Taken by my Gay Rose Bush by Flint Ramrod

This first volume teases Alice's history and private life but, being the first volume, this has yet to pay off in the narrative proper. Both characters disappear into the essence of English life at the time, becoming instruments of the setting, rather than vehicles for character-driven conflict.īut, of the two, Alice is the stand-out.

Their characters are excellent foils for one another, but neither of them are particularly memorable. Hanako is overtly naive and upfront, hiding nothing, while Alice is withdrawn and secretive. As the world around Hanako and Alice metes out punishment against innocents for loving who they love, Rose Garden offers readers a somber reminder of just how short a time it's been since an entire family could be brought to ruin by someone loving outside of societal 'norms.'īut, while this manga is dripping with character in a historical sense, its characters struggle to be as well-defined. This world is one in which someone like Oscar Wilde is imprisoned for sodomy because of his relationship with one Lord Alfred Douglass. While Hanako and Alice are both attracted to women, they are unable to express their burgeoning affection for one another simply because of the world they inhabit. Her real life is a secret one, one that is impossible for society to accept because of the expectations placed on Alice as a woman. These two societal brick walls dictate every one of Alice's actions. However, the more overt examples of bigotry, which drive the narrative of the story, are sexism and homophobia.

Living in England, Hanako experiences quite the culture shock, as well as a great deal of casual and restrained racism. In this case, however, Goodbye, My Rose Garden centers around the heartbreaking topic of homophobia and bigotry in turn-of-the-century England. It's fascinating seeing period pieces that take place in foreign lands, though seeing early 20th-century English society through the lens of Japanese manga is a particular treat. Often, period pieces are a prime opportunity to explore the world of a different era.

Taken by my Gay Rose Bush by Flint Ramrod