Fukakai na Boku no Subete wo

Mar 6, 2021

Firechick12012

Recommended

Just like how LGBT-themed books are becoming more and more common, manga centered on the subject have started popping up in the anime/manga industry, with varying degrees of success in regards to how they portray LGBT themes and issues. Some, such as Yuhki Kamatani's Shimanami Tasogare: Our Dreams At Dusk, drawn by an actual non-binary mangaka, explore every possible facet of what it means to be a part of the LGBT spectrum, from finding accepting communities to dealing with the various types of homophobia with nuance and sensitivity. Others, like Kaito's Blue Flag, while well-meaning in its own way, tend to miss the mark on ... certain things with their superficial treatment of the issues they try to address. I first heard about Love Me For Who I Am, aka Fukakai na Boku no Subete o, through someone mentioning it in passing on TVTropes (For clarification, I don't have an account there. I just lurk whenever I feel like it). Curious, I decided to check it out, and as of this writing, all five volumes have been scanlated, and I've read the entire thing, with intent to buy the rest of the volumes that Seven Seas hasn't put out yet. So what do I think of the manga? Well, I do like it, but there are some things that prevent it from being truly great. And for any trolls wondering, no, it is absolutely NOT the fact that it actually tries to seriously tackle LGBT issues and take its premise seriously. I don't know why people consider that to be a problem, as I'm going to clear the air right now: This isn't a fetishy trap manga meant to titillate people. It's an actual manga that makes it very clear that it's going to explore LGBT issues, and anyone who tries to claim that the manga is somehow "pushing an SJW agenda" or is claiming stuff like this should never be in a manga or are pissy about not having their fetishy trap hentai can go piss off.

If that's the case, what is Love Me For Who I Am about? The story begins when a young boy, Tetsu Iwaoka, accidentally sees a classmate of his, Ryuunosuke Mogumo, tying a wishing tag to a tree. He happens to see the tag's contents and finds that Mogumo, who dresses effeminately for reasons Tetsu doesn't know, wishes for friends who accept them for who they are. Tetsu thinks he has just the thing, and invites Mogumo to work at a cafe that his sister runs. But when Mogumo gets to the cafe, a problem arises. The cafe in question is a crossdressing maid cafe, where boys wear maid outfits, and Mogumo doesn't identify as either male or female. Through trial and error, Mogumo gets to know and befriend everyone at the cafe, eventually carving out a place for themselves there, maybe finally finding the acceptance they've always wanted. But the world isn't very understanding towards people like Mogumo, and when certain people from Mogumo's past threaten to uproot everything they worked so hard for, the people at the cafe intend to do all they can to support their friend.

Now, a little background: Kata Konayama started off as a hentai doujin artist, which isn't particularly uncommon among up and coming mangaka, and one of the doujinshi he penned, Kimi Dake no Ponytail, was conceived as a prequel to this. So technically, this is Konayama's official debut as a mainstream mangaka and a sequel to one of his early doujinshi. On a technical level, Konayama's art is fine. Backgrounds are reasonably detailed but not overly so, the linework is clean, the panel layout is good, and I gotta say, Konayama has a real knack for facial expressions. But one thing I can see people having a problem with is that the character designs lean very heavily towards the moe aesthetic, with the employees at the cafe looking like cute little ten-year-old girls even though many of them are boys (With two exceptions, Mei and Mogumo) and are teenagers at the oldest. Most anime/manga fans I know aren't too big on cutesy moe character designs because of their somewhat fetishistic nature, which is fine, but in case anyone is wondering, there's no fanservice or characters being sexualized or put in compromising positions here (Thank God!), so you can rest assured on that one.

