Sunu Sumu Muriku no Koibito

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

Tw: Transphobia, micro misogyny, abuse, suicide, self harm, dysphoria

Because I heard about the controversy this Manga struck (especially with the creator being part of the creation of Wonder Egg Priority) I wanted to build my own opinion on it.

In aspects like transphobia and misogyny, this was great. The story still was very interesting and it was not boring reading it but because of all the social issues and especially the feelings it inflicted in me, I cannot give it a good rating.

The definition of Bisexuality and also being a Transperson are definitely not accurate and badly represented.

A lot of stereotypes are reinforced throughout this ... Manga and all of the LGBT characters are dealing with a lot of traumatic, difficult situations and as a LGBT person myself, it hurts to read, especially since it is delivered as if it was actually part of the overall "LGBT experience" which can be true but is definitely not the norm.

What disappointed me most was the way the mistakes or misrepresentation was not even purely out of uneducation - they did pretty well in that department.
But they used this information, like what Gender dysphoria actually means for example, and interpreted it. Those interpretations are stated as fact which can be very harmful.

The last part of Nonos story was very, very hurtful and triggering. I do not want to spoil, so I will not go into detail. But a very harmful stereotype is being reinforced.

The whole story is told from the perspective of Nao - which is also harmful for the view of trans people in this Manga. But i do understand how since there is a lot of LGBT-phobia in Japan (apparently) Naos view was "normal". I do expect better though and maybe the thought that homophobia is normal in Japan is even a prejudice towards japanese people.

All in all, I do not recommend anyone who is triggered by any of the topics listed at the top to read this manga.
The manga was interesting though and definitely did not bore me. But anyone who wants to read this manga should take it with a grain of salt and understand that this representation is poorly written and that transpeople are not only good for suffering and setting up story lines. It is a tragedy and should be seen as such.

Before I start, I want to set an example: the people who watched The Big Bang Theory may remember that episode in which Raj dates a deaf girl, portrayed by Katie Leclerc, who ended up being a gold-digger. There is a particular dialogue that says:
Leonard: You think she´s taking advantage of him?
Penny: Oh, of course not. She wouldn’t do something like that. She´s deaf.
Leonard: Deaf women can´t be gold diggers?
Penny: Handicapped people are nice, Leonard. Everyone knows that.
The particular dialogue aforementioned represents a recurring stereotype that the weakling, or the minority, of the bunch, holds the purest and nicest feelings. That idea is completely smashed ... in this manga.

Sunu Sumu Muriku no Koibito narrates the story of four childhood best friends throughout their teenage lives but centers more on the relationship between Naoki and Nono. Naoki is your typical teenager who enjoys hanging out with different girls, while Nono is a sickly boy who has “The heart of a girl” in him, or in other words, he is transgender.

After a lot of struggle, Nono is finally able to accept who she is and is encouraged to live as a girl by her family and friends. The story took a dark twist after a while, but I will abstain to mention it in order to avoid spoilers.

I usually enjoy LGBTQ+ stories due to how real and sweet they tend to be. But, whit that being said, I have to express that the character of Nono was such a horrible person that is amazing how so many people can find this story compelling. She is selfish, manipulative, judgmental, and a liar who tried to ruin several of Naoki´s relationships.

What triggers me the most is how everyone is always defending her behavior and actions even when she is the person at fault. To name an example, she staged a suicide when her mom, who is extremely supportive and caring of her necessities, did not agree with her having a gender reassignment surgery due to how risky could have been. I am well aware that trans people need a lot of courage to be true to themselves and to go out to the world to be who they are, but when Nono nonchalantly said it was a fake suicide, almost with a smile, I lost empathy for her.

I want to end this review by apologizing to everyone who may feel offended by it; that was not my intention at all. It´s just I don´t know if the author purposely wrote such an unlikeable story to show the other side of the coin, or if he was just ignorant about delicate topics such as sexuality , suicide and gender dysphoria.

Wow.
Man. This was one hell of a brain worm. This review is gonna be pretty useless. I don't even know what I think of this, aside from the fact that I enjoyed it very much and now am doing the think move.
The art's good and the story. Wow. My heart kinda hurts now. I guess it's technically a happy ending but it still leaves such a void. Man.
Deals with a lot of subjects that though more widespread in the western world, is still (to my knowledge) pretty taboo in eastern countries. Issues like sexuality, promiscuity, self identity/self hurt and lgbtq issues.
Man. idk idk idk.
AHHHHHH
THE BRAIN ... WORMS
tl;dr
Head full, many thoughts.

Sunu Sumu is sympathetic to experiences of gender dysphoria and confused sexuality. There is no fanservice nor fetishizing, just mixed feelings from teenagers struggling with their gender and sexual identities in a heteronormative society.

