Senshi Gandamu Shīdo Desutinī/Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny),

- Lina/Angie | Angelina Kudou Shields (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei/The Irregular at Magic High School),

Torii Natsumi (Nurarihyon no Mago/Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan),

- Fumiki Mizutani (Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup!),

- Takeru Fujiwara (Prince of Stride),

- El Cid (Saint Seiya/Zodiac Knights),

- Kotonoha Katsura (School Days),

- "Galand the Truth" | Galand (The Seven Deadly Sins),

- "Gourmet Surgeon" | Atashino (Toriko),

= 05.01. ♑︎

- Eri Ibusaki (D_Cide Traumerei the Animation),

- Prince of the Capital/King | Mei Narumiya (Diamond no Ace/Ace of Diamond),

- John Brown (Ghost Hunt),

- Ichigo Kohinata (Girlfriend (Kari)/Girl Friend Beta),

- Terence T. D'Arby (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure),

- Kuroh Yatogami (K-Project),

- Keitaro Urashima (Love Hina),

- Ozma Lee (Macross Frontier),

- Strawberry (One Piece),

- Sion Todo (PriPara),

- Ryō Yoake (ReLIFE),

- Kae Hiiragi (Re:Stage! Dream Days),

- Momiji Kanō (The Unlimited Hyobu Kyosuke/Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited),

- Mew Berry | Berry Shirayuki (Tokyo Mew Mew),

- Wanko | Inumaru (Ueki no Housoku/The Law of Ueki),

- Ichigo Amano (Yumeiro Pâtissière),

= 06.01. ♑︎

- Anna Nishikinomiya (Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist),

- Jeanne d'Arc (Fate/Apocrypha),

- Nene Kinokuni (Food Wars!),

- Jeanne d'Arc (Drifters),

- Nobara Yukinokouji (Inu X Boku Secret Service),

- Saki Morimi (Eden of the East),

- Makoto Sawatari (Kanon),

- Shingo Komoi (Cardfight!! Vanguard),

- Tatsuma Suguro (Blue Exorcist),

- Haji (Gintama),

- Kiyoko Shimizu (Haikyu!!),

- Sherlock Holmes (Moriarty the Patriot),

- "The Darkness of the Shinobi" | Danzo Shimura (Naruto),

- "Fifth Raikage" | Darui (Naruto),

- Ebizou (Naruto),

- Oimo (One Piece),

- Tilestone (One Piece),

- "Sailor Saturn" | Hotaru Tomoe (Sailor Moon),

- Amidamaru (Shaman King),

- Oluo Bozado (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan),

- "Liz" / Elizabeth (The Seven Deadly Sins),

= 07.01. ♑︎

- Konekomaru Miwa (Blue Exorcist),

- "Jack Mantis" | Kamakiri Togaru (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- Genya Shinazugawa (Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer),

- Samui (Naruto),

- "Square Sisters" (with Kiwi) | Mozu (One Piece),

- Guang Hong Ji (Yuri!!! on Ice),

= 08.01. ♑︎

- Kai (Akira),

- Mars (Black Clover),

- Hiashi Hyuga (Naruto),

- Hizashi Hyuga (Naruto),

- "Okama King" / "Miracle Person" | Emporio Ivankov / Iva (One Piece),

- Ching Tao (Shaman King),

= 09.01. ♑︎

- Kaede Kayano (Ansatsu Kyōshitsu/Assassination Classroom),

- Reika Rikudou (Fate/Apocrypha),

- Haku (Naruto),

- Pickles (One Piece),

= 10.01. ♑︎

- Braz D. Blood (Blood Lad),

- Koyo Ozaki (Bungo Stray Dogs),

- Yukichi Fukuzawa (Bungo Stray Dogs),

- Ittetsu Takeda (Haikyuu!!),

- Eustass Kid (One Piece),

- Otohime (One Piece),

= 11.01. ♑︎

- Todoroki Shouto (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- Itomimizu (One Piece),

