What a
sweet, sweet tale. I read this for my presentation and I ate it up (and can’t
wait to get to the other volumes). It’s really great to see a story about a gay
character that isn’t about their romantic relationships. It’s still a story that
focuses on the inequalities and the aversions to gay people (as existing in
Japan) but it’s a heartwarming and positive one.
Mike Flanagan is the widow of Ryoji, who has a twin brother, Yaichi and a niece, Kana. He is still grieving and in a lot of pain, but he wants to reach out to the last connection existing to the deceased love of his life. When he arrives, he’s met with apprehension and aversion, though hidden by Yaichi’s politeness (a Japanese custom). Mike grows close to Kana, which brings attention to a child’s nonexistent aversion to someone who is romantically interested in people of the same sex. This relationship allows Yaichi to observe and reflect on his own impressions of gay people. It’s enlightening to watch Yaichi care less about Mike being gay and care more about Mike being a person. Often we forget that gay people are people; being gay is not their identity. Through constant exposure to what isn’t weird, normal relationships between two gay people and normal relationships between gay people and straight people, what is considered abnormal, becomes socially acceptable.
I think using a child in this instance was a powerful way to bring attention to this issue, as children are not preset to be repulsed by someone who loves someone else. Because that is how they view it; one person loves another person and how could that be bad? The aversion comes from a taught behavior by people who were taught the same thing. I hope the release of media like this helps to change the publics opinion on the choices of other people that do not affect them.
Mike Flanagan is the widow of Ryoji, who has a twin brother, Yaichi and a niece, Kana. He is still grieving and in a lot of pain, but he wants to reach out to the last connection existing to the deceased love of his life. When he arrives, he’s met with apprehension and aversion, though hidden by Yaichi’s politeness (a Japanese custom). Mike grows close to Kana, which brings attention to a child’s nonexistent aversion to someone who is romantically interested in people of the same sex. This relationship allows Yaichi to observe and reflect on his own impressions of gay people. It’s enlightening to watch Yaichi care less about Mike being gay and care more about Mike being a person. Often we forget that gay people are people; being gay is not their identity. Through constant exposure to what isn’t weird, normal relationships between two gay people and normal relationships between gay people and straight people, what is considered abnormal, becomes socially acceptable.
I think using a child in this instance was a powerful way to bring attention to this issue, as children are not preset to be repulsed by someone who loves someone else. Because that is how they view it; one person loves another person and how could that be bad? The aversion comes from a taught behavior by people who were taught the same thing. I hope the release of media like this helps to change the publics opinion on the choices of other people that do not affect them.
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