This is a very informative yet emotional account of a trans woman becoming legally recognised as a woman - emotional in the sense that this gives us a lot of detail into Yuna's journey and what she had to go through, which left me feeling very emotional.

Yuna gives us a lot of information about all parts of the process - I am a cis woman, so I don't have any personal experience with this, but I have a few trans friends and consider myself an ally so I have heard about some aspects of this, but I still found myself learning a lot.

As Yuna is Japanese, this story is told with a Japanese lense - many stories that I have heard have been from either an American or British point of view, and it was really interesting to see the differences in the process there.

I thought this was a beautiful story about the hurdles one woman took in order to live authentically as herself. In the author's note at the end, Yuna talks about how she didn't want this to have a message, but rather that people can draw their own conclusions from the facts she presented. I personally think it is difficult to read this and come away with an anti-trans sentiment (but I'm also a trans ally so I didn't go into this like that.)

I perhaps would have wanted a bit more on how she felt pre-transition, but also understand that this was her story at the end of the day and I think this was fantastic.

I think this is a good read for those wanting to learn more about the transition process, and learn more about the trans experience. This was truly a fantastic portrayal of what is takes to become a woman.

I truly loved this. She's everything and she's more: funny, informative, gut-wrenching, and ultimately so optimistic. I'd recommend this to just about anyone with a pulse.

My Journey to Her is a deeply emotional and honest memoir by Yuna, where she opens up about her personal experience with gender dysphoria, her transition, and undergoing gender-affirming surgery.

The story starts before Yuna’s transition, a time in her life when she felt disconnected and unsatisfied, despite appearing successful on the surface. After years of suppressing feelings of confusion and discomfort while working a regular office job, she finally receives a life-altering diagnosis: gender dysphoria. This marks the start of a journey that’s both painful and freeing.

As Yuna moves through the complexities of transitioning, her memoir doesn’t shy away from the isolation and difficulties that come with it. She talks about everything from the medical treatments to experimenting with new makeup and outfits. But this story is not just about changing how she looks, it’s about aligning her inner self with the person she always knew she was. Along the way, she faces loneliness and struggle, but there’s also a powerful sense of hope and determination that keeps her going.

Yuna doesn’t avoid the harder parts of her journey either, including moments of suicidal thoughts and the transphobia that many trans individuals experience. These tough topics are handled with care and compassion, and throughout the memoir, there’s a balance of humor that adds lightness without diminishing the seriousness of the issues she’s dealing with. In many ways, the book is both heartbreaking and uplifting at once.

At its core, this memoir is about healing, not just the physical aspect of surgery, but the emotional healing that comes with finally embracing one’s true self. Yuna’s journey is a powerful reminder that the road to self-acceptance is rarely straightforward, filled with both setbacks and incredible growth.

All in all, My Journey to Her is a moving, empowering read that offers a genuine look into the challenges and triumphs of transitioning, undergoing gender-affirming surgery, and finding peace with who you are. Yuna’s raw honesty, sense of humor, and openness about her struggles make this a must-read, especially for those interested in LGBTQ+ experiences or memoirs of self-discovery.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for providing me with an eARC of this manga.

My Journey to Her by Yūna Hirasawa is a memoir that tackles an incredibly important and personal subject: her transition as a trans woman in Japan. It’s an honest and detailed look at her journey, from her initial diagnosis of gender dysphoria to the medical and legal processes she underwent, including her trip to Thailand for gender-affirming surgery.

I appreciate Yūna’s happy-go-lucky and positive perspective throughout the story. It prevents the narrative from becoming the dark and gloomy read it easily could have been, given the sensitive subject matter. While the jokes sometimes didn't land for me, this optimistic tone made the book a much more enjoyable experience.

However, I found it hard to connect with the story on a personal level. The specific details of the transition, the reasons behind it, and the experience of gender dysphoria are all vital to the narrative, but they weren't experiences I could relate to. Because of this, I wasn't able to connect with the story as much as I had hoped sadly.

Despite this, the book is well-written and valuable. While my personal connection was limited, I believe many people will find themselves deeply relating to her journey. It’s a brave and open account of a very personal process. It's definitely worth a read, and I think a lot of people will enjoy it even more than I did.

I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

I liked the idea of presenting a memoir as a manga/ graphic novel, it's such a creative approach. That said, the pages sometimes felt packed, which made certain sections harder to follow.

Even with that, the memoir was thoughtful and informative. It gave a clear perspective on transitioning from male to female and the healing process throughout it all, sharing knowledge I hadn't encountered before. Overall, this was an insightful read if you're interested in how the process works.

I was able to read this very early on since I think it was announced not that long ago that it will be getting a print run. It is currently available to read digitally.
This work was amazing. It was informational without being too info dumping. You get a walk through of what this woman had to go through to become their most authentic self. All of the hoops that had to be gone through, and how they went and got their surgery alone in a different country. It felt very human and is an amazing account of a person's life. If you are curious about what some have to do or want to educate yourself, this manga is for you!
I find it hard to be judgmental on this account since it is someone's personal account, and I don't feel right to critique their life, but this book is structured very well and flows amazingly.