The characters, I admit, I'm conflicted on. On one hand, the author does try to give Tetsu, Mogumo, Kotone, and others decent development throughout the manga, which is good. But a lot of their development is tied to their sexual orientations, and while we do get to see some tidbits of their personalities on occasion, a good chunk of the manga is spent with them dealing with their own issues related to their identities, which can make them feel like they came out of an after school special at times. What I mean is, after reading the manga, ask yourself these questions: Who are they? What drives them? What are their interests outside of wearing their favorite outfits and learning about their sexual orientations/identities? Much of the manga focuses on the characters trying to come to terms with themselves, which is fine, but other than a few small things, it feels like the characters are solely defined by their orientation. Plus, other characters, such as Suzu and Ten-chan, don't get much in the way of development at all, and mostly have one or two personality traits at most. They're not bad or anything, but this cast of characters feels rather bland like wheat toast. It doesn't help that they don't exactly leave a good first impression at the start. I've seen a lot of people take issue over Mogumo getting upset over being misgendered by people who didn't know them and their circumstances right away, decrying them and their struggles as just being a whiny, entitled brat throwing a tantrum. I personally didn't mind Mogumo reacting the way they did in the first chapter, as I assumed it was the culmination of them just getting sick and tired of being misgendered but not knowing how to really explain it in a calmer manner. I mean, they're teenagers. Would you really expect teenagers to talk to each other calmly about these kinds of issues? Plus, Tetsu doesn't have much character other than being nice and an ally to others on the LGBT spectrum, and I really didn't like Kotone. I hate it when characters fall into the "I'm jealous of this random person and bully them because they have the nerve to talk to my friend/crush/whatever" trope, as it's old, boring, and really needs to die, though the manga does give her reasons for being that way.

Plus, there's something else I find myself confused about as well. Seven Seas constantly mentions Mogumo being non-binary in their blurbs for the manga, and Mogumo doesn't identify as either male or female. I have to ask: Does Mogumo even know that the term non-binary even exists? There's no indication that Mogumo knows that there's even a word for what they are. I think the manga really could have benefitted from Mogumo learning more about what it means to be non-binary and finding others like them. Furthermore, the manga doesn't always nail the occasional mood shifts between its various chapters. Some chapters can go from happy-go-lucky to piling on angst and drama at the flip of a coin, and it can feel rather jarring. Mogumo is also given a needlessly heavy-handed, angsty backstory—though it may be true to life for some who actually experienced something similar IRL—but Konayama really could have tried to put in more effort to make the drama more subtle. Also, the manga is weirdly short too, only clocking in at five volumes and ending rather abruptly. I don't know if this is because Konayama wasn't allowed to do more with it or if they chose to end it on their own terms or what have you. I would have liked to have read more. But for the most part, other than some needless angst, the manga does make an earnest effort to tackle LGBT issues in a sensitive, tasteful light and promote understanding and acceptance, even if the ending is cheesy as all hell.

While not the absolute best LGBT manga out there, Love Me For Who I Am is still one of the better ones out there, even if it stumbles along the way.

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Nov 3, 2019

DurangaVoe

Recommended

Preliminary (28/28 chp)

Despite its cutesy look and initial premise of an otokonoko café, "Fukakai na Boku no Subete wo" isn't a fetishist manga for people who're into femboys, but rather something that I'd call CGDCT (Cute Gays Doing Cute Things), had it not been for the male self-insert.

The thing is, it focuses on the reasons why are the employees of the said café working there - or rather, what are their experiences with their own identities. It's a thoroughly LGBT work, reminiscent of Shimanami Tasogare in its setup, but very different in almost every other aspect. Unlike its artsy cousin, FukaBoku's aesthetic is extremely moe, its narrative ...

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Jul 2, 2020

bus_schedule

Recommended

Preliminary (28/28 chp)

Read this if you are looking for: A cute, fluffy exploration of gender that emphasizes understanding and acceptance.

Recommendation: Pick it up!

"Love Me For Who I Am" follows high school boy Tetsu and his nonbinary classmate Mogumo. As Mogumo yearns for acceptance and understanding, Tetsu invites them to work at his family's untraditional maid cafe, staffed by a variety of LGBT+ characters.
Through 3+ volumes, a reliable pattern of storytelling emerges: characters will have a disagreement or conflict centered on or adjacent to gender or sexuality, often with one side initially portrayed as the villain. These characters become more sympathetic as their backgrounds and thought processes are ...

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Apr 20, 2021

ChronicFemcel

Recommended

Love Me For Who I Am (I'm gonna refer to it as FukaBoku for the rest of this review) is a manga written and illustrated by Kata Konayama. It was serialized on the manga website COMIC MeDu from 2018 to 2021, with a total of 5 volumes. I'm only reviewing volumes 1-3, as that's all that Seven Seas has currently released in English.

Story: 9/10
Like a lot of slice of life series, their isn't a lot going on in the series. For the most part it's lighthearted comedy between the characters as they work at the maid cafe. Their is also some romance between Mogumo and ... Tetsu, which is sweet. The story doesn't focus as much on the struggles and discrimination LGBT+ people face as much as it does the other, usually more lighthearted aspects of their life. It's not a fetish manga like some other LGBT+ series (especially in the yaoi and yuri genre). Overall I'd say the story for volumes 1-3 is comedic and very enjoyable for my self at least.

