Jun 27, 2023
X-Gender is an autobiographical manga quite literally split in two. Composed of two equal-length volumes, the two parts delineate two very different manga.
The first volume of X-Gender is a delightful look at the struggles of Asuka Miyazaki, who identifies as X-Gender, a non-binary identity. Asuka's personality and struggles are quite relatable and well delivered. There's a real charm to watching Asuka's struggles through navigating the precarious dating world around them. The manga also provides useful terminology and gives a good look at the LGBT scene in Japan.
The second volume of X-Gender is less of an autobiographical manga and more of a real-time blog of
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what's going on in Asuka's life, meaning the story gets much less focused. While volume 1 gives essentially no focus to Asuka struggling to come up with chapter material, it becomes a running plot-line in volume 2. The first chapter of the volume starts with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively ending the chapters focusing on Asuka dating around, which was previously a highlight of the manga. Asuka's mental state seems to have taken a hit during this time period, as more chapters were focused on them talking about increasingly dark topics. Suicide, antinatalism, and euthanasia are all topics given entire chapters. The increasingly grim nature of the manga is quite jarring and makes it loose the charm and relatable nature it once had.
I can only recommend this manga on the basis of the first volume, but if you like it then I don't want to discourage you from continuing. There are good chapters to be found in volume 2, but they are unfortunately fewer and far between.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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