Danica Davidson
September 12, 2020 
The manga Mienai Watashi no Koi wa Fujiyū (translated as I Cannot See, and My Love is Impaired) by Bunny Urasawa deals with the issue of Low Vision, a condition that can’t be fixed by glasses or surgery. It’s a subject not many people know about. One reviewer, who says they work in an eye clinic, gave the manga a one-star review, saying it was poorly researched and rude.
Bunny Urasawa had a response.
“I drew this manga hoping that it could be an entertainment romance manga while at the same time educating more people about Low Vision,” the mangaka tweeted in a translation given by Anime News Network. “I hope it can spread awareness that people with this condition exist in reality. If someone says, ‘I work at an eye clinic and this is an implausible story,’ then there’s a terribly disappointing possibility that it could prompt people to give up reading out of a belief that this fictional story is based on a lie. The protagonist’s Low Vision exists in reality, and there are many people who suffer from this condition.”
And here’s the kicker: “I also have the condition, so I can assure you that it is not a made-up story or a lie,” Urasawa wrote. “I hope that everyone who comes across this work understands this fact.”
One member of Twitter gave Urasawa props for speaking up and theorized this could be the cause of the bad review:
Recently, there are many Japanese "hater reviewers" who make it their mission to write "Ackshually reviews". They claim to be professionals of certain "industries" and just dunk on the plot.
Women mangaka tend to receive a lot more of these kinda comments. Not surprisingly.
4/6
— On Takahashi （高橋温） (@OnTakahashi) September 5, 2020
What do you think?
Source: Anime News Network
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
