About My Journey to Her
My Journey to Her is by Yuna Hirasawa and is published by Kodansha. In it, Hirasawa details her journey to medically and legally transition in Japan. This journey includes the medical process in Japan, her gender-affirming surgery in Thailand, and the legal process upon her return to change her gender marker. Hirasawa also touches upon her decision to transition, the emotional effects, and coming out to her family and friends.
My Thoughts
From start to finish, My Journey to Her is raw. Yuna spares no detail about her journey to herself. Part of the account includes an extremely detailed explanation of the gender-affirming surgery. However, that felt light in comparison to the accounts of Hirasawa’s feelings throughout this entire process. She speaks candidly about her dysphoria, her fears, some of the painful moments post-surgery, and suicidal ideation. I cried with Yuna, for Yuna, but I also laughed with Yuna. Although she’s discussing some heavy topics, Yuna also manages to throw in some comedy and a lot of hopefulness and joy.
I appreciated how Yuna’s story is told because often stories from the trans community are told in very binary ways by those who are not trans. It’s either the story of coming out as trans, emotionally and socially, or the story of the medical transition. Yuna’s account of both together paints a realistic depiction of the difficulties of the trans experience. She highlights how even taking the steps to be who you truly are can be painful and scary.
While Yuna’s story was originally published in Japan in 2016, her story is timely. If you live in the United States, trans rights are actively being questioned and revoked. Many trans people live in fear every single day due to the rising anti-trans rhetoric of those in power. People want to paint trans people as villains or terrible people, simply for existing. Now more than ever, we need trans stories like Yuna’s to remind people that trans people are no different than cis people. They deserve to live long, healthy, and full lives. They deserve gender-affirming care and access to the tools to transition, should they want to.
Where to Buy My Journey to Her
My Journey to Her
Mangaka: Yuna Hirasawa
Lettering: Dietrich Premier
Editing: Haruko H.
Authenticity Reader: Eli Sachse, BSN, RN
Publisher: Kodansha
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the ARC!