= 12.01. ♑︎

- Schneizel el Britannia (Code Geass),

- Dr. Hiriluk (One Piece),

- Ricardo (Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World),

= 13.01. ♑︎

- Cutthroat (Akudama Drive),

- Gordon Agrippa (Black Clover),

- Cornelia Li Britannia (Code Geass),

- 13 (Dorohedoro),

- Ikaros Much (One Piece),

= 14.01. ♑︎

- Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach),

- Ayumu Tojo (Gintama),

- Snoozer (Hamtaro),

- Sweet Pea (One Piece),

- Estarossa (The Seven Deadly Sins),

= 15.01. ♑︎

- A.O (One Piece),

- Historia Reiss (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan),

- #81194 | Ray (Yakusoku no Neverland/Yakusoku no Neverland),

= 16.01. ♑︎

- Revchi Salik (Black Clover),

- Jirou Kyoutoku (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- Boodle (One Piece),

- Felix Argyle (Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World),

= 17.01. ♑︎

- Kazuo Tengan (Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School),

- Capone Bege (One Piece),

= 18.01. ♑︎

- Rhya (Black Clover),

- "Dabi" | Toya Todoroki (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- Kiyomizu Yukihiro (Fugou Keiji: Balance:Unlimited/The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited),

- Katsuhiko Teshigawara (Kimi no na wa/Your Name),

- Hannes (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan),

= 19.01. ♑︎

- Coyote Starrk (Bleach),

- Lilynette Gingerbuck (Bleach),

- Edgar Allan Poe (Bungo Stray Dogs),

- "Baron Zeppeli" | Will A. Zeppeli (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure; Part 3),

- "Prince of the Sand Waterfall Gourd" | Gaara (Naruto),

- Spandine (One Piece),

= 20.01. ♒︎

- Sakura Kouno (Horimiya),

- Maki Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen),

- Mai Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen),

- First Mizukage | Byakuren (Naruto),

- Tetta Kisaki (Tokyo Revengers),

= 21.01. ♒︎

- Antonio (One Piece),

- Miss Friday (One Piece),

= 22.01. ♒︎

- Miki Okudera (Kimi no na wa/Your Name),

- Merry (One Piece),

- Mii-chan | Michelajul Lortelia (Senyuu),

= 23.01. ♒︎

- Yumacchi | Walker Yumasaki (Durarara!!),

- Haruki Komi (Haikyuu!!),

- Nobu | Nobuo Terashima (Nana),

- Shino Aburame (Naruto),

- Charlotte Dosmarche (One Piece),

- Charlotte Nusstorte (One Piece),

= 24.01. ♒︎

- Inoichi Yamanaka (Naruto),

- Kairiken (One Piece),

- Miss Monday (One Piece),

- "Witch of Greed"/ "Witch of Wisdom" | Echidna (Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World),

- "Quinque Fanatic" / "Mad Mado" | Kureo Mado (Tokyo Ghoul),

= 25.01. ♒︎

- Shingo Mido (Death Note),

- Rintaro Suna (Haikyuu!!),

- "The Fourth Hokage" | Minato Namikaze (Naruto),

- Giolla (One Piece),

= 26.01. ♒︎

- Kuromarimo (One Piece),

- "Nero the Sea Weasel" | Nero (One Piece),

- Meene Montgomery (Shaman King),

- "Attack Titan" | Grisha Jaeger (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan),

- "Old Warrior" | Aldrich (The Seven Deadly Sins),

= 27.01. ♒︎

- Loly Aivirrne (Bleach),

- Takahiro Hanamaki (Haikyuu!!),

- "Sailor Uranus" | Haruka Tenou (Sailor Moon),

- Charlotte Lola (One Piece),

= 28.01. ♒︎

- Doctor Onishi (Akira),

- "Gran Torino" | Sorahiko Torino (Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia),

- "Puppet Princess" / Tianzi | Jiang Lihua (Code Geass),

- Shizuo Heiwajima (Durarara!!),

- Mansherry (One Piece),

- Naki (Tokyo Ghoul),

- Chosuke Nakamoto (Fugou Keiji: Balance:Unlimited/The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited),

= 29.01. ♒︎

- Kotaro Takebayashi (Ansatsu Kyōshitsu/Assassination Classroom),

- Gadjah (Black Clover),

- Carla Jaeger (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan),

= 30.01. ♒︎

- "Kosaku Kawajiri" | Yoshikage Kira (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure; Part 4),

- Eld Jinn (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan),

- "Parka Freak" | Misuto Kiriya (Corpse Party: Blood Drive),

- Suleiman (One Piece),

= 31.01. ♒︎

- Byakuya Kuchiki (Bleach),

- Shizuku (Naruto Shippuden the Movie),

- Aladdin (One Piece),

- Ippon-Matsu (One Piece),

← [December] | [Calendar] | [February] →

[bookblogbog]

Our Dreams at Dusk

Our dreams at dusk 

Ages: novelist plus says grade levels 7-9, and bowker’s says general adult. This clearly highlights the struggle that librarians and others face when determining the right location and marketing of this book.