The lead characters, Nono and Nao, are childhood friends who promised to marry when older. Only they never anticipated the backlash that a male/male relationship would face, and this prevents them from consummating their love for one another. Even if Nono effectively performs the gender roles of a female in all public areas of their life, and is often assumed to be a girl by their body type/facial features, they cannot escape ... that stigma no matter how hard they try. The struggles of Nono to feel comfortable within their skin is the crux of this manga and all the drama that unfolds.

This manga pulls no punches when describing the anxiety felt by those suffering through dysphoria. Nono's constant lament of being born a male results in a series of measures to feel at peace....including self harm and risky medical treatment. This isn't for the light hearted, needless to say, as Sunu Sumu isn't interested in sprinkling fairy dust over issues just for the sake of maintaining a lighthearted mood.

That said, this manga is certainly not without its flaws. The chapter length being only six results in a fast paced, increasingly melodramatic story that feels disjointed towards the end. The supporting characters outside of the two leads aren't particularly interesting. One of which appears to serve little purpose other than to be a proxy for the author to preach their ideology on self identity with no transparency. Then there's the all too common lack of adult decision making concerning a serious topic that clearly required more experienced intervention than what was given.

Some of these issues are things you have to tolerate in this medium, considering there is just as robust a market for vanilla stories that are entirely bereft of popcorn fanservice or exaggerated melodrama. So for what we do get here, and the presumed margins the author was given, I think this is a solid work that is recommended for all interested in gay fiction.

As an actual drama relating to trangender or other queer issues, this manga is atrocious and not in any way representative for trans people.
However, as a comedic manga written by an oblivious author who thinks he is the most progressive "ally" in the world it is second to none and if you aren't put off by the mild transphobia, certainly worth the read.

The writer seems to have written the trans character (Nono) based on vaguely remebered details from the wikipedia article about trans people, our POV character is not the trans character but instead a (probable) author self-insert (Nao) who "saves" Nono on mutiple occasions, ... Nono makes no decisions about her transistion herself but is instead compelled to action by Nao and the manga does not at any point really think Nono is a girl.
Basically nothing in this manga is accurate to the actual experiences of trans people.

It deals with other subject matter about equally well, giving no insight into the subject that couldn't be gleaned by looking up the definitions of the words themselves. It plays at grand ideas and theories but none of them actually make any sense. It also incorrectly states that getting aids will kill you, which hasn't been the case since before this manga or the book it was based on came out.

If you want to gain an understanding of trans people or are made uncomfortable by transphobia, do not read this manga, however, if you want to read something unintentionally humorous by it's sheer misunderstandings and absurdity absolutely do read this manga.

This story is written by Shinji Nojima, the scriptwriter for Wonder Egg Priority, which is why I started reading this manga. The main supporting character is a Transgender girl (Nono) and a lot of the story focuses on her struggles to accept that with the protagonist.

HEADS-UP: There's talk about suicide, self-harm, depression, deadly illnesses, & more in this manga. If you are sensitive towards these issues, proceed with caution.

First the positives.

1. Given the backwards state of LBGT rights in Japan, this manga does a fan-f*cking-tastic job of displaying a Trans women's difficulty in figuring out who she really is. The manga has a lot ... of heart and the story tugs at your heart strings, on more than one occasion. It's no Oscar-winner, but the exploration of this issues is (mostly) sound and incredibly engaging.

2. The characters are also excellent, with each one feeling like a real person and not a cardboard cutout. The female characters are handled well, without any tasteless fanservice that could undercut the message of the story.

3. The story is written very well, without ever feeling like its short length holds it back. There aren't any pacing issues or ridiculous plot conveniences. The use of metaphors does get hard to follow at times, but overall pretty good.

That being said, there are quite a few things this manga gets wrong as well.

1.The show talks about femininity vs masculinity, gender identity, and sexual identity all as having a woman's/man's "heart". This creates a lot of unfortunate connections such as the implication that the characters first think Nono is Trans simply because she "acts" feminine. Whether this is intended is hard to say (especially with views on LGBT people in Japan), but it makes an otherwise amazing depiction of LGBT issues feel a bit misguided.

2. Additionally, Homosexuality is conflated with p*doph*lia at certain points. Without any spoilers, the way the manga is written, it is difficult to tell if the main group of characters denounce a certain relationship because it isn't good for a character or because it's a homosexual relationship. But the real issue with the relationship is p*doph*lia *, and given that Gay people were routinely denigrated as P*doph*les in 20th Century Western Culture, ... well I don't know what exactly to think about it.

3. The stated goal of the 3 male childhood friends is to protect their trans childhood friend. This starts when they think she's too feminine (even calling her "their idol"), and then they go even further overboard when they find out she "still has a woman's heart", breaking up with their girlfriends, and devoting themselves to activities that allow them to look after her. This is justified as the manga progresses given the help Nono needs to understand what her identity is, but it still left a weird impression.

Overall, this manga is pretty damn good (especially for one dealing with LGBT issues in Japan), but there are a few weird points. Worth checking out, will definitely pull at your heart strings.