Even Though We're Adults (Japanese: おとなになっても, Hepburn: Otona ni Nattemo) is a Japanese yuri manga written and illustrated by Takako Shimura. It was serialized in Kodansha's Kiss magazine from March 2019 to August 2023.
Plot
When Ayano, an elementary school teacher in her thirties, runs into a friendly woman, Akari, at favourite bar, sparks begin to fly. As the night comes to a close, Ayano goes in for a kiss, however their new formed connection becomes far more complicated when Akari finds out that Ayano has a husband.
Publication
Written and illustrated by Takako Shimura, Even Though We're Adults was serialized in Kodansha's Kiss magazine from March 25, 2019,[2] to August 24, 2023.[3] The series was collected in ten tankōbon volumes from October 2019 to November 2023.
The series is licensed for an English release in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment.[4]
Volume list
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 11, 2019[5] | 978-4-06-517588-0 | February 9, 2021[1] | 978-1-64505-957-8 |
| 2 | March 13, 2020[6] | 978-4-06-518948-1 | June 15, 2021[1] | 978-1-64827-228-8 |
| 3 | August 12, 2020[7] | 978-4-06-520543-3 | October 19, 2021[1] | 978-1-64827-344-5 |
| 4 | January 13, 2021[8] | 978-4-06-522056-6 | April 5, 2022[1] | 978-1-63858-131-4 |
| 5 | September 13, 2021[9] | 978-4-06-524896-6 | November 22, 2022[1] | 978-1-63858-319-6 |
| 6 | February 10, 2022[10] | 978-4-06-526509-3 | June 13, 2023[1] | 978-1-68579-669-3 |
| 7 | August 12, 2022[11] | 978-4-06-528527-5 | December 26, 2023[1] | 979-8-88843-089-7 |
| 8 | January 13, 2023[12] | 978-4-06-530114-2 | June 11, 2024[1] | 979-8-88843-642-4 |
| 9 | June 13, 2023[13] | 978-4-06-531835-5 | — | — |
| 10 | November 13, 2023[14] | 978-4-06-533227-6 | — | — |
Reception
Erica Friedman of Yuricon in her review of volume 1 noted her ambivalent relationships towards Shimura's work due to the "varying degrees of verisimilitude" that Shimura has toward gender and sexual minorities within their work; further commenting that "this story feels equal parts solid and kind of icky. It may also be that I’m not particularly thrilled to have either another “messy relationship with a married woman story” or a story that makes the lesbian performatively self-loathy. At the same time, there are elements here that keep bringing me back to this story" [15] In her volume 6 review she went on to praise the series as a whole, "I’m still of the belief that this is Shimura-sensei’s best work to date and I just hope she has a clear ending in mind – whether it’s the ending I want, or not."[16]
Anna Williams, writing from Comic Book Resources, noted that Shimura handled the topics of marriage, cheating, and discovering one's sexuality in adulthood, with "expertise and grace"; remarking that the series "is an absolute must-read series for anyone searching for a yuri manga that chooses to take a much more somber, bittersweet look at love."[17]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Series: Even Though We're Adults". Seven Seas Entertainment. Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ 志村貴子が大人の女性同士の恋を描く新連載「おとなになっても」Kissで始動. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 25, 2019. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "Even Though We're Adults Manga Ends in 10th Volume (Update)". Anime News Network. June 1, 2023. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Seven Seas Adds New Manga by Takako Shimura, Kabi Nagata". Anime News Network. April 24, 2020. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（４） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（５） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（６） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ おとなになっても（７） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "おとなになっても（８）" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "おとなになっても（９）" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "おとなになっても（１０）" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ Friedman, Erica (February 4, 2021). "Even Though We're Adults, Volume 1". Okazu. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ Friedman, Erica (June 21, 2022). "Otona ni Nattemo, (おとなになっても) Volume 6". Okazu. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Anna (December 1, 2022). "The Best Yuri Manga Depicting Realistic Relationships". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
External links
- Manga official website (in Japanese)
- Even Though We're Adults (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
This page was last edited on 15 January 2024, at 19:05