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A review by lastblossom
Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A thoughtful and well-illustrated exploration of asexuality and the ace spectrum.
Thoughts
Chika feels out place in a way that she can't describe. The version of love that everyone assures her will show up someday seems unattainable - even undesirable. It's a struggle many ace people have been through - how do you define something by its lack? Especially in a world where sexual attraction and romance are considered as universal and as "normal" as breathing. But as Chika discovers, not all love is expressed sexually or romantically. Not everyone is wired to be that way, and that is, in fact, entirely normal. This isn't a story as much as it is a really well-illustrated exploration of asexuality and the ace gradient, with a cast of really fun characters. I appreciate that the story also covers the fact that there's no one way to be asexual, and that terms and words are only useful until they aren't. It's a very sweet coming-of-age one shot, that works as a great introduction to what it means to be ace.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
A thoughtful and well-illustrated exploration of asexuality and the ace spectrum.
Thoughts
Chika feels out place in a way that she can't describe. The version of love that everyone assures her will show up someday seems unattainable - even undesirable. It's a struggle many ace people have been through - how do you define something by its lack? Especially in a world where sexual attraction and romance are considered as universal and as "normal" as breathing. But as Chika discovers, not all love is expressed sexually or romantically. Not everyone is wired to be that way, and that is, in fact, entirely normal. This isn't a story as much as it is a really well-illustrated exploration of asexuality and the ace gradient, with a cast of really fun characters. I appreciate that the story also covers the fact that there's no one way to be asexual, and that terms and words are only useful until they aren't. It's a very sweet coming-of-age one shot, that works as a great introduction to what it means to be ace.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content