Danica Davidson
May 12, 2023 
BL and yaoi are known for sharing stories of forbidden love, but with The Scene of My Rumspringa, it goes for an extra forbidden relationship: love between men among the Amish.
Theodore, AKA “Theo,” is a handsome young Amishman who’s finally begun his Rumspringa some years after Amish people typically do. Rumspringa can give Amish youths the ability to explore the outside world and decide if they want to remain Amish or not, and it’s well-known that some Amish people can get pretty wild during this time period.
As for Theo, he is so innocent and naive about the bigger world it’s kind of endearing. He meets Oswald, AKA “Oz,” a failed New York dancer who’s moved to Pennsylvania and is working as a waiter… and as a sex worker who sells his body to men. Theo is so innocent that at the beginning he doesn’t even understand what Oz is up to with his second job. Theo even rushes in while Oz is with a client because Theo thinks someone is hurting him. If Theo is innocent, Oz is tortured because he’s seen it all.
The two are definite opposites, but they start to fall for each other, and Theo isn’t so innocent for long. After spending some time in the “English” world, the two head back and spend time in the Amish community for a while, further showing how different their worlds are. Theo, though wising up to the world outside his community, stays incredibly sweet and nonjudgmental and it’s easy to refer to him as the nicest guy ever.
Different Amish communities can have somewhat different rules, and some of what Theo describes to the reader about his rules is not true for every Amish community. There are also a few details I’m not so sure about. But a lot of it is quite accurate, like the faceless dolls, the pacifism, the beards after marriage, etc. And no matter what Amish community you’re talking about, being gay is not going to be accepted. This brings an extra taboo to the story.
While the same-sex relationship angle is not something most real Amish people would be thrilled about, the manga is careful to treat their ways and culture with respect. Theo and Oz’s love story is passionate and builds well, the artwork is beautiful, and it’s difficult not to get caught up in their story. No wonder this manga was the top pick of the Kono BL ga Yabai! 2019 guidebook, which rates the best BL manga. The manga has been licensed by MediBang and is being released in increments by Comikey.
Story & Art: Azuma Kaya
Publisher: MediBang
Platform: Comikey
____
Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
Related Posts
