My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness: Manga Review

Synopsis

The Story

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is a tough read. I’ll say that up front. The content is at times difficult to stomach, but it’s very real. It’s an incredibly open and raw portrayal of someone’s mental health struggles as they navigate adulthood. While it’s absolutely an important and valuable piece of media, it’s not a fun read. 

The opening pages depict our main character losing her virginity to a female sex-worker at a “love hotel.” And the pages that follow detail the events that led her to this experience. She’s profoundly depressed. At times turning to disordered eating and cutting to have a physical manifestation of the pain she feels inside. She discusses her mental and physical state in great detail. The manga details why she struggles to hold down a job, is reliant on her parents, and spirals from intrusive thoughts. 

If you want a work that feels exceptionally honest, then look no further. Nagata doesn’t hold anything back. While this isn’t always a comfortable read, it’s honesty is unmatched. The human experience isn’t always pretty. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness doesn’t shy away from the painful and even cringe parts of life. If you can handle reading it, then I believe it’s worthwhile. I imagine many people feel seen by this work. For those that don’t relate to the character, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness can still provide insight to emotions that not everyone has or knows much about. 

The Art

The simplistic art helps to make this story more digestible. It’s already a very heavy read, but the simple yet effective artwork makes it easier to get through. It would be a far harder read, if the artwork were more detailed. While at times this work depicts explicit scenes, it’s never graphic, gory or indulgent. And the two-tone style brings a lot of life to each panel, preventing it from ever looking dull.

The Details:

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is an autobiographical manga by Kabi Nagata. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness was published in 2016 brought to English readers by Seven Seas Entertainment. This and many of Nagata’s other works are currently available and have had a lasting impact on LGBT literature.

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