Cursed By The Moonlight

This book is so good love it thank you  Could put Landon Chambers please thank you

It proves challenging to write about something that has been an integral part of one's life; each moment transforms into a memory, every volume marking another year gone by.

Perhaps I'm the least qualified person to discuss Aoi Hana. Having started its publication in 2004, it was a manga alongside which I grew up. It spans nearly a decade, covering three pivotal years in the lives of two teenagers, Manjoume Fumi and Okudaira Akira. Or perhaps we can say it depicts even more—the decades of their lives, from early childhood to early adulthood.

This temporal disparity makes discussing this series difficult for me. I began reading as a teenager myself, feeling much like Fumi, the primary narrator of the series. As she experienced her first loves, heartbreaks, and other emotions, I formed a kinship with her. But as the years passed, I eventually reached adulthood, while the characters (once voices of my own youth) became people I could observe through my own life experiences. Their mistakes, doubts, and apprehensions, which once evoked acute vicarious sympathy and empathy, then prompted me to say, "There, there. It will be all right." It became almost painfully nostalgic—a warm, familiar past.

As Shimura began detailing a fictional year across real-life years, the experience of Aoi Hana changed. The manga itself evolved. Rarely does the narrative and the point-of-view of an artist mature. Art evolves, certainly. But the voice of the characters, the way their stories are told, rarely changes. Yet with Shimura, it's almost as though you can see her artistry develop over time. Sometimes the darkest panels conveyed more with a single, stark white line of text than a full page busy with drawings and images. Aoi Hana's character designs occasionally suffered from inconsistency or seemingly lazy production, but its overall beauty compensates for any drops in quality. And whenever the art layered the complexity of the story... you'll forgive and forget. Genius might be the only fitting word for when Shimura excels at her craft.

Aoi Hana starts as a simple, gentle manga about high school life with two best friends. By the end of the series, it becomes a cryptic, heavy, often-confusing observation of human relationships. This is not a negative aspect. As the chapters grew shorter, the dialogue turned poetic. The art itself transformed into a kind of prose propelling everything forward, rich in its unspoken role in storytelling. Shimura's handling of the series in its later stages would undoubtedly frustrate readers. But these pages are meant to be carefully examined again and again. Panels are designed to invite consideration of all their content and structure. Words are meant to be deciphered. Her dialogue becomes as impenetrable and difficult to understand as the hardest human emotion, as the most unknown and mysterious feeling.

The beginning seems weak, as does the ending. Where is the start of this? Where is the closure? This was something I pondered for many years. Just where would Shimura take this? There is a formula—every year, new characters, a new school play, new relationships. Life at that age plays out like an equation, anyway. What difference is there? Personal experiences may be the key. This is what Aoi Hana is all about.

We follow Fumi, dubbed the crybaby of the story, and her energetic, "spunky" best friend Akira as they reunite years after being separated. What unfolds is a friendship that picks up where it left off. And then... something more. The beauty of Aoi Hana lies in its respect for the complexity of our relationships with one another. Love is not taken for granted... even when it is. It is a powerful force, making everything as beautiful as a mythical blue flower or as ugly as our most disappointing selves. The strength of Aoi Hana is its remarkable cast of characters.

Fumi and Akira could be studied from beginning to end. Akira especially turns out to be one of the most complex characters in the series, despite appearing straightforward at first. The later volumes gradually reveal more of her perspective. Very soon, what began as a story mostly from Fumi's point of view concludes with Akira's. This is truly about these two girls, women, children—every facet of them. We're given glimpses, at times, of what they think or feel, though you may find yourself reaching out, desperate for more when we're left just as mystified by events or actions as they are. Fumi's development seems the most apparent and rewarding. She grows from an insecure 16-year-old to a mature woman in her twenties, who, sweetly, can still be undone by innocent words from a six-year-old. Akira is our champion, the direct voice of simple justice, though this makes her the most naive person in the series at the start. Adolescence leaves her as her transformation into a woman is less pronounced and noticeable but present all the same.

The manga does not shy away from acknowledging that love and sex are parts of adolescence and adulthood. The response to each marks a different stage for the characters, main and supporting. For Fumi, it's about finding balance. Akira's sexual development as a girl growing into a woman is portrayed powerfully through simple images or pieces of text.

