Thank you so much for letting me read this manga. I very much liked this glimps into the journey of the writers life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This was an intriguing biographical manga that helped me learn a lot about how transitional gender changes work. There are some explicit discussions that I think will be helpful for people in the future but may be too intense in some places. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

My Journey to Her is a deeply personal but also very informative story.

Yūna Hirasawa has written a story based on her personal experiences as a trans woman. She focuses on a gender-affirming surgery that she went through in Thailand, but there are also some flashbacks to her earlier life.
There are a lot of private moments shown here, but this manga is also very informative. Hirasawa explains the Japanese laws about transgender people at the time of her surgery and what different gender-affirming processes look like. There is even some graphic information that is hard to forget about. Fortunately, the author also has a great sense of humour and the manga is full of funny and cute moments.

Sharing such a private story takes a lot of courage. I deeply admire the author for choosing to publish this manga. I can only guess how helpful it could be for trans people to read this manga.

As always in Kodansha Comica's manga there's some useful information about translations and Japanese terms. I love checking it out during and after reading.

very entertaining and informative but I'm a bit afraid that gender transition will be seen as a "step-by-step process to follow and reach a goal" so I hope that this will be clarified in the next volumes

This heartfelt graphic memoir follows manga artist Yūna Hirasawa as she navigates her gender transition—from dealing with dysphoria and depression to travelling to Thailand for surgery. Originally published online, it gives an honest look at what transitioning is like in Japan, mixing vulnerability with dry humor and quiet strength.

The art is simple but expressive, focusing more on feelings than background detail. The medical parts are clear and respectful, never sensationalised and the soft romance woven through adds a touch of warmth and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

I am glad I got the chance to read this as it was not only informative but heartwarming as well. I liked how we were able to see the journey of the main character from start to finish. I would read from this author again.

This manga is a memoir about author Yūna Hirasawa's diagnosis of gender dysphoria and her eventual process of transitioning. It was interesting reading about her experiences and how the process of diagnosis and surgery happen in Japan & Thailand. I really enjoyed that there were very detailed descriptions and even references for the information included in the work. I knew there was a huge struggle in getting a diagnosis and in getting surgery, but I didn't realize the extent of it. Though the author doesn't pull her punches in describing the struggles, there is a hopefulness that is conveyed throughout the book.

This was a very comprehensive account of a very personal story of the mangaka's transition. This could so easily have been dark and dry. However, it was a very specific journey, told with great humor and openness. I needed to take long breaks from the story as it got more and more gnarly and personally triggered about how gender-affirming care can be so prohibitively expensive and may require someone to go through this painful journey alone. All of that said, I wish there was a bit more of an ending that explored BEING a woman.

I think any story that shows us what life is like for people who are going through situations so different from those we usually know or live with is always welcome.

This story is beyond interesting; it's powerful at times and also invites us to reflect on why it's so hard to simply be what we want to be.

And that, in the end, the most important thing is for everyone to feel comfortable with who they are, physically and mentally.

Thank you so much, Kodansha Comics, for the ARC I read on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

My Journey to Her focuses on Hirasawa's journey to present as their auhetic gender. She details the process of going through gender reassignment in Japan and getting bottom surgery in Thailand.

The portion of her work that deals with surgery is very interesting. I already knew that Thailand was popular for helping trans people when it came to social issues as well as medically. But it was particularly cool to see the way that they provided low cost care for people in their own region.

Hirasawa dealt with many ups and downs leading up to and after her surgery such as the painfulness of dealing with dilation. The process in which trans women must stretch their new gentalia so it won't close up. As well as an incident with her having a blood clot that sounded super scary.

The book also deals with the way living as her authentic gender changed her relationships with other people and her siblings. She talks about some of the indignities of having to get her paperwork finalized when she came back to Japan and how the whole process made her more hopeful about her life and the future.

I like to read stories of queer and trans people. But I worry that my reading leans a little western country-focused. So My Journey to Her was a nice look into how things go in Japan for some transwomen at least.

I found the portions about Hirasawa's stay in the hospital particularly interesting. Mostly because it seems so counterintuitive to how things go in the US for trans people dealing with healthcare.

All of the medical staff seemed super nice and helpful even though the protagonist and the staff didn't speak the same language. I've never dealt with healthcare outside the US but this seemed especially nice.

