Sora Itoda doesn't know if there is anyone out there like him...a guy who likes guys. After a chance meeting with an older gentleman, Sora forms a friendship with the man who is openly gay and owns a coffee shop near the beach. The unlikely friendship allows Sora to imagine a future of fully being himself. Our Colors is a journey of the many decisions and discussions associated around being open with your identity. As Sora learns, "coming out" isn't a one time thing - it's a lifelong set of doors that you can choose to open. Friendships new and old will be tested in this story of self-acceptance and identity.

I really enjoyed this manga. It perfectly captures the mix of emotions that comes from coming-out. I feel like it was realistic and wasn't overtly dramatic and doom and gloom for the sake of it, like a lot of coming out stories can tend to be.

I do wish it was a bit longer. I wanted a more of the mural, and for the some parts to be expanded on.

All in all a well told story with great artwork from the author of my favourite manga of all time My Brother's Husband, Volume 1(+vol 2).

Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame follows Sora Itoda, a gay guy in high school as he struggles with keeping his sexuality a secret. His best friend Nao, who everyone assumes he's dating because she's a girl. And Mr. Amamiya, an owner of a local cafe who lives openly as a gay man.

Sora's anxiety about coming out is very relatable. Tagame did a great job with how real he made the story feel. Our main character's gradual coming out; first to Mr. Amamiya, who he admires and views as brave. And then to his best friend as his confidance grows. I really appreaciate that his parents were accepting, but it was nuanced and didn't feel idealized.

This book was phenomenal and I was so excited to recommend it. Unfortunately, the author made a decision I found pretty disturbing toward the end of the book and it really knocked down my rating of the book. This one moment means that I now can't actively suggest this book because it plays into harmful ideas about queer people.

This is a masterpiece. Tagame is truly at his best here, and this story is incredible in its empathy and depth. An instant acquisition.

Conflicted about one of the ending scenes (if you’ve read it, you know) but overall, this is a really beautiful story with gorgeous art and writing. Loved it.

Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame was not the book for me. The story was a little slow and not particularly engaging to me, and the art, while well drawn, was a little busy to read for a long period of time, at least for my eyes.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I do not read manga often and the first few pages threw me off.

Then I started again as there is a certain way to read it.

Anyway, the story touched me on many levels. The stress of needing to come out, unrequited love (well Sora never tried so... not sure there), then deciding to set himself free and be honest, albeit to a limited few... So realistic.

I have been on the receiving end of some close friends coming out. It does make me feel sad that there is a need for the LGBTQIA+ community to come out.

I feel it is not my business who anyone wants to love, gay or straight. The only time it is might be if I was in love with them or vice versa. Straight people don't need to go arounf proclaiming they are straight so why the two-faced approach. I know it sounds naive but that is honestly how I feel.

The illustrations are fantastic and the story sucks you in. Good one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Our Colors is a delightful story, literary in its quality and focused on character development. I would gladly recommend this book for young adult/adult readers.

I loved it. I had read Gengoroh Tagame previous works so I knew this was gonna be an excellent reading. I really liked Sora, Nao and mr. Amamiya friendship and also that Nao and Sora's parents were so supportive of him. As coming out is difficult whether you have support or not, the introspection made by Sora is so interesting as he feels in colors. The mask he wore gor everyday situations was so on point, such a great portrayal.

DNFed but my own fault. No matter how much I try I'm just not a manga girl. Always here to support queer content though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this earc to review.

This is definitely more character driven than plot driven which can usually drag for me but to say this was 500+ pages, I read it all in one sitting very quickly. The art was great which is to be expected of Gengoroh Tagame and I liked the main character as well as Nao and Mr. Amamiya.

The book features a little bit of internalised homophobia, fears of what people would say/feel if Sora came out and some generalised homophobia but in my opinion, it isn't too harsh (such as saying slurs/violence) because a lot of it is ignorance.

