白い部屋のふたり

SHIROI HEYA NO FUTARI

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
1
RELEASE
August 10, 1975
CHAPTERS
3

DESCRIPTION

Resine, a rich girl whose parents died in an accident, leaves her selfish relatives in order to attend the boarding school that her mother went to. Once there, she meets her roommate Simone, a blunt, rude troublemaker and the kind of girl Resine would rather do without knowing. However, she finds herself strangely drawn to Simone nonetheless, and the turns their relationship takes could be dangerous for them both.

Note: Also includes the one shots Tooi Sanbika (遠い讃美歌) and Mizu no Naka no Sora (水の中の空)

CAST

Simone d'Arc
Resine de Poisson

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

RoseFaerie
72/100
One of the first ever girl's love stories: A tragic but compelling romance that defined the genre.
It’s pride month and I’m obsessed with shoujo GL, specifically old shoujo GL. And I figured that I’d kick off my shoujo GL reviewing spree with what is regarded by some as the first ever Girl’s Love manga, Shiroi Heya no Futari, which was initially published in Ribon magazine, though it was later rereleased and reprinted under the Hana to Yume label. It is regarded as the origin of many girl’s love tropes such as the

I will begin by saying that this is a review only of Shiroi Heya no Futari. The other oneshots in this compilation are not translated into a language I can understand (I’m tragically monolingual), and so I will not be talking about them. There will also be spoilers since this is a oneshot and I can’t exactly avoid them.

Resine’s parents have died in a tragic accident, leaving her orphaned. Now she attends her mother’s former school, a boarding school, and her roommate is the opposite of friendly. Simone is rebellious and shows nothing but hate towards Resine, tormenting her every day. However, there’s more to Simone than meets the eye, and the pair find themselves becoming friends and maybe something more…

Classic shoujo has so much charm, despite being prone to melodrama and tragic turns of events. In a way, all the dramatic things make it so special. There’s just something about it that hits differently for me from Swan to Oniisama e… to Shiroi Heya no Futari.

If you are looking for a cute romance, this is not the story for you. This is an angsty love story, and the two leads start off as bitter enemies. Resine is cute and sweet, the ideal shoujo heroine. Simone is a blunt troublemaker, a character who would usually be categorized as a bully who simply wants to spite the protagonist. There is no question that Simone hates Resine in the beginning.

However, the two of them begin to warm up to each other over time and break down each other’s emotional barriers. Despite the story being short, their enemies to lovers relationship (if you can call them that) felt decently paced within the story. It didn’t feel like their relationship was ever forced and their emotional bonding felt genuine. Both girls have family issues. Resine’s parents are dead and she’s still dealing with her trauma, while Simone is estranged from her mother, a famous actress who ignored her daughter in favor of romance and her career.

Of course this is a girl’s love story from the 70’s and shoujo mangaka from that time period in general love their tragic plot twists. When Resine is confronted with the fact that she has feelings for Simone, things become complicated. She desperately tries to convince herself that she only loves Simone as a friend and forces herself into a heterosexual relationship.

The manga ends with Simone dying at the hands of a jealous man, who wanted ownership of her affections. Simone herself doesn’t fight back, as she is depressed over Resine’s departure from her life. It really signifies the entitlement of men and how if Resine were to end up with a man, she might end up like Simone. I don’t know if the critique of heterosexual relationships and the gender imbalance that comes with them was intended, but it was something that really stood out to me. Women in that time period had much less freedom than they do now, and if Resine were to end up with a man, she would have very little freedom and would be expected to suppress her own desires in favor of her husband.

Anyways, the art is lovely, reflecting the popular artstyle of the time. It also reminded me of Riyoko Ikeda’s artwork. Resine is drawn in a very feminine style, echoing cutesy shoujo protagonists like Candy of Candy Candy. Meanwhile, Simone has a longer face usually reserved for dignified and elegant women or more masculine characters. The dark-haired Simone and the curly blonde-haired Resine served as inspiration for the yuri protagonists to come.

It’s definitely tragic and melodramatic, but I found it to be a fascinating read, especially after reading about its impact on yuri/girl’s love, as well as its place in shoujo history. It was a compelling love story, despite being tragic, and I genuinely wished for them to receive a happy ending.
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