Navigating With You Review
Summary: Two new students, both relocated from their previous homes find a shared love of a Manga series and grow together in their quest to track down the entire series.
4.8
Manga Mates
Navigating With You is a lovely romance between two displaced people who bond over a shared love of a Manga series. As they search to find each issue of their beloved story they grow closer and find they are kindred spirits in more ways than one.
Writing
There are some lovely moments in the story… playing with people’s concerns about being politically correct and how that can be used as an advantage and sometimes how it can be used in a detrimental way. The main characters aren’t stereotypical CIS white males… they are two young people with different backgrounds, both female identifying and not straight. But it’s the acceptance their families show them and the way the story doesn’t really make a big deal about it that is arguably one of it’s great strengths… it just shows them as people trying to get by in the world with all the problems and concerns young people have.
Artwork
Each time a new issue of the Manga is tracked down we get to read it along with the characters. The choice to make the Manga all black and white whilst the rest of the story is full colour works on a few levels. Obviously it works as a great separator between the two stories but also works to add a degree of authenticity to the Manga look. All of the art is nice and clean, the line work and colour choices mean there are no confusing visuals… it’s all easy to follow and a pleasure to behold.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed the story. The characters were lovely flawed people who started from a position of defensiveness and slowly opened up to each other… they learnt to let themselves be vulnerable and trust the other and it was just lovely to see and read that happen as things progressed. It’s always important to have representation and to be sure a number of boxes were ticked here for representation… but they don’t feel tokenistic… they are treated with dignity and compassion. Well worth a read if you like romance or queer stories… or just a lovely little story of two people sharing a love for Manga.
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Writer: Jeremy Whitley
Artist: Casio Ribiero
Genre: Y.A., Romance, LGBTIQA+
Format: 220pgs, FC, TPB
Release Date: 13th August, 2024
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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