Continually heart-wrenching.

This manga never ceases to destroy me. In the first volume, we meet Tasuku, the new kid in school who is also trying to hide the fact that he’s gay. As he contemplates committing suicide, he sees a young woman jump off a cliff and runs to her, finding her alive and also stumbling upon a drop in house for those who may feel cut off from the world.

In this volume, the focus shifts to Misora, a 6th grade student that we learn enjoys dressing as a female when they’re at the drop in house. Identity is very important in this volume as Tasuku tries to be supportive of Misora, yet Misora isn’t yet sure what he wants in life and who is the person he wants to me. He’s so young and dealing with so much in terms of gender identity, his feelings generally turn reactionary and he springs to anger often, calling Tasuku the f-slur on many occasions. Still, you feel for Misora’s desire to figure out who he wants to be and how he wants to dress. The end of the book is particularly heartbreaking and stuck with me for quite a while. This series is so ridiculously poignant and yet painful, with art that perfectly compliments the text.

Trigger Warnings for the f-slur being used repeatedly as well for a character being groped without consent

Title: Our Dreams at Dusk (Volume 2)
Author: Yuhki Kamatani
Format: Paperback
Pages: 180
ISBN: 9781642750614

Three Descriptors: Honest, Heartbreaking, Inspiring