Status
Available
Call number
Description
"From one of Japan's most notable manga artists: a heartbreaking and redemptive tale of mourning and acceptance that compares and contrasts the contemporary nature of gay tolerance in the East and the West. Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo, married to wife Natsuki, father to young daughter Kana. Their lives are suddenly upended with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji's past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented, revelatory look at and journey into the largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it's been affected by the West, and how the next generation has the chance to change the preconceptions of and prejudices against it"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
Gengoroh Tagame is an extremely influential manga creator known worldwide for his work in sadomasochistic, homoerotic fantasies. More recently, however, he has garnered a significant amount of attention for his series My Brother's Husband, a four-volume manga aimed at general audience which
Yaichi is a single father in Japan raising his young daughter Kana. Following the unexpected death of his estranged twin brother Ryoji, his brother's Canadian husband Mike Flanagan arrives to meet the family and pay his respects. Yaichi's life is suddenly upended–out of touch with Ryoji for years, he had never entirely come to terms with the fact that his younger brother was gay, but with Mike around it becomes something impossible for him to ignore. As for Kana, she is absolutely delighted to discover an uncle who she never knew existed and manages to convince her father to allow Mike to stay in their home while he's in the area. As the days pass, the three of them become closer despite the occasional awkward clash of cultures; Mike's kindhearted, gentle nature combined with Kana's infectious exuberance and curiosity force Yaichi to reflect on his own learned attitudes and preconceived notions regarding homosexuality as well as confront the gulf that formed between him and Ryoji because of them. Through Mike, Yaichi is finally able reconnect with and learn more about his brother and who he was.
Tagame's message of kindness, love, and acceptance in My Brother's Husband is not at all subtle. At times it may come across as obvious or even like preaching to the choir for some readers, but the manga is really intended more for those who, like Yaichi, have casually conformed with and promulgated a culture of discrimination and misinformed stereotypes within society without putting much thought into it than it is for those who have personally experienced the negative effects of that discrimination. Even so, My Brother's Husband still has plenty to offer that will appeal to a wide audience. The series is in turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, an honest and earnest exploration of family and the complex and often complicated relationships that exist between people. It's a beautiful and moving story supported by strong, expressive artwork. Unsurprisingly, considering his artistic background, Tagame particularly excels in the realistic portrayal of adult masculine forms, but Kana's cute character design can be quite effective as well. The backgrounds in the manga are fairly simple, the focus of Tageme's illustrations is definitely on the characters, their facial expressions and body language adeptly conveying their thoughts and feelings, helping to establish the emotional core of the manga.
I unequivocally love the three lead characters and the development of their relationships in My Brother's Husband. One of ways this is frequently accomplished in the manga which I particularly appreciate is through the sharing of meals and food, a natural and important way that people form connections in real life which serves to further cement those that exist in My Brother's Husband. In addition to providing the series' primary point of perspective, Yaichi is also probably the most well-rounded character. He has his flaws, but he is also a devoted and caring father who is willing to challenge his own internalized prejudices, initially for the sake of his daughter but ultimately for himself and the others, like Mike, he has come to care about as well. Seeing Yaichi slowly grow as a person and become more accepting over the course of the first omnibus of My Brother's Husband has been wonderful. Mike, while overall coming across as a less nuanced character, is still a very positive and sympathetic portrayal of a gay man, his incredible patience and understanding adding to what makes him so immensely endearing. And of course there's Kana, too, who can so easily love others despite their differences, her youth and innocence allowing her an amount of freedom and flexibility that's not as easily accessible to adults who have already become set in their ways. I am very much looking forward to the continuation and conclusion of the story of these three in the second omnibus of My Brother's Husband.
