Our Colors - BookWyrm

Hardcover, 528 pages

English language

Published Aug. 2, 2022 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Pantheon.

ISBN:: 978-1-5247-4856-2
OCLC Number:: 1260689467

No rating (1 review)

Set in contemporary suburban Japan, Our Colors is the story of Sora Itoda, a sixteen-year-old aspiring painter who experiences his world in synesthetic hues of blues and reds and is governed by the emotional turbulence of being a teenager. He wants to live honestly as a young gay man in high school, but that is still not acceptable in Japanese society. His best friend and childhood confidante is Nao, a young woman whom everyone thinks is (or should be) his girlfriend, and it would be the easiest thing to play along—she knows he’s gay but knows, too, how difficult it is to live one’s truth in his situation.

Sora’s world changes forever when he meets Mr. Amamiya, a middle-aged gentleman who is the owner and proprietor of a local coffee shop and is completely, unapologetically out as a gay man. A mentorship and platonic friendship ensues as Sora comes out …

Set in contemporary suburban Japan, Our Colors is the story of Sora Itoda, a sixteen-year-old aspiring painter who experiences his world in synesthetic hues of blues and reds and is governed by the emotional turbulence of being a teenager. He wants to live honestly as a young gay man in high school, but that is still not acceptable in Japanese society. His best friend and childhood confidante is Nao, a young woman whom everyone thinks is (or should be) his girlfriend, and it would be the easiest thing to play along—she knows he’s gay but knows, too, how difficult it is to live one’s truth in his situation.

Sora’s world changes forever when he meets Mr. Amamiya, a middle-aged gentleman who is the owner and proprietor of a local coffee shop and is completely, unapologetically out as a gay man. A mentorship and platonic friendship ensues as Sora comes out to him and agrees to paint a mural in the shop, and Mr. Amamiya counsels Sora about how to deal with who he is. But it won’t be easy. Mr. Amamiya paid a high price for his freedom of identity, and when a figure from his past suddenly appears, the situation becomes a vivid example of just how complicated life can be.

1 edition

Jack 💜 reviewed Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame

This would have been an easy four stars without the ending

No rating

Like a lot of other folks here, I don’t really know how to rate this one. The real kicker is that I was all-in on giving this high praise until the last few pages. It’s one of those deals.

Here’s the good: Tagame’s art is exquisite. I love the way he draws his characters and puts so much emphasis on masculinity. I can’t really eloquently describe it other than that it’s art that ‘feels’ gay in the best way possible.

Another good thing: everything between the gay male lead and the girl childhood friend was done really well. I always love seeing healthy, supportive friendships with that undercurrent of occasional bumpy conflicts.

Until the last few pages, I really liked the mentor character, and it pains me that I have to refrain from recommending this one to people because of the ending. Considering everything that comes before it, it just …

Like a lot of other folks here, I don’t really know how to rate this one. The real kicker is that I was all-in on giving this high praise until the last few pages. It’s one of those deals.

Here’s the good: Tagame’s art is exquisite. I love the way he draws his characters and puts so much emphasis on masculinity. I can’t really eloquently describe it other than that it’s art that ‘feels’ gay in the best way possible.

Another good thing: everything between the gay male lead and the girl childhood friend was done really well. I always love seeing healthy, supportive friendships with that undercurrent of occasional bumpy conflicts.

Until the last few pages, I really liked the mentor character, and it pains me that I have to refrain from recommending this one to people because of the ending. Considering everything that comes before it, it just doesn’t sit right with me.

(also, other commenters are right about the premise being flawed from the get-go: this takes place in a year with smartphones. I feel like there could have been more done with that? Better yet, have this take place in the early 2000s. It already feels like it does based on how the characters talk/act)

Subjects

Literature