Over the years, I've seen imprints come and go—most often because they were founded on half-cocked ideas that just didn't have the opportunity to fully form. With the release of Ink Pop's first manga title, Umi Takase's I Wanna Be Your Girl, I believe this brand-new imprint has hit the ground running with an established mission in mind: releasing manga squarely aimed at young readers. As the introductory letter from Random House Graphic Executive Editor Whitney Leopard shares, getting the right manga into young readers' hands can be a challenge on all levels—be you a thoughtful publisher or an experienced librarian. But as I Wanna Be Your Girl demonstrates, a great youth title can provide some amazing food for thought.

It goes without saying that any book that speaks to LGBTQIA+ topic is met with an upsetting level of insufferable and hateful scrutiny—especially if you're living in the United States right now. However, Takase's high school romance is a delightfully refreshing read that keenly understands what it's like to be a trans student—they just want to grow up like anyone else. This intrinsic truth is the crux of this story.

Hime's known who Akira is for years now, but can't help but tense up when the latter decides it's time to live truthfully among her peers. It's as if her protective instincts are pushed into overdrive after years of protecting Akira from bullies who saw her as “the wimpy kid.” It doesn't help that she's head over heels for her childhood friend, either. But for Akira, she really doesn't want to bring much attention to the fact she's wearing a sailor uniform now. Minus some of the natural adjustment that comes with transition, it should be a normal, open-and-shut deal.

However, the situation becomes complicated when Hime starts rolling into class while wearing what would've been Akira's uniform. The brash tomboy is doing this in a show of solidarity with her best friend, but she doesn't quite realize the mixed messages she's sending in the process. Hime ends up creating such a commotion that Akira suggests they swap uniforms to cool down the situation. But it's in that moment where Hime (and the reader) realizes that despite her good intentions, her actions run counter to Akira's true feelings. Her feminine presentation isn't a performance or a symbolic act, it's purely who she is—it's how she normally looks.

It was at this moment that I knew I Wanna Be Your Girl had a perfect grasp on the subject matter and how to properly convey that to a curious, young audience. Back when I identified solely as a guy, I ran into more than a few situations in which my perceived sensitivity as an ally ended up making those around me feel as if I'd put them into a box instead of seeing them as a person. Making an effort to be understanding is great; regardless of how they identify, people just want to live normal lives—not feel like they have yet another barrier to break down with their loved ones. It might not lead to the most pleasant conversation, but learning from those pitfalls made me a better person and friend for it.

Not long after this incident, Hime has a heart-to-heart with a stoic teacher who bluntly lays everything down for her: it'll take time for people to adjust, but before long it'll be just another normal thing...and that her supposed show of solidarity isn't exactly helping. However, they also take the opportunity to go a bit further with this conversation: What does your presentation mean to you? It's a question that Hime wrestles with for the rest of the volume, especially when she encounters a fashionista by the name of Anzu and her gyaru pal Yukka. They both add salient points to discussion, such as the ungendered nature of cuteness and how Hime's own feelings could distort her image of Akira.

It's then, in another chat with her teacher, that Hime really starts to piece it all together—that there's maybe more than just the concept of “man” or “woman” out there. But yet again, the teacher firmly points out that society is so accustomed to putting people in either box solely due to ease of use. They go on to mention how identity is the process of carving yourself out of many decisions, mulling them over, then making the next one. Throughout this conversation, it's heavily implied that Hime's teacher has been down this road themselves a time or two.

This viewpoint strongly adds to the gentle, but firm discussion I Wanna Be Your Girl is having with its target audience—giving them the room to maybe trip up in their thoughts, but allowing work through them little by little. That's a task that can be difficult for many to do as they age. I believe this message to be the heart of Takase's tale. There's a good chance you'll mess up while navigating any LGBTQIA+ topic, but there's always room to listen and grow from the experience. If at least one reader can come away from I Wanna Be Your Girl with that in mind, I'd say it's a mission well accomplished.