This book is another brilliant graphic novel from the former Star Trek actor George Takei. In his first graphic novel Takei dealt with his time at a Japanese internment camp during World War II. While this book is focuses on the effects Takei's sexuality had on his career and life. It also deals with some other parts of his life as well as social issues in general.

The book explores his life from when he was a young man realizing he was gay, and also tells the story of his life as a young actor and how his career got started. It also focuses on the danger that was present in the life of every gay person when it came to trying to find partners in the 50/60s. Takei is critical of his own reluctance to help the issues of gay rights in this period especially since he was helping with other issues affecting AAIP people in the post war period.

The book goes through Takei's career both in film and theater as well as his political career in California. This autobiography spans from The spans from the 50's in his childhood to the present day. Takei points out the progress that has been made but the way things still aren't the best they could be, highlighting things like the time it took to get gay marriage approved and the current book bans.

However despite some of the serious issues that come up in this book Takei remains positive with his trademark humor, the title itself is interesting as well because of Florida's Don't Say Gay law, instead of saying gay Takei suggest students and teachers use his last name to go around the bill showing how far he has come from being afraid of admit he was gay to his role as a gay icon.

A beautifully written memoir, George Takei’s It Rhymes With Takei is a triumph—a deeply moving, gorgeously illustrated biographical piece that blends personal revelation with a sweeping journey through LGBTQ+ history. Following the critical success of They Called Us Enemy, Takei bares his soul with trademark wit, wisdom, and unflinching honesty, chronicling his life in the closet, his late-in-life coming out, and the profound liberation of living his truth. From the outset, Takei’s voice crackles with charisma, guiding readers through the complexities of growing up gay in mid-century America—a time when conformity was survival, and queerness was criminalized. The memoir traces his early crushes, furtive encounters, and the exhausting double life of a public figure terrified of exposure. As his star rose with Star Trek, so did the stakes of staying hidden, and Takei doesn’t shy from depicting the loneliness and fear that shadowed his fame. What makes It Rhymes With Takei so powerful is its balance of gravity and grace. Takei’s humour sparkles even in dark moments. His decision to come out at 68 is framed not as an endpoint but a new beginning.

Such a wonderful book!
he writing and illustrations depicting the AIDS crisis made me unbelievably emotional. As did the juxtaposition of Takei’s brother cutting him off next to a depiction of them as children together in a concentration camp.
Although the current political climate is not as optimistic as it was at the end of this book, Takei reminds us in the final pages that we do not face it alone.
Takei was witness and participant to so munch history. It was incredible to hear his perspective, hopes, and fears through it all.

I identify with George Takei as I was also scared to come out; I didn’t do so until I was 49. However, being English, I didn’t have to suffer internment and alienation because of my ethnicity.

I found George’s story compelling and easy to read as a graphic novel. Not participating in the fight for gay rights while he was in the closet was obviously a struggle for him, which he is now clearly making up for. The book delivers a positive story arc of redemption, including a happy ever after in terms of George’s marriage to Brad.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

What can I say about George Takei? On top of his many talents and professions in life should be storyteller. He has yet again excelled into turning his personal story into one everyone would benefit from reading.

I found “They Called Us Enemy” a captivating book and “It Rhymes With Takei” is no different. It explores George’s life from his childhood realization of his orientation to the current day illustrated by the difficulties he faced being closeted while leading a very public life as an actor, political advocate and activist until he decided to publicly come out and embrace his full self at age 68.

It is an absolutely worthwhile read written by one of the better humans on this Earth.

My gratitude to NetGalley, IDW Publishing and Top Shelf Productions for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you immensely to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced reader copy of this book!!

I (lately) really enjoy reading/listening to nonfiction books that are autobiographical in nature like this one. Just to see someone’s journey throughout their lives (in their own perspective) is a privilege! George Takei has faced many different forms of adversity in his lifetime, but none of this ever stopped him from giving back to the people and community around him — in whatever capacity he was able to give. A true activist for his beliefs and morality!
Anyone would benefit from gaining insight into this graphic novel. Truly heartwarming to learn more about George Takei, his family, his husband, and those throughout his life that have left their marks along the way.

Cannot wait to see this on the shelves in bookstores come June! <3

What a wonderful story of a fascinating life. While I did find the graphic novel to be way more "novel" than graphic (it's super, SUPER wordy), it was great to hear a truly 360 degree view of one man's life who lived through a pretty extraordinary few decades in terms of civil rights. I think young adults would be really interested in this book and get a lot out of it.

Whew, okay. That was quite a ride.

Mostly, I loved how in-depth this was, and how much ground it covered. From summarizing eras and issues of recent US history, to exploring George Takei's feelings at the time, I was transported. And I think a GN was a great way to tell this story!

I have some critical responses to some of the messaging at the end. While I think it's supposed to be uplifting and hopeful, too me it came across as oversimplified and places too much reliance on a flawed, crumbling political system. Of course, this must have been created months ago, so I can't reasonably expect this to be responding to this exact political moment, but there's so much emphasis on relying on systems to save us. Look where we are.

On the other hand, works like this remind me that my generation isn't the only one living through crisis after crisis, often brought on by the same cycles of bigotry and hatred that Takei's memoir explores. Takei has lived through every "unprecedented time" that I've lived through, plus the AIDS epidemic, the McCarthy era witch hunts, Order 9066, and so on. What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks does a "predicented time" look like??