Hirasawa was a great narrator and I love the art that went with this piece. I'd definitely buy this when it comes out. I'd give this book five stars for the narrative voice and the explanation of some terms and experiences that the average reader might not understand.

A very informative and personal manga about the mangaka's journey of transitioning in Japan. I learned a lot about the process of gender affirming surgery and the steps needed to legally change your gender marker in Japan. I like how it also highlighted outdated language and ideas or barriers transgender people face against the current system such as genital examinations. The mangaka didn't shy away from showing all parts of the process and how tough it can be and how she felt not just throughout the surgery process but at different points in her life. I enjoyed the hopeful note it ended on.

This manga follows the author's journey of transition to a woman following gender-affirming surgery in Thailand. While I was aware that these treatments exist, as a cis woman, I was severely uneducated on the topic. I appreciate the thought put into demonstrating to readers what the process of recovery and even the surgery itself is like. There is also a hopeful tone throughout the volume with support from hospital staff and loved ones, so I do recommend this manga to others, especially those in a similar position as the mangaka.

My Journey to Her is a beautiful autobiographical manga that follows Yuna’s journey to their gender affirming surgery. Candid, humorous and sometimes sad this is a stark look at all sides of their journey including the transphobia they faced. I loved reading this and found it beautifully written and drawn. It’s clearly deeply personal and I have to commend how brave Yuna is for sharing her journey with the world through this manga. Beautiful and poignant, this was beautifully written and a lovely read.
As always thank you to Kodansha Comics for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
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Simultaneously humorous and informative, Yuna Hirasawa writing openly about her gender affirming surgery gave clarity to something that those that aren't transgender wouldn't know the details of. She also takes the time to explain the process of getting gender affirming surgery in Japanese society and it's extremely thorough yet outdated terms and rules. I would love to see Hirasawa draw another manga that focused on her life post surgery in more detail. The special chapter in the manga was a nice glimpse into how Hirasawa continues to care for herself post-op and that continuation of her journey to becoming herself.

This autobiographical manga explores Yuna's transition as a transwoman who got gender affirming surgery in Thailand. It's very specifically centered around this experience and has some technical information about the step by step process of her time getting this surgery. It reads more as a journal entry rather than something really meant to educate others.

I loved this! Yuna Hirasawa's account of her gender affirming surgery, recovery, and the Japanese gender change process is informative, engaging, and heartwarming. I've had some gender affirming surgery (top surgery) but didn't know the details of bottom surgery, so I definitely learned a lot. Reading this, I was so impressed with Hirasawa's strength and determination. She explains each step and reflects on the strictures society and government place on trans people. For example, in Japan you can't change your gender marker unless you have gender affirming surgeries (and that's just one stipulation). Hirasawa also examines the emotional toll of having gender dysphoria and pursuing gender affirming care, especially when you don't have total support and insurance doesn't cover the procedures. Thankfully, she did have some supportive family and friends, and the nurses and doctors in Thailand seemed extremely kind and respectful. Overall, My Journey to Her is a wonderful manga about a trans woman's medical, social, and emotional journey!

My Journey to Her is a very interesting and informative exploration that revolves around the path to changing gender. The way everything is presented is entertaining and easy to assimilate.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

This was a really good and informative story. The story itself was really good and heartfelt and beautiful with a ton of great information sprinkled in. This is one of those mangas that I think everyone should read at least once to help better understand those around them

emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced

I loved this in-depth, personal look into trans healthcare in Japan. Every country handles transitioning so differently and it's fascinating to see how family, society, work, and friends handle this change. Hirasawa's voice is very clear in this graphic novel and you really get a feel for what she went through and how she felt about the different stages of her transition.

A bravely honest and open telling of the author's experience travelling to Thailand for gender-affirming surgery, what came before, and their hope for the future.

I have to admit that it's a topic that I knew nothing of and didn't really think I'd ever know as much about as I do after reading this book. However, Hirasawa is so earnest and open about everything that you can't help but want to hear her story.

As someone who passes out when hearing about papercuts, I was worried about how deeply she went into the details, but the most serious aspects of the operation are discussed in such a funny manner that it doesn't really register. And that's where Hirasawa shines, in telling her story in such a way that you understand the emotions and empathize with everything she went through to find her authentic self.

In the end, I'm glad I read it, and I thank the author for opening their heart in such an honest, earnest, and funny way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the fascinating read!