Phone Pals – A Drag Queen x Office Worker
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Even if There's No Rainbow Tomorrow. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to invasion of privacy, homomisia, assault, gossiping, mentions of cheating (not between the main couple), insomnia, self-deprecation, sexism, and excessive drinking, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Chitose is a performer. By day, they appear to be an average gay man, but by night, they get all dolled up in women’s clothing. Then, they either go to work at a gay bar or travel to various venues where they perform as a drag queen under the name Whip. Either way, they are performing in the way they feel their best. Unfortunately, however, in a society that isn’t as accepting of people who live lifestyles that are counter to what they perceive as ‘normal,’ Whip feels compelled to hide who they are, and they are fearful of meeting anyone outside of their safe bubble.
But loneliness is hard to deal with, so Whip calls into an anonymous line where he’s matched with a stranger and the two can be open and vent to each other without having to worry about being judged by their peers. But after a few calls, Whip ends up being paired with the same person again and again, a person they call Insomniac Salaryman. Insomniac Salaryman is kind and patient, letting Whip complain and complain without saying a word. Whip, even though they have never met this person, begins to value Insomniac Salaryman as more than just a confidante, even going so far as to share their personal information so they are able to communicate outside of the matching service.
Though Whip would love to meet Insomniac Salaryman, they aren’t willing to risk this safe connection they’ve made. Unfortunately, though, after sharing so much information, it isn’t long before Insomniac Salaryman decides to take matters into his own hands. Whip is faced with Shinogu, the very man he’s steadily fallen in love with, without ever meeting him. But now he knows who Whip really is, and Whip is sure this is the end of them for good. Whip is in love but unwilling to open up, and Shinogu wants to fall in love, but is afraid of hurting Whip since he’s unfamiliar with the world they live in.
Can these two find common ground, or are they just too different to ever work?
Review:
I have to admit, I was immediately taken by the cover art. I couldn’t wait to read this because the joy on Shinogu’s face is just so precious, and Chitose as Whip is just so stunning – how could I not want to read it? Unfortunately, I wouldn’t say the art is as intriguing in the series itself. There are beautiful panels, of course, but it’s very inconsistent overall and feels very antiquated to me. It’s not ugly by any means, but my expectations were just so much higher than what I ended up with here.
The story also isn’t as substantial and in-depth as I would’ve liked. Granted, a lot of it is due to this being a single-volume title, which, as we all know, will never be as in-depth as a multi-volume series. However, beyond that, one of the major issues with the superficiality of this title is how Whip’s distrust and trauma are handled. We get references and hints to things that might have happened to them in the past, namely their distrust of straight men, the awkward relationship they have with a patron that comes to the bar, and how they feel compelled to continue dressing in drag in public despite saying they never did that before going out with Shinogu. I feel like there’s something horrific and painful just beneath the surface, but we never quite get deep enough to really explore that.
I totally understand why Whip fears going out with Shinogu in masculine clothing, as they feel Shinogu’s attraction and love are predicated on their feminine persona. Still, there’s also something about their identity that I think was left out. If you haven’t noticed, I have referred to Whip with “they/them” pronouns. When reading the description of the title, they are exclusively referred to with gender neutral pronouns. Similarly, in the work itself, while gendered terms are brought up, very few are actually referencing Whip beyond what they wear or their sexuality (being gay). It makes me wonder if perhaps Whip identifies as gender fluid or wants to be perceived as a woman, and their refusal to meet Shinogu without women’s clothing goes beyond this fear of rejection from a partner, but a fear of being accepted for being something they don’t feel they are: a man. This is all based on my opinions and thoughts, and I don’t have much concrete evidence to back this up, but it left me feeling wanting by the end, especially since I’m not sure if the use of gender neutral pronouns was accurate to the original language or not.
But let’s take a break from the more serious stuff for now, and dive into something my fellow degenerates are interested in: the sexy time. Well, do I have something fun to share with you about this one. I fucking love that the “straight” guy in the relationship bottoms. It brings me so much joy that the more feminine, cross-dressing partner in the relationship isn’t relegated to being the bottom just because they are perceived as the more feminine one. It’s such a refreshing sight to see. We even get a scene where Whip is in drag, loving up his insomniac salaryman. This isn’t a super smutty title by any means, as much of the time is spent on Whip coming to terms with their insecurities and fears, and Shinogu trying to understand what being an ally and a partner means, but what we do get is very sensual and intimate, which is fun. If you’re looking for never-ending smut, you’re in the wrong place.
Results:
This has some strong points. I like that there was possibly an attempt to explore gender identity and how that might affect Whip’s relationships, beliefs, and how they exist in the world. I love that Shinogu tries to be an ally and wants to learn how to be a better, supportive partner for Whip, and I am a huge fan of their dynamics in the bedroom. But, I think partially due to the length of the work, much of the engaging portions are left to be superficial, which is unfortunate. I liked what this was trying to do, but I’m just not sure it could achieve everything it was trying to be. I think this might be a miss for me.
Have you read Even if There's No Rainbow Tomorrow? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!