Publisher: Seven Seas
Volumes: 2/2 (Complete), In Print
Shoujo/Josei
Genre: Memoir
Summary: In this sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, the difficult life of Nagata Kabi continues. After a suggestion from her editor, she bases her new comic on the idea on a diary written in the format of letters addressed to herself. After an initial spending spree using up money her parents’ saved for her, she finds the experience left her feeling empty, and she resolves that maybe things will be better if she can fulfill her goals of making money and living independently of her parents.
She moves out but is immediately overwhelmed by loneliness, which oddly also makes her feel cold as well. She goes back to hiring the lesbian escort agency again but this time just wants to be cuddled. It does help temporarily but soon she’s back to being lonely and depressed. Meanwhile, the publication of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is straining her already difficult relationship with her parents. All she wants to find her own way to independent adulthood herself, and to love and be loved. Why are things so complicated?
Review: It’s really a very difficult read in more than one way. The first is that simply, as a story, it lacks focus. The first book was centered around her decision to hire a lesbian escort, and that is the central focus of the first book. These two volumes on the other hand, are simply stories and thoughts from her life, and while they do have a bit of a theme as she struggles with identity, finding happiness and struggling with relationships with others, there isn’t really anything that ties them together. But to some degree, personally it didn’t bother me that much because I’m OK with it just being a Diary, and life rarely organizes itself into neat stories anyway.
But perhaps the most difficult part of these books is the way she takes two steps forward and three steps backwards. There are a number of subplots in the book, her moving out, trying to be financially independent, her battle with depression, trying to date, her unhealthy codependent relationship with her mother, her trying to be accepted by her unsupportive parents as a lesbian and also a manga artist, and so on. Basically none of these things resolve, and the only improvement at best is marginal.
By the end of the two books, she’s actually in even worse shape than she started, as she ends up in a mental hospital. That being said, it's still worth a read as her unique art style has become even more polished and her thoughts about her life are very soul searched and incredibly honest. Just don't expect the story to be anything other than a difficult struggle with mental health.
Recommended: Despite these two books being a sequel of sorts to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, My Solo Exchange Diary is more about depression and her difficult relationship with her parents than her sexuality. All in all it's a good read, but honestly kind of depressing as she is unable to make much progress in most of the things that matter to her.
Prequel: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
Sequel: My Alcoholic Escape from Reality
Age Rating: Older Teen some nudity, self-harm, suicide attempt, alcoholism
Volumes: 2/2 (Complete), In Print
Shoujo/Josei
Genre: Memoir
Summary: In this sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, the difficult life of Nagata Kabi continues. After a suggestion from her editor, she bases her new comic on the idea on a diary written in the format of letters addressed to herself. After an initial spending spree using up money her parents’ saved for her, she finds the experience left her feeling empty, and she resolves that maybe things will be better if she can fulfill her goals of making money and living independently of her parents.
She moves out but is immediately overwhelmed by loneliness, which oddly also makes her feel cold as well. She goes back to hiring the lesbian escort agency again but this time just wants to be cuddled. It does help temporarily but soon she’s back to being lonely and depressed. Meanwhile, the publication of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is straining her already difficult relationship with her parents. All she wants to find her own way to independent adulthood herself, and to love and be loved. Why are things so complicated?
Review: It’s really a very difficult read in more than one way. The first is that simply, as a story, it lacks focus. The first book was centered around her decision to hire a lesbian escort, and that is the central focus of the first book. These two volumes on the other hand, are simply stories and thoughts from her life, and while they do have a bit of a theme as she struggles with identity, finding happiness and struggling with relationships with others, there isn’t really anything that ties them together. But to some degree, personally it didn’t bother me that much because I’m OK with it just being a Diary, and life rarely organizes itself into neat stories anyway.
But perhaps the most difficult part of these books is the way she takes two steps forward and three steps backwards. There are a number of subplots in the book, her moving out, trying to be financially independent, her battle with depression, trying to date, her unhealthy codependent relationship with her mother, her trying to be accepted by her unsupportive parents as a lesbian and also a manga artist, and so on. Basically none of these things resolve, and the only improvement at best is marginal.
By the end of the two books, she’s actually in even worse shape than she started, as she ends up in a mental hospital. That being said, it's still worth a read as her unique art style has become even more polished and her thoughts about her life are very soul searched and incredibly honest. Just don't expect the story to be anything other than a difficult struggle with mental health.
Recommended: Despite these two books being a sequel of sorts to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, My Solo Exchange Diary is more about depression and her difficult relationship with her parents than her sexuality. All in all it's a good read, but honestly kind of depressing as she is unable to make much progress in most of the things that matter to her.
Prequel: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
Sequel: My Alcoholic Escape from Reality
Age Rating: Older Teen some nudity, self-harm, suicide attempt, alcoholism
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