The Day Of Revolution Volume 1

by Mikiyo Tsuda | Graphic Novels |
ISBN: 1569708908 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 10/22/2012
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2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, October 22, 2012
I first heard about this 2-volume series via its TV Tropes page, and was pleased to find Vol. 1 at Better World Books.

The story deals with Kei Yoshikawa, a boy who finds out that he's biologically a girl. While this is understandably a bit of a shock to him and to his parents, it may offer him a chance to build a new relationship with his emotionally-distant father if he starts life as a girl... (There are some good discussions with the family doctor here, though in an interesting twist, it seems that Kei decides to start living as a girl in part because he didn't think he had a choice - when the doctor tells him that many hermaphrodites prefer to continue to live as the gender they've become accustomed to, he's rather shocked!)

While the story isn't a deep exploration of transgender issues, it does deal with them with a sympathetic touch - mixed with some slapstick and a few unfortunate implications. The latter kick in when Megumi (Kei, re-entering high school as a new female transfer student) catches the eyes of Kei's gang of friends, who notice a very suspicious resemblance and decide to press the issue... It's an odd mix of humor and friendship with some rather squicky "but now that he's a she, don't we have first dibs?" elements, and of course poor Megumi has to get used to a completely new dynamic with all of her best friends.

As if that weren't enough, her female classmate Makoto, who's been helping her learn to dress and act more girlish, decides that *she* likes Megumi too...

Things get more serious when a rival gang discovers Megumi's secret and one of them tries to attack her; while Kei was used to being teased by his friends, Megumi finds this new experience of being looked at as a potential victim new and very unwelcome. Luckily, she's able to defend herself until her friends show up, but it's rather unnerving given the overall light-hearted tone of the previous part of the story.

There's a little bonus on the inside cover under the dust jacket - don't miss that!

See also Volume Two.

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, November 17, 2014

Released 9 yrs ago (11/17/2014 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I'm adding this book to KateKintail's YA bookbox, which will be on its way to its next stop soon. Hope someone enjoys it!

*** Released for the 2014 The release challenge, for books with "the" in the title. ***

Journal Entry 3 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Took from the YA bookbox.

Journal Entry 4 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Kei was a normal, popular guy, until he learns that he is intersex, and actually possesses more female traits. He decides to take this a chance to start life over as Megumi, a tough but cute girl. She's back at school the next year and feeling uncomfortable. Only one person knows who she was, and keeping that secret is going to be tough.

Although I really liked the ideas behind this book, I feel like it's determined efforts to check all the shojo-trope boxes got in the way. We get very little exploration of how Megumi feels about her new life. Like Gory, I found the gang's immediate sexual claims on her distasteful. I can totally see the guys crushing on her, after all, that was hinted at even when she was still a he! But I found the level of possessive lechery on the announcement unlikely and blatantly forced for melodrama.

I quite liked Makoto's character for most of this, she struck a good combo between wanting to see her friend in a relationship and calling the guys out when they got too pushy.

Journal Entry 5 by emmejo at Little Free Library #2086 in Ithaca, New York USA on Saturday, January 10, 2015

Released 9 yrs ago (1/10/2015 UTC) at Little Free Library #2086 in Ithaca, New York USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Added to the Little Free Library. There were a couple other manga volumes in there, so there must be another manga fan visiting! Maybe they'll take these.

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