Art: 9/10
The art by Konayama is pretty good. I mainly like how they draw facial expressions, because they're really good at depicting the emotions of the characters. The backgrounds and character anatomy are good. The character designs are nice. I've seen some people complain about how moe the AMAB (assigned male at birth) characters are, specifically the servers at Question!, but I don't have a problem with it. I like characters with cute designs.

Characters: 9/10
I really liked and connected with Mei specifically. As someone who is MtF, her character arc in volume 1 helped me come to terms with my gender and talk to other people about it. Tetsu is the protagonist of this manga, and he does a good job as an ally to the LGBT+ community. Mogumo is a pretty engaging character, and a good enby character in comparison to some other series. I liked Kotone and her arc, though I can see why some people find her unlikable. Other than those four the characters are kinda just there. Ten is just a cishet cosplayer who likes cute clothes and Suzu is a gay crossdresser. I don't think a series needs deep characters though, and overall I like them all (even Ten).

Enjoyment: 10/10
There isn't anything particularly deep about this series, but I really enjoy it. Mei is one of my favorite fictional characters because how much I can connect with her.

I think for someone who isn't part of the LGBT+ community, Konayama took a sympathetic and sensitive approach to the depiction of LGBT+ characters and their experiences. I might review the hentai doujinshi Kimi Dake no Ponytail, which FukaBoku serves as a sequel to. It gives more depth and a back story to Suzu, but it's also gross considering he's a high schooler.

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Jun 21, 2024

MillyKKitty

Recommended

An absolutely (almost) flawless story about an LGBTQ+ person and people.

It is flawless in how it treats its characters like actual people, and does not fetishize them like some half of the industry does with those in the LGBTQ+, by having 0 fanservice within its pages.
It even treats those who do not yet identify and don't identify as LGBTQ+, as characters with reasons for why they act the way they do.

The story is pretty straight forward, so it will not be bloated with filler. However, whether intentional or not,the characters are very one note, where one thing explains another, and that's that. It does make ...

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Aug 20, 2022

NakigePlayer

Recommended

I don't know how I found out about this manga. It was here on MyAnimeList and just now it appeared. The synopsis caught my attention for being rare, I like rare series and I ended up reading it.
As such it was not a bad manga.
Many problems of identity of the characters that are resolved little by little, in the end everyone is happy.
I don't regret reading it, but I still can't remember the reason why I decided to read it, it's not that I like this genre, it was just the weird synopsis.
In the end I thought: "What did I just read?", but I don't ...

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Oct 27, 2024

Mara2463

Recommended

Love Me For Who I Am – Spoiler Free – Recommended

TLDR
Story – 6/10 – 6 x 0.275 = 1,65
Art – 5/10 – 5 x 0.2 = 1
Characters – 8/10 – 8 x 0.225 = 1,8
Enjoyment – 6,5/10 – 6,5 x 0.3 = 1,95
Total: 6,4 -> 6

Story – 6/10
Love Me for Who I Am is more than just a love story and more than just a LGBTQ+ tale. There is romance, but it is quickly elapsed by the more pressing matter of sexuality and gender identity, whether through the main or secondary characters. Truly, what we have here is a story about the overcoming of ... obstacles that come with our self-knowledge of gender and sexuality. It is a story of acceptance and a story of accepting alterity.
First, there is transgender and non-binarity, which come right to the fore in the beginning, and then, later on, the lesbian question is brought up as well. All of this intertwines to create a deep story about the hardships of accepting ourselves.
The darker side of gender exploration – that of suicidal ideation and self-harm – is also glazed upon. Truly, it would have been strange for such a depiction of the LGBTQ+ community without its darker side, resulting from the confrontation between ourselves and a society that does not accept us. What Love Me For Who I Am depicts this journey quite well, this rite of passage that the LGBTQ+ community knows all too well.
The story also does a good job of depicting its topics from multiple viewpoints, not just that of the main character.
However, the story is too short to explore anything other than LGBTQ+ questions. Other plot lines, such as the love between the main characters and the café itself, are quickly resolved and relegated to the background.

Art – 5/10
The art style of Love Me for Who I Am is anything but extraordinary. It is ordinary, dull, and has a bad character design: it becomes tough to distinguish between characters, although the manga does a good job depicting the main character. Technically, the fluency of the panels is well done, making it quite easy to follow up on the story. The scenarios are mostly void, and the story happens in abstract – which is a perfectly sound option as well. The page composition is well done, although quite normal.

