(LG)BTQ+: The forgotten letters in manga
Most of us are probably acquainted with lesbian and gay representation in anime & manga, granted that “yaoi” and “yuri” (aka boy's love and girl's love) are quite well-known genres, with lots of works that fall under them. Of course, there are also “shounen-ai” and “shoujo-ai”, which are a bit different (they are the innocent version of yaoi and yuri). All of them fall under the “boy's love” and “girl's love” categories.
Homosexuality (gay & lesbian) and transgender (again, I am referring to trans men and trans women) are the 3 main sexual orientations/genders that heterosexual cisgender people usually know of, aside from their own (cisgender = their gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth). Knowing this, it makes sense that they are represented more than the other (be it good or bad representation). However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't push for more, be it in terms of representation of other sexualities/genders (bisexuality, asexuality, non-binary, gender-fluid, etc.) or in how they picture people who identify with any of those. The “questioning” “label” is, in my opinion, of especially high importance, as it shows the struggle of coming to terms with your own identity. Even for a straight, cisgender person, it is completely normal to question their sexuality, gender, or just identity overall. It is important to let people know that, especially for those that go through puberty, as this is usually when you start to notice some changes within you.
My goal with this list is to help those who are seeking some (good) representation when it comes to other sexualities and gender identities on the spectrum, aside from homosexuality (or homosexuality only). If you are questioning your gender or sexuality, maybe some of those manga will help you find an answer; if they don't, then again, who cares? As long as you're having fun being yourself and reading them, it's all good!
Also, speaking from personal experience, what you watch/read when you are young, especially, can come off as a form of educating yourself. This is why it is essential to find works that treat certain subjects with the attention they deserve. I was homophobic due to my Christian upbringing, but funny enough, I started to change my way of thinking after accidentally watching a yaoi anime! In the end, I even found out that I was bisexual. So, well… I hope you will find out something new after reading any of those works and have a great time doing it! And... happy Pride Month everyone!
*Note: I am only including manga that focus on the sexuality/gender of the queer characters (at least quite a bit) or their journey to discovering themselves.
*Another note: I am also including some manga with problematic queer representation that I stumbled upon recently, just in case you come across them.
GOOD REPRESENTATION
Bokura no Hentai (Our Abnormalities)
enjoyment: 8
genres: Drama, Psychological, Seinen, Romance
queer representation: gay, trans woman
queer accuracy: amazing
A complex, dark drama dealing with heavy topics such as rape, sexual assault, parent neglect, death, and abuse, featuring a cast of 3 main characters and their friends & family. A story that portrays realistically the actual problems queer youth faces, while also treating respectfully its transgender and cross-dressing characters, not mixing up the two. A study on the human psyche in rapport with relationships, one's (gender) identity, young love, attraction, manipulation, and dealing with trauma. That's what Bokura no Hentai is — and much more. Its characters, in particular, are the flavor of this top-notch blackberry parfait; intriguing and full of flaws, to the point of self-destruction and abuse of others, giving up on breaking free from the cycle of abuse forced upon them from a young age. They cry, try, find hope, lose the hope, cry again, and then try again — some do it consciously, struggling to get by, while others just wait to be saved while falling into the abyss even deeper. One surprising aspect of this story is the detail and attention put into side characters; especially since there are quite a lot of them. They are entertaining on their own, and some even have whole chapters dedicated to them. Bokura no Hentai is honestly amazing, so don't hesitate and pick it up!
*One mention about the queer representation in Bokura no Hentai: although, in general, it is very good, chapter 40 is honestly a joke. It is a disaster and I can't comprehend why was this an actual chapter, anyway, since it wasn't necessary at all. It is just... awful.
Boy Meets Maria
enjoyment: 6
genres: Drama, Romance
queer representation: pansexual, genderqueer, questioning
queer accuracy: good
Boy Meets Maria is one of the most popular manga BLs out there, and it is obvious why: aside from featuring non-toxic gay (kind of?) romance, it also portrays realistically the struggle of dealing with trauma and figuring out your gender. Pansexual representation is also pretty rare (this is the first manga I personally read including a pansexual character). While one could debate the cisgender protagonist's sexuality, I am inclined to believe that he is rather pansexual than bisexual, granted that instead of stating that he “likes boys as well”, he confessed his feeling by affirming that “he doesn't care if [Yuu] has a dick”.
Fukakai na Boku no Subete wo (Love Me for Who I Am)
enjoyment: 6.5
genres: Drama, Romance, CGDCT (though not exactly girls)
queer representation: gay, non-binary, lesbian, trans woman, questioning
queer accuracy: very accurate
A cute story centered around a non-binary high-schooler that struggles with being alienated from other people. They start working at a “girly boy” café managed by a trans woman and make friends with the employees.
