We Need More Cute, Heartfelt Trans Love Stories Like 'The Bride Was a Boy' In Our Lives

Japanese manga and anime have a complicated relationship with the LGBT community, especially when it comes to the portrayal of transgender characters. All too often, trans characters are portrayed as jokes or "traps" that involve revealing the assigned gender of a trans or queer-coded character for shock value. A refreshing narrative that counteracts these negative portrayals is the autobiographical manga The Bride Was a Boy.

Published by Seven Seas Press, the manga is written and drawn by a trans female manga creator named Chii. The book tells the story about Chii's gender dysphoria, her gender transition, and how she fell in love and married her husband. In between chapters are informational manga strips about LGBTQ+ terminology and LGBTQ+ rights in Japan.

One of the most interesting aspects of the manga is the title itself. In the United States, it has been controversial, prompting Seven Seas Press to issue a statement via Twitter. The statement explains that the title is based on the English title written on the Japanese edition of the book and how the creator refers to herself "someone who was a boy" in the story. Whether or not you agree with the title and phrasing, the creator seems to deliberately refer to herself this way in order to bridge her past and present.

When it comes to the creator's personal story, it will be familiar and new to American transgender readers. From the bewilderment of gender dysphoria to the happiness of love and marriage, Chii discusses her life with an honesty that will touch your heart and make you smile. Although the creator experiences some sadness, fear, and uncertainty, her story is mostly joyful as she becomes her true self and prepares to marry the love of her life.

One of the most memorable moments of the comic is when Chii has a minute to herself after she undergoes gender confirmation surgery. At this moment, she realizes that her body is now how she wants it to be and that she has to take care of it herself. Feeling lonely, she calls her husband-to-be and cries euphoric tears for a bit, feeling better knowing she has a partner that loves and supports who she is. 

A similar beautiful moment is the wedding. Just before Chii finally says "I do" she has a brief flashback to the moments that led to the wedding, including a time where her past self thought she could never get married as her true self. When it finally hits her that she is actually getting married, she bursts into a beautiful flood of happy tears.

Enhancing Chii's story is the adorable artwork. Those familiar with Japanese manga and anime might recognize the chibi-style of drawing where the characters are mini, child-like versions of themselves. It matches the cheerful tone of the manga perfectly, especially when the facial expressions are exaggerated for dramatic or comedic effect. 

While the artwork does serve as one of the strengths of the manga, it becomes flawed when applied to the informational pages concerning LGBTQ+ terminology and Japan's LGBTQ rights. The cutesy style may have intended to make the information more accessible to the reader, but it comes off as distracting sometimes.

When paired with serious topics such as Japan's strict legal provisions for gender transition, it's a little hard to take the information seriously. Instead of including the information as comic strips, the creator would've been better off including an appendix to go with the work cited page at the end of the manga.

Despite that, The Bride Was a Boy is a heartfelt manga. Emotionally affecting moments and humor are intertwined with cute artwork to tell the story of the creator's life. By bridging her present with her past, Chii fondly shares the love between her and her husband and the love she has for herself. It is a standout, with genuine, feel-good storytelling.

Buy the The Bride Was a Boy on Comixology, Amazon, or at your local retailer!