We recently reviewed the first volume of yuri manga Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels!, which is a manga about a lesbian who engages with women sex workers to find her childhood crush. But what about the perspective of those who rent their time to lonely people? Today, we’re taking a look at lesbian manga You Started This, So You Better Finish It. As always, beware spoilers!
前提
Our main character is Reina, a rental girlfriend. For those who don’t know, a rental girlfriend is someone whose companionship — but not sex — can be paid for: getting the “girlfriend experience” on a date. She is beautiful and smart, and is employed elsewhere, but is picking up extra cash. Even though she’s great at her work as a rental girlfriend, she can’t stand spending time with her clients: awkward dudes and deluded old men.
There is a new client, though. Sui is the first woman to request her services, and for some reason… going on a date with her feels different. After letting a few of her rental date rules slide, Reina can’t seem to get Sui off her mind. Trying to understand what made this client different, she finds herself drawn into a new world, and new experiences.
An Alternative Perspective
As mentioned, this story takes place from the point of view of someone who is paid for companionship, rather than that of the customer. More than that, however, we see Reina’s initial confusion and ultimate awakening to who she is as a person, and why she has been previously unsatisfied in transactions, relationships, and sex with men.
This is, at its heart, a story about awakening to one’s sexuality. Reina’s sudden inability to rest after her date with Sui prompting her to search even basic terms like, “What are lesbians?” and her subsequent visits to lesbian bars are experiences familiar to many LGBTQ+ people.
There are only three chapters released so far, which is why these are a set of impressions, not a review. However, there are a few things that make this manga stand out.
Let’s Start It
The portrayal of Reina’s confusion, attraction, and (arguably) questionable decisions are utterly understandable: it makes perfect sense for her to make these choices, even if her choices don’t make perfect sense.
Coming off of a date (paid for or not) that she enjoyed and getting obsessed is something we can all understand. Going to a bar and going home with the wrong woman (or is she?) is also a common experience. And who among us hasn’t worried, “am I texting them too much?”
The manga also does now shy away from Reina’s sexuality, and its usage of thin outlines during more erotic moments is sensual without being suggestive. In combination with her detailed and, at times, indecisive inner monologue, it makes for compelling reading.
Let’s Finish It
You Started This, So You Better Finish It is still in its early stages, and the third chapter alone was published only five days ago (at time of writing). However, unless this considered depiction of a young woman awakening to her sexuality suddenly falls off a cliff, it’s one to read.
