Book Review: Our Not-So Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Our Not-So Lonely Planet Travel Guide Series
by Mone Sorai
Review by Mida

Our Not So Lonely Planet Travel Guide is a delightfully queer romance masquerading as a travel manga. Asahi and Mitsuki are two men in their late 20’s who, after a health scare, decided to travel the world with the promise that on their return to Japan, the two will get married.

Starting with them already established as a couple might feel like it could threaten the feeling of romance but it actually does the opposite. Flashbacks and conversations give the reader all the ‘will they/won’t they’ that you could want, while Asahi and Mitsuki’s present day travels show them solving problems together, encouraging each other to try new things and helping to get their partners in and out of trouble. Surprise illnesses, travel mishaps and the struggles of being queer overseas are all navigated by the couple as they support and lead each other through the obstacles of life.

Because the whole series is based around them moving from place to place, our only consistent characters are Asahi and Mitsuki. This could be a bit of a risk, but both of them are so easy to get invested in that it really doesn’t matter. They serve as our eyes as they visit new and interesting places, and their enthusiasm is infectious. New locations, new foods and new people are all exciting for the couple and even the most hesitant of readers will find themselves suffering a little bit of fomo.

Of course, it helps that this series is just. GORGEOUS. Backgrounds and food are impressively rendered to the point it feels like you are the third wheel on Asahi and Mitsuki’s travels. The diversity of locations, environments and cuisines throughout the world are beautifully depicted on these pages. From the humid, bustling cities of East Asia to the frigid winters of Europe, the most fantastical sides of every country are on full display.

Our Not-So Lonely Planet Travel Guide is a beautiful, uplifting, wholesome series about the joy of travelling, while also the fear of new things and navigating different environments as a queer adult, all brought together with intricate, whimsical art that strikes the balance between what an environment looks like and how it makes you feel.