![]() It's directed by Daisuke Kamijō and a screenplay by Natsuko Takahashi. If you have yet to give this series a chance, there’s no time like the present.I Hear the Sunspot (ひだまりが聴こえる Hidamari ga Kikoeru) is a movie based on the manga of the same name. Kohei and Taichi’s relationship is a compelling story that keeps readers invested up to the very last page. I Hear The Sunspot is a fantastic manga that handles its subject matters of disabilities and LGBTQ relationships with great respect. It helps further establish the realistic tone of the series, and immerses the reader in the narrative experience. Both Kohei and Taichi actively react within conversations, conveying their emotions in a way that leaves no need for dialogue. Fumino also takes great care in their use of facial expressions. This allows the artwork to transition nicely between light hearted scenes of Kohei and Taichi’s school life to the more serious subject matter of Kohei’s struggles with his disability. I Hear The Sunspot has a visually soft appearance, taking advantage of large white space to help further contrast dark colors and backgrounds. The bond he forms with Taichi is something that transcends mere friendship, and he wishes to protect it above all else. Kohei is already insecure about his impairment, and he fears that being open about his feelings will not only isolate him further, but also distance himself from Taichi. Kohei’s choice to initially hide his feelings from Taichi also fits well into his characterization. Still, Fumino meticulously planted the seeds of Kohei’s feelings throughout the story, allowing for its culmination to feel cohesive. While there are allusions to Kohei’s sexuality throughout the book, the implication of Kohei’s romantic feelings towards Taichi aren’t fully realized until the end of the volume. In the afterword, Yuki Fumino notes that the story’s BL elements were not conceived until further into the story’s development. What Kohei seeks is not pity, but acceptance. While people may have good intentions, the series conveys that these assumptions are harmful to those who suffer from disabilities. Throughout the course of the volume, Kohei and Taichi encounter people who assume that Kohei’s impairment makes him helpless, and that he can’t survive on his own. Kohei’s wishes are further hampered by society’s stigmas about his condition. ![]() That being said, his hearing is still impaired and that forces his daily life to stray from the normallacy that he desires. He hides his hearing aids by growing out his hair and prefers to read lips instead of communicating with sign language. ![]() What Kohei wants most is to simply return to a normal life. Kohei did not start to lose his hearing until he reached high school, and as a result, he knows what it is like to live a life unimpaired. The nature of Kohei’s deafness leaves him in a unique position as a character. The nuances between Taichi and Kohei’s interactions makes the growth of their relationship fascinating, forcing them to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s feelings as they become closer. Unfortunately, Taichi has difficulty reading Kohei’s own feelings, failing to see that Kohei doesn’t want Taichi to interfere. ![]() Taichi treats Kohei like he would any ordinary person, but as his friend, he has an urge to protect him from the harmful opinions of those around him. Even in his relationship with Kohei, we see this flaw comes into play. What Taichi perceived as the “justified” action, those around him viewed as “hostile” in nature. At the beginning of the story, we learn that he was fired from his job when he was trying to stop a customer from dining and dashing. While he means well, his actions are misinterpreted by other people. Taichi is a blunt and straightforward protagonist to a fault. The result is a story that is as emotionally moving as it is thought provoking. I Hear The Sunspot is another series that chooses to tackle this subject matter, depicting the growing relationship between a college student Taichi and his partially deaf friend Kohei. While we’ve seen fantastic portrayals of said issues in series such as A Silent Voice and REAL, it still remains a largely untapped area. Handling real world disabilities in a work of fiction is always a difficult task.
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