Uesugi-kun Wants to Quit Being a Girl - Ch. 8

[manabi]

Shoujo ai (i.e. "Girl's Love") is actually kind of a depreciated term in Japan, since it linguistically evolved to mean something decidedly closer to Epstein in nature. So "yuri" is the term you'd probably see tagged, if it's going to have girls kissing.

Confusingly, BL (short for "boy's love") is now what's used for tagging guy-on-guy fiction in Japan. "Yaoi" is now almost exclusively used by English speakers. I'm pretty sure "yaoi" had a negative context to begin with (back when it was still commonly used) where BL is an upgade to something more neutral, but I'm not an expert there.

As I recall there was even a backronym in Japanese for Yaoi that could be translated as "ouch, my ass hurts," so it probably did have a negative connotation.

I just want to express my appreciation for Keisuke not freaking out over having her first period. When most genderbending protagonists seem to suffer an existential crisis over the prospect of even wearing a bra, having one who treats a period as no big deal is refreshing.

I'm impressed all around with this chapter's handling of the period. Uesugi doesn't get totally bent out of shape, explicitly says it's not all that much blood (that's so insanely rare, I think this is the only time I've seen it said) and Eito overcomes his embarrassment enough to go ask the female clerk for help for Uesugi's period. That wouldn't be easy for any middle school aged boy.

It's nice just by the fact that it's a little different, but it makes sense that those things may feel distressing or even dysphoric for somebody suddenly forced into a foreign body. It never happens the other way because ftm is a near completely untapped market in genderbenders, but imagine suddenly having an awkward erection when you didn't have a penis before. Or hurting your friend because you can't control your strength. Or suddenly discovering your penchant for theater when you develop a minor cold (lol). Or realizing you absolutely positively reek after any moderate physical activity. Or discovering you have to shave daily unless you want weird itchy shit on your face.

I don't remember what manga it was, but I remember one where a girl became a boy and had issues with getting erections. As a bonus she was innocent enough (despite being college aged) to not know what it was. The remaining male (the other had been changed into a boy) told her to think about her mother, which caused the erection to go away. The FTM character wasn't the main one, just a side character, but it was neat seeing the issue addressed, even if in a silly way.

 

[MidnighTea]

I'm impressed all around with this chapter's handling of the period. Uesugi doesn't get totally bent out of shape, explicitly says it's not all that much blood (that's so insanely rare, I think this is the only time I've seen it said)

Like, handling periods well in general or a gender bender story that does? If in general, this author has visited the topic very tastefully at least twice in the past.

But if you wanted to see a gender bender manga which absolutely did it right, in a tasteful and understated way (that actually ADDED to the scene) then I hope I have the privelge of being the one to tell you about "Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made". In general it's a starkly realistic and quietly intense story. Akira experiences very believable dysphoria... ... but also arguably euphoria, at points as they grow up. Sometimes stuff is complicated. Feelings doesn't always line up with labels.

https://mangadex.org/title/a781de8e-0935-45bd-bc33-cbc76ea8c6f9/until-i-become-me

 

[Kindablue]

He doesn't want their friendship to change... there were all these romance flags and all the blushing and awkwardness. I feel like the text box for that final message is oversized deliberately, but is it saying "Hi, this is me the author spelling it out for you, this is not the end-game." or is it saying "The mc is putting a lot of emphasis on trying to smother their new feelings in the cradle."

Once again, this series is tagged GL(on the source site), but they sure are putting a looooot of focus on the relationship between Uesugi and Eito. The girl Uesugi was stated to be into initially hasn't really had any progress. Is this an eventual double-swap situation where Eito also becomes a girl? Is it just a bait-and-switch? I don't understand what's going on tbh.

Maybe it's just too early. Idk, I'm down whether the series goes one way or the other. Poly unlikely since Eito seems to dislike whats-her-name.

It's also tagged as "love triangle" on the source site so it's not supposed to be like a GL-only story. Definitely agree that there's not enough focus on whatsherface so far but we're early. Maybe she'll figure more prominently in the plot when the Ocean's 11 style bank heist to steal the 1000 yen bill gets underway.

