My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness

I have so many good thoughts for this manga.. I read a lot of books, comics, and graphic novels with LGBT+ characters and added this one to the list finding the title funny and relatable. I wasn't ready for the real and honest life story this artist put into the story. The first couple chapters the mc talks about depression and loneliness(who would've guessed!) but I wasn't expecting to relate so heavily. It feels so raw and real when you read "I told myself I want good enough and I believed it" and explained her thought process through her healing and becoming a more well rounded human. The first chapters for me personally were rough knowing exactly the kind of feelings the mc was going through. She spoke and addressed her mental illness and her vulnerability as she discovered herself. I found as a reader that even if I couldn't relatable to certain parts I absolutely knew where she was coming from. I was happy for the mc when they would heal. I was cheering for her when she was about to do something big. I fell in love with this book and think about it constantly. I re read and appreciated the white grey and pink panels again and am excited to read the sequels to this story. There is talk of depression but it doesn't go heavily into detail. If you are sensitive to that sort of material I would perhaps recommend not reading. How ever this is an amazing story about self healing and dealing eith depression, loneliness, and self doubt.

I'd like to imagine books, let alone comics, seldom ever approach the unspoken side of intimacy–the lack of it and what it makes people amount of it. It's a tough pill to swallow, but if you are in anyway or have ever felt the feelings of being alone, this book does well in formulating those feelings that could even help you describe your loneliness to others (or come to terms with yourself). What attaches me to this comic isn't so much how relatable it is, and it really is, but instead the author's ability to convey the feelings in a realistic and coherent manner. It doesn't matter if you're a lesbian or whatever, you'll definitely see parts of yourself in this, especially if you've struggled with any kind of relationships be it personal or just the common friendship. All in all, it's a huge breath of fresh air, as it lets your mind wander and think, relate and share your experiences with the main character, even if the topic and nature of the book is uncomfortably realistic.

This is the first Japanese manga I’ve read, and I’m happy to say it was such an enjoyable experience that it makes me want to read more of it. On to my thoughts: Summary: An autographical manga about Nagata’s own experiences and struggles with sexuality, depression, an eating disorder, anxiety, and family expectations. Page Length: 152 pages Published: June 2017 Pros: Lack of filter about real human issues like mental health, sexuality, and differing of opinions when it comes to family relationships. I love books like that/this. The artwork was cute, minimal, though I think was perfect for the story. It showed the personality of the author well. Kinda similar to point one, but I really enjoyed the “realness” of this story. Anyone who’s actually written an autobiography has run into the moment where they’re sitting with their publisher and they can decide what to leave in, take out, tweak, whatever. MLEWL didn’t feel like a story that was trying to hard to be relatable. It just was, and I deeply appreciate that. Cons: No negative things or constructive points. I wish it was longer but that’s not really a true con, ya know? All I know is that anything else Nagata publishes (or has published and I just don’t know about), I will read. Final Rating: 5/5 🙂

This is more a tale of the author's personal and ongoing experience with mental illness rather than what it's like to be lesbian drawn out in a manga comic book form. It touches on depression, eating disorders, cutting, and more. Erotic it is not. For me, the book has more of a feeling of commiseration and is an intimate confession where epiphanies are had once the author's first sexual experience occurs....and this is unique in that sex is not glamorized at all. The naked scenes are illustrated in a non-graphic way but the story inside is raw and vulnerable. It's a deep reveal of inner struggles that a reader may or may not relate to. In my own experience, I'm getting to a point where so many people in my life have some form of debilitating mental illness, including myself, ranging from extreme depression or anxiety to schizophrenia. It's almost more surprising to find people who aren't struggling or fought inner demons at some point. Brain chemistry is definitely a factor and I wanted to reach out and give the author meds in addition to hugs. I felt so much empathy watching her handle things completely on her own. Her isolation triggers my own sadness and caregiver at the same time. One note, this is a Japanese comic so everything is read right to left. It took me a few minutes to get used to it. Recommend the read especially if you feel alone in having anxiety, depression and other mental illness issues.

El manga el excelente, el formato, la calidad de las páginas y el como respetaron las páginas a color del manga japonés, se nota la calidad y cariño que siempre le ponen a sus mangas Seven Seas. La historia es densa y te muestra una historia de depresión y superación de una persona que no por eso tiene que ser mala, a parte va acompañado de un estilo de dibujo curioso en el que va muy bien con la historia.

Una pasada de lectura. La historia, a pesar de su crudeza, es ante todo sincera y despierta mucha empatía en sus lectoras y lectores. El dibujo es muy sencillo y amigable con una paleta de colores muy acertada. Su perspectiva sobre el tratamiento social de la depresión y la ansiedad es la más sincera y sencilla de hacer entender que he visto nunca.

A very touching story about loneliness, shyness, mental health and growing up

Very much worth a read, and great to see some honest representation. Heavier themes than I was expecting (such as self harm, suicide and eating disorders, I didn't do loads of research before buying so that's on me), but still humerous. Well written, beautifully illustrated, and funny and sad at the same time. An interesting story, and a relatable depiction of loneliness and dysfunction in day to day life. I have started the second book in the series, which is also very good so far and a bit lighter while remaining funny. A good comic that I was slightly unprepared for but thoroughly enjoyed, I look forward to reading the other volumes

As the title of the book suggests, this is an autobiographical manga, and Kabi Nagata doesn't pull any punches when it comes to who she is. This is a story about her life, how she became who she is, and how she's seen herself throughout her life. It's a really honest, intimate look at a human being's thoughts and views, and incredibly relatable. Even if you don't have much in common with a Japanese lesbian who struggles with mental illness, the way she draws visual metaphors and writes out clear explanations of her internal feelings makes it very easy to empathise with her and understand her. It takes a lot of effort to write about difficult personal topics in a way that feels so effortless to read and understand. This is a single standalone volume that is half as long as your average manga, but it must be noted that this was originally a digital comic on pixiv rather than a traditional magazine-published manga, and so every page is drawn in black, white and pink. The artstyle is cute and charmingly messy, but composed very intelligently. Kabi Nagata has published traditional manga before (none that have been translated into English besides this, as of this review), and her genuine skill as a mangaka is clear on every page. This additional colour and the very high quality paper makes the price worthwhile: at the time of writing this, it's not much more expensive than any other manga volume. I have to recommend this wholeheartedly. I think anybody can get something out of reading it.