弟の夫

OTOUTO NO OTTO

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
4
RELEASE
May 25, 2017
CHAPTERS
28

DESCRIPTION

Otouto no Otto is a family drama that begins with the auspicious arrival of Mike, a Canadian who has come to pay respects to the family of his recently deceased Japanese husband Ryoji, whose only remaining immediate family member is Yaichi—an identical twin brother. As Mike gets accustomed to Japanese morays and the surprising idiosyncrasies of living with Yaichi and his daughter Kana, the sleepy Japanese suburb also learns the true meaning of family.

(Source: Massive Goods)

CAST

Mike Flanagan
Yaichi Origuchi
Kana Origuchi

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

JoAnneTheRed
90/100
A good and emotional read. The cast is the heart of the story, their interactions simple but impactful.
A good and emotional read. The premise is about one man’s, Yaichi's, journey to acceptance; his brother, Ryoji, is gay and has, before the start of the manga, moved to Canada and married a Canadian man. He has since died, and his husband, Mike, now travels to Japan to visit Ryoji's family. Thus begins the manga. The cast is the heart of the story, their interactions simple but impactful.

Yaichi is a single dad who goes through the most change, and it’s wonderful seeing him not just accept, but defend as well. What makes this story stand out to me, besides the acceptance of the idea of two men loving each other, is through Yaichi’s eyes we see other issues pop that reflect how many other things that either are, or also need, acceptance. Briefly we see the stigma against single stay-at-home dads, working mothers, people being turned away from bathhouses for having tattoos, and teachers needing to be better at addressing bullying. Granted, I feel most of these tie in with Japanese culture more so than elsewhere (especially the bathhouse / tattoo one), but it still challenges readers to see what else they might unintentionally be prejudiced against. Or, to perhaps compare and contrast; if viewers can have compassion for one issue, why not another?

Besides Yaichi, we have his daughter: Kana. The young girl is innocent yet inquisitive in the best way. And even the mother, Natsuki, brings a nice roundness to the broken family. It was nice to see an ex-wife and husband still amiable.

And finally, there is Mike, the Canadian Uncle. At times seems like he’s just there as a catalyst for the story, especially in the first half, to start or answer questions or to react to certain situations. He really has some good moments in this second volume though. (There are four volumes, but in the States, we have two omnibus volumes…) Mike has become family no ifs, ands, or buts, and we see how his journey to Japan was important to him here. Or rather it finally hits the reader the bittersweetness of this tour of his husband’s, Ryoji’s, home. He becomes more than a catalyst for the plot; he becomes a human character with his own emotions and purposes.

In the end they have to part ways, but the outlook is hopeful for sure that they’ll meet again. Maybe in Canada next? I wouldn’t be against a sequel showing Yaichi and Kana visiting Mike.

Aside from the story, the artwork is unique and refreshing. It is also, probably, the safest work from the manga-ka: Gengorou Tagame. However, I have not read any of his other works, I might be incorrect. The point is, if anyone is fearful of NSFW (not safe for work) elements in "My Brother's Husband", do not be! It is a wholesome story. At most there are bathing scenes with an appreciation of the body, but nothing explicit or improper. On the flip, not for those looking for a boy love story with heavy romance themes. It is more of a family story.

I definitely hope more people read and spread word on how good this is, and important too. Would recommend!
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