 

[elemint5]

eito get any funny ideas and ima cut his special boy thing off

 

[thatother1dude]

I take what Keisuke says at the end as sincere, in a sense. Yes, the romantic tension between Keisuke and Eito keeps going up, but this experience really did increase Keisuke's affinity for being a boy--much like how hanging out with Noel warmed Keisuke up on being a girl.

While I totally agree with you, I will say that Eito is so far shaping up to be one of the best of his class for "guy childhood friend" romantic leads. No surprise, the author has been in the business for decades. Even speaking as a yuri fan, I wouldn't be bothered if he's victorious because as a yuri fan my contention is usually how lazy het couples often are written. I'd say so far Eito is earning it though.

I don't care about "victory" per se, and the story making you uncertain which way it will go is appreciated, but not a high priority. I just need both sides of the love triangle to be well-developed and utilized, even if there's more of one than the other.

 

[LTalon]

Okay hear me out--the real dark horse ending: the matchmaker ending where Keisuke's genderbend experience ends up being the thing that reunites Eito and Noel and they end up together.

 

[PredatorDuck]

Confusingly, BL (short for "boy's love") is now what's used for tagging guy-on-guy fiction in Japan. "Yaoi" is now almost exclusively used by English speakers. I'm pretty sure "yaoi" had a negative context to begin with (back when it was still commonly used) where BL is an upgade to something more neutral, but I'm not an expert there.

As I recall there was even a backronym in Japanese for Yaoi that could be translated as "ouch, my ass hurts," so it probably did have a negative connotation.

Yaoi is a Japanese acronym for "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi", translated as "no climax, no punchline, no meaning/significance", and was mainly used in a self-deprecating manner by doujin artists that just drew Male-Male smut. The term BL came two decades later and did not necessarily carry that (negative) connotation.

 

[miraclebunny]

That email address

 

[the_blip]

That was wrapped up quick! Definitely guy route romance flags dropping early.

 

[galaxia9]

Somehow I don't think their friendship has ever been quite how Uesugi sees it. Boy or girl, Eito probably always felt a little more than friendship there.

 

[hentako]

Aww, respect for Eito. Taking the initiative to help despite his own embarrassment and clearing up the misunderstanding. Such a sweet guy. Do think that that relationship isn't gonna stay quite the same, though...

 

[HornyboyTranslations]

Please dont turn this into gay stuff 😭

 

[hentako]

Please dont turn this into gay stuff 😭

It's not gay if one of the guys is a girl

 

[milleniumbug]

Eito exhibiting absolute chad behaviour

 

[Monstrengo]

Dammit.
I wanted to see Nee-chan get angry at Eito.
Dammit.

 

[BULLETTIME11]

Damn they speedrunning communication, if this was your average romcom it would take a season at least to fix

 

[thatother1dude]

Okay hear me out--the real dark horse ending: the matchmaker ending where Keisuke's genderbend experience ends up being the thing that reunites Eito and Noel and they end up together.

I would not mind attraction between the two being more than a mistaken belief that Keisuke gets depressed over, though obviously Noel now still has some very negative feelings about Eito. Three-way love triangles are fun, even when they basically ignore the concept of polyamory.

 

[MidnighTea]

It's not gay if one of the guys is a girl

It's funny you should say that. I know a fujoshi acquaintance on twitter (we use machine translation to talk) and she's utterly obsessed with TSF/gender bender precisely because she perceives it as gay. She says it's still her beloved BL, but now at least one of the two boys has the charm of a female body. She even wants that to be a new genre -- "female body mental BL".

If that sort of story hits BL mental nutrition, it suddenly makes a LOT of sense this particular manga is a shoujo work published by Ciao. Particularly so if Keisuke/Eito remains a focus.

 

[AncientWatcher]

Called it. Glad that kind cashier made this situation a lot less awkward very quickly.

Manga recommendations sent to scanlator.

 

[kemarin]

this is so peak