punchline: existential dread's manga / #Slice of Life(4)

a one-of-a-kind queer narrative that revolves mainly around ichiko - a young woman in current-day japan who comes out to her father only to find out that both he and her late mother were queer. i spent an entire day reading up about lavender marriages after this (especially in a modern chinese setting, where there are matchmaking sites devoted specifically to this purpose). i think it would be an intriguing premise to explore in the context of US culture too. i mean, i think it's a simply superb way to frame the intergenerational differences in lifestyle of and societal attitudes towards lgbtqia+ people. there could be a whole spread on the endangerment of lesbian bars! the aftershocks of the grenwall riot!! aids epidemic!! anyways, i'm getting ahead of myself. one of the highlights of this story is its exploration of family. the contrast between eriko's authoritarian, distant father and the warmth and rapport of ichiko's less orthodox parents (including their partners) shed light on the varying societal and class views on lgbtdom, the pathways of its perpetuation, as well as the necessity for empathy rather than ostracism. a very strong supporting cast also brings depth to its portrayal of LGBT+ identity.

at the center of all these characters is a black truth: hibari is being sexually assaulted by her father delves into victim-blaming and how people can become complicit in an abuse, how they shrug it off without a second thought