The Mimosa Confessions

I find it important to preface this review by stating that I personally am not a part of the LGBTQ community, although I am very supportive and have the privilege of being friends with many people who are in the community, including some who have transitioned. I say all this to make it clear that while I thoroughly loved The Mimosa Confessions and believe it is a profoundly mature, yet realistic (for a high school setting) approach to such a heavy topic, I cannot personally relate to the struggles felt by Ushio, and as such my review may have less merit than that ofsomeone who has gone through similar identity struggles themselves. Please keep this in mind as you read the rest of this review. The Mimosa Confessions is yet another masterwork by The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes author Mei Hachimoku, this time attempting to tackle the heavy subject matter of what it is like to be transgender, and what it is like to transition, all within the confines of a small, rural town (Tsubakioka) that is more close-minded than the big cities. The work centers around Ushio Tsukinoki, the transgender girl in question, along with her lifelong best friend, Sakuma Kamiki, and their bubbly classmate, Natsuki Hoshihara. Together, they attempt to help Ushio through this new chapter in her life while managing the reactions of their fellow classmates. And believe me, there are quite a wide variety of reactions; this work does NOT shy away from showing the ugly side of what people face when transitioning, including ostricization, bullying (verbal AND physical harassment), and even family fallout. But it also makes clear that this hatred simply the minority voice, and that in the end love and compassion, friendship, and the importance of being true to yourself prevails. With all that said, this work is not a depressing, melodramatic work. While there are, of course, serious moments sprinkled throughout all of the volumes (more in some than others), this is also a light, enjoyable read with plenty of upbeat moments; scenes of normal high school life, romantic moments between characters, and even some pretty solid humor mixed in. Mei Hachimoku has a beautiful way of writing that strings all of these seemingly disparate themes with ease, while also dragging you into the world of the novel and making you really empathize with the characters and their struggles on a deeply personal level. Speaking of the characters, they are truly where this work shines. They are all written extremely well, in a realistic manner relative to the role they are designed to play (and realistic to how I'd expect a high schooler to act), and most of them play their role perfectly without feeling underutilized or overstaying their welcome. Ushio is a phenomenal character, written in such a mature yet so vulnerable way that it is almost picture-perfect to what I would expect in reality for someone who's taken such a massive step in their life. The other leads, while not getting as much characterization, are still well fleshed out and fulfill their roles eithout feeling like basic character tropes (even if Sakuma does get self depreciating a bit too often; admittedly, that IS pretty accurate for a high schooler). Even side characters are utilized fairly well throughout, maintaining a healthy presence throughout while playing at least one important role across the span of the five volumes Good characters are a MUST for drama-heavy works like this, especially one where the emotions of characters are laid so bare to see due to the intense personal nature of the issues at hand, and I am glad to say it fully stuck the landing for me. The romance aspects are also quite well executed. I wasn't sure exactly where the story would go at first, as there were a few possibilities depending on how the author wanted to handle it, but it soon became pretty clear what they were aiming for. I was admittedly unsure if the story would be successful in making it satisfying, especially in just five volumes, but I'm pleased to say thay it did so and then some. Everything feels earned. It does suffer from some rushing towards the end by virtue of skipping the entire senior year, but I still find everything around it sufficient for it to have felt believable and well-earned. Some more general notes on the books: Mei Hachimoku has a beautiful way of writing thay doesn't shy away from breaking up the more standard format. There are instances of non-linear storytelling, changes in speaker/POV, along with a hearty dose of foreshadowing for events that get paid off at the perfect moments. The artwork is also fantastic. I will admit that I initially found the black and white illustrations to be a bit simple, but they quickly grew on me. They have this almost sketch-like feel at times that is very cozy, and drags you right into the story. And the cover illustrations are all beautiful as well, unsurprisingly. Final thoughts/TLDR: The Mimosa Confessions is, simply put, a beautiful work. It manages to put forward a compelling story about a complicated, deep subject in a way that even someone unknowledgable about it can resonate with and enjoy, while also delivering a very satisfactory conclusion, if not a bit rushed. I do wish more things could've been expanded on or revisited, but what we got still told a complete story that was both enjoyable and believable, which is the most important part. The characters are what make this world shine. They are written so intricately and with such care, it's almost impossible to not emotionally connect with them, and I will be remembering them fondly for many months to come. Overall Ranking: 9/10