Both these girls fare well as they grow up. It may take you several readings to notice when Fumi stops crying over trivial matters or when Akira lets go of her childish things, but when it happens, there is nothing more rewarding or amazing. These are two magnificent leads, characters you want to hang out with or embrace tightly.

The supporting cast is extensive and can be overwhelming if you don't keep track. Some of the major players include the Sugimoto sisters, women varying in ages, attitudes, tastes, and philosophies. There is also the trio from Matsuoka, Fumi's friends Mogi, Yassan, and Pon-chan, providing fantastic comic relief at times and also being truly good schoolmates and companions. Later, we meet Haruka, a feisty underclassman whose sister, Orie, is in a relationship with another woman, Hinako, a teacher at her and Akira's school. Sounds like a lot to remember, doesn't it? Add Ueda, who is the greatest side character in the entire series, funny, quiet, and supremely mature, and you have a cast of lovingly-rendered characters. Some argue these side characters are useless and distracting, but they are far from that. Each one contributes to the series, even in subtle ways.

Hinako and Orie, for instance, offer hope. They are in a relationship that has endured beyond high school sighs and touches, becoming a fulfilling, long-lasting life for two people. This is something Fumi needs to witness, as a girl whose heart was made to love someone. This is something Haruka must experience, as life doesn't always unfold as expected. Sometimes you discover from yellowing letters in a shoebox that your sister is gay. What can you do other than, years later, accept that there might be an unconventional wedding someday? Even Fumi's cousin, Chizu, is written so well that a seemingly monstrous act of betrayal ends up being a heartbreaking commentary on living to fulfill others' expectations.

But having said all this about the supporting cast, there is one person who deserves special attention as she exists between the roles of protagonist and supporting character. This is Kyouko, a girl whose private desperation to be better than herself contrasts fascinatingly with her refined public demeanor. She's a classic beauty and has the admiration of everyone around her for being more mature and worldly. Kyouko's past and personal life tell a different story. She tries to find answers without ever daring to face the questions, but her brilliance lies in her self-reflection. She's a smart girl—she knows she can assess her personality and pinpoint the flaws. She just sometimes chooses to ignore them or give in to them. To read about characters who inherently know they are capable of being better than their worst, who can know themselves, is an utmost pleasure.

And that's what Shimura provides us. Terribly, brilliantly complicated characters. Words and pictures to ponder over. With tea, without tea, sometimes with a hand in your hair, sometimes with pages being flipped backward instead of forward, during chilly nights or warm ones, like the ones the girls undoubtedly sleep through in Kamakura.

Kamakura is alive in this manga. The series opens and closes with this town, and as it provides a physical setting, it gives the entire series more context than just a landscape could offer. A beautiful seaside town, nothing extraordinary or terrible. The drama is as noisy as the place itself—not at all. It is all life and beauty every day, even amidst confusion, anger, and pain.

And isn't that right?

It was with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to these characters and this story. The ending itself might seem like a let-down because... where is it? Many will surely be disappointed, left with unanswered questions: What becomes of Fumi and Akira? Everyone else's story gets resolved. What could Shimura be thinking, ending with the beginning?

Why didn't their story conclude?

Isn't it clear?

It doesn't.

The pacing was inconsistent throughout. There were numerous instances where events unfolded too rapidly, leaving me thoroughly confused. On the other hand, there were sections where the story dragged on, making me feel bored and disengaged. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this manga, given the positive reviews I had heard, but reading it was quite a painful experience for me. I believe some of these issues may stem from either the translators or the mangaka herself. Additionally, I was quite put off by the fact that many of the jokes were in poor taste and came across as offensive. <p>

EDIT: I completely forgot about the scene where Fumi actually licks the urine off Akira's legs from when they were in Elementary School. This manga seems to be weird just for the sake of being interesting, and unfortunately, this is genuinely the worst thing I've ever read. I'm convinced that anyone who remotely enjoys this manga has either forgotten what actually happens or just skips panels because there's no way people think this is profound, deep, or a good shoujo ai story. It simply isn't. The author was probably pressured by the company to boost sales after readers dropped the manga around 15 chapters in, so they started making the characters act bizarrely just for shock value. The worst part is that none of these panels needed to be drawn to be relevant to the story. I can forgive Kyouko and Kou, but that's as far as I'm willing to go. Bloom Into You might be a meme-worthy story, but at least its flaws are limited to bland characters and a mediocre plot.

