My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness

Very few books have affected me more than this autobiographical Japanese manga. The book's author, artist, and protagonist is a young woman navigating her family relationships, mental health, and sexuality. In the grips of depression, desperate to be touched, the protagonist goes to an escort agency—but the plot is not the point.

Nagata’s willingness to “go there” feels so fresh, and is so vulnerable and heartfelt. As a queer person there was a lot to identify with, as a writer I took away a determination to try and be even half as vulnerable in my writing, and as a young… show more.

(If it wasn't obvious by the cover, this book has adult content in it - so it's not for young readers!)

I relate so heavily to this book! Since it’s an autobiography, it’s such a raw and honest look at what it can be like to explore your sexuality as an adult, all while struggling with mental health and self-image.

I feel that the author’s tone of voice and inner monologue throughout the story is so relatable and humorous. Just like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, I would recommend this book for the art alone! It has… show more.

An inside look at lesbian culture and coming out as queer in Japan. A semi-autobiographical comic about a young lesbian discovering herself and the boundaries of her attraction all while juggling her own stressful life and self-image in a pressure-filled society. A tour-de-force in the autobio genre with a uniquely charming loose art style. A manga that will probably remain a queer classic for years to come.

(Deals with themes of sex.)

One of the great things about comic books and manga now is the much greater range of subjects they go into. This book is such an example. It’s a memoir of self-discovery which follows the artist’s life for ten years after school, looking with brutal honesty at her bouts with depression, eating disorders, and self-harm. It doesn’t end in a fairy tale way, like so many Hollywood movies do. Which is another reason why manga and comic books are so good now: they can go into issues with more sophistication than movies often do. Instead, it considers the problem in… show more.