I now want to read more of Gengoroh Tagame's work!

SPOILER BELOW:
Fair warning, there is a kiss at the very end between a high schooler and an older character but it is requested by the high schooler and it is a peck/not romantic. I didn't like this panel within the managa but everything else was great.

5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This is such an amazing high school coming of age/ coming to terms with your sexuality story. Sofa and Noa are childhood friends who start hanging out again, and everybody seems to assume they are or will start dating. Sora is struggling with his feeling for his male friend/teammate and realizing that he is gay. He gets approached by an older gentlemen who says something to him that surprises him, he then follows him to a small cafe, which the man owns. Mr. Amamiya is the first out and proud gay man Sora has met and is able to talk to about his problems with him. Noa also discovers the cafe and she and Sora love hanging out there with Mr. Amamiya. But then some problems arise in both of the males lives that complicates the dynamic. But I thought the ending was super sweet and lovely, one of my favourite mangas/graphic novels that I have read this year.

Our Colors is the story of Sora - a high school student who struggled with being gay and closeted. One day he met Mr. Amamiya - a kindly café owner and an out gay man. The two develop a friendship and Sora slowly but surely gained the courage to finally be true to himself and tell those dear to him on who he really is.

This was such a wonderful, slice-of-life, coming-of-age story that focused on the questions and problems associated in coming out of the closet both in public and towards ones family as well as finding oneself and acceptance. It also focused on the found family aspect of being queer and in showing that not all blood families react negatively to someone revealing themselves as queer.

This was a quiet, slow-paced and poignant read. The reader gets to experience all the frustrations, sadness, anxiety of Sora. The author was able to succinctly cut right to the heart of the matter without getting preachy while the artwork was able to convey the emotions and stages the characters go through. The plot in itself is simple but the portrayal for each of the characters especially Sora and Mr. Amamiya was very human, complex and real. The storytelling flowed nicely across the pages but the slower pace might not be everyone's cup of tea.

Overall, I enjoyed Our Colors. If you like manga/graphic novels with a sweet, thoughtful coming-of-age story then I do recommend giving this a try. This would be 4.25 stars out of 5 stars.

A minor trigger warning on one scene near the end which might not be for everyone - Sora and Mr Amamiya share a small kiss at Sora's request who is at that time underage and in high school. I don't mind it based on the context of the story but I'm just putting it here to give people a heads up.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.

This comic traces the internal journey of a boy coming out in Japan.
Japan is very traditional and I am sure many LGBTQ+ people suffer a lot emotionally. The inner dialogue felt so very real and relatable, digging deep into the reasons of each feeling, the anger, the fear and frustration... The journey from fumbling loss to understanding was amazing. I identified so much, as an Ace person, not knowing why I didn't feel like everyone else as I grew up. That mask the hero wears rings so deeply in me, and the fear of probably always being alone.
It is a large manga, but it reads very quickly. I didn't like the ending, I thought it wasn't necessary, but the journey was great, even if nothing really happens when you think about it.
I highly recommend this manga to people who feel like others cannot understand them. There is hope in this book, a lot of positives, a reminder that you are never truly alone, and that friendship is beautiful.

Thank you so much for allowing me to preview this book! I really enjoyed reading this story as well as the beautiful illustrations. Sora's journey starts with him being a afraid , feeling depressed and alone as a gay teen to one who begins to find his place in t he world. His growth and journey throughout the story is admirable and very relatable to today's teens and young adults.

Our Colors is a lovely story of self-realization and mentorship from gay elders. It centers on Sora Itoda, a teenage artist who has grown up wearing a proverbial mask around others to keep his sexuality under wraps. One day, a chance encounter with the owner of a local cafe, Mr. Amamiya, leads Sora to come out to someone else for the first time. Soon, he confides in his childhood friend, Nao, and the cafe is established a gathering place for the three of them. What follows is a understated human drama that considers the lives of gay men in different generations and what it means to live openly as who you are.

