Fragments of Love – Manga Review

Japanese Title: Omoi no Kakera

Genre: Yuri Romance Drama

Length: 2 volumes

Positives:

A strong protagonist, mature beyond her years.
Expressive art.
Deals with many issues of same-sex attraction often ignored by other manga.
A surprising amount of humour considering the serious issues.

Negatives:

The resolution for one of the subplots feels rushed in conclusion.

I was immediately enamoured with Fragments of Love because of the protagonist, Mika, with confidence in her sexuality and blunt nature. I like characters that show strength rather than bowing to others. It’s rare to see the lead character in a yuri romance be the strong one; that trait is usually reserved for the love interest.

Early in high school, Mika realised she was a lesbian and developed a thing for older women. Though she doesn’t make her sexuality public, she isn’t afraid to explore it. She is a regular at a bar where she admires the beautiful owner without shame. One day, she overhears a group of older women berating their married ‘friend’ for not having any children yet, until Mika steps in to shut them up. The woman is in a sexless marriage that had escalated from a pity date into marriage, her mind plagued with doubts about her sexuality all the while. Mika helps the woman discover herself; however, though Mika knew it couldn’t be more than a one-time thing, she still feels a pang of sorrow, reminding her of her first relationship that broke her heart.

Fragments of Love deals with interesting aspects of same-sex sexuality, such as the guilt gay people feel from sex after being told that same gender attraction is wrong throughout their childhood. Mika makes a male gay friend in school, which not only brings great humour to balance the drama, but also allows her to reflect on her own situation by seeing another go through a similar experience.

Fragments of Love was a refreshing read with refreshing characters after so many bad and mediocre series. I would like to see more of Mika’s story.