Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Momo and Okarun share a close moment in Dandadan

    Momo And Okarun: The Gold Standard For Shonen Romance

    07/03/2025
    Ironheart Episodes 4 6 But Why Tho 1

    ‘Ironheart’ Explained: Explore MCU’s Bold New Chapter

    07/01/2025
    Buck in 9-1-1

    ‘9-1-1’ Has To Let Buck Say Bisexual

    06/29/2025
    Nintendo Welcome Tour promotional image of the maraca mini-game

    The One “Game” That Justifies The Nintendo Switch 2 Purchase

    06/25/2025
    Destiel Confession in Supernatural - Castiel (Misha Collins) and Dean (Jensen Ackles)

    The Destiel Confession: The Lasting Importance Of Supernatural’s Greatest Ship

    06/22/2025
  • Squid Game
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » Manga » REVIEW: ‘Boy Meets Maria’

REVIEW: ‘Boy Meets Maria’

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez02/01/20223 Mins Read
Boy Meets Maria - But Why tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Boy Meets Maria - But Why tho

Content Warning: Boy Meets Maria and this review discuss Childhood Sexual Assault

Boy Meets Maria is a BL manga one-shot written and illustrated by PEYO. The one-shot is published and localized in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, translated by Amber Tamosaitis, adapted by Lora Gray, and lettered by Danya Shevchenko. It features a cover design by Hanase Qi. The manga focuses on two teenagers: Taiga and Arima.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Taiga dreams of becoming an actor like the heroes he idolized growing up, so the first thing he does when entering high school is join the drama club. There, he meets the beautiful, enigmatic Maria and immediately falls in love with her. Not long after, Taiga is told that she is actually a boy named Maria who performs on-stage as a girl.

For the purposes of review, I will be using he/him pronouns when discussing Arima because, at the novel’s end, he defines himself as Taiga’s boyfriend and is trying to understand and embrace his masculinity. I’m unsure if the choice of pronouns used in the manga was made by PEYO in the original Japanese or by the manga’s translator. That said, the bulk of Boy Meets Maria is focused on Arima trying to understand his gender identity, whether he is really the girl he’s always felt like or if he leaned on femininity because of his past trauma. Thankfully, PEYO clarifies—both through Taiga’s words to other students and the internal monologues that the two have—that gender isn’t as important as the person you feel for. You’re connected to who they are, not the gender they perform.

That said, the gender binary can be dangerous, especially for those exploring where they fit. Boy Meets Maria is a story about trauma, gender identity, and so much more. On the one hand, Arima learns how to feel comfortable, unpacks why he’s afraid of performing masculinity, and ultimately how to trust someone not to hurt him. On the other, Taiga learns to abandon his childhood ideas of masculinity, saving girls, and how to listen. While Taiga is never intentionally mean to Arima, often playing the hero and standing up for him, Taiga does have to learn when to listen and not assume. While Arima learns to talk, Taiga learns how to receive not just the content of the words but the emotions behind them.

Now, Boy Meets Maria does feature childhood sexual assault and does so in a visual way that can be hard for some readers. That said, this one-shot works on introducing the trauma, looking at its lasting effects, and working through it. More importantly, though, after 230-pages, the trauma isn’t erased. The awkwardness between Arima and Taiga isn’t gone. And Arima has more work to do on processing the events of their past. While Boy Meets Maria is about processing trauma, it’s also about acceptance and how it is vital to speak up when others are mistreated.

Boy Meets Maria’s extra chapter at the end also gives readers a look into Taiga and Arima’s first date and how the two are trying to do the most to be enough for each other before realizing they just need to be themselves. With this warmth, the manga ends with the promise of a lovely future for the teens and wraps up the story beautifully.

If you want a story that aims for the heart and doesn’t miss, Boy Meets Maria is it. As an exploration of gender, trauma, and connections, this is a manga that makes the world better just by being in it.

Boy Meets Maria is available now wherever books are sold. 

Boy Meets Maria
5

TL;DR

If you want a story that aims for the heart and doesn’t miss, Boy Meets Maria is it. As an exploration of gender, trauma, and connections, this is a manga that makes the world better just by being in it.

  • Buy Now with Our Amazon Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Justice League Incarnate,’ Issue #4
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Sabikui Bisco,’ Episode 4 – “Ride the Crab”
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Wolf Girl and Black Prince — But Why Tho

REVIEW: Wolf Girl and Black Prince Volume 1

05/16/2023
hirano and kagura volume 2

REVIEW: ‘Hirano and Kagiura,’ Volume 2

04/25/2023
K-On Shuffle — But Why Tho

REVIEW: ‘K-On! Shuffle’ Volume 1

04/24/2023
Skybeams in the Sky — But Why Tho

REVIEW: ‘Sunbeams in the Sky’ Volume 1

04/24/2023
The Boxer Volume 2 — But Why Tho

REVIEW: ‘The Boxer,’ Volume 2

04/24/2023
Run On Your New Legs Volume 4 — But Why Tho

REVIEW: ‘Run On Your New Legs’ Volume 4

04/24/2023

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

By Sarah Musnicky07/03/2025

The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8 spends welcome time in pre-domestic bliss before new developments stir up trouble.

Together (2025) still from Sundance
8.0
Film

REVIEW: Have A Grossly Good Time ‘Together’

By Kate Sánchez01/27/2025Updated:07/04/2025

Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s Together (2025) is disgustingly funny, genuinely ugly, and just a good time at the movies.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 Alcatraz
9.0
PS5

REVIEW: ‘Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4’ Gives Old Games New Life

By Kyle Foley07/07/2025

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 is another example of how to breathe new life into a classic without losing touch of what makes the originals great.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here