The Bride was a Boy
Oct. 5th, 2021 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustThis autobiographical manga was originally a blog and a webcomic by Chii (aka Bride-chan), a Japanese woman who was assigned male at birth. It's the sweet and charming story of her journey of identity, transition, and love. (The title is a translation from the Japanese, Hanayome wa motodanshi.)
Chii meets the man she will eventually marry (aka Husband-kun), soon after she begins her gender transition. The story of their romance and relationship is adorable, and also full of emotional moments. (The scene where she comes out to him, and the scene where he proposes, did things to my heart.)
There are flashbacks to Chii growing up while raised as a boy, which capture her feelings of difference and isolation. When Chii decides to come out to her family and friends, they are supportive and welcoming.
The manga explains concepts about gender and sexuality in an accessible way, and addresses common myths and misconceptions. I found it informative about the situation in Japan, at least as of publication in 2016. For example, the harsh bureaucratic hurdles to legal recognition of transition: a medical diagnosis of "gender identity disorder", sex reassignment surgery, not having minor children, and not being currently married. (Gay marriage is not yet recognised, which means that couples who wish to stay married after transition, can't.)
Despite the many challenges, Chii makes it down that long road and finally has her wedding day with Husband-kun, when they can begin a new stage of their lives. At its heart, this is an engaging and heartwarming story about finding happiness. It's a sharp contrast to read this after Claudine - a sign of the progress made in the last few decades, even though there are still obstacles to overcome.
Chii meets the man she will eventually marry (aka Husband-kun), soon after she begins her gender transition. The story of their romance and relationship is adorable, and also full of emotional moments. (The scene where she comes out to him, and the scene where he proposes, did things to my heart.)
There are flashbacks to Chii growing up while raised as a boy, which capture her feelings of difference and isolation. When Chii decides to come out to her family and friends, they are supportive and welcoming.
The manga explains concepts about gender and sexuality in an accessible way, and addresses common myths and misconceptions. I found it informative about the situation in Japan, at least as of publication in 2016. For example, the harsh bureaucratic hurdles to legal recognition of transition: a medical diagnosis of "gender identity disorder", sex reassignment surgery, not having minor children, and not being currently married. (Gay marriage is not yet recognised, which means that couples who wish to stay married after transition, can't.)
Despite the many challenges, Chii makes it down that long road and finally has her wedding day with Husband-kun, when they can begin a new stage of their lives. At its heart, this is an engaging and heartwarming story about finding happiness. It's a sharp contrast to read this after Claudine - a sign of the progress made in the last few decades, even though there are still obstacles to overcome.
