Rumspringa no Joukei
The Scene of My Rumspringa

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Powerful! What started out as a fun read took a serious turn in this Amish-life inspired story of a young boy in his Rumspringa. it's 1 in the morning and there's a lump in my throat because those last scenes hit me so hard. I don't know if I'm happy or sad, I don't know how to feel. What I know is that I hope everybody get to lived a life in contentment. I know this is just a fictional story, but let's be real, there are people out there who got the same kind of disposition thrown into them. It's only a matter of ... the choice you make that will make you happy. Gosh I just wish happiness for these characters. I feel so emotional right now.

Different individuals have predisposition to different genres due to a plethora of factors, also mood or life phases play their own part. Ultimately though I believe, it boils down to ideas and execution and as such, to creators' sensibility, talent, studious attitude and/or ability to connect disparate points.

Which is why I get ecstatic when samples of genres I would not prioritise tear down my walls and/or expand my understanding apart from being enjoyable, obviously. I'm rarely overly fond of romance fiction, moreso of homosexual romance but Rumspringa was one of these special exceptions.

(1.) Starting with an introduction on the characters...

Theodore Sullivan is innocent, ... sensitive and naïve, in contrast with Oswald Carter who is a jaded gay-for-pay with a troubled past. This contrast if taken more abstractly and outside homosexual or straight romance, can seem clichéd. However: their dynamic is more-than-meets-the eye, courtesy of how the mangaka develops the story on the "framework" of the characters' backgrounds. As for the rest of the cast, they are sometimes more fleshed out sometimes merely there, but serve their purposes well for the manga's length. More on the main characters on the third section of the review.

(2.) ... continuing with the artstyle...

This one is the hit-or-miss element of the manga. The character designs are soft to the eye and well-proportioned, the panelling and backgrounds are fine but "just there", yet the sex scenes' depictions are often poor because of the bluntly put, ridiculous censorship. All in all, the art serves its purpose and does not feature the messy (sometimes to the point of total surrealism) proportions of other yaoi manga, but the depiction of sex scenes requires being open-minded enough to let it slide.

(3.) ... and concluding with a: extra words on the characters and b: the concept.

(3a.) Theodore is of Amish religious and cultural background and the story begins during his Rumspringa, a rite of passage for adolescents during which Amish teenagers leave their community for a while in order to get into contact with the outer world, not bound by following traditions of their original community. After this period ends, they are presented with two choices: either be baptized and entrench yourself into the community or leave it behind.

Oswald Carter works as a waiter in a bar and also prostitutes himself in order to earn a living. After he meets Theodore, their tale begins with Oswald expanding Theodore's knowledge on the "outer" world (since he is a TOTAL fish-out-of-water), but during the story it gradually evolves into a sexual and romantic relationship.

(3b.) However, there is an element that transcends this relationship: the cultural.

Speaking of which, the most positive trait of this manga is the neutral perspective on the alternative lifestyle in question, a trait shared by Otoyomegatari (my favourite ongoing manga). There is neither condamnation nor praise, and people living according to these values are treated like normal human beings with emotions and a will of their own but the more important, their freedom of choice to be in-group or out-group.

This neutral perspective is supplemented by the coming-of-age element first, presentation of values' dissonance second. I could elaborate on the first, but I would rather elaboarate solely on the second. It is crystal clear that both protagonists come from different backgrounds. No matter their chemistry or "bridges", their upbringing influenced them enough to make them very different, since Amish attitudes towards education, technology and modernity differ radically to ones of mainstream American society.

Also, Amish speak a German dialect (known as Pennsylvanian German/Pennsylvania Dutch), not enough to make for a language barrier unlike in other manga where mutually unintelligible fictional, historical or modern languages are featured (as is the case with Nausicaä, Emma and Vinland Saga), since Amish speak English with outsiders. Coupled with coming-of-age elements and the neutral perspective, and we get a unique, sweet and down-to-earth romance, yet made for open-minded individuals craving for originality.

I personally believe that there is a very small chance that you will read a shounen-ai/yaoi manga quite as unique as this one. The creativity of the plot and characters was outstanding and the lack of sex to fill the void and plot holes was greatly appreciated.

Let's start with the story:
The story is about an Amish boy- let's stop there. Who said "Lets make a shounen-ai manga about an Amish boy."? Like who takes two VASTLY different subjects and make not only a good manga but a heartfelt, beautiful, and touching manga? Kaya Azuma that's who. Now the story is about an Amish boy who ... is on what Amish people call a Rumspringa where basically for a period of time once someone reaches around 16 years old where they don't have to follow all of the Amish rules for a specific amount of time. Now Theodore Sullivan - the main character - did his a little later than most but he was doing it nonetheless and decided to visit the city where he met our other main character Oswald Carter who showed him the ropes of the city life. The two formed a strong relationship and soul searched and eventually Theo's Rumspringa was over. And because this review is 'supposed' to be as spoiler free as possible, all I can say now is that the story progresses and stuff happens. Now I know my summary was ended on a short note but doesn't what I've already told you just draw you in? The story isn't too short but it isn't too long and at the end I was very fulfilled. I was happy and touched and overall just flooding with emotions.

Next, the art.
The art was beautiful to say the least. Now I won't say it's the most unique art style I've ever seen because I've seen many other do it as well such as Banana Fish but I was able to appreciate it for, if nothing else, it's ability to convey such a powerful message so beautifully to me. In manga the only means to tell the story the author has is the words and the art and sometimes the words can't tell the story quite sufficiently enough so the art has to do what the words can't, and I believe when the words wouldn't suffice the art took over and instead showed me the story.

The characters.
The characters were most creative aspect of the story to me. You have the stereotypical bad-boy prostitute with a fairly dark past and then you have the innocent child who you practically can't call a man until the last 1-2 chapters. I know it sounds cliche but if you dive further into the characters and their stories you will see that they are anything but. But, again this is supposed to be spoiler free so I cannot say much more.

Overall I think that the story is one of the most unique I've ever read. It explores themes you would never expect in a shounen-ai and it's about two such diverse people yet it's still a beautiful story about overcoming their different lives and cultures to come to the beautiful conclusions of love.