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Manga Artist Shares Their Story of Having Low Vision
posted on by Kim Morrissy
Manga artist Bunny Urasawa revealed on Twitter on Saturday that they have the eye condition known as Low Vision, and that their manga Mienai Watashi no Koi wa Fujiyū (I Cannot See, and My Love is Impaired) draws from their personal experiences with the condition.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology defines Low Vision as "vision loss that cannot be corrected by medical or surgical treatments or conventional eyeglasses. A person with low vision must learn to adjust to it."
Urasawa revealed their condition in the context of discussing a review they received on August 24, which claimed to be written by a person who works at an eye clinic and accused the manga artist of not doing their research.
"I drew this manga hoping that it could be an entertainment romance manga while at the same time educating more people about Low Vision. I hope it can spread awareness that people with this condition exist in reality," Urasawa tweeted. "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. I also have the condition, so I can assure you that it is not a made-up story or a lie. I hope that everyone who comes across this work understands this fact."
Mienai Watashi no Koi wa Fujiyū is published by Amucomi's Comic Miw label. The first 10 chapters are available to read online through the Mecha Comic online manga website.
Source: Bunny Urasawa's Twitter account via On Takahashi