So, while the epilogue feels a little tacked-on and disingenuously upbeat, this book also serves as a reminder that the constant shifts in political and social perception of people and issues is neither static nor linear.

Anyway, I've been a huge George Takei fan for some time, and his creative responses to social issues and top-notch use of the internet for anti-hate meme purposes cemented my respect for him years ago. There was a lot I didn't know about his political career and personal life, and I enjoyed learning more. The pacing and art were both great, though it seems like there was a struggle to determine an end-point, in part because it tries to cover his whole life and... he's still alive, writing this book. Which is a pretty great book, reminiscent of the "March" series in terms of its scope and subject. Fifty bucks says people will immediately try to ban this book, because some of y'all are desperate to drag social progress back by a century or more.

Also it's a real bummer about his brother. Imagine being as awesome and active in social justice as Takei and losing the love and respect of a family member because of their commitment to homophobia won out over their commitment to love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. As a side note, this book doesn't cover Takei's childhood in the internment camps, so this book especially functions as a companion to "They Called Us Enemy," which is also excellent.

A really great memoir. Takei’s previous visual memoir was fantastic and this was no different, as well as incredibly relevant. It not only covers his career as an actor but also as an activist and his journey as a gay man in America. It’s truly worth the read, I think I love him even more.

Such an important story to tell.

George Takei tells the story of his journey being gay in the US and in Hollywood. He was sure that coming out would not only hurt his career but alienate him from the world and the people he loved.

Highly recommend this.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available. This book will be published on the 10th of June 2025.

Where They Called Us Enemy explores George Takei's relationship with his Japanese-American identity, It Rhymes with Takei addresses a part of his identity he felt pressure to hide as a gay man. Takei's reflecting approach is refreshing; he does express regret for hiding a major piece of his identity for so long, yet contextualizes this to explain without making excuses. His trademark good sense of humor is very much on display as well. I learned a great deal about Takei's life and dedication to social justice causes, including LGBTQ+ rights. I appreciated the emotional authenticity present, the reflection on history and personal identity, and a vision of hope for the future.

Beautiful art and well written, yay!

If you’re going to read this book you probably already know who George Takei is. This story focuses on how he lived his life in the closet both before and after success as an actor. It does touch on the other aspects of his life like his relationships with his family and friends, growing up in the internment camp, etc.

I’m sure this one will be banned in the places that ban books these days but it would be a good book for teens and adults who don’t have a problem with acknowledging that LGBTQIA+ folks exist.

As an out and proud gay man who survived Japanese interment and made a career inspiring others it's great to see George Takei's life story told in a fun, engaging way. I hope young people have access to this graphic novel to learn what he overcame and how civil rights in America were so hard fought and not to be taken for granted.

I very much enjoyed the second graphic memoir from George Takei. This one feels more disjointed because of the larger time span covered. There are multiple celebrities and people introduced that don't have meaning past a single page that could have been edited down to allow for a more concise book.

This was great. I loved how honest and vulnerable Takei was in the story. Even though I am not gay, I empathize with being different and how people treated you differently (though my experiences are nothing compared to his). I learned a lot that I didn't know about his political activism. And I now this book will help a lot people.
The art is great. I recognize all those drawn and colored. Takei has an amazing team working with him.

Being able to look into the life story of a great American author and activist was a great pleasure. Takei's humility and introspective take on how he navigated struggles in his life is very hopeful and uplifting. I imagine younger readers being able to relate to him as he begins with his experiences with his family and school, seeing similarities as he figures out who he is going to be and how he will get there. Older readers can revisit the times in their lives as Takei grew as an actor and an activist.

This book feels very timely given everything that is happening in America right now. It's scary out there, and it's very easy to be discouraged, but Mr. Takei speaks openly from his experiences as someone who was a child in the Japanese American concentration camps during WWII, who lived the first 68 years of his life in the closet, and as an activist who has fought for so many human rights causes throughout his life. His story is one of hope, and one that, though dark at times, should serve as inspiration to young people today who haven't yet lived through times of great hardship and don't know what to do in the face of such uncertainties. I'm incredibly grateful to have seen this book listed on NetGalley when I did, and I'm also grateful to Mr. Takei for writing it. LLAP

The narrative content isn't much new ground for anyone who follows George Takei online or has seen him speak in recent years, but the way it is assembled here is inspiring. After "They Called Us Enemy" shared the story of his family's internment during WW2, here Takei picks up with vognetters from his youth and young adulthood through to the present.

The artwork is quite literal most of the time, which makes the symbolic sections even more evocative by contrast. The highs and lows of the story come to life in a way that's so much more than two-dimensional drawings should allow for.

Let's get real. Anything by or about George Takei is well worth reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'm so glad to see it going out in the world!

I enjoyed getting to know George Takei through the medium of a graphic novel. Text and pictures relay his life from his childhood through his adult career and personal life. I felt the dialogue bubbles were wordy and the pacing a bit slow.

I enjoyed reading the historical moments that intersected with and affected his life. The art was nothing special although I could see distinct resemblance in the faces of the drawings of famous people.

This probably will only interest readers who were fans of Star Trek, particularly the character of Hakaru Sulu.