Yuna Hirasawa tells her story and experiences as a Trans Woman getting her Gender Affirming Surgery in Thailand, and all the emotions she felt. This manga was incredibly insightful and inspiring, I loved how the mangaka told her story not only through the tragedies of being queer and not cisgender in Japan, but also highlighting what made her stand up for herself. I truly appreciate that even though she speaks about her personal experiences, she also made a ton of research for this manga. This was such a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha!

A very thorough own voices insight into the process of transitioning in Japan. The author discusses and depicts serious topics with good humour (I particularly enjoyed the explanation of the surgery/anatomy using food products!), and clearly asserts throughout that it isn't a one-size-fits-all situation and that other people's mileage may vary! Fascinating stuff!

This manga was honestly a lot more informational than I thought it would be! This manga is an open and fully honest journey of a trans woman's experience of getting gender affirming surgery and the struggles of legally and medically transitioning while in Japan. It explains the steps that a trans person has to take in order to fully transition in Japan legally and how the surgeries for medical transitioning work. I already knew the surgical parts somewhat (I work in the medical field, so it was part of my college education), but I didn't know how it works in Japan! The way a trans person is legally recognized is pretty different from how it's done in America. I also had no clue that Thailand is known for having doctors who are the leaders in gender affirming surgeries! This story also delves into the complicated emotions one can feel before undergoing gender affirming surgery. It also mentions the struggles trans people can face while trying to transition, and the struggles fully transitioned people can face while trying to make it in society. This manga is great, and honestly is fantastic if someone wants to understand how medical transitioning works in an easy-to-digest way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A very moving manga story about a person who journeys towards the person she truly is. This is a story of transition and what it means to be trans. Yuna is diagnosed as having gender dysphoria, and this means she can transition and eventually be who she really is and so she embarks on this journey hoping for the support of family. As she narrates her story we learn about the challenges and the joys of transitioning.

I thought this was told in a very powerful way which recognised Yuna’s humanity and her journey. Not without risk and pain the reader has the honour of travelling with her.

I thought this was very moving with good artwork. Definitely a story that needed to be told and let’s hope many people read it. Definitely going on my list of exquisite reads for 2025.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

My Journey to Her is by Yuna Hirasawa and is published by Kodansha. In it, Hirasawa details her journey to medically and legally transition in Japan. This journey includes the medical process in Japan, her gender-affirming surgery in Thailand, and the legal process upon her return to change her gender marker. Hirasawa also touches upon her decision to transition, the emotional effects, and coming out to her family and friends.

From start to finish, My Journey to Her is raw. Yuna spares no detail about her journey to herself. Part of the account includes an extremely detailed explanation of the gender-affirming surgery. However, that felt light in comparison to the accounts of Hirasawa’s feelings throughout this entire process. She speaks candidly about her dysphoria, her fears, some of the painful moments post-surgery, and suicidal ideation. I cried with Yuna, for Yuna, but I also laughed with Yuna. Although she’s discussing some heavy topics, Yuna also manages to throw in some comedy and a lot of hopefulness and joy.

I appreciated how Yuna’s story is told because often stories from the trans community are told in very binary ways by those who are not trans. It’s either the story of coming out as trans, emotionally and socially, or the story of the medical transition. Yuna’s account of both together paints a realistic depiction of the difficulties of the trans experience. She highlights how even taking the steps to be who you truly are can be painful and scary.

While Yuna’s story was originally published in Japan in 2016, her story is timely. If you live in the United States, trans rights are actively being questioned and revoked. Many trans people live in fear every single day due to the rising anti-trans rhetoric of those in power. People want to paint trans people as villains or terrible people, simply for existing. Now more than ever, we need trans stories like Yuna’s to remind people that trans people are no different than cis people. They deserve to live long, healthy, and full lives. They deserve gender-affirming care and access to the tools to transition, should they want to.

This was a wonderful story of a woman's experience of her gender transition, specifically her gender affirming surgery that she travelled to Thailand for. The art style was very charming and relatable and Yuna was great at sharing her story. I can't imagine how difficult it must been to travel so far from home and undergo a major surgery alone. Even with the help of an assistant that she hired there were some significant issues.

This was a great visual memoir and a nice addition to trans literature.

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Journey to Her is raw, heartfelt, and eye-opening.

Yūna Hirasawa shares her experiences as a trans woman, focusing on her gender-affirming surgery in Thailand while weaving in glimpses of her past. It’s deeply personal, sometimes graphic, but always honest—and the humor and sweet moments make it shine.

Beyond the story, it’s incredibly informative: Hirasawa explains Japanese laws for transgender people and the different paths to gender affirmation. She makes it very clear that experiences can vary drastically depending on country and timing, which adds a thoughtful, real-world perspective.

Sharing something so private takes courage, and I admire the author for opening this window into her life. Overall, My Journey to Her is a well-told, humanizing discussion of one person's journey to being seen as a woman. I can only imagine how powerful this will be for trans readers.

