I’m a Terminal Cancer Patient, But I’m Fine

A survivor of parental abuse who drew erotic manga as a profession, Hilnama (A Flower That Blooms in Shadow), unfortunately gave the lie to her title by dying shortly after this U.S. edition. Her charming, chilling account starts with an unusual stomachache that turns out to be near-total blockage colon cancer that requires extensive surgery and chemotherapy. She cleverly draws herself and her husband as rabbits surrounded by looming medical humans, with the rabbits perfectly conveying charm, appeal, prey, and sexual enthusiasm. Emotions, pain, tests, misunderstandings, procedures, surgeries, and countless visits to experts follow. Fortunately, her sister-in-law supports her, as does her husband, despite him having issues with depression himself. It’s a “how I did it” and, in some ways, a “how to,” since she tells readers what to watch out for in similar circumstances. Her lovely, graceful art conveys manifold medical specifics, physical and emotional.