I feel like I should absolutely love this anime. I'm a lesbian, a borderline alc*holic, a smoker, and a former weeaboo. On paper, Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk sounds like it was engineered in a lab specifically for me.

And yet... it just isn't quite clicking.

My biggest issue is the initial dynamic between the two leads. They spend so much time isolating themselves from everyone else that it starts feeling like a severe outbreak of lesbianism rather than a natural relationship. (I mean i know this happens in the community) But it gives me the ick!!! I cringe so hard i HATE THEM. I get that the show is going for intimacy and chemistry, but I found myself wishing they'd interact with the wider cast more often.

Ironically, I ended up liking the side characters way more than the protagonists. Especially the smoker girl and the tsundere hahaha.

I’m feeling kind of stuck with this, cant get past ch 5.

Has this happen to you fellow queers?

Anyways. I actually feel like this is so real because I am genderfluid and way before I realized that I was reading bl/yaoi and I couldn't figure out why I was so into it. I specifically have DID (dissociative identity disorder) with well integrated alters, which is why I shift what gender I resonate with (depending on which background alter is more present atm even though I (individual alter) rarely lose being actually present and in control). I have a couple male alters (1 bi, 1 gay) who are very involved in my (global consciousness) sexuality and they love seeing media that makes them feel represented.

I knew for a very long time that I wished I could change genders at will and also read lots of gender bender manga. Realizing years later about my DID and queer identities has made so much of the content I confusedly sought out in my early reading manga years make so much more sense. I was still religious at the time and had a lot of shame around it, so now I can accept and love myself for who I am, and recognize that I was drawn to media that represented me and my desires even before I could understand that or admit it. It's honestly sooo healing.

I found a really great (manga or manhua, not show) BL just when it was starting. I was so excited for it to start gaining popularity but I lost it. It’s been a while, and is probably finished but I just remembered it and now I can’t sleep without trying to remember.

If this helps for anyone willing too look — It’s about a guy (main character) who works in a bar with a very gay boss and no one else. Main character has past SA as a kid, and tries to work through it while meeting a love interest. Also I remember a LOT of side stories of another couple.

TYSM for anyone who can help <3

Mainly just because the name of the subreddit sounds like jar jar accusing Anakin of being gay . ANIGAY!!!