Honestly, I wouldn't have been upset with the story if it hadn't involved pre-teens engaging in sexual behavior. What's with the Japanese obsession with pre-teen sex? The world may never know. Also, the first half of the manga is an absolute drag, and the second half only becomes bearable because the mangaka got bored and turned it from a slice-of-life story into something absurd. If you're looking for absurdity, just read Citrus and Citrus +. Otherwise, someone on this forsaken site please explain what you see in this manga, because people out here are giving it 10's for some reason.  

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I would only suggest reading Aoi Hana if you're truly desperate for yuri content in your life. I know good yuri works are quite rare, and if you're looking for a schoolgirl angst-driven yuri crush story, then sure, give Aoi Hana a try. (Although I personally think Sasameki Koto is far superior.)

However, Aoi Hana is extremely long—constantly drifting towards side characters, which can get confusing if you don't remember names well. There were several times when I was reading and thought, "Wait, who's this?" or "What's going on with that?" when all I really wanted was more focus on the relationship between Akira and Yumi.

Akira is an amazing character—I adore her completely. On the other hand, Yumi, our angst-ridden main character... well, she leaves much to be desired. Expect plenty of self-pity and lots of crying from her.

I might be coming down too hard on the series, but I just didn't feel like Aoi Hana lived up to the hype it received. Yumi's interactions with one of the schoolgirls were awkward to read ("get me my towel" "yes! of course!") and even though Akira is adorable, it doesn't compensate for everything else happening in the story.

That said, Akira IS adorable. If I were rating this solely based on her, she'd easily earn a solid 9~

Fun fact: this is the greatest fucking thing ever created.  

Okay, let's be real for a moment here. Obviously, there's a slight bit of hyperbole in that statement above. What I really mean is that this is essentially the absolute best version of exactly what it's trying to be. I don't want to oversell this, guys, but considering how much attention it looks like this has gotten, I'd say it's about time a few more rave reviews got thrown its way. I'm not one to hand out unconditional praise for any story, but this piece of art has absolutely deserved it—and yes, this is a piece of art. It's an absolute tragedy that something like this gets dismissed as 'Japanese yuri trash' and written off by 99% of any worldwide audience based on medium and genre alone. Then it gets dismissed by 95% of the community that doesn't think Japanese cartoons are just Naruto and Pokémon because it doesn't conform to any traditional standards of cool and lacks a male protagonist or stupid slapstick comedy.  

Let's start with the basics.  

This is a lesbian romance story. It is not pornographic in basically any way. This is way more like Toradora, but with all girls and more story. There is a serious lack of non-heterosexual protagonists/romances/stories in media across the entire globe, and the problem only gets worse when you look at anime and manga, where 90% of protagonists are straight males, gay/trans jokes are used as filler fodder, and gay relationships simply do not exist. They may be implied, hinted at, or jostled around, but at the end of the day, even Revolutionary Girl Utena doesn't ever give its wonder duo a straightforward love scene. This thing is a gift. A miracle. I had given up hope that such a thing as this would ever come out of Japan. In fact, I don't think I've seen anything on this level of tact and comprehension regarding gay stuff from, well, anywhere. That, and this thing was started twelve years ago. Are we moving backwards?  

So now that we have that out of the way, why should you read Aoi Hana, aside from the fact that it has lesbians in it? Because good politics alone don't make a good story. Well, I'm well aware that a common complaint about anime/manga romances is a lack of conclusiveness or development. Drama seems to build steadily around a series of delays and misunderstandings until, if you're lucky, you get a kiss or a confession. Well, throw that bullshit out the window and welcome to 55 chapters of characters actually acting on and expressing their emotions. Funny, isn't it, how all those hormonal Rakus can't get a damn word out, but when the risk of societal persecution is hanging over these girls' heads, they're still able to actually do stuff about the things they're feeling. This is pretty much the antithesis of Nisekoi & Friends, so if you're looking for a romance with, ya know, actual progression and relationships and stuff, Christmas has come early—drop your straight shit and get on the Aoi Hana train.  