Characters – 8/10
Regarding the characters, Love Me for Who I Am presents us with a meaningful cast that greatly surpasses the main character – Mogumo. Verily, characters are the main aspect of Love Me for Who I Am – be it Tetsuo, Kotone or Mogumo’s sister. Them story uses them to present pressing matters and to develop the narrative, although they are somewhat archetypal. The author prefers not to develop most characters and just introduces another character when the story so needs to. The thing is that this move between characters is impeccable. This isn't to say that they don't develop any characters – being the main character a prime example of character development – for the story is based around them. The characters get the job done, and in that matter, they are well done.

Enjoyment – 6,5/10
Although it is an entertaining read, the enjoyment can't be too high. It is a story that fulfils its purpose of exploring non-binarity and transgender, but mostly the former, in both a hostile and friendly environment, as well as exploring the topic of love and romance within the LGBTQ+ community and how the different labels interact with one another. However, the story isn't much more than this. If you're looking for a romance, I wouldn't recommend Love Me For Who I Am. But what this manga offers you is something else: a fully engaged story on the LGBTQ+ community, mostly non-binarity, with slight romance and drama, mentioning suicide and self-harm in a humane fashion. For these reasons, and although it isn’t the best LGBTQ+ manga, it is a quick read that deserves to be recommended.

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Oct 18, 2021

Nebby524

Recommended

Preliminary (22/28 chp)

As someone who is non-binary I can understand what is going on and the struggles of the main character. While it's not the most realistic setting the characters and the reactions are very realistic. On the surface it may just look like a cute gender bend manga, but the truth is that it goes in to some really deep stuff that will make you want to cry and understand what people are going through.unlike a lot of queer manga they don't romanticize or fetishize it. Each of the characters are interesting and they are all flawed. It gets hard to read at times because of ...

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Aug 5, 2022

KayREI

Recommended

Story: 7
The story begins with a mellow, non-serious tone regarding sex, gender identity, and sexuality. There are a range of characters that show parts of the LGBTQ population, including gay, lesbian, transwoman, transman, nonbinary, etc. Starting from the "ladyboy" café, the manga eventually delves deeper into Mogumo's family situation. That is when things get darker, perhaps too dark too quickly for this mostly light-hearted manga. It is a start for those who do not understand much about the LGBTQ community, but not the manga that delves deeper into the issues that people of the LGBTQ population face from all aspects of society and different kinds ...

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Sep 3, 2021

Nomylord

Recommended

Preliminary (22/28 chp)

Love Me for Who I Am is a manga wherein queer characters question and explore their gender identities and sexualities in a cute, light story.

[At time of writing this, the 5th volume of Love Me for Who I Am has not been released in the U.S. so I have only read through vol. 4.]

As a fan of queer anime and manga (being a queer person myself), I was shocked to find out about a manga with a non-binary protagonist--let alone a character the author actually names as such. Knowing very little about the title, I decided to pick it up and make up my ... own mind about it. It was extremely refreshing to read a manga story with a respectful, accurate (albeit simplistic) understanding of LGBTQ+ identities. Other than main character Mogumo, a non-binary high school student, the cast also includes characters who are trans, gay, and questioning (along with some of the best allies I've seen in Japanese media).

Characters respect each other on their own journeys of self-discovery, and give clear explanations of different queer identities through the dialogue. Don't expect advanced queer theory, but it's definitely a step in the right direction in a medium often lacking on this front. You can tell the mangaka really means well in his treatment of these characters and their queerness.

Some of the characters in the story are confident in their queer identities (some trans characters are boldly and proudly so) while others, like Mogumo, face much uncertainty and heartache about their identities at first. [You may have your own opinions of how this was handled--but it resonated with me, anyway. I'm new to being queer and still questioning my own gender identity at the time of writing this, so this story met me where I'm at.] This story also brings up some of the challenges trans and non-binary individuals can face with dating in high school, especially in a mostly homophobic and transphobic environment.

There are some stereotypical straightforward depictions of transphobia in this story, but also plenty of characters willing to learn more and be allies, which was heartwarming. There are too many sob stories in media showing queer suffering and tragedy, so I always appreciate more lighthearted narratives like this just celebrating cute queer characters. The plot isn't anything too gripping or groundbreaking, but it's satisfying to see a "standard anime story" with a mostly LGBTQ+ cast.

Some may take issue with the moe art style, with the characters looking on the young side. I personally thought the character designs were cute and charming, and never came across as patronizing or fetishizing of the characters in any way. While some manga and anime do fetishize trans or crossdressing characters, I'm happy to report that this is not one of them.

