Thank you to all those who participated in JFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Manga: BL Metamorphosis by TSURUTANI Kaori!

 

Sharing some comments from our participants!

“My first time coming to the JFT Book club, I enjoyed meeting new people. I had lost myself in the discussion, it was a fun group. It was interesting to hear everyone’s opinions and experiences.”—Sarah L.

 

“This was an amazing meeting! Thank you Risa and Emi. I got a lot of good opinions from everyone. I believe everyone enjoyed similar aspects through different sections and panels of the story. At the end of the day we all related to Ichinoi and would like to be like her with an open mind when we get to that stage. Thank you for passing the microphone around and for all the moving around that was coordinated with the in-person participants. Really appreciated everyone’s assistance in making this a great meeting. I hope everyone online enjoyed the session as much as I did. I sadly couldn’t attend the Mild Vertigo session but I am very much looking forward to any Book Club meeting you have in the future.” —Johan 

“Thank you very much for the wonderful event! I look forward to attending more book clubs in the future.”—Janel

 

Please continue to check the JFT’s website and newsletters for future book club information.

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For the upcoming JFT Book Club (Hybrid), we will discuss Volume 1 of TSURUTANI Kaori’s manga (Japanese comic) BL Metamorphosis (the original Japanese version: 鶴谷香央理作『メタモルフォーゼの縁側』)!

Join us in person or virtually to dive deep into this refreshing tale showcasing the transformative power of manga forging meaningful connections across different ages, genders, and cultures! In this heartwarming and award-winning manga, a 75-year-old woman and a high school girl develop an intergenerational friendship through a shared passion for BL (or “Boys Love”: manga genre features male-male relationships). Whether you’re a seasoned manga lover or new to the genre, don’t miss this opportunity to connect and discuss with readers from different backgrounds and discover the magic of manga! 

For those new to the book club or if you just want to listen this time, we also have a small number of “Observer” slots!

P.S. Exciting news just in! The manga artist TSURUTANI Kaori is coming to Canada as a special guest for the 2024 Vancouver Comic Arts Festival! It’s perfect timing to delve into her work leading up to the artist’s international appearance!

Register Here

*Please be aware that space may be limited.

*Depending on the number of participants and how the discussion goes, we might extend the end time until 8 pm (EDT). However, if you have other commitments, feel free to leave at 7:30 pm.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email us at library_jftoronto@jpf.go.jp. First-time participants are always welcome!

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WHY JOIN JFT BOOK CLUB?

You can read a book by yourself, but when you read something thought-provoking or moving, it’s natural to want to discuss it with someone else. This will be an exciting opportunity to connect with other book lovers from different cultural backgrounds, find new and interesting books, authors, or themes, and develop a richer understanding of Japan that you wouldn’t gain from reading alone!

 

HOW DOES THE UPCOMING JFT BOOK CLUB WORK?

1. Once you register for the event, you will receive guiding questions to help you think more deeply about the book.

2. On the day of the event, we will meet via Zoom and in person at Japan Foundation Toronto Library (2 Bloor St E #300, Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 Canada).

*How to find us: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/about-us/how-to-find-us/

3. We will start with a quick introduction & ice-breaking activity (*Light refreshments will be served for in-person participants)

4. Depending on the number of the participants, we will break into a few small groups to discuss questions so that everyone has a chance to share their thoughts.

5. After each breakout session, each group will share what they have discussed with other groups.

*There is no right or wrong answer. Different perspectives make discussion more fun and vibrant!

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND A BOOK TO READ?

The copies of BL Metamorphosis (physical book & ebook) are available at JFT Library! The checkout of the physical copies of the English version is limited to JFT Book Club participants only for a 1-week loan period (non-renewable). 

*NEW* The physical copies of the original Japanese version『メタモルフォーゼの縁側』are available for in-library use from April 12 at JFT Library.

To get a new library card or to renew your existing card, please follow the instructions found here.

  Borrow Ebook   Email Library to place hold (physical copy) 

For more information about the book or where else you can get the book copies, click here.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

BL Metamorphosis (原書:『メタモルフォーゼの縁側』)

Story & Art by TSURUTANI Kaori

Translated by Jocelyne Allen

Published by Seven Seas (April 28, 2020)

 

In this heartwarming and award-winning manga, an elderly woman and a high school girl develop a beautiful friendship through their shared passion for Boys’ Love. Ichinoi, a 75-year-old woman living a peaceful life, unwittingly buys a Boy’s Love manga one day…and is fascinated by what she finds inside. When she returns to the bookstore to buy the next volume, the high school girl working there–Urara, a seasoned BL fan–notices a budding fangirl when she sees one. When Urara offers to help Ichinoi explore this whole new world of fiction, the two dive into BL fandom together, and form an unlikely friendship along the way. “…a refreshing intergenerational friendship tale in which one’s gender isn’t a restriction when it comes to being a fan of media about romantic relationships between men… Reminiscent of Princess Jellyfish, this female-centric view of a subgenre usually known for its steamier aspects offers an unusual and endearing twist to manga’s expected pairings.” – Publishers Weekly — from Publisher’s website

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TSURUTANI Kaori was born in Toyama Prefecture in 1982. In 2007, her manga “Okina Daidokoro” won the runner-up award at the 52nd Chiba Tetsuya Awards. TSURUTANI’s first serialized manga was “don’t like this”, which ran on web magazine LIKE THIS. Her current manga, “Metamorphose no engawa (BL Metamorphosis)”, has been serialized on the web comic platform Comic Newtype since November 2017. The manga has gained fans among both men and women across a range of age groups, and has been selected by many as one of the top manga of the year, including Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2019 (#1 for women), THE BEST MANGA 2019 Kono Manga o Yome! (#1) and Bros. Comic Awards 2018 (first prize). In 2019, TSURUTANI won the 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division New Face Award.

 

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

Jocelyne Allen is a Japanese translator and interpreter and has translated hundreds of short stories, novels, and manga, including the Eisner Award-winning Frankenstein by Junji Ito and the critically acclaimed Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani. As an interpreter, she has worked with Japan’s most celebrated authors and artists, including Sayaka Murata, Nagata Kabi, Kyoko Nakajima, and Asano Inio. @brainvsbook

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