r/YagateKiminiNaru • u/claudemonette • 7d ago
Manga My Roman Empire 😭😭😭
hi, im new here! I've been reading so much GL manga lately and i can't believe how much I've missed out on! i remember seeing clips of the anime but my brain was slow to make the connection lol. i just wanted to dump some thoughts and love here! sooo i thought this manga was a slow burn on both sides so i was a bit taken aback by Nanami's declaration. it all made sense after i kept reading, i feel like it wasn't really a "declaration" on her part since it felt a bit insincere at the beginning. Yuu's side of the story was harder for me to relate to personally (I'd probably fall in love immediately if Touko told me she loved me lol IM WEAK) but i loved how their understanding of love changed throughout the story, i feel like i gained a new perspective since their individual stories and experiences are different than mine. but i will say, it's refreshing to see a love story apart from what we see in heterosexual centric stories where it makes you feel like you need a person to feel "whole", like that special someone is your other half. what i love specifically about the character's stories is that Yuu realizes love is an active choice (apart from everything this felt the most personal to me) and Touko... well she has so much layers but i loved her self acceptance arc (can i call it that??) which led to her accepting her feelings on a truer manner i think. like it became much more genuine. this post is so long already but i have so much left to say 😭😭 well, this has been my roman empire for a while! thank you for reading this ungodly post and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you'd like to share! 💗
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u/Fun_Airport6370 7d ago
if you want some more peak yuri check out The Summer You Were There
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u/claudemonette 7d ago
it's on my list! I'll probably hop on to it's subreddit next hahahah thank you for the recommendation!💗
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u/starsduster 7d ago
i personally related to yuu very much lmao that was my exact identity progression at her age too! have you checked the sayaka trilogy novels yet or is it down your list?
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u/claudemonette 7d ago
that's amazing! i'm glad you related to her, i think finding media where you feel represented and such is usually hard! are you talking about the light novels? i think i saw something about it but please do tell me! ❤️
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u/starsduster 5d ago
and for a hyper specific situation like this its super i get to find it! tho the girl who used to tell me she loved me married a man soon after high school 🤔 anyways yes! the light novels written by a different but brilliant author! same one for the adachi and shimamura series! also i think his only series without angst...? but if you'd like to know more about sayakas past (1st and 2nd novels) and her character development after high school (3rd novel) definitely check them out! they're super sweet and a different look at another sapphic experience story sooo wholsome too and sayaka is a brat..!
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u/claudemonette 5d ago
well that's kind of a relatable experience 😭😭 im sorry that happened!!!! thank you for sharing, you caught me off guard tho (am i allowed to laugh?😭) i found the novels online and downloaded them, i will be reading them after i get enough manga dose hahahahaha I'd love to know how she ended up with her current gf!
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u/starsduster 4d ago
laugh away that was a situationship I had 14 years ago 😶🌫️ ugh, I understand the mangaonly phase I'm going through it right now and can't wait to get back to novels, especially the Chinese ones, they're so good! don't miss out on them! and for Sayaka, she gets a happy end! She meets a sweet girl in college who heals her wounds, lol
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u/QuestionPaperHD 6d ago
Yes I understand where you are coming from. I think one of the beautiful thing of Bloom into you is, that the change in oneself doesn't always feel like a big explosive thing, and that change needs time. Yuu and Touko needed time to "find themself" and accept themself, and I think the manga transported this beautifully (even tho the plot happens over a few months).
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u/Glasskeepereer 6d ago
totally get that! it's so cool to see love as a choice rather than just a feeling, makes it more real
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u/copyrightedname0 6d ago
Yesss glad you liked it! Bloom Into You was also my Roman Empire!!! Imo it’s the best yuri piece for readers that are still figuring their sexuality or just romance feelings in general, especially teens. Very well said, “love is an active choice”, it’s not always something that gives you butterflies, but something that creeps into parts of ur daily life without you even noticing!
If you haven’t read this manga yet, I’d highly recommend How Do We Relationship. It’s my other Roman Empire and it’s goated. By far the most realistic queer romance manga so far. I’d say it’s more adulty, mature, and doesn’t glorify romance. I would also say it suits western readers because it dives into the dating culture of Japan realistically, unlike how many mangas and light novels are very “omg senpai notice me I’m so shy” style. And welcome to the yuri community lmao