Author: Yuhki Kamatani 

Genre: Contemporary fiction, magical realism

Why I chose this book: It is an LGBTQ+ book that is also manga.  

Summary: High schooler Kaname Tasuku has moved to a new town and his secret is exposed to his classmates just before summer break begins. Though he decides to take drastic action, he gets sidetracked and begins to get to know and befriend different people at a drop-in center high in the mountains while at the same time learning to come to terms with himself.  

Evaluation:  

Characters: I don’t believe the characters are well fleshed out in this novel, and I think that there may be a couple of reasons as to why. Firstly, this book is a manga and part of a series. It is to be expected that the character development will progress through each book, evidenced by the ending’s cliffhanger as Tasuku comes to a life-altering realization. The manga also splits its limited 180 pages between three storylines: Tasuku navigating his life as a gay teen, Haruko Daichi’s coming out story and her relationship with her fiancee who is still in the closet, and Tasuku’s curiousity about “Someone-san", the still unnamed owner of the Drop-in Center and several properties in renovation around the town. Furthermore, the author building a relationship between the reader and characters felt a lower priority than the melodramatic scenes and morose introspections. It made for a punchy first book in a series but a little wanting in dynamic characterization, though I believe the next parts of the series will fill in that gap. 

Illustration: Illustration can be difficult to judge in manga as many readers have a certain preference for a mangaka’s drawing styles. For example, I despise the shoujo manga drawing style of the 70s to 2000s to the point I refused to read any of it despite rave reviews of plot or characters. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I can be biased towards certain illustration styles. However, in attempting to be objective, I can say that the lines and proportions were clean and accurate, the illustrations can convey the emotions and turmoil characters are experiencing, and the moments of magical realism illustrated within the book were unexpected but did not grossly exaggerate the sentiments of mystery and heartbreak they were supposed to convey. However, I would have liked to see a deeper exploration into the settings as they are also spheres of Tasuku’s double lives.  

Theme: A theme that the story sets out to explore is the forced dichotomy in identity that people who are queer must either maintain or openly reject in a society that is still prejudiced against queer groups despite larger movements responding to discrimination. Several storylines explore the action of “coming out”, or what can be considered a convergence of the identities into the true or authentic self. The protagonist is afraid an unwilling to come out to his family and friends, the realm in which they inhabit I will call the “public sphere”: the place where Tasuku’s feelings and actions are performative of his masked identity as a heterosexual teen who condemns queerness. The private sphere then is the Drop-in center, where it is safe to be queer and where Tasuku can be his more vulnerable self, the identity that has been so stunted by his always inhabiting the public sphere. It is in the private sphere that his character develops, and the rejection of the dichotomy will be explored.  

The other story line about coming out is Haruko Daichi’s. Although in the story, we encounter her as her full-fledged authentic self and openly out, the story goes into her past when she was still maintaining the dichotomy and in her thorough rejection of it. However, this stands in contrast to her fiancée's story, which is still ongoing as she continues to keep her engagement a secret from her family. In their story we see the alternate roads Tasuku can take: one out, the other not, but both still vulnerable and open to giving and receiving love. It is this theme that I can’t wait to explore further in the next books as we see what life Tasuku chooses for himself.  

References: 

Books in Print. (n.d.) Our dreams at dusk: Shimanami Tasogare vol. 1 [database entry]. Retrieved on December 6, 2022, from https://www-booksinprint-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|69349234|65386116&mc=USA  

Kamatani, Yuhki. (2019, January 1). Our dreams at dusk: Shimanami Tasogare. 1. Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC.  

Novelist+. (n.d.). Our dreams at dusk: Shimanami Tasogare. 1 [database entry]. Retrieved on December 6, 2022, from https://web.p.ebscohost.com/novp/detail?vid=6&sid=9ab81c56-2db8-41fb-8a0e-5131459c0701%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9bm92cC1saXZl#UI=10787366&db=neh