Sometimes, something unexpected can show you a world that would have otherwise been unknown to you. That’s why it’s so important to keep an open mind. The nuances of life are beautiful, and the variety of the world is what makes it worth living in. So the more you try to put a label on things, the more you cheapen the experience of living. The rom-com manga Otokonoko Zuma (My Wife Is a Man) by Crystal Na Yousuke understands that sentiment like few others. Giving us an approach to love that ignores what’s touted as commonplace, it explores affection in a way most of us would never consider.
Serialized from 2016 to 2020 via Shogakukn’s webcomic site Sunday Webry, Otokonoko Zuma is a quick read with 44 chapters, collected into three volumes. But it’s one of those reads that stays in your mind long after you’ve flicked through the last page. At first glance, one could be forgiven for thinking that the manga is nothing more than a slapstick comedy about cross-dressing. But like a mountain lake that’s so clear, it gives you a false impression of its depth; once you take the plunge, you realize you’re in deep, deep waters.
Otokonoko Zuma tells the story of Kou (a regular salaryman) and his wife, a beautiful, soft-spoken cross-dresser named Yuki. The story primarily follows a slice-of-life, rom-com narrative showing how Kou and Yuki’s relationship is viewed by them and the world around them, while also highlighting how society and friends help and limit them as they progress through their lives together.
Why You Need to Read Otokonoko Zuma
What’s the most important aspect of any entertainment medium? Is it the art? The story? The level of production? I’d argue it’s none of the above. The most important aspect of any entertainment medium is how it impacts you.
And Otokonoko Zuma had such an impact on me that there’s a clear before and after. While the interactions between Kou and Yuki follow the usual rom-com banter of an actual couple (think Tonikawa), it was the acceptance of each other and the support and openness of those around them that really made me think about how I, as a person, help and accept those around me.
This isn’t a story of wanton and cheery inclusivity. But, instead, it’s a story about people trying to accept others into their lives, even if they don’t wholeheartedly agree with what they do and who they are. They let the logical part of their mind take over and accept the reality they see, and even if they don’t come to terms with it, they support it. And I can’t describe how beautiful that sentiment is.
For something so beautiful, we limit love a lot. You can’t love this person because “they’re the same sex,” “they’re different,” “their skin color isn’t the same,” “they’re way older,” or “they’re way younger.” I’ll die on a hill arguing that everything about those phrases is wrong. Because all they do is deprive people of one of the most beautiful feelings they can have. In Otokonoko Zuma, instead of people defaulting to saying that, you see people make a solid attempt at accepting and understanding a relationship that a lot of people wouldn’t see as kosher. And they do so because they understand how special love is.
For example (and a minor spoiler), in Chapter 4, when one of Kou’s friends visits them, he’s initially surprised and even uncomfortable when he learns that Kou is married to a cross-dresser and not a woman. But, as the evening wears on and he sees the love between the two, he leaves and ponders about it. He does so to such an extent that he puts aside his preconceived notions of what a “normal” relationship and gender dynamics are and asks himself if he’s been limiting the joy in his life by adhering to something so trivial as the difference between loving men and women.
You Don’t Need to Like Something to Respect It
The late, great Anthony Bourdain once said, “I don’t have to agree with you to like you or respect you.” That’s something too frequently forgotten in such a polarized world. And in this story, we get a glimpse into how life could be if we all tried to approach it that way. The supporting characters in this manga aren’t just giving the couple a little push or words of encouragement; they’re moving mountains for them. They open themselves to ideas and lifestyles that they may not necessarily agree with. And they do this just to make the people they care about smile: something we should all strive to do.
Is Otokonoko Zuma (My Wife Is a Man) an honest approach to this kind of relationship? I don’t know, I’m a straight guy who’s never once had to worry about being alienated for even the most sordid of my escapades. So, the world of same-sex relationships and cross-dressing is completely unknown to me. Because of that, I understand that while I see this work as beautiful, someone in this exact position may find it repulsive or insultingly idealistic. Still, I stand by the fact that it promotes acceptance and love in a very approachable way, making it a work I’d recommend to everyone.
Sadly, it still hasn’t been licensed in English so you will have to rely on your Japanese skills to read it. Three-chapter preview is available on Pixiv.
Featured image: Pixiv
© Crystal na Yousuke, Shogakukan
The comments are temporarily unavailable for maintenance.