Shimanami Tasogare forced me, inspired me, and pushed me to come out of the closet as a gay guy, and now, I'm moving out and starting a life with less control from my homophobic family.

This past year, I was forced to be alone with a lot of my thoughts, and with me doing college online the past two semesters, I didn't have anyone to talk to. Understandably, I felt so isolated and was barely holding on. It was as if the foundations holding me up for my whole life were slowly cracking and wearing down. With this introspection came my desire to escape into manga and anime (which were extremely beneficial in unexpected ways), but I took a particular liking to BL media. I was in denial of why I enjoyed it so much and guiltily indulged in a fantasy I felt I could never have. If I were to put the feeling into words, I felt like a fujoshi who wanted a BL relationship but could never have one.

In May, I saw Shimanami Tasogare recommended for an accurate depiction of LGBTQ+ struggles. At this point, I was still in denial but so close to acceptance that I knew it would force me to come to terms with myself. I read the first few chapters and kept thinking, "Am I ready to do this?"

The manga does such a fantastic job at conveying the feelings of confusion, frustration, euphoria, and visceral self-acceptance that didn't hit hard until I saw it in myself. It was as if reading the manga while I was still in denial was an introduction to my feelings, and after coming out to myself and continuing to read on a couple of weeks later, the answers I arrived at without reading further were the answers I had already found.

The main character speaks with other members of the LGBTQ+ community about accepting his sexual orientation, and the tremendous support he receives and the life experiences he goes through with this group bring the phrase "your newly found family" to life. People offer advice and their own experiences. They're there to cry to. They're willing to share their trauma and tribulations to give him hope. And they don't question his sexual orientation; it simply is.

Beyond the main character, the manga also depicts other people's struggles, such as how different people react to their sexual orientation (in a more introspective or outward way) or their gender identity. It shows people in different stages of the acceptance process and how the intersectionality of their circumstances plays into how they react. Those raised in homophobic families are (obviously) more hesitant to come out, and those with judgmental friends and family members are less willing to express themselves. But ultimately, each character comes to understand that they have to be firm in themselves because many will not accept them.

If you're questioning, I hope this manga acts as a guidebook for you in some way. If you're already out, maybe reading this will remind you of how far you've come. And if you want to understand the struggles of people in the LGBTQ+ community, look no further!