Love My Life

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To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of Ebine Yamaji's art. Although I have come to recognize it as a style all her own, I still have to state that it is quite unappealing.

But having said that, the manga Love My Life is still worth reading. The characters' personalities, especially Ichiko's, was given much thought. Her feelings and her thoughts are well-motivated. Her gradual maturity is interesting to read. Her realizations don't feel like expositions but more of a natural growth for her character.

The slice of life take to the topic of lesbianism and sexuality is perfect in this manga. It avoids romanticism and ... chooses to present how similar a gay relationship is to a straight one.

There are weak spots to this manga but I cannot recall it at the moment. Which just means that the good stuff outweigh the flaws.

Definite thumbs up on this one. Great scenes, great characters.

Although the dull, unappealing art might discourage many from reading Love My Life, it does not take away from the fantastic story. The style of Love My Life actually requires a simple format and style, as it is josei and asserts a much more down-to-earth theme. Ostentatious, flowery art typical of shoujo would merely be detrimental to the book's evocative disposition. It is also very mature, and gives a deeper insight into [all] relationships, lesbian life, and discrimination of homosexuals within Japan. If you are a lesbian or simply interested in the topic of homosexual relationships, or perhaps you have a close friend or relative ... who is a lesbian, then it is a must read. This short novel will aid ANYONE in understanding homosexuals. However, if you like exclusively girly-crap, or are very narrow minded, then you will not enjoy this manga.

Love My Life is pretty easily summed up in two words: sensitive & minimalistic!
(Review complete, really? I can sleep?! jk)

I really enjoyed both the content and art style of this manga, while the style of drawing faces is possibly a little inexpressive at times, Ebine Yamaji is outright masterful in how she illustrates bodies.

I wouldn't say that it's a particularly deep dive into an understanding of homophobia and Japanese LGBT lifestyles, more a slow slice of life that places you gently into the characters' lives and allows you to experience a small piece of it together with them. The focus is on love, family ... (whether that's a nuclear family, found-family, or a couple planning a future together) and sensuality/sexuality, so it's important that the main character's love for her girlfriend and her somewhat unusual family really comes through! The reflective style of the manga was a really great choice on this front.

The characters really were the strong point for me. The author does a fantastic job of very naturally providing a basic outline of character motivations without throwing the reader into chapters and chapters of exposition for exposition's sake. We're told exactly what we need to know about each character. Minimal in a very very good way!

Love My Life is a horizon-broadening manga for those familiar with yuri, and perhaps an interesting entry point to manga for those who are perhaps a little more familiar with western LGBT comics.
I highly recommend this if you're looking for a mature and relaxing LGBT-related read!