To my knowledge, the mangaka is not queer, and looking into his previous body of work was at first a bit disheartening (you can look into this if you wish). However, on further contemplation, I realized that it was encouraging that a sienen mangaka without previous experience writing queer manga could create something as socially aware and meaningful as this.

Perhaps this story fell on deaf ears in its original sienen magazine, but I do at least hope it helped some (whether in the original Japanese or the English translation) realize/understand their own queerness, or to better understand the queer people in their lives.

I think this manga is a great step forward toward what I hope to be a more inclusive trend in Japanese media. This book is a must-read for fans of queer manga/anime, especially those who are recently out or still questioning.

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Jan 9, 2025

renardTrickster

Recommended

Love Me For Who I Am is, first and foremost, the cutest shit I've ever seen. The art is soft and expressive, equally good at bringing out the emotion in a character's face as it is deforming them into a cartoony blob. The writing is much the same, with likeable characters and endearing, slice of life/maid cafe shenanigans. The marriage between art and writing is best exemplified in the frequent Outfit Porn the manga indulges in. To the audience, it's a chance to showcase cute clothes worn by equally cute boys, girls, and not-boys-or-girls. To the characters, they're an avenue of expression, freedom, and an ... opportunity to live authentically in public with people who understand them, and their passion is palpable. In short, it is *fun to read* and infectiously so, a borderline healing experience and thus easy to recommend in that regard alone.

Love Me For Who I Am is also appropriately serious when the need arises. Not only does this blend well with the above, ensuring that the cutesy feelgood times have some bite, pathos, and stakes to it, the reverse perspective serves to reinforce the central theme of the story. That even if the world might be close-minded or leave you feeling sick and hurt, there's always someone there who understands you, and a happy life is possible despite it all. The central conflict lies with Mogumo's nonbinary identity, through other topics surrounding gender and sexual orientation feature as well, varying in frequency but equal in being well-handled. Coming into your new identity, or having lived for years in public with that identity. Societal homophobia making you feel isolated by convincing you that you're broken and are obligated to be "normal", or knowing you're not broken, but having to keep it secret from others lest you face judgement. Not being queer at all, just a good friend and an ally, or maybe realizing you might actually be more than that. There's a diversity at play not only in identity, but in experience as well. Relatable, aspirational, joyful, painful.

I must emphasize that the story contains proper teeth and drama, and it isn't *just* a futzaround gay funtime. Even if things are generally lighthearted and characters spend more time happy than they do unhappy, things can be quite messy. The largely sympathetic protagonist misgenders his sister for a third of manga's runtime, the second major "arc" delves into a crushing examination of internalized homophobia and how badly it can twist someone up, and the final arc is gut-wrenching from start to tearful finish. Whether you're queer and looking for a manga that explores those themes with empathy and understanding, somewhere on the periphery and interested in something as informative as it is entertaining, or just interested in a cute drama with some romance and gender stuff, Love Me For Who I Am will suit your needs perfectly.

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Apr 19, 2022

ExtremelyHyper

Mixed Feelings

Love Me For Who I Am, a manga that tackles a tough group of sensitive topics. It shows the lives of several high schoolers undergoing issues in their romantic situations, their sexualities and gender, and the overall umbrella of LGBT+ (LGBTQ+/ LGBTQI+, etc) in school. One of few these days that are of any quality as well, and what I can commend to this is at least the arts’ really pretty. If what you’re looking for is a good review, this isn’t going to be a good one, nor a proper one. And look, I’ll cut to the chase and say that despite my rating, ...

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Mar 5, 2021

sushiisawesome

Not Recommended

Preliminary (28/28 chp)

Love Me for Who I am is a series that treats its characters as devices to the identities that they identify as rather than letting them breathe as characters with any level of independence from whatever point the story wants to make. All discussion surrounding gender and the various identities the character have are cloaked in a level of discourse more befitting the angst you'd find off people whining about non-issues on Twitter instead of given any level of nuance - any character that in any way likes another character for a reason the narrative sees as negative is portrayed in a shallow, stereotypical light ... with zero genuine depth. The series has the intelligence and maturity of your average old tumblr poster in how to approach these themes, and instead immediately assumes a sympathetic perspective from the reader instead of attempting to portray its characters as being just that; people who want to live by and just want their identities accepted by people around them, and working hard to change the perspective of the reader.

