This was great. I loved how honest and vulnerable Takei was in the story. Even though I am not gay, I empathize with being different and how people treated you differently (though my experiences are nothing compared to his). I learned a lot that I didn't know about his political activism. And I now this book will help a lot people.
The art is great. I recognize all those drawn and colored. Takei has an amazing team working with him.

Being able to look into the life story of a great American author and activist was a great pleasure. Takei's humility and introspective take on how he navigated struggles in his life is very hopeful and uplifting. I imagine younger readers being able to relate to him as he begins with his experiences with his family and school, seeing similarities as he figures out who he is going to be and how he will get there. Older readers can revisit the times in their lives as Takei grew as an actor and an activist.

This book feels very timely given everything that is happening in America right now. It's scary out there, and it's very easy to be discouraged, but Mr. Takei speaks openly from his experiences as someone who was a child in the Japanese American concentration camps during WWII, who lived the first 68 years of his life in the closet, and as an activist who has fought for so many human rights causes throughout his life. His story is one of hope, and one that, though dark at times, should serve as inspiration to young people today who haven't yet lived through times of great hardship and don't know what to do in the face of such uncertainties. I'm incredibly grateful to have seen this book listed on NetGalley when I did, and I'm also grateful to Mr. Takei for writing it. LLAP

The narrative content isn't much new ground for anyone who follows George Takei online or has seen him speak in recent years, but the way it is assembled here is inspiring. After "They Called Us Enemy" shared the story of his family's internment during WW2, here Takei picks up with vognetters from his youth and young adulthood through to the present.

The artwork is quite literal most of the time, which makes the symbolic sections even more evocative by contrast. The highs and lows of the story come to life in a way that's so much more than two-dimensional drawings should allow for.

Let's get real. Anything by or about George Takei is well worth reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'm so glad to see it going out in the world!

I enjoyed getting to know George Takei through the medium of a graphic novel. Text and pictures relay his life from his childhood through his adult career and personal life. I felt the dialogue bubbles were wordy and the pacing a bit slow.

I enjoyed reading the historical moments that intersected with and affected his life. The art was nothing special although I could see distinct resemblance in the faces of the drawings of famous people.

This probably will only interest readers who were fans of Star Trek, particularly the character of Hakaru Sulu.

"It Rhymes with Takei" is the newest biographical graphic novel from George Takei, Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger (the same team from his previous graphic novel "They Called Us Enemy"). Takei recounts his life history, this time through the lens of being gay and closeted. Lots of difficult parts, but overall hopeful. A very interesting and needed story today. A must buy for graphic novel collections.

People need this story more than ever as we continue a battle for basic human rights. thank you for putting your life, the real life, on the page for us to always see the battle that came before.
I loved being an ARC reader.

Sadly had to dnf it. had a hard time reading it as the text was blurry in "NetGalley reader" When my phone gets fixed im hoping to revisit it

George Takei has spent far too many years behind a fence, sometimes the barbed wire was because of his race and as other times it was because of his sexuality. This impressive graphic novel tells his story, which has such a broad appeal due to the format of the tale as well as his reputation as an actor and activist. There is always work to do and, with the rise of various groups stomping on the rights of others, this message sadly needs to be continuously spread. It Rhymes with Takei teaches leaders of the future the way of doing the right thing. Takei and everyone in this world truly does deserve to be themselves.

It Rhymes with Takei is a hopeful and heartwarming graphic memoir. For me, a highlight was hearing how Takei and his husband met and fell in love. I found the more personal insights to be the most moving for me, however, there is a staggering breadth of time and social change covered here. Seeing both the world's attitudes, and Takei's relationship with himself, evolve was interestingl. As with They Called Us Enemy, I really liked the artwork - it is clear and simple, yet emotive. Keeping the same team for this book makes the two works feel cohesive.
Although some sentiments were tricky to negotiate at the current time (a lot can change in four months, and I feel this was initially written longer ago than that), the wide scope of this graphic memoir provides valuable insight - and is an engaging read.