IS: Otoko demo Onna demo Nai Sei
enjoyment: 6
genres: Drama, Romance, Josei
queer representation: intersex
queer accuracy: amazing
A great depiction of intersex people. Entertaining, realistic characters and a lot of character growth over the curse of the story. Recommended, especially if you want to find more about intersex people and their feelings and struggles.
Kieta Hatsukoi (My Love Mix-Up!)
enjoyment: 7.5
genres: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo
queer representation: bisexual, questioning
queer accuracy: good
I didn't expect this to be as good as it was, like, at all. Yet Kieta Hatsukoi managed to make me laugh, keep me on my toes, feel sad and then frustrated and then hopeful, and then — in short, it made me experience a whole roller-coaster of emotions. It is one of the best BL comedies, and I love it for that. The romance itself flows rather beautifully, and the characters fell in love and figured out their feelings in a natural, almost innocent way — they were awkward about it, and it was lovely. Just what you'd expected from a bunch of high-schoolers. In short, make sure to give it a try!
Kiryuu-sensei wa Renai ga Wakaranai. (Miss Kiryuu doesn't know what love is.)
enjoyment: 7
genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
queer representation: aroace (asexual & aromantic), bisexual
queer accuracy: great
Kiryuu-sensei is the author of a best-selling romance comedy (manga), yet she hates it. She doesn't understand love and doesn't want to write about love. Truth to be told, she had never been in love at all. Kiryuu-sensei wa Renai ga Wakaranai follows her journey of getting close to her male assistant, not necessarily as a romantic interest, but as a friend and as someone she is fond of.
Kimi wa Natsu no Naka (The Summer of You)
enjoyment: 6
genres: Drama, Romance, Slice of Life
queer representation: bisexual, questioning
queer accuracy: alright
Short BL manga with a relaxed atmosphere about two high-schoolers. One of them has dated girls but is in love with his male friend, while said friend is currently straight (for all we know) but it isn't specified. It doesn't put a lot of focus on the questioning period, though.
Kono Koi ni Mirai wa Nai (There is no future in this love)
enjoyment: 5
genres: Drama, Romance
queer representation: gay, trans woman
queer accuracy: unsure
Kono Koi ni Mirai wa Nai has a very good portrayal of body dysmorphia. It focuses on the one-sided love of its protagonist for a male club mate and their relationship with their body. It features a trans woman and a gay man. I don't really know what to say about the message of the manga though, which is “I (a man) can't be a real woman, I can only be something similar to one”. The manga also illustrates the idea that women are useless if they can't give birth, so that might be a reason why that's the conclusion one of the characters arrives at. The manga was published in 2016, and I have read an article from 2019 that says that uterine implants for trans women still didn't exist by then, so it would have been impossible for a trans woman to get pregnant. I am not transgender, and I don't have any transgender friends, so I don't know how trans people feel about this subject. However, I am pretty sure that a lot of (or some) trans women consider themselves women, and this manga kind of negates that. That's how I see it, at least; but even so, I think that the path the protagonist chooses is very realistic and that some people definitely can relate to it.
Oya ga Urusai node Kouhai (♀) to Gisou Kekkon Shitemita. (I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up)
enjoyment: 5.5
genres: Romance, Slice of Life
queer representation: bisexual, lesbian
queer accuracy: alright
A cute short story about two women living together for the sake of a fake marriage. The romance itself is slow and feels natural. The manga touches on several topics, such as sexism and homophobia, although on a surface level. Very cute girls and I appreciate how they are adults, unlike a lot of other yuri manga. The artist's strongest point isn't drawing boobs, though.
Seibetsu "Mona Lisa" no Kimi e.
enjoyment: 5.5
genres: Drama, Romance
queer representation: agender, gay, questioning
queer accuracy: amazing
The story of Seibetsu "Mona Lisa" takes place in an ideal kind of world, where you can choose your gender when you reach 12 years old. Well, that is how it is supposed to be, at least. It did not go that way for Hinase, who is still genderless at 18 years old; and that comes with a lot of struggles, worries, and people pushing him to "choose" one gender. Seibetsu "Mona Lisa" follows him in his last year of high school, having to deal with the two confessions he got from his closest friends and the consequences they had on his gender identity. This manga has a great depiction of genderless people and very impressive discussions about love, gender, and attraction, so I really recommend it.
Shimanami Tasogare (Our Dreams at Dusk)
enjoyment: 7
genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Psychological, Seinen
genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Psychological, Seinen
queer representation: aroace, gay, lesbian, trans man, x-gender, questioning
queer accuracy: very good
Tasuku Kaname is a gay high-schooler from Onomichi town, and he has a crush on a boy from the Health Committee. After deciding against attempting suicide, he encounters a mysterious person jumping out the window. Following them, he arrives at a lounge frequented by people with similar problems to his and becomes a regular there. Shimanami Tasogare follows his journey of getting close to them and his crush, while also showing the struggles, stories, and experiences of every member of the lounge.
