Title: BL Metamorphosis Vol 1
Author: Kaori Tsurutani
Series: BL Metamorphosis #1
Page Count: 146
Publish Date: April 28, 2020
Publisher: Seven Seas
Buy BL Metamorphosis Vol 1 at Amazon
Synopsis:
In this heartwarming and award-winning manga originally known as Metamorphose no Engawa, an elderly woman and a high school girl develop a beautiful friendship through their shared passion for Boys’ Love. Ichinoi, a seventy-five-year-old woman living a peaceful life, unwittingly buys a boys’ love manga one day, and is fascinated by what she finds inside. When she returns to the bookstore to buy the next volume, the high school girl working there—Urara, a seasoned BL fan—notices a budding fangirl when she sees one. When Urara offers to help Ichinoi explore this whole new world of fiction, the two dive into the BL fandom together, and form an unlikely friendship along the way.
BL Metamorphosis Vol 1
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My Review:
I picked this book up on a whim and I was rewarded with a beautiful read.
The first thing that stood out is that one of our main characters is in her 70s. You don’t often see older characters in books, and I have noticed very few of them in manga.
Ichinoi gives off that friendly grandma vibe and I immediately fell in love with her character. She lives a quiet life, as many people her age do, but her world expands in an unexpected way when she visits a bookshop for the first time in over a year.
With the layout of the shop different from what she remembers, Ichninoi can’t quite initially find what she’s looking for. But when her gaze falls upon some Boy’s Love (BL) manga she decides to get one, much to the surprise of everyone in the store.
Most readers would assume Ichinoi would not like the content of the manga, and yet she is pulled into the story and finds herself craving more. That desire to immediately go from the first book in the series to the next one is highly relatable.
In fact, she seeks out Urara, the clerk from the bookstore who had helped her on her first trip, in her quest to obtain the next volume of the series.
Urara, a high school student who works at the bookstore, is awkward and a bit of a loner. She adores BL and has to keep it a secret from everyone – until Ichinoi enters her life.
Despite her initial reservations about Ichinoi picking up a BL manga, the two quickly form a connection over their mutual love of the genre. Not only that, as a friendship blossoms between them, Urara begins to come out of her shell. She not only becomes more social around Ichinoi but at school and work as well.
It’s clear that she needed someone like Ichinoi in her life to give her that book of confidence as well as having someone to talk about BL to.
I loved that the more Urara recommends BL to Ichinoi, the closer these two get and they spend more time together reading and discussing BL. Having a close book friend is an amazing feeling and these two work so well together.
Their mutual love of BL, and especially the series Ichinoi started off with, brings them to a doujinshi (self-published manga) fair.
This is a great opportunity for them both but is far from either of their comfort zones.
The ending is well done, as we experience a moment where it feels that Ichinoi will falter. Yet her memories, determination, love of BL, and her friendship with Urara spur her forward.
Overall, this was such an enjoyable read. The two main characters are different in so many ways, and yet they bond so quickly over BL and push each other out of their comfort zones. I loved that the story is heavily character-driven.
The artwork is wonderful as well, truly focusing on the characters but also showcasing the environments and backgrounds perfectly. If you are looking for a cozy read about an unlikely pair of friends who love reading, then this is a great series to pick up.
I have already added the next volume to my TBR and can’t wait to read it and see how the fair goes for these two.
I hope you enjoyed my review of BL Metamorphosis Vol 1. Have you read this book?
Buy BL Metamorphosis Vol 1 at Amazon
At first I thought this was a BL itself. This is a side of “BL” manga before. It’s interesting. Does tide story deep into the lives of the tell main characters? Their thoughts? Especially the old lady— i think it’s such a refreshing narrative to read a story in the eyes of a 70 year old — then to contrast it with the high school student.
Thank you. It doesn’t go too deeply into their lives and thoughts but as it’s only the first volume we may see more of their lives in the future. It was really nice to have a main character in her 70s with a high schooler to support her and her newly found love of books.
Thank you for sharing this review.
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoyed it.
Sounds like such an interesting plot. My older one is a big fan of Manga. I am sure she will love it.
It was quite a fun and interesting read. I hope your daughter gives the series and try and enjoys it.