"But how someone else feels is up to them. You don't have any choice in the matter. But how *you* want to be? That is something you can choose. In fact, it's something that you *must* choose."

in 2020, i read "my brother's husband" by gengoroh tagame and absolutely enjoyed the gay japanese representation and tagame's charming storytelling. when i saw that he was releasing a translated version of "our colors", i immediately jumped at the chance to request this manga.

and i'm glad to have read this slice-of-life story. at many moments, i felt affirmed and hopeful and seen. the quote i included above is one that i found quite poignant and meaningful, as were the scenes where sora champions the importance of seeing yourself represented in the people around you, and having supportive friends and allies. the manga's depiction of being "closeted" underscores how individual and nuanced this experience is for each queer person, which i really appreciated. and there are other gems too, including when sora realizes that his anger against injustice is important for him to hold onto, and mr. amamiya opens up about his internalized homophobia when he was younger.

i did feel a little weird about the ending scene between sora and mr. amamiya, and the beginning of the book was a little slow.

overall, i think "our colors" is a quiet yet meaningful portrayal of a gay high school boy's coming to terms with his own identity through friendship, self-acceptance, and embracing anger and other emotions.


many thanks to netgalley and knopf doubleday publishing group for granting my wish for this ARC!

4.5*

CW: homophobia, depression, cheating

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for and honest review.

I'd read the German translation of Tagame's first work "My Brother's Husband" about a year ago and really enjoyed that one. Definitely worth the read as well.

With this one, my favourite thing was how realistic it felt. Many manga centering high school students seem over the top and romanticized, very far from what read teen life feels like.
This one's different.

It's very down to earth and yes, in some ways very sad (though not overly so) - but it's also how it is for many queer teenagers living in Japan. Additionally, I would categorize this as slize of life as there's isn't much happening aside from the personal journeys our protagonists go on.

Our Colors is the story about Sora, a closeted gay teenager who's struggling because for him being queer equals future unhappiness. At the beginning of the story, he doesn't see himself ever coming out, finding a partner, having his own faminly or being accepted.
When he meets Mr. Amamiya, an elderly gay man who runs a café near Sora's highschool.
Together with Mr. Amamiya and his olderst friend Nao, he slowly learns to see hope and grow more confident about his sexuality.
We also learn a few things about Amamiya who's own story hasn't ended yet and explore through Nao's eyes what it means to be a supportive friend and ally.

While being on the quieter side, I read this whole omnibus in one sitting and it still stays with me. I couldn't help rooting for these characters and wanting the best for them.

Its ending is quite not entirely resolved and for example, doesn't resolve the crush/romance Sora has with one of his school mates but it still felt cathartic and hopeful, so that I ended this read with a big, peaceful smile on my face.

The only thing I would have liked is for this story to be a little longer - maybe two volumes more - to give it even more depth.
But overall, I really loved this one.

After reading My Brother's Husband, I thought I would try this new series by Gengoroh Tagame. It was a nice manga. At first, I thought the coffee place was some kind of mirage that only Sora could see. But finally not, so good. I found the characters quite endearing. Sora has a lot of questions but he's not the only one and seeing them learn together is very interesting.
Overall, it was a nice series, where we follow Sora as he gets to know himself and his sexual identity. Through his best friend, we try to understand what would be the best way to act in different situations. And finally, the boss offers us some wisdom reached because of many regrets. The characters were rather well developed for a short series and the story was not too fast.
I recommend it to those who are looking for a short series to understand homosexuality or just a rather moving series
3.5/5

"In Japan, very few people are open about their homosexuality. And even well-known authors and artists, whose homosexuality is a known fact, never publicly reveal their homosexuality and don’t get involved in the community.

