PLOT

A boy develops a crush on a female performer to which he later finds out is a boy who often wears girls clothing. Determined to show that his love is true, he works to get on the girls good side in this drama manga with some elements of BL.

THEMES

school setting | trans | older teen

CHARACTERS

Taiga - A kind-hearted and determined young student who seeks to be helpful and heroic in any situation. He is not a jock perse, but he hangs with the athletic types. In the story, he ends up joining the theatre troupe to gt closer to Yuu as well as to find something he can be passionate in.

Yuu - Is he a girl or is she a boy? Part of the story involves Yuu figuring out gender while dealing with the romantic plight of Taiga. As Taiga learns more about Yuu, so does the reader. The title is clever in the fact that the story is about Taiga meeting 'Maria' but it calls to the reader that they too will be introduced and learning deeper in Yuu's life.

SPICE

This is older teen, so the most consenual spice is a kiss. All other depections of sex are forms of sexual assuault. This book has several scenes of sexual assault which help to build a dramatic story based on childhood trauma and how it can sometimes be processed through violent actions as one ages.

PERENNIALITY

I am only left curious about reviews from other people who read it. I do not remember much of the story or development in the manga since I was so disinterested. This is a drama; this is not a romance BL like I normally read. I have read other dramatic depictions of struggling gender identity and sexual assault and found them to be more compelling than this one. The graphic scenese are not as awful as Killing/Stalking, but at least in K/S you have a suspensful undertone to the drama. Using romance as a back-burner to Yuu's story of overcoming trauma did not make for a compelling coming-of-age nor romance story. I would not recommend this book to anyone and I will try to find better alternatives for both trans coming-of-age stories and trans-cis love narratives.

RATING

Get It | Check It | Skip It

ISBNING

Title: Boy Meets Maria
Mangaka: PEYO

WANT MORE?

Boys Run The Riot might be the only manga I have similar to this one.