I'M A MESS

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I had not heard of Riyoko Ikeda before picking up this book. Apparently, her art heavily skewed towards French costumes and backgrounds. The characters in the book are gorgeous, even the antagonists. The pen and ink work are detailed and flowy.

This book is pure shoujo, told in the voice of a 3rd party, the doctor (presumably psychiatrist) who “treated” Claudine and is his confidant as well. Set in early twentieth century France, the main character, Claudine, is born as female, but knew since she was a child that she is a male. Subsequently he dressed, behaved, and learned as a male. This short story follows his life through the pain and his deep love of several women. His love is devoted and committed. The women he loved, unfortunately, didn’t return his love in the same magnitude which ultimately led to his demise.

I was genuinely curious in the exploration of such a topic in manga form. How would the artist/author handle such a sensitive subject? Though the art quality is magnificent, I thought some details were a bit too convenient. Claudine magically never developed boobs and is very tall, towering over the women. Claudine’s family is wealthy so he can do whatever he wants and be accepted. The usage of names and pronouns does not match the modern expectations for a transgender. Claudine kept the birth name, which rarely happens, and he was a “she” throughout the book. The book is dated 2018 as first publication, so it should have caught up with the times. I still liked the book though, thumbing through the pages admiring an art quality that I recall seeing long ago, but haven’t for a long time – the strands of curly hair, the eyes, the facial expressions, especially the angst and jealousy, and a full page with nothing but the façade of a building with ornate street lamps. I added half a star for the art.

From the library ( )

Claudine is an admirable effort to describe life and loves of a young trans man growing up in early 20th century France. Claudine is admired for all his traits, and falls in love easily but he is often rejected once his lovers find out that he was assigned female at birth. There are two side stories regarding Claudine's father and her childhood friend Rosemarie that play an important part in Claudine's character development, but those stories are never fully fleshed out and leaves the reader feeling like they're missing an important piece of Claudine's story. The ending left a lot to be desired, but it keeps with the tone of the story. It feels more like a cautionary tale than as a celebration of living one's authentic life. ( )

Welp. Classic queer tragedy. Beautiful, aching, painful, and resonant. I'm vibrating. ( )