To Strip the Flesh

Product Information

Never Trust a Title: Judging from the title alone, you'd think that this manga involves at least some horror. It's actually about a trans man. Silverman, Rebecca (May 21, 2022). "The Spring 2022 Manga Guide: To Strip the Flesh". Anime News Network . Retrieved July 18, 2022.

Nov 20 From the U.S. to Japan, You Can Control the Life-Size Moving Gundam from the Comfort of Your Own Home

Table of Contents

A lot of the more powerful points of this story are reliant on someone being familiar with the experience of being queer. To me, this is what it means to truly write for a queer audience. The story shows us being ourselves, good and bad, and the people that love us. For Chiaki it’s his father, a widower who is trying and failing to make his son happy. And his best friend, a straight cisgender guy who is clumsy with words but often does the best things for Chiaki because he cares about putting others first. And Chiaki’s doctor at the mental health clinic, who encourages him to live for himself and consider getting SRS (Sexual Reassignment Surgery). Chiaki at the mental health clinic. The doctor tells him “your life is your own, you know?” This manga was alot better than i expected it very much reminds me of alot of fujimoto’s work but it still manages too have its own identity, Chiaki story of finding his manhood and learning to have his own happiness come first over the happiness of his family is very touching and even though Like To Strip the Flesh , Hot Watermelon often relies on body horror elements to convey the depths of how the mother’s hidden feelings burden her—showing the son finally how they are hurting each other through their stubborn endurance to put up facades. It pulls you in with the familiarity of emotions, two people unable to communicate and then breaks down how negatively the feelings between has hurt both of them with visceral imagery. Because of this, Hot Watermelon is my second favourite story of the collection. In the bonus interview with popular gay sex worker and creator, Motigi, he says “‘To Strip The Flesh’ can only be written by someone who knows this pain.” To which the author, Oto, admits that she has had similar feelings of gender exploration but then decided she was fine in her current gender. I’m the only one who knows what will make me happy!!” Chiaki, yelling at the dinner table with his father who is trying to convince him to get married because he wants him to be happy.

D-Cup Distress: In an unusually serious use of this trope, Chiaki has a noticeably large chest, and though he never says so outright, it seems to be a big contribution to his gender dysphoria. He doesn't like looking at his own body and frequently fantasizes about getting rid of his breasts, to the point of dreaming about it. In October 2021, Viz Media announced that they licensed the anthology for English publication. [3] They released the anthology on June 21, 2022. [1] Reception [ edit ] It’s the hunting and butchering aspect of the story that stands out most. Images of dead meat take on added meaning both in terms of Chiaki’s dysphoria and in terms of his desire for access to masculinity and the freedom (i.e. to hunt) that comes with it. Chiaki and his father’s time spent, or rather not spent, hunting together also symbolizes many of the deep-rooted pains in their relationship. Perhaps most memorable is a scene in which Chiaki imagines cleaving off his breasts the way he would chop up pieces of hunted game. Would I recommend this manga to a trans person? Yes! Would I recommend it to a parent who was new to their child's transition? No, there are ones I'd say have more information to support that group.I first heard about this manga When a friend told me it was made by one of tatsuki fujimoto’s former assistants, which had me interested considering how much i love chainsaw man and the quality of the works of other mangakas that have worked for him like the creator of spyxfamily , I was glad that his father and friend came to understand him when he returned. His dad apologizing for hurting him by pushing his own beliefs on what *he* thought would make Chiaki happy all those years was one of my favorite scenes. My other favorites would have to be Chiaki's dream of his chest and uterus being stripped away (with all of the emotional metaphors behind it), then the short story set years later where he meets his friend's new girlfriend with a big, confident smile on his face. This certainly comes with a few content warnings, one of which is for realistic scenes of butchering game, but it's an excellent exploration of interpersonal relationships and a solid short story collection in general. Highly recommended. Chiaki's best friend, Takato had good and bad moments. He was Chiaki's best support during high-school, but then when Chiaki wants to pursue surgery as an adult, he uses phrases such as "It won't make you a real man!" and "I hear people try to commit suicide after surgery" which he's not exactly called out on. He comes around, but I'm still not so happy with him.

Scars are Forever: Chiaki's father has a scar from when an animal tore up his stomach. Chiaki has a scar on his arm from when, as a child, he interfered during one of his father's hunts when it went wrong, something Chiaki's father is still torn up about years later. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 9, 2021). "Viz Announces Summer 2022 Book Releases Including Junji Ito's The Liminal Zone, Takashi Shiina's Yashahime Manga". Anime News Network . Retrieved July 18, 2022. I am not Transgender myself so i cant say how accurate this manga is too the actual exsperience of a trans person, but i Can say i very much enjoyed Reading it personally,

Summary

What's It About? In a moving collection of six short stories, To Strip the Flesh finds Chiaki setting out to remake himself in his own image and discovers more than just personal freedom with his transition—he finds understanding from the people who matter most. From where I’m sitting (as a cisgender person), To Strip the Flesh is a very powerful piece – Chiaki has known he’s a boy from a very early age, but his parents’ refusal (or inability, which is a very different thing) to accept that has tormented him, especially his mother’s dying words exhorting him to “grow up and be a beautiful bride.” This isn’t a passively angry story; it’s one about trying to work through a situation that you’re afraid no one will understand, and in that it can be very relatable, no matter who you are or how you identify. In particular (and at the risk of sharing too much), I liked the way Chiaki reacted to his period - you don't have to be transgender to hate and resent it, or to want that part of your body gone. That brings us to the most visceral part of the story: Chiaki has a dream where his father, who butchers his own game, cuts off his breasts and removes his uterus. The scene isn’t gross, but it’s an on-point illustration of how Chiaki feels about his body, and how much he wishes his father could accept it and be a partner to him in being who he really is. I'm incredibly mixed on my review of this. I both love it and am stand-offish about parts of it. First and foremost, the author, though not trans herself, has had feelings of dysphoria in the past and used the story as an exploration of those feelings. The dysphoria Chiaki feels is truely relatable, especially having a large chest. His fears with his father's reaction to his transition are handled well. I really ended up liking Chiaki's father, who evolves quite well and has a great arc of growth. The other stories in this volume are also very enjoyable even if i dont Think any of them are as good the first story and i would be lying if i Said They were all just as interesting, still They do a very good job of showcasing oto toda’s writing style and what to expect from any of her work in the future