But again, it's more than just a story where lots of stuff happens that makes something good. You've gotta have good dialogue. Well, Aoi Hana has you covered again, pouring out page upon page of some of the most naturalistic dialogue you've seen. Characters seem to hit that perfect balance of awkward and eloquent near constantly, with an endless stream of asides making the conversations feel full and complete rather than hacked-down dramatic bilge. There is more to these girls' lives than just romance: there's school and acting and gossip and family and the future and foreign nations and just a little bit of everything. Yet, they all still manage to feel deeply distinctive from one another, such that it's often easy to tell who's speaking just by their phrasing and manner of speech even if you can't see their face. The first few pages had me sweating with joy: even though it was just a girl getting up in the morning and heading off to her first day of high school—a scene we've all seen five million times—the extremely believable way in which it was written immediately elevated it above basically everything else out there. I will say, if there is a flaw in this gem, it's that it loses some of the naturalism of its dialogue when it's doing flashbacks, but there are very few of these, so it's not a big deal.  

So now we've got a unique, brilliantly-written, momentum-filled romance story. What's next? Am I going to tell you about how fucking relatable these characters are? You're damn right I am. I'm a mostly heterosexual dude (admittedly with an emphasis on 'mostly') and I related more to the struggles of these characters in their day-to-day lives than anyone in Fullmetal Bother-hood or whatever that nonsense was. It's the little moments that make Aoi Hana truly brilliant, the ways that the excellent dialogue and the inertia of the plot mix in small ways to make you hug your heart and screech "that's me! I've been there!" inside as you will to holy God that you won't be crying by the end. And at the end of the day, that's what makes Aoi Hana work so well. It's a lesbian romance, yes, and it is most definitively invested in that particular issue, but it's also predominantly about people in general and the stages and mishaps and random junk we all go through in adolescence. I don't think you could ask for a more stellar demonstration of how growing up gay/bi is at once both similar and different than growing up straight, and I don't think you could really ask for a better romance-drama of ANY kind, period.  

At the end of the day, you should read Aoi Hana. I have no reservations in saying that. It's got a bit of an artsy style, it likes to jump around a bit and let you fill in some gaps in its story for yourself, it's got a ton of side characters that build little stories that sometimes go somewhere and sometimes don't—but all these are just perks. Regardless of whether you find its perks enhance or distract from the story for you (and I personally think they enhance the fuck out of it), there is no denying that the meat of this tale is pure 24-carat gold that you should read as soon as possible. Aoi Hana is a masterpiece simply because it is one of the most well-constructed and well-executed love stories out there of any kind, so if you like romance and you like manga, go forth, go forth and be filled with bubbly joy and stress and doom and lose yourself in this magnificent work.

Aoi Hana certainly deserves a place in discussions about great romance and yuri manga. The artwork is delightful, and Viz Signature's double-volume set, comprising four beautiful books each containing two volumes of the manga, makes for an enjoyable reading experience. The characters and setting are so richly developed that you soon lose sight of the fact that it's fiction.

The flaws, however, are evident and frequently noted. Rather than focusing on one or two subplots, there’s a half-dozen storylines involving secondary characters whose names are hard to recall. The abundance of short stories that interrupt the journey of our main heroines becomes exasperating and disrupts the narrative flow. With more decisive editorial guidance, this could have been condensed into 5 or 6 volumes instead of eight. All these issues might have been overlooked if the author had delivered a stronger conclusion, but the underwhelming ending, combined with unnecessary filler content, results in Aoi Hana being a solid 9/10.

Is Aoi Hana a classic manga destined to be remembered for generations? It’s possible. But it’s far from perfect by any standard.

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"Someone is in love with me...  
...said, 'I love you' to me, even...  
...and it's a girl"  

*does contain spoilers*  

Aoi Hana is a romantic yuri high school drama by Takako Shimura that tells the story of Okudaira Akira and Manjoume Fumi—two childhood friends separated for ten years, who reunite by attending high school in the same town. It might sound like an average high school romance, but don't be deceived. Although it may initially appear as a light-hearted romantic comedy with some drama, Aoi Hana evolves into a beautifully written coming-of-age story before you realize it.  

Aoi Hana is exceptionally strong in many aspects. I could discuss all these strengths for hours, but there’s one aspect that can't be emphasized enough, and that is the characters. Shimura excels at character design on every level. The characters are likable, intriguing, and feel genuine. While many side characters are significant and realistic, each seemingly offering life lessons to the main characters, I'll focus on Akira and Fumi to keep this semi-brief.  