As we use to say in Japan, “if it stinks, put a lid on it”. When there are social issues such as racism or discrimination, we try to address them not by bringing them to light, but by stepping around them and confining them to places where it’s easy to overlook even their existence.
It is the same with gays and lesbians. And this is not the result of a pressure coming from the society, it is a conscious choice that people make themselves."

Source: interview with Gengoroh Tagame at https://www.du9.org/en/entretien/tagame-gengoroh-2/

Our Colors breathes this secretive Japanese atmosphere and shows the reader all the torment it can cause to a teenager who's becoming fully aware that he's attracted to men.

Set in contemporary suburban Japan, this manga tells the story of Sora Itoda, a sixteen-year-old aspiring painter who experiences his world in synesthetic hues of blues and reds and who's struggling with the fact that he's gay. He thinks he will never be able to live an honest life. But then he meets Mr. Amamiya, a middle-aged man who owns a local coffee shop and who's openly and unapologetically gay. Soon Mr. Amamiya becomes some sort of mentor to Sora, especially when the latter accepts to paint a mural in the coffee shop. There's also a third protagonist in this story: Nao, a sixteen-year-old girl who's Sora's best friend and childhood confidante. Lots of people assume they're a couple or at least think they should be.
What choices will Sora make and will he finally accept himself for who he is?

********

"It’s something I’d wanted to read as a middle and high schooler myself, so decided to write for my own self.
As I’m now in my 50s, I think of it as a gift to myself 40 years ago."

Source: interview with Gengoroh Tagame at https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-our-colors-writer-artist-gengoroh-tagame/

Although I've never read a book by Gengoroh Tagame before, this one seems completely different from his usual work, which is apparently often openly pornographic and BDSM.

However, in this coming-of-age and coming-out graphic novel Gengoroh Tagame draws a tender and realistic picture of the questions and problems associated with coming out of the closet, both publicly and in the family environment.

The story felt true to life, except for the blue/red thing. I wondered if this kind of colour blindness exists and yes, it's called tritanopia. But that part of the story is never fully explored and doesn't come into its own, as the drawings were not colored, but simply black and white as in most manga stories. Thus the disparate mentions of it felt more like a gimmick, without having an added value.

The blurb mentions that this story is set in contemporary Japan, but it doesn't really feel that way. To me, it has more a seventies or eighties kind of vibe.
Probably that can be traced back to the fact that this story is a gift from Gengoroh Tagame to his younger self.
Anyway, it will surely lend a helping hand to today's gay teenagers too who struggle with their sexuality.
Furthermore this book could also be a shot in the arm for older generations who might not have had the courage to come out when they were young.

It's surprising that this manga originally appeared in 3 volumes in Japan, because there's almost no action and the reactions of the characters are quite repetitive.
It certainly would've benefited from a smaller page count to emphasize the message, especially bearing in mind that not everyone will be able to appreciate the slower pace. Actually, you could compare the cadence to the one of the movieAn (aka Sweet Bean).

********

Gengoroh Tagame (° 1964) is a professional gay manga artist who currently lives in Tokyo.

In 1994 he cofounded the epochal G-Men magazine and by 1996 he was working full-time as an openly gay artist.
Contrary to androgynous ephebes that occur frequently in Yaoi manga (usually created by female authors and aimed at a female audience), he often draws hypermasculine men which is typical for Bara manga (created primarily by gay men for a gay male audience) and bear culture in general.
He's the author of dozens of graphic novels and stories that have been translated into English, French, Italian an Korean. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries across Europe and America.
His most famous manga My Brother's Husband earned him the Japan Media Arts Award for Outstanding Work of Manga from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. In 2018, the book received the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition on International Material-Asia.

A very interesting interview with Gengoroh Tagame (May 9 of 2013, Toronto Comic Arts Festival) about gay culture in Japan can be read at https://www.du9.org/en/entretien/tagame-gengoroh-2/

If you wish to read more about Our Colors and see some panels, you can head over to following interview: https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-our-colors-writer-artist-gengoroh-tagame/



*Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.