REVIEW: ‘I Think Our Son Is Gay’ Volume 1

There’s nothing quite like young love. In I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1, mangaka Okura shows a budding romance from a bit of a different perspective: a mother’s. I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 is published in English by Square Enix Manga, with translation by Leo McDonagh, lettering by Lor Prescott, cover design by Andrea Miller, and editing by Tania Biswas.

I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 follows the Aoyamas, a family of four consisting of mother Tomoko, father Akiyoshi, high schooler Hiroki, and middle schooler Yuri. As Hiroki ages, Tomoko begins to notice little quirks that strike her as odd: he constantly says “boyfriend” instead of “girlfriend,” gets flustered when talking about his best friend, and can’t seem to bring himself to talk about having children one day. While she can’t confirm it, she comes to a conclusion: “I think our son is probably gay.”

I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 is one of the most wholesome manga series I have ever read. I don’t think it’s possible to read any of the first volume’s 21 chapters without smiling.

Okura crafts such a loveable family dynamic within the Aoyamas, making it clear that they all love and support one another. As the two main characters, Tomoko and Hiroki stand out among the bunch. Their relationship is clearly very strong, and seeing Tomoko silently support her son’s hidden love life is just adorable. Watching Hiroki poorly fumble through trying to hide his sexuality is endlessly charming, funny, and likely relatable to anyone that has attempted to hide parts of themselves from their family or friends.

Luckily for Hiroki, Tomoko wants him to be happy and be himself. Even though Hiroki and Yuri’s father, Akiyoshi, clearly isn’t open to the idea of homosexuality, you can tell her really cares about his sons and wants to be a good father. Okura does a good job of painting Akiyoshi not as a villain, but as someone who is just stuck in old ways of thinking. Tomoko slightly nudges him throughout the volume towards accepting the LGBTQIA+ community, so I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.

The character that gets the least amount of spotlight is younger brother Yuri. Yuri is quiet and generally inexpressive but often comes to his brother’s defense in awkward situations. A certain moment between Yuri and Tomoko makes it clear that they probably both know Hiroki is gay and will silently support him until he is ready to come out. The relationship dynamic between Tomoko and her sons is crafted so well in I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 that it is neigh impossible not to fall in love with them by the time you finish reading.

Okura has a cute, soft art style that is incredibly pleasant on the eyes. His characters have incredibly distinct designs and are just adorable.

I Think Our Son Is Gay was originally published as a webcomic, and that shows in Volume 1. The chapters are incredibly short, most ranging between two and seven pages long. The series’ bite-sized chapters actually add to its charm, however, making sure that no concept or situation outstays their welcome.

It’s impossible to praise I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 so highly without shouting out the team that brought it to English. Pretty much every joke in the series lands thanks to fantastic translation from McDonagh, and even the lettering from Prescott stands out among the series’ contemporaries.

While short, I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 is very much worth picking up. The series is funny, wholesome, and will delight anyone who gives it a read. With a great art style, fantastic English translation and lettering, and a story cute enough to knock your socks off, you really owe it to yourself to pick up I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1. The only complaint I have is that volume 2 isn’t in my hands right now.

I Think Our Son Is Gay Volume 1 is available now wherever books are sold.