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apollo0325 's review for:
Boy Meets Maria
by PEYO
Look up trigger warnings before you read this. There’s a graphic SA scene of a child that was genuinely upsetting. I didn’t do my due diligence, but I think this is when TWs at the beginning of books becomes valuable. It’s a disservice to readers to not include them. Seven Seas, along with other publishers, need to do better to protect their readers.
Overall, I think this manga has some really beautiful art and I think it’s trying to say something about someone’s self-expression, but I think it gets really muddled by the confusing dialogue and unclear messaging of the book itself. The idea of gender fluidity being a trauma response feels… bad especially as someone who is gender fluid themselves. We could have excluded the unsettling graphic SA scene and subbed it in for the trauma with his mom if the author wanted to retain that plot idea.
Overall, I think this manga has some really beautiful art and I think it’s trying to say something about someone’s self-expression, but I think it gets really muddled by the confusing dialogue and unclear messaging of the book itself. The idea of gender fluidity being a trauma response feels… bad especially as someone who is gender fluid themselves. We could have excluded the unsettling graphic SA scene and subbed it in for the trauma with his mom if the author wanted to retain that plot idea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Terminal illness, Grief