I'm not a shallow person and I LOVE slow stories but this one is boring af
Not even one likable character
Art is nice but too busy for my eyes

A Japanese manga published in 2018 about an Amish boy on his rumspringa and a disillusioned ballet danceur, set in the 1980s? It's difficult to explan when someone casually asks "so what are you reading?"

And I feel like it would be easy to use these elements as simple trappings, a way to dress up the same old same old story and just swap outfits. But in *The Scene of My Rumspringa*, it's very ear that the author has at least a basic understanding of some Amish traditions, and is generally aware of the vibes of the east coast in the 80s & 90s.

And somehow this story manages to be heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure. If there was ever a villain, it was only a man who let his fear get the better of him for a while. This story is not a struggle between individuals; nor, really, is it a struggle in ideology. This story is one man deciding how he wants to live his life, a decision he's well-equipped to make bc he has seen some of the world and has a lot of people wholve him very much.

And yet, that man I referred to is not our protagonist. Our protagonist has already given up on his own life, and is revitalized by watching/helping his new friend navigate these significant choices.

Simply gorgeous

... Last updated on September 18th, 2022, 7:50am

It's such a beautiful manga, the connection the couple display feels so REAL. It's a truly wonderful story, I revisit this one every once in a while and if could erase my memory just to feel what I felt the first time I read it , I absolutely would. 100000/10 would recommend

I really love the premise of this manga, although cliched by American standards (the author mentions The Graduate, and I was like, yeah, this is basically almost a similar kind of ending), I really enjoyed this take on it by a Japanese mangaka.

I think the characters were constructed really well, but with just one volume we weren't able to explore their full potential and had to cram their development into just a few chapters. With maybe one more extra volume to explore things like Oz's trauma (maybe how he discovered his sexuality, since he becomes so promiscuous as an adult), what became of Jean, more on Chloe's experience (what a great female character), and what I'm most interested in: more of Danny's feelings and motivations. In my opinion, Danny was the most interesting character in this whole story and I was disappointed that the mangaka didn't go into more depth with him. He seems to have his own inner turmoil outside of the Jean issue and I wanted to see what that was. His interaction with Oz (you know the one) made it seem like a lot more was going on there than meets the eye.

I also loved the setting and the way it was drawn. The Amish countryside was breathtaking and I wish we got to see a little more of the vastness of New York City.

Nice manga, wish there was more!

What sets this manga apart from other BL titles is the Amish setting which is very unusual for the genre, and coupled with the art style will act as a huge factor in impressing the mass BL audience for sure. It is a pretty nice story that has a lot of heart, and you can certainly feel its soul shining brightly through. However, as far as the execution goes, there's still a lot that needs to be revised and polished in order to elevate the manga into something more special than just a novelty by nature. The narrative focuses a lot on expression of emotions, and while that allows characters the freedom to express themselves without constraint, these outbursts also dampen the flow and ease of the story, making it feel rather temperamental and childish especially in the way it handled the conflict and climax. Which I suppose compliments Theo's natural naivety and cluelessness well, but clashes with some of the more serious adult issues it wanted to touch upon and tackle. So in the end, you have a product that flares plenty of genuine sentiments you could appreciate, but it also still lacks subtantial depth and a real sense of worldliness and that's what's preventing it from truly becoming great.

At first this manga is still ongoing, I thought the first 2 chapter was little bit boring but now after it updated and I was hesitating until someone recommend again.
Wow... I didn't expect the ending is really so good (somewhat bittersweet ending? For me at least) and I agree with Kiearah's comment so I don't need to elaborate again 😂

The art is beautiful for classic yet detailed hair. I like Theo character in the story. Danny is really caring about Theo and willing go this far. (not gonna to spoil it)

This is one of the best BL manga that I've read in a long time, because more than anything, it's as much a coming-of-age story as it is a love letter for the American Dream, for family, and for making good, selfish choices. Sure, it seems like an odd concept at first - an Amish manga, of all things - but the two protagonists, Theo and Oz, both have their own stories to tell and grow very much over the course of the short, 5 chapters. One has to contend with being stuck after chasing a dream only to fail, lost in time, and the other has to come to terms with allowing himself to make selfish choices and lost all that he has held dear to him, since long ago. Their meeting helps them both come to terms with what they actually want in life and what they have to give up, to realize to attain it. It's nothing short of movingly beautiful.

The art is also on par with the storytelling, and it compliments it very well; the expressions convey perfectly what the characters do feel, want us to feel. The author/artist knew what they wanted to convey, and convey it they did. And the dedication to the scenery of their homes and their cities, telling us in more than words why and how their happinesses were built from those foundations, is breathtaking. As a usual speed reader, I found myself unusually spending just times taking in the landscapes, understanding better just why those places were as engraved into Theo and Oz's hearts as they were.

For me, The Scene of My Rumspringa is on par with The Heart of Thomas and other shounen ai classics in the way it delivers on storytelling, art, themes, and character development. It's a read you set aside time for, and I'm thankful to have been able to read it.

... Last updated on June 24th, 2019, 10:31pm