my latest report from the genderswap manga mines is this: kareshi tokidoki kanojo, or "boyfriend sometimes girlfriend" is really fucking good. how good? the first chapter is dedicated entirely to the main couple getting together/their early relationship, and it's such a well-written romance that i genuinely forgot i was reading a genderswap manga. i was surprised when the transformation takes place! i was like "oh my god, right, this is more than just an incredibly well-written m/f love story"
for the unaware, shiritori is the japanese name for the common word game in which you have to say a word or phrase that begins with whatever letter, syllable, etc. ended the previous player's word or phrase (i think this has a name in english too but i can't remember it.) but the thing that's really effective about this to me is that it illustrates how, like, gentle these kids are. like they have this shared feeling that weaponizing mean words to "win" a game of shiritori is mean, it's not recognizing the fun in the game, and that shared gentleness informs the entire course of their relationship.
the manga seems to be maintaining this level of quality in future chapters, and it's one of the few genderswap manga i've seen that is actually invested in the practical realities of a sudden transformation to womanhood. hodaka, our genderswapping protagonist, has to actually get fitted for bras and the process is just as annoying and involved as it is irl and yet manages to produce a believable sense of sexual tension between the couple without feeling voyeuristic. highly recommended for fans of the genre, in which it is absolutely a standout work