Smells Like Green Spirit
enjoyment: 10
genres: Drama, Romance, Slice of Life
queer representation: bisexual, gay, trans woman, questioning
queer accuracy: great
“A story of friendship and self-discovery in a small town.” This is, indeed, what Smells Like Green Spirit is about; 3 high-schoolers trying to understand their feelings and find acceptance through relationships with other people. Mishima Futoshi likes to cross-dress, Kirino's true self is that of a woman, and Yumeno Tarou likes Mishima, but is he actually ready to have a relationship with a boy? Things are hard on them in such a small town, and becoming true to yourself comes with a big cost. It is a short manga, so some parts come off as a bit fast-paced; I would have liked for the psyche of some characters to be explored more. As for the art, it was used greatly in capturing the seriousness of different subjects (like sexual assault, rape, and bullying), by using some elements from the horror art style (mostly when it comes to characters' expressions). One of my highlights of this manga is one side character, their teacher, which is a gay pedophile. I think it was an excellent choice in illustrating how being denied by society and your family for who you are and being forced to live as someone else can really push someone to the edge and drive them mad. Of course, this was an extreme case, and by no means I am trying to justify pedophilia (and acting on it); his character is merely used to demonstrate the ideas stated above.
BAD REPRESENTATION
genres: Romance, Slice of Life, Erotica
queer representation: bisexual, gay, questioning
queer accuracy: a bit questionable
The art is very pretty, and I'm a sucker for Latin America, Spanish kind of vibes. The characters are nice, and I like how Theo takes his time trying out a gay relationship to see if it is right for him or not. The problem comes mostly from their sex scenes, that exclusively take place under alcoholic influence. Specifically, when Theo (only) is drunk. It is mostly consensual, but it really bugged me when Camillo (the other main character) asked him (while completely wasted) if he wanted to go further than jerking off. Thankfully, Theo declined “the offer”, but it was very problematic on Camillo's part to ask in the first place. Another weak point of the manga is the small number of romantic scenes between the two, their “trial, relationship” being based mostly on sex and physical touch.
Half and Half
enjoyment: 7
genres: Romance, Shoujo
queer representation: gay, trans woman
queer accuracy: bad
The story takes place in a small rural area (is that a pleonasm?) and focuses on Hina, a 2o-year-old tomboyish girl, and her first crush, Itsuki. Finally reunited after 13 years, it was not as Hina expected it to be; in fact, she didn't even recognize “him” at first. And that is, my pals, because “he” wasn't a “he” anymore! (unlike how Hina kept misgendering her, haha). Itsuki was now a beautiful, stylish woman, which claimed to be... gay? (I am using “claimed” because gay is, as we all know, a term used to describe a male person attracted to men, yet Itsuki was a woman). I don't know if it was a mistake on the translator's part, or if it was really what the author chose Itsuki to be seen as (this “gay” thing continued on in the following chapters, so it was probably intentional though). It was really confusing, even more since everyone seemed to be misgendering her without her reacting to it at all (Hina referred to her as “he” throughout the whole story, even in her thoughts). The protagonist, Hina, is homophobic, as well as Itsuki's ex-girlfriend, that kept pestering Itsuki even though she told her she's not into women. Itsuki made another very questionable remark as well at some point: “When dating such a cute girl didn't faze me, I knew I wasn't a man [..]”, implying that to be a man you have to like girls and that gender & sexuality is the same thing (if you love men you have to be a woman). The ending was exceptionally problematic, but I won't get into it. It is really a shame how transphobic and homophobic the manga is since it was actually really entertaining.
Okaeri Alice (Welcome back, Alice)
enjoyment: 1
genres: Drama, Romance, Shounen
queer representation: unknown, somewhere on the genderqueer spectrum
queer accuracy: uhhhhh
queer accuracy: uhhhhh
I hate sexual assault. So call me biased in my rating because of that, but the fact that the author portrayed it as being a “trap” for the straight male guy, from the genderqueer character — yo I was mad. Frankly, this manga is shit, and it puts transgender people in a very bad light. As if the “trap” trope was not enough… transgender people don't dress/act the way they want to “trap” straight, cis men (in this case), and “lead them astray”. I am so done with this bullshit. 2.5 for the art.
Tsuiteru Kanojo
enjoyment: 3
genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, Seinen
queer representation: intersex, lesbian
queer accuracy: so-so
queer accuracy: so-so
Tsuiteru Kanojo is a mess as a whole, not only when it comes to queer representation. Cheap comedy and repetitive jokes, flat, one-dimensional characters, and no plot (aside from the male protagonist wanting to "graduate" from being a virgin). The genderqueer protagonist exists only to be the ideal girlfriend "but with a twist", especially since the guy can't seem to get one otherwise. Oh, and to be comedy material. Overall, this is just a bad romantic comedy.
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