A review by katharine_opal
I Want to be a Wall, Vol. 1 by Honami Shirono

4.0

I was super excited when I read the description for this book. I don't think I have ever read a manga where one of the main characters is asexual! I do have one minor issue with the character however; I think the author combined the definitions of asexual and aromantic under a single umbrella of asexual. It threw me off a little because some of the things Yuriko mentions are how is it for aromantics, not so much for asexuals. Still, some representation that is mostly right is better than none at all! This is just the first book, so there isn't much going on plot-wise. It's mostly all set up before they go into the plot in later volumes. The concept of an asexual woman marrying a gay man so they can be beards for each other is an interesting one. The one-sided crush Gakurouta has for his straight best friend is a common BL trope, and seeing as there is the additional plot point of Yuriko being a fujoshi, that makes sense that kind of trope would be present. Someone mentioned they thought Yuriko was being a bit fetishistic towards the relationship Gakurouta has with his best friend, but I don't fully see it. It's also mentioned offhand her fujoshi ways aren't just toward MLM couples, she doesn't care about the genders of couples she reads in her romance books. I think we just automatically assume the only definition of fujoshi is "addicted to BL content". The definition is a little broader than that, fujoshi is akin to a female otaku in Japan. Both are considered derogatory terms in Japan, but the definitions of those words are a bit different depending on the country they are being used in. Anyways, this first volume is a good start to what I hope will be an excellent series. I will be on the hunt for the second volume when it releases!