A review by thebackcatalogue
Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Information
Genre: Contemporary-Drama
Demographic: Older Teen (16+)
Length: Standard (256 pages)
Content Advisory:
Moderate: Ace/Aro-phobia, Sexual Assault and Sexual Harrasment
Published by Kodansha in the US and available digitally and physically in comic shops and bookstores internationally.

Review
Received as an ARC from Netgalley and Kodansha
A poignant coming-of-age contemporary drama that is a celebration and affirmation of asexual and aromantic identities.
Is Love the Answer? is a coming-of-age contemporary drama about a young woman named Chika who after some disastrous experiences dating in high school - including sexual assault - decides to go to university in Tokyo to study psychology to understand "normal" humans. As an Autistic Ace Chika very much gives off Autistic Ace vibes - the author only confirms that Chika is Ace and X-Gender - because it is not just that Chika doesn't experience sexual and romantic attraction it is that she does not fundamentally understand the "normative" human experience even in comparison to other Asexuals depicted in the work. Social "rules" like "if a guy invites you over to his house of course he wants sex" - it goes without saying that this is wrong - which her peers seem to intrinsically understand Chika doesn't understand. Which leads to her feeling alienated from her peers.



In her desperation to understand what "Everyone says is 'Normal'" Chika decides to study psychology in Tokyo where she meets Professor Shinobu Ishii the author of her favourite book "The Dawn of Modern Psychology." Eventually moving in with her and her roommate Mitsuru Umezaki (Ume-chan) as she begins to explore and learn about her own Ace identity in a safe and affirming environment.
The work depicts multiple Aspec characters who are confirmed, questioning or ambiguous in the text. Professor Ishii is ace married to another Aspec professor Miya - this queerplatonic relationship is mutually beneficial even though they hold no romantic or sexual feelings for each other because of the legal protection it provides them to make decisions on each other’s behalf in case of emergencies. There is a die-hard Fujoshi who wants romance someday but not now who could be read as Fictosexual. And finally, Ume-chan whose ace identity isn't revealed later in the book gives Chika guidance as navigates her difficult emotions surrounding all this new information she is learning. Through Chika's interactions with aspec/arospec and allonormative characters, Chika begins to grow and understand her own Aspec identity better. Including a wonderful exploration of the fluidity of sexuality when Chika begins to feel confined by the label of Asexual feeling as though she doesn't meet all the checkboxes.

However, I will note that while I overall found the book a wonderful exploration of the Asexual and Aromantic spectrum it does at times feel like a book that is very much Ace/Aro Identities 101 for both Allosexual/Alloromantic people and those just discovering their own Ace or Aro identities. It is a perfect distils that information in a way that doesn't detract from the fictional story it is telling and is greatly affirming to new Aspec/Arospec people. However, if you are an Aspec/Arospec person with a very mature sense of their identity you might find this work a bit lacking.
Is Love the Answer? is a work that celebrates, explores, and affirms Aspec and Arospec identities with a heavy focus on discovering and understanding one's own identity. Beautifully written it is a work perfect for those wanting to learn about these identities. I highly recommend you pick up this work if you haven't already.
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