Recommendation Thursday 💍🌍
Title: Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide/Bokura no Chikyuu no Arukikata 💍🌍
Status: complete (7 volumes).
Synopsis: super serious Asahi Suzumura and laidback, easygoing Mitsuki Sayama might seem like an odd couple, but they made a deal; they'll vacation around the world and when they get back to Japan, they'll get married. As they travel from country to country, the different people, cultures and cuisine they encounter begin to bring them closer together. After all they're not just learning about the world, but about themselves too.
Mangaka: Mone Sorai
Genre/Tags: adventure, romance, slice of life, shounen-ai, established couple, cuisine, travel, photography.
My review: I’ve read this manga throughout the years. Whenever I felt like I needed a break from the dark/toxic stuff and I was craving a dose of wholesomeness, I’d pick up a volume. This manga was written with so much love for other cultures, their history, the various cuisines of the world and most importantly, love for the LQBTQ+ community. Mone Sorai’s art was beautiful. I especially loved how she nailed all the key landmarks in each country they visited, there was so much attention to detail. Some might find it wonky at times, but I thought it added more character and charm to our leads. I also enjoyed the cuisine. Every dish they tried looked incredibly delicious and I got plenty of in-depth recipes from them that I’ll probably never cook but saved anyway. When I recommended this to my sister, her only downside was the travelogue. As a travel lover and someone who’s always on the lookout for their next trip, I didn’t mind it at all! Also as the volumes go on, Sorai learns to perfect the balance between the travelogue and relationship segments. Their relationship was sweet and realistic, even during their quarrels, you can tell that they deeply care for each other. Their growth was impeccable. I lived for their interactions with the people of each country they set foot in, they met proud queers who perhaps they saw their future reflected back at them, closeted ones and even heteros who they could open up to. Just like a trip around the world, the journey to self-acceptance isn’t linear, rather a meandering road shaped by the people one meets along the way, much like the one our protagonists are on.
Where to read: Tokyopop
P.S. no. 9 is a pic I took of the Sagrada Família from my trip to Barcelona. I tried to find a similar pic to the panel in slide 8 to showcase Sorai’s attention to detail.
Previous recommendations:
Plz do let me know if you attempt to read any of my recs. I’m trying to recommend works that I genuinely love which aren’t that known and deserve more recognition imo. Also, is my format good? Would love to hear your feedback! I feel like I’m always blabbering, especially in the review part hehe. Should I only do the synopsis and keep it moving?