Kodansha Comica includes helpful notes on Japanese terms and translation details—a treat for curious readers.

All that said, I do wish there had been a bit more on what it’s like being a woman—an exploration of life after the surgery could have added another layer to this already moving story.

I think this memoir would be a great place for some people to start on their learning journey about the trans experience, even if every experience is different. I know it filled in a lot of information that I had never learned from reading only fiction books. It took great bravery for Hirasawa to take that journey to be herself, and I'm glad she had some family support. The chapters were well paced, and I found it easy to read. The illustrations were good as well.

This manga follows along the journey of a Japanese transgender woman. I have to say, this story was eye opening and informative. I didn’t know that seeking gender affirming care was so tedious/difficult in other countries. It was really heartwarming to see her met with so much support while she went through surgeries and treatments to become her true self. This was very well written

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha comics for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I first started looking for transgender representation in manga years ago, this is one of the first I came across! I was disappointed at the time that it wasn’t translated, so finding out that it will finally get an English release and I get the chance to read it made me so happy!

This is an autobiographical manga about the author’s transition journey, it is very funny and heartfelt as well as informative. It really shows you the struggles of transgender people in Japan trying to navigate both legal and medical systems to be able to get their gender recognized. Most of the story focuses on her getting gender affirming surgery in Thailand, and I really liked learning about the process as well as seeing her interaction with the staff, how every small moment of their empathy and care meant so much during such a vulnerable time.

The art was really cute! I really loved how the humor was portrayed, and how despite the hardships it ends on a very hopeful note.

Reminds me a lot of another autobiographical manga that I really enjoyed “The Bride Was a Boy” by Chii, so if you’re someone who liked it or just want to learn more about transgender issues I really recommend it!

Thanks so much Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange of my honest review!

This is just the author's story of her transition and it is just absolutely wonderful from beginning to end. We follow Yuna from JP to Thailand where she details her surgery journey in absolutely hilarious detail (with serious side notes afterwards which I found so helpful). She talks in detail about her nurses and how helpful they were and goes into aftercare as well. And yes she does go into the negative feelings in terms of loneliness and depression which I think is super important too but she mainly focuses on the positive which was very uplifting.

I think what I love the most about this is that it is a manga though. Through humor and some adorable drawings, she conveys the entire process in a manner that anyone can understand. Like a lot of older anime fans so much of the manga/anime we consume has LGBTQ+ coded characters but not many that are simply Transgender and identify as such and while the author isn't a character I find that placing herself in that role will allow the younger generation of manga fans to have a specific "character" to look up to and say "Its okay because Yuna is okay" and for thats beautiful.

Highly recommend this and as a parent, I would say that kids as young as twelve would have no issues reading this especially if they've gone through sex education classes. That being said there are graphic details regarding the surgeries so parents should read first and ensure it would be appropriate for their kiddo.

As always thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the eArc!

Before anything else, I'd like to make it clear that my rating is subjective and that it's necessary to discover this title in order to be informed!

This is an autobiographical story about the author's journey through gender transition. And I was pleasantly surprised! It was very thorough in terms of details and things I didn't know, even though I'm quite curious about queer causes. I thought I knew all about it through social networks and other stories, but this one was really interesting because you can feel how difficult it is for people to transition without artifice. No attempt is made to explain, but rather to educate! And for me, that's the strength of this manga, because we really learn through the difficulties, but also through the joy.

In short, I can't really judge this manga, as it's essential to discover.

-_-_-_

Avant toutes choses, je tiens à préciser que ma note est subjective et qu'il est nécessaire de découvrir ce titre pour s'informer !

On est sur un récit autobiographique sur l'autrice qui parle de son parcours dans sa transition de genre. Et j'ai été agréablement surprise ! C'était hyper poussée en terme de détail et choses que je ne connaissais pas alors que je suis plutôt curieuses sur les causes queer. Je pensais m'y connaître à travers les réseaux sociaux et autres récits mais celui ci est vraiment intéressant car on sent la difficulté des personnes en transition sans artifices. On ne cherche pas à nous expliquer mais plutôt à nous éduquer ! Et pour moi c'est la force de ce manga car on apprend réellement à travers les difficultés mais aussi la joie.

En bref, je ne peux pas vraiment juger ce manga car il est essentiel à découvrir

This manga memoir was excellent. The author focused mainly on her gender affirming surgical experience, while still including a cohesive background and we got to follow her on her return trip home where she finally is able to change her gender marker. She did a great job sprinkling humor for catharsis alongside a lot of very clinical/scientific information as well as the emotional struggles she was dealing with throughout the time period. I found the author and editor notes both throughout and at the end very helpful and added a lot of context for specific scenes. This was a really personal memoir for the author to share and she did so with a ton of care. I would happily recommend this manga to any and every person.

Thank you Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for giving me this free manga!

Honestly think Hirasawa-San was a great storyteller of how she detailed her surgery experience in Thailand along with the pros and cons. She was a very brave lady to go through the pain and going to a different country speaking in a completely different language to hers. This should be an anime film tbh!