mwoa's manga / #Getting Old(1)

I have a lot to say for this masterpiece. First thing first, I want to say sorry to Hidaka Shouko-sensei because the #1 position of my best manga, Hana wa Saku Ka, have been replace by this manga. This now has become my standard of perfect 10/10 manga for me, for every genre. Second, let's talk about the technical aspect first. This manga comprised of 5 main chapters and 1 (somewhat) extra; enough to actually carry a solid story, which this manga delivered. The artwork also great; not as mind blowing as Sachimo's or Ogeretsu Tanaka's, but good enough to convey the emotion of the characters without much text narration. The narration of the story was also excellent; it pinpoints the important events in the characters life without so much unnecessary sub plot that could divert the focus from the main topic that was the development of the characters' relationship. The overall experience that I got from reading this was how light it was yet it could carry such a heavy topic really surprised me. I've always looking for this exact kind of manga; having read almost all kind of yaoi cliches, from high school romance, office romance, even PWPs, I'm craving something real, nothing dramatic, just something that could convince me because, let's face it no matter how small the conflict is if it's something relatable it could still make you feel anguished. To see how a life, not a portion, but a whole life of a gay couple would face, from the moment of realization of who they are to the bitter end that is death, is something that is very realistic because relationship isn't just about having sex but also deal every other aspect. Now we get to the story. I am woman, consider myself as straight but will be gay for some people that I take interest in. Have never been in a (romantic)relationship nor, at least, fall in love with someone. So with that background, none of the story of this manga is relatable to me. But truly, the way Miya-sensei wrote this story made emphatized Nishi and Itou. I felt the flutter in my stomach when Nishi smile brightly at Itou that afternoon; I felt the excitement of the start of their adventure. The more time they spent together, I could feel the happiness with each step they took on their path. I also felt the uneasiness when the pressure, both from outside and inside, to build a traditional family came upon both of them. It's unavoidable because it'll forever be something that they could never achieved together as a couple. I felt the misery, the anguish that they felt when they separated, gave in to the circumstances, gave in to their weaknesses, walk out of their path that they'd build together. When they strayed from their path, I could feel how lost they were without each other. But they knew, if they follow that path again, they would find each other. And when they're together, they knew, even though their path might not be what society thought was the best, this path that they took led to happiness that any other thing in this world could've never brought. So they decided to bloom knowing that even they'll wither, it was proof of the life that they'd lived together. Even when death came upon them, it wasn't the end of their path; it was just the end of their adventure, the one that they went through together in this life. As simple as it is, the story of Nishi and Itou portray the bitter sweet of love, raw and realistic, full of anxiousness and insecurities. But when we hold the hand of the one we love, we'll realize, in this big adventure we called life, that happiness can be found in the littlest things we do together.