Review: YUBISAKI MILK TEA

Puberty is a time when a lot of people (be they real or fictional) explore their gender presentation.  This particular manga is not the best representation of it, though.

YUBISAKI MILK TEA (Yubisaki Miruku Ti), by Tomochaka Miyano.  First published in 2002 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Yoshinori isn't entirely sure what to do.  First, his childhood friend Hikari starting acting weirdly around him.  Then he finds himself drawn to his brainy classmate Kurokawa.  When Kurokawa starts tutoring him, jealousies flare and Yoshinari has to come to terms with himself, his friends, and his fondness for cross-dressing even as growing up makes all of these things more complicated.

Review: THIGH HIGH: REIWA HANAMARU ACADEMY

This month we'll be looking at some the ways that manga plays with flipping sexes and genders.  Since March is also the time for the start of the new school year in Japan, this series seems doubly suitable to kick things off.

THIGH HIGH: REIWA HANAMARU ACADEMY (Reiwa Hanamaru Gakuen), by Kotobuki.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2021.

PLOT:

Hanamaru High School is a place where handsome young men can enjoy their free and youthful days.  Alas, this is not the case for the uptight, prudish, and socially awkward class representative Kiritani.  Thankfully his friend Harumi is there to help him get over his hang-ups and maybe even help out some of the other lovely boys with their own problems.