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Our Dreams at Dusk is a manga series that was written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani. It was released in March 2015 and ran to May 2018, but has no current anime adaptation. It is an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama with a 13 and up rating.
If you do plan to read this story, there are some heavier themes such as being outed for one’s sexuality, homophobia, terminal illness, attempted suicide and suicidal ideation. Though it has a heavier content load, it does provide a feeling of comfort through the main character getting help.
The journey follows high schooler, Tasuku Kaname, who struggles with the idea of suicide after being outed. He finds a drop-in center after being led by a random woman and manages to find comfort in an LGBTQ+ group. It has a good found-family trope that the main character finds solace in.
The story itself has heartwarming themes of self-discovery, gender and sexuality that are needed in society right now for students who find themselves in need of an accepting community. If there was a time to read this story, it is certainly now.
The characters are easy to see yourself in and find comfort in as they find themselves throughout the story. It follows each character through their self-discovery and it both evokes sadness and a sense of community.
Tasuku, when meeting the group in the drop-in center, finds a sense of community in the other attendees, a sense of belonging and goes on a major journey of self-acceptance.
When following his life, it’s easy to feel everything that he’s feeling. You have to be aware that some scenes will have you more than upset for days on behalf of some of the characters, while others will have you crying with joy. As you read, it makes you want to root for the characters to improve.
Overall, this story provides an overall feeling of comfort that a lot of manga haven’t achieved and that I’ve never personally seen. It has a unique concept and a wonderful story to follow, with even better characters.
If you have the time and want something comforting and maybe a little sad to read, give Our Dreams at Dusk a try. You can find it free online by searching the title (if you are willing to click through sketchy advertisements) or purchasing it through Barnes & Noble.