As mentioned, Akira and Fumi, like most characters in this manga, are very realistic. They don’t have clear attributes that pigeonhole them into specific roles in the story; instead, they act differently toward different people and in various situations, much like real people do. It’s easy to mistakenly form a certain impression of these two from the first few chapters. For instance, Akira seems carefree, easy-going, and childish at first, but when she's with Fumi, she acts quite differently: she becomes very protective, largely due to their childhood friendship. Fumi, however, perceives this in a completely different way. She has always been shy and unsocial, and this is how Akira still views her after a decade apart. But while Fumi may seem unchanged on the outside, she has grown significantly on the inside, being far more mature than Akira realizes. Fumi has experienced the highs and lows of her first love, discovering her sexual identity and feelings, taking her first uncertain steps toward adulthood.  

This is what makes Aoi Hana such a beautiful and well-written story—character development. It may take several chapters to fully grasp how Akira and Fumi grow as the story unfolds. This growth happens subtly, as they seek answers to their respective personal questions, such as the difference between friendship and love, understanding one's sexuality, and the true meaning of love itself. These are challenges everyone faces in one form or another during their youth, and the way these characters confront them is indescribably moving. Fumi suffered a heartbreak just before the start of the actual story, which greatly influences her high school life. She's fortunate to reconnect with Akira, gaining support when she needs it most. She struggles immensely to figure everything out, including her true self, earning my sympathy. On the other hand, Akira hasn’t experienced what we call "first love," so when she discovers Fumi's feelings for her, she naturally finds herself in a difficult situation that could jeopardize their friendship. This marks a turning point in the manga, where the focus shifts from Fumi—the seemingly weaker character—to Akira, who now grapples with questions she’s never had to address before. And as we witness all this, seeing the different sides and habits of the characters, the problems a growing teenager must tackle, the heartbreaks, pain, and misery, as well as the realistic joy and bliss, we come to realize just how close we've grown to these characters and how relatable their experiences are. This creates a powerful connection, and as you see these characters mature, you’ll soon discover that you’ve grown alongside them in this enduring manga.  

And the setting where all this takes place—the stunning scenery and landscapes of Fujigaya meticulously drawn by Takako Shimura. It feels like a dream you get to revisit repeatedly, making it a familiar, nostalgic place close to your heart, to the point that it feels like you've lived there for years. Every street and café, every commuter train, classroom, and school library evokes pleasant or not-so-pleasant memories. There's tragedy in the air, great humor and laughter that give a delightful sense of innocent high school times the girls share with their friends. And as graduation approaches, it truly hurts to know you’ll soon have to bid farewell to this magic that feels so familiar.  

It’s indescribable and almost unsettling how addictive and emotional this manga can be. The sudden realization that you've journeyed far with these characters, the empathy you feel for them, makes you want to support them in every situation. For some reason, Aoi Hana had a deeply personal impact on me. At one point, I became so emotionally attached to Akira’s and Fumi’s relationship that worrying about their future made it hard for me to concentrate on basic daily tasks. I conjured up some incredibly sad and depressive scenarios in my mind and was genuinely scared and worried for their sake. When reading through the last few chapters at night, I cried multiple times. This is extremely rare for me, but Aoi Hana managed to do it, and nothing has affected me the same way since. This was the moment I realized just how extraordinary this manga truly is. This is also why I cherish Aoi Hana more than any other manga I’ve ever read.  

Even if you're not particularly into the yuri genre, I still highly recommend this masterpiece if you’re interested in a charming and beautiful high-school love story. There are male characters and heterosexual romances too, but personally, I think their primary role is to create contrast with the delicate and enchanting relationship shared by Fumi and Akira. While primarily exploring the concept of love and its true essence, Aoi Hana also touches on the difficulties and challenges faced in same-sex relationships. Who knows, maybe it will make you appreciate the idea of same-sex relationships a bit more? I dare you to find out.  

The anime adaptation is also worth watching, and although it only covers roughly one-third of the manga, it remains faithful to the source material, with stunning animation and music. Just don’t expect to experience the character development as profoundly as you would with the manga. But I’m sure it’ll still touch your heart. If not, it's likely you don’t have one. ^_*  

From Shimura's other works, I must also recommend Hourou Musuko (aka Wandering Son), which focuses more on gender identity and the challenges faced by the LGBT community, with less emphasis on romance. It also features excellent characters and humor and is a fantastic coming-of-age story like Aoi Hana. I've only watched the anime adaptation so far, but the manga is a must-read once I find the time, given its length of 15 volumes and 123 chapters.  

Thank you very much for reading ^^