My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC!

Previous to 2024 I had read zero manga, but this year I’ve branched out and now read a grand total of 2, both of which focus on queer young people exploring their sexualities - love to see it! Unlike My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness, Is Love the Answer? is a fictional manga, although the author does mention afterwards that she’s going through something similar to Chika herself.

I liked the art a lot more than MLEWL - beautifully detailed, and then very occasional lapses into simpler drawings where an amusing expression was more noticeable. I particularly loved Chika’s asexual professor’s character - just the way she was drawn made her seem like such a wise, comforting, older queer presence. Plus, her queer platonic marriage?? Incredible, I wanted more of that.

My reaction to this book is similar to seemingly a lot of other reviewers - it’s sweet, but a little basic. It’d be a lovely intro to asexuality for someone getting to grips with the identity, or parents or teachers looking to learn more, but it doesn’t really delve into the nitty gritty and I didn’t feel like we trulyyyy got to know Chika or any of the other characters intimately. Like Ume - I literally couldn’t tell you if he’s a student or professor, and the bond that forms between him and Chika feels rushed.

Despite those criticisms, it is still a lovely piece of work, and I’m always happy to see more asexual stories being told in a world that’s so virulently sexualised.