'It Rhymes with Takei' is George Takei's latest graphic novel memoir, covering his life as an actor, a passionate activist, and how being both closeted and out have affected his life, and the causes closest to his heart. Compelling, and very informative - I had no idea he was once on the board for SCRTD - this is a great graphic novel for learning about the history of being a gay man in America, as well as for learning more about Takei himself.

As a Trekkie, I'm familiar with George Takei as the iconic Sulu. As a queer woman, I'm familiar with his activism. As a millennial, I'm familiar with his social media presence.

Despite all of this, there was still *so* much more to learn! It Rhymes with Takei is a compelling, emotional ride told in Takei's own words alongside beautiful illustrations. What a wonderful testament to the legacy of a true pioneer!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A full colour graphic memory of the legendary George Takei
Author, outspoken activist and beloved actor, the helmsman of the starship enterprise
George tells his amazing life story from childhood to coming out in 2005, to the present political views and world state
As a living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans, he recounts his friends, family, crushes, fears, hopes and dreams dreams in this historical Hollywood icons journey
The terror of entrapment in straight and gay, the AIDs crisis and his political views in a conservative society
This is an emotional Rollercoaster of the story behind the charismatic beloved person and how he found self acceptance and love

<b>A graphic novel biography of a passionate actor and advocate<b/>

I didn’t know anything about George Takei before I started reading this graphic novel. Based on the cover I had expected it to focus more on queer rights. I was surprised to find that it was actually a biography from his childhood through his adult career and personal life. The pacing was a bit slow for me at the beginning, mostly because I didn’t feel a lot of emotional attachment. I don’t know if Takei maybe just didn’t remember as many details about his childhood, but the emotional reactions seemed very simplified. I kept thinking, didn’t you ever feel bitter or defensive or blame other people? Instead it kept talking about how ambitious and stellar he was. I guess the point was to set up his successes, but I found it unfortunate that I didn’t feel emotionally moved until about a fourth of the way in.

I like the way that the graphic novel included historical moments that intersected with and affected his life. There were many important events that I didn’t know about, so I was glad to have that gap in my knowledge rectified. I found the social justice aspects inspiring, both through the tone of the narrative, and also through Takei’s passions and missions. The text was dense for a graphic novel, but that’s also to be expected for something that has so much history included. The art was about average for me. I liked it well enough because the characters were drawn distinctly.

Overall, I would recommend this graphic novel to others because I think the history is important, but I would warn them that the pacing is slow sometimes and they might not necessarily want to read every page fully in-depth. It would be great to use this for students: maybe assigning 20 pages or so for them to read together in class and then discuss.

A wonderful look into the life of a longtime advocate for marginalized voices. Similar to They Called Us Enemy, this graphic memoir allows for strong storytelling elements to be explored through the textual and visual medium. This book is expansive and dense, covering decades of Takei's life and at no point does it drag. At the same time heartwarming and heartbreaking, It Rhymes With Takei provides a hopeful perspective to a life that was filled with adversity.

Another masterpiece for George Takei. I was honored to receive a digital ARC, and I'm inspired again by George's story. Live long and prosper! 🖖🏼🌈🏳️‍🌈 Definitely recommend.

Holy wow! There was so much I did not know about the great George Takei and I found it really creative to use a comic medium to convey a life story. I this memoir conveyed the unrest, intimacy, fear, and determination Takei has had his entire life. I was truly touched by his parents words and his commitment to his dream of acting.

Throughout the graphic novel (which is a fast read, as many are), it is entrenched in his activism, curiosity in his sexuality, and drive to be a Japanese American on screen and stage who doesn't just fill a stereotype. Takei proves himself to be one of a kind and as someone who always looked up to seeing that representation on screen (in mostly Star Trek), this book only made me love and appreciate him more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and George Takei for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great man key advocate for LGBTQI+ rights.. life story in comic format. Thank you to the author, and check him out on Bluesky. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Hopeful. In a world where we have been surrounded by terrible news at all hours this book is exactly what we needed. A true love story posed as a graphic memoir that is funny, poignant, and beautiful in every possible way. George Takei has been a personal hero of mine for many years and he still manages to fill me with pride after all the great things he has done. This book truly highlights all he has done for our society and I cannot wait to see my students read this book! Thank you so much to IDW and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC, it was a much needed book at this point in my life.