“Any love story aficionado will say that the key to a successful couple is intense desire for one another—but what if the characters in question are an asexual woman with a passion for Boys Love stories and a gay man whose heart forever belongs to his oblivious childhood friend? Although romance will never be in the cards for newlyweds Yuriko and Gakurouta, the bond blossoming between them promises to be a wonderful relationship—the likes of which neither has ever experienced before…” (Yen Press)
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Honami Shirona's LBTQ+ title “I Want to be a Wall”, creates an odd love triangle between an asexual woman who marries a gay man in love with his best friend. For the asexual Yuriko, the marriage is an ideal one in that it gives her a front seat to her own living BL fantasy of trying to unite her husband with his childhood crush. Additionally, the two discover a profound friendship to navigate the complexities of their identities in a culture that is pushing for a hetero-normative romance between them.
It is in the exploration of the couple's admiration for each other that “I Want to be a Wall” really makes its mark, as their isolation from hiding their identity pushes them to be allies. Combined with the fact that they are both genuinely kindhearted characters, highlighted in their adorable attempts to play the role of husband and wife for each other, it is easy to feel endeared towards their plight. In addition, there is an element of comedy that comes from the duo putting each other off guard with moments of spontaneity, Yuriko with her interjections to push her husband towards his romantic interest, and Gakurouta's interest in BL manga making his wife blush, that further pushes adoration of the pair.
The latter exploration of the BL genre offers up a particularly interesting reflection of Yuriko's obsession with BL (boys love) manga, and how despite her own asexuality, the sense of outside/forbidden romances appeals to her feelings of isolation tied to her past. In fact, for those confused by the dominant female readership in the BL genre, Honami Shirona explores the issue with sincerity and intuitiveness. For those just looking to get into, or are curious about the BL genre, “I Want to be A Wall” could be an ideal starting point.
Visually, Shirono excels at capturing the emotional responses of her characters–particularly through the eyes. This bolsters both the light-comedic elements in the story as well as captures the shared moments where the couple discusses past hardships. Admittedly, the visual direction is not the most stunning work found in the romance genre, but it aptly suits the story that Honami Shirona constructs.
“I Want to be a Wall” subverts a complex story with endearing characters and a light comedic tone, but the deeper the reader digs in, the more apparent the ingenuity of the work becomes. As such, the book can be enjoyed as light reading but also as a deeper dive into the complexities of sexual relationships in Japan and their relation to the art of manga itself. A very clever and entertaining title that is certainly worth checking out.
