A review by hiddenfallacies
Boy Meets Maria by PEYO

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I truly wish I could rate this higher, but this manga is not what many advertise it to be. While it's true that it explores themes of gender fluidity and love, the majority of this narrative surrounds Arima struggling to find a sense of self after their upbringing and
an instance of childhood sexual assault. The instance of CSA is depicted on page in extreme detail. There's also an instance near the end where Arima threatens and begins to attempt to sexually assault Taiga while they are having a breakdown. This sequence made me incredibly uncomfortable, as it was clear how scared Taiga was, yet they still got together afterwards.
The manga also contains a fair amount of homophobia and transphobia, including the use of slurs. It should be marketed as an exploration of queer trauma and recovery, not a cute love story. 

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