My Brother's Husband: Volume I

Description

One of Amazon.com's Top 10 Graphic Novels of the year '[My Brother's Husband] arrives in the UK garlanded with praise from, among others, Alison Bechdel. It's not hard to see why. Not only is it very touching; it's also, for the non-Japanese reader, unexpectedly fascinating' Rachel Cooke, Observer, Graphic Novel of the Month 'When a cuddly Canadian comes to call, Yaichi - a single Japanese dad - is forced to confront his painful past. With his young daughter Kana leading the way, he gradually rethinks his assumptions about what makes a family. Renowned manga artist Gengoroh Tagame turns his stunning draftsmanship to a story very different from his customary fare, to delightful and heartwarming effect' Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji's past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it's been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it.

Gengoroh Tagame was born in 1964 and lives in Tokyo. After graduating from Tama University of Art, Tagame worked as an art director while writing manga and prose fiction, contributing illustrations for various magazines. In 1994 he co-founded the epochal G-Men Magazine and by 1996 he was working full-time as an openly gay artist. He is the author of dozens of graphic novels and stories which have been translated into English, French, Italian and Korean. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries across Europe and America. My Brother's Husband marks his first all-ages title, and earned him the Japan Media Arts Award for Outstanding Work of Manga from the Agency of Cultural Affairs.

When a cuddly Canadian comes to call, Yaichi--a single Japanesedad--is forced to confront his painful past. With his young daughter Kana leading the way, he gradually rethinks his assumptions about what makes a family.-Renowned manga artist Gengoroh Tagame turns his stunning draftsmanship to a story very different from his customary fare, to delightful and heartwarming effect Heartbreaking yet hopeful, Gengoroh Tagame's beautifully rendered meditation on the struggle for gay acceptance in today's Japan is quietly dazzling. I am already looking forward to part two! - CNN