Experiments in Manga
Show More
directly addresses homophobia and other forms of discrimination in Japanese culture–one of the first works of its kind created for a prominent, mainstream magazine. My Brother's Husband began serialization in Monthly Action in 2014 and would go on to win a Japan Media Arts Excellence Award in 2015. The series is one of the very few manga which I have made the point of collecting in the original Japanese, but I was absolutely thrilled when it was licensed for an English-language release. Translated by Anne Ishii, who has been instrumental in bringing Tagame's work as a whole to English-reading audiences, the first omnibus in Pantheon Books' hardcover edition of My Brother's Husband was published in 2017 and is equivalent to the first two Japanese volumes released in 2015 and 2016.Yaichi is a single father in Japan raising his young daughter Kana. Following the unexpected death of his estranged twin brother Ryoji, his brother's Canadian husband Mike Flanagan arrives to meet the family and pay his respects. Yaichi's life is suddenly upended–out of touch with Ryoji for years, he had never entirely come to terms with the fact that his younger brother was gay, but with Mike around it becomes something impossible for him to ignore. As for Kana, she is absolutely delighted to discover an uncle who she never knew existed and manages to convince her father to allow Mike to stay in their home while he's in the area. As the days pass, the three of them become closer despite the occasional awkward clash of cultures; Mike's kindhearted, gentle nature combined with Kana's infectious exuberance and curiosity force Yaichi to reflect on his own learned attitudes and preconceived notions regarding homosexuality as well as confront the gulf that formed between him and Ryoji because of them. Through Mike, Yaichi is finally able reconnect with and learn more about his brother and who he was.
Tagame's message of kindness, love, and acceptance in My Brother's Husband is not at all subtle. At times it may come across as obvious or even like preaching to the choir for some readers, but the manga is really intended more for those who, like Yaichi, have casually conformed with and promulgated a culture of discrimination and misinformed stereotypes within society without putting much thought into it than it is for those who have personally experienced the negative effects of that discrimination. Even so, My Brother's Husband still has plenty to offer that will appeal to a wide audience. The series is in turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, an honest and earnest exploration of family and the complex and often complicated relationships that exist between people. It's a beautiful and moving story supported by strong, expressive artwork. Unsurprisingly, considering his artistic background, Tagame particularly excels in the realistic portrayal of adult masculine forms, but Kana's cute character design can be quite effective as well. The backgrounds in the manga are fairly simple, the focus of Tageme's illustrations is definitely on the characters, their facial expressions and body language adeptly conveying their thoughts and feelings, helping to establish the emotional core of the manga.
I unequivocally love the three lead characters and the development of their relationships in My Brother's Husband. One of ways this is frequently accomplished in the manga which I particularly appreciate is through the sharing of meals and food, a natural and important way that people form connections in real life which serves to further cement those that exist in My Brother's Husband. In addition to providing the series' primary point of perspective, Yaichi is also probably the most well-rounded character. He has his flaws, but he is also a devoted and caring father who is willing to challenge his own internalized prejudices, initially for the sake of his daughter but ultimately for himself and the others, like Mike, he has come to care about as well. Seeing Yaichi slowly grow as a person and become more accepting over the course of the first omnibus of My Brother's Husband has been wonderful. Mike, while overall coming across as a less nuanced character, is still a very positive and sympathetic portrayal of a gay man, his incredible patience and understanding adding to what makes him so immensely endearing. And of course there's Kana, too, who can so easily love others despite their differences, her youth and innocence allowing her an amount of freedom and flexibility that's not as easily accessible to adults who have already become set in their ways. I am very much looking forward to the continuation and conclusion of the story of these three in the second omnibus of My Brother's Husband.
Experiments in Manga
Show Less
LibraryThing member oldandnewbooksmell
Yaichi is a stay at home dad to daughter, Kana, in Tokyo. Their lives suddenly change when a Canadian named Mike Flanagan, husband to Yaichi's late twin brother, Ryoji, shows up at their front door. Mike is on a quest to visit Ryoji's past and Yaichia reluctantly, thanks to Kana, takes him in. My
This was my first ever manga book and I'm so glad it was. It was adorable and I connected with all three of the main characters quite quickly and wanted to see their relationships grow.
I was very unaware of the closeted gay community in Japanese culture before reading this book. I honestly don't know a lot about Japanese culture to begin with, it's something I'm still very early in learning about. I know the Japanese try to hide a lot of their culture to the outside world, and that younger generations are being more and more open about things - especially their feelings. There's a point in the story where Mike hugs Kana and she didn't even know what that was. When brought up with Yaichi, he mentions that he's only ever seen hugs in movies and that the thought of it makes him feel uncomfortable.