An absurd amount of the manga is split between characters bickering about clothing and melodramatically snapping at each other for not understanding each other. There's no attempt whatsoever from characters who identify as something that doesn't fall within the binary to settle down and explain who and what they are in a calm, rational manner; the series dives into angst-ridden garbage about characters not understanding each other instead of them sitting down and coming together to understand each other. Character conflict being at the heart of a work of fiction in and of itself is not only fine, but something I normally welcome - the problem is that there's no breathing space in-between arcs to let characters just breathe as people with lives of their own. Characters legitimately scream that people don't understand them, refuse to clarify then run off - one noteworthy and unintentionally funny example of this was a character breaking down crying in the middle of the street for inserting their expectations on someone being a woman when they weren't.

The characters are unlikable, insufferable asswipes with no genuine personality beyond screaming at one another for the most part. Mugomo is an absolute idiot who repeats the EXACT same mistakes all manga long over refusing to explain or clarify their emotions to other people, somehow gets surprised when there's a backlash, runs into a corner and only is dragged out - kicking and screaming - by Tetsu, who is more patient with them than any normal person ever can or should be. While it takes time for a person to break out of a certain pattern of behavior, and especially if all they've encountered is rejection, there's very little that I can actually mention about Mugomo that doesn't fall into them being non-binary or isn't defined by that in some way. What little there is for a character arc is defined by Mugomo somewhat becoming more confident in expressing themselves and confronting people who are portrayed as idiots for inserting expectations onto them, but...why should I care? Why should any reader not already invested in the wider meta-narrative over gender issues care? I have no answer to this question and neither does the series, which continues with this rushed pacing unabated from beginning to end. Mugomo is never genuinely called out for running away from people, and constantly assumes the worst in other people from beginning to end, making an infuriating as shit read from a lead who is little more than a poorly explored self-insert that some people may be able to identify with. There's very little to their character and whatever is there is neither compelling nor interesting.

Tetsu is a generic, stereotypical male lead whose acceptance of others and unique perspective on gender is the only worthwhile personality trait he has. There's no depth to him falling for Mugomo, and he exists as the angst control machine to Mugomo (and other characters in the cafe). His attraction towards Mugomo for being in his eyes an effeminate man is called out but while fades away as the center of attention that the narrative places under, never stops being the center of attraction he has; this means that in a weird way, the series turns in circles over this subject and basically arrives nowhere. This is only exacerbated by the absurd amount of attention that the series places on clothing as a marker for characterization; while this is true even for many LGBTQ+ people in real life - who use clothing to identify themselves in different ways - when that is the most memorable thing about the characters instead of some other defining traits, that becomes a problem due to the lack of effort put into, you know, humanizing them in ways that aren't tied to their identities.

All the other characters are barely characters so much as they exist as angst-ridden devices to force outrage out of the audience. Mugomo's backstory made me despise them even more than I already did, the excessive and often senseless use of violence to emphasize a point and use more angst is tasteless at best and is just an attempt to garner sympathy from the audience - with absolutely no effort as to why I should care about any of the victims. All sorts of series have used abuse and violence in more interesting and genuinely terrifying ways - Chi no Wadachi, The Gods Lie or Boy's Abyss coming to mind. So then, at the end of the road, when a cast of characters have little to no characterization that humanizes them or informs the reader of anything genuinely thematically meaningful, what's left?

There's some merit to Love Me for Who I am. Mugomo does undergo minimal character growth near the end of the manga. The artwork is fairly nice to look at, and the paneling is nicely done. Suzumi is a likable - if still shallow - character, and what little enjoyment I found in this travesty was when he was in a scene in question. It's kind of a shame that he and another character star in an abysmal hentai doujin...wait, maybe that really does explain it all. A lot of the writing being overly obsessed with clothing, the hypocrisy in the two leads falling for each other which is never genuinely addressed and the writing being centered on the characters physical traits instead of their personalities come off as fetishistic - which isn't unusual for works in Japan depicting LGBTQ+ people. Normally I'm fine with this to an extent, I can laugh at politically incorrect jokes - but this is something aiming at being higher than a mid-2000s romcom, and as such fails miserably at anything it does. Maybe that's the reason the writing is so poor, the theming is so hamfisted and the characters have zero chemistry...because they're written as though they're hentai characters when in reality they're in, well, a serialized manga.

I recommend this to absolutely no one, stay as far away as humanly possible from this.

Thank you for reading my review. Any and all feedback would be appreciated.

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Fukakai na Boku no Subete wo
Love Me for Who I Am
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Fukakai na Boku no Subete wo
Love Me for Who I Am
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