Thanks to the open-mindfulness of Kana, it really makes Yaichi think about not only how he's acting, but how he's teaching his daughter to love and accept everyone, regardless of their sexuality. It's a very touching story.
The art in the story is simple, yet descriptive. Sometimes I found it hard to decipher between thoughts and reality, mostly when it was a panel and not words. But I also think that was just me still getting use to reading manga.
Overall, this manga is sweet, fun, entertaining, and educational for those of all ages. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about Japanese gay culture, but also anyone who just wants to read a sweet, family oriented story.
Show More
Brother's Husband is a heartwarming story about family, prejudice, cultural differences, and acceptance.This was my first ever manga book and I'm so glad it was. It was adorable and I connected with all three of the main characters quite quickly and wanted to see their relationships grow.
I was very unaware of the closeted gay community in Japanese culture before reading this book. I honestly don't know a lot about Japanese culture to begin with, it's something I'm still very early in learning about. I know the Japanese try to hide a lot of their culture to the outside world, and that younger generations are being more and more open about things - especially their feelings. There's a point in the story where Mike hugs Kana and she didn't even know what that was. When brought up with Yaichi, he mentions that he's only ever seen hugs in movies and that the thought of it makes him feel uncomfortable.
Thanks to the open-mindfulness of Kana, it really makes Yaichi think about not only how he's acting, but how he's teaching his daughter to love and accept everyone, regardless of their sexuality. It's a very touching story.
The art in the story is simple, yet descriptive. Sometimes I found it hard to decipher between thoughts and reality, mostly when it was a panel and not words. But I also think that was just me still getting use to reading manga.
Overall, this manga is sweet, fun, entertaining, and educational for those of all ages. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about Japanese gay culture, but also anyone who just wants to read a sweet, family oriented story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3.5* of five
The BookRiot Read Harder prompt inspired me to pick this tree-book manga up. Reading GNs on my tablet *sucked* so I won't be doing that again.
Reading the manga way is weird for Westerners, or at any rate old ones like me. Back to front, right to left...and add in the graphic
I most certainly will not buy the book for $25 but checked out of the library it's a well-spent afternoon. I'd say graphically oriented consumers would do well to visit Yaichi, Kana, and Uncle Mike. They are good company and the world they find themselves working to understand and create is one I'd say is very, very important for us all to visit. Who knows, y'all might wanna set a spell.
The BookRiot Read Harder prompt inspired me to pick this tree-book manga up. Reading GNs on my tablet *sucked* so I won't be doing that again.
Reading the manga way is weird for Westerners, or at any rate old ones like me. Back to front, right to left...and add in the graphic
Show More
parts! Well, it was a read outside my comfort zone. The more alert among you will have noticed a favorable star rating atop the review's text. I liked the story of a man's journey from unquestioning homophobia to questioning discomfort through to earnest effort to understand and integrate The Other into his world. I wasn't comfortable with the format and I'm not a bit convinced that the story couldn't have been told another way, but the story itself is a good and timely one for 45's America as well as for Japan at any time.I most certainly will not buy the book for $25 but checked out of the library it's a well-spent afternoon. I'd say graphically oriented consumers would do well to visit Yaichi, Kana, and Uncle Mike. They are good company and the world they find themselves working to understand and create is one I'd say is very, very important for us all to visit. Who knows, y'all might wanna set a spell.
Show Less
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
A humorous and touching look at moving past homophobia.
LibraryThing member emeraldreverie
Stellar. Very heavy but also sweet and hopeful. Processing grief and ignorance done deftly without sparing the reader's comfort.
LibraryThing member Slevyr26
The artwork is stunning and the story is too. Thank you so much to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book, I can’t wait to read the second volume!
LibraryThing member quondame
A manga which explores the reactions of a Japanese father and his daughter to the Canadian husband of his deceased brother. Kana's easy acceptance is contrasted to Yaichi's coming to grips with previously unexamined feelings of discomfort in acknowledging and understanding his brother's
Show More
homosexuality and relationship with Mike and some outright homophobia. There is less stress on Mike as an individual than Mike as a sort of best case "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" guest. This manga departs from the style I'm used to in the rendering of the adult men, but otherwise the big eyed simple features of Kana and her mother are more typical. Show Less
LibraryThing member clrichm
I found this graphic novel enchanting; the character growth was deeply moving, and I want to give every one of them hugs.
LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
This manga is a delightful story about a man coming to terms with his brother's homosexuality, willing to turn prejudice and mindsets completely around so that his daughter might live in a better world, with a definition of family that includes all types of love. Beautifully written and drawn,
Show More
emotional without being sappy, funny, playful, sad and nostalgic, it's a wonderful way of celebrating all types of love. Show Less
LibraryThing member tapestry100
When Yaichi’s twin brother, Ryoji, passes away, he is forced to confront his past when Ryoji’s widower, Mike, comes to visit. Mike wants to learn about his husband’s life, but comes to understand how little homosexuality is accepted in Japan. Yaichi, through his interactions with Mike and
Show More
Mike’s growing friendship with Yaichi’s daughter, Kana, begins to understand that maybe he was too harsh and unaccepting of his brother’s life and starts to reshape his views about homosexuality. Dealing strongly with the homophobia and struggle of self-acceptance in Japanese culture, this is still ultimately a story of hope. I’m looking forward to reading the next volume. Show Less
LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
Absolutely loved this
LibraryThing member tuusannuuska
It's not often a graphic novel makes me cry but I'm a sucker when it comes to grief.
This is a sweet story about a Japanese single father who's forced to confront his (and his compatriots') homophobia, when his deceased twin brother's Canadian husband comes for a visit. His young daughter doesn't
This is also a heartbreaking story about a Canadian man whose Japanese husband has died, and who comes to Japan to visit his husband's family in order to get to know them as well as the culture better, and to maybe get a handle on his grief as well.
The tone is very light and age appropriate for anyone. It feels like a good book to gift someone who's maybe grappling with similar feelings as the main character, trying to battle the prejudices ingrained in them by society. It's also simply a feel good story on a couple of really heavy topics. Can't wait to read the second part as well.
This is a sweet story about a Japanese single father who's forced to confront his (and his compatriots') homophobia, when his deceased twin brother's Canadian husband comes for a visit. His young daughter doesn't
Show More
share his prejudices, and as such helps him reflect on the ingrained attitudes toward gay people that he has so far accepted as just without question. (An interesting sidenote is that the mother of the child is still in the picture, but she works a lot and only visits her child occasionally. To my knowledge, Japan is still quite conservative and traditional not only when it comes to sexual orientation, but also when it comes to gender roles, so a single stay at home father is an oddity in and of itself.)This is also a heartbreaking story about a Canadian man whose Japanese husband has died, and who comes to Japan to visit his husband's family in order to get to know them as well as the culture better, and to maybe get a handle on his grief as well.
The tone is very light and age appropriate for anyone. It feels like a good book to gift someone who's maybe grappling with similar feelings as the main character, trying to battle the prejudices ingrained in them by society. It's also simply a feel good story on a couple of really heavy topics. Can't wait to read the second part as well.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Zedseayou
At least in my admittedly limited experience, there's a surfeit of queer literature that is heavy or deep in emotional and political scope. My Brother's Husband, instead, focuses on the small things, the everyday interactions that come with being gay in a heteronormative world. I think it's
Show More
particular interesting that at least in volume 1, we're mostly seeing Yaichi's perspective; Mike is a less developed character. It's not common that we get the internal monologues and worries and decisions and conflicts from the family member who is beginning to deal with and process having a gay brother-in-law. Tagame's writing and art does brilliantly in making these thoughts both poignant and heartwarming. It also succeeds in injecting some comedy, which made reading Kana's reactions in particular thoroughly enjoyable. In the end, I take the volume as a reminder not to catastrophise about these small interactions; that opening up can hurt but reaps its rewards. Show Less
Awards
VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award (Honor Book — Adult — 2017)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten — 2018)
OYAN Graphic Rave (2018)
Publication
Pantheon (2017), Edition: Illustrated, 352 pages
Original publication date
2017
Language
ISBN
1101871512 / 9781101871515