It’s been said multiple times to write what you know. This undoubtedly explains the large number of stories based in schools and colleges, both in prose and comic forms. Taiki is no different in that regard, and utilizes an artstyle that borrows elements of manga, only without eyes that take up half of the person’s face. While Taiki often utilizes a minimalistic approach when it comes to backgrounds, the style actually benefits the comic by keeping your eyes to the characters. In fact, the one thing that stands out the most (or rather, doesn’t stand out…) is that Laura Knatt draws her female cast as fairly small-breasted. There’s not a single over-sized bosom among the bunch, and it’s a refreshing change from the massed numbers of cartoon women who will have massive back problems by the time they’re 30.

Knatt describes the comic as being about a girl named Taiki and her life as a Junior in high school. Part of this, naturally enough, is learning of who and what she is, including her gradual realization that she’s gay. In this, Knatt is again drawing from her experiences in real life (and indeed, she admits about half of the comic is autobiographical in nature), so the subject is touched upon with considerable maturity and intelligence. Indeed, Taiki has not yet realized for herself that she’s gay. This actually makes sense seeing that the character appears to have been rather sheltered in her youth, to the point she’s shocked to see two girls kissing in the hallway. I kid you not… and I suspect this is something Knatt is drawing from her own experiences, as unbelievable as it may seem to some people.

Taiki’s gradual realization is mostly due to her attraction to Alex, a rather tomboyish girl whom she originally thought was a boy. Alex herself hasn’t revealed her own attractions (though she did ask Taiki if she thought Alex was cute for a girl). It’s the ambiguity of the situation, with the protagonist’s gradual awareness of this aspect of herself and of those around her, that helps this comic try to differentiate itself from so many of its peers. Unfortunately, when you consider the sheer volume of high school comics (and for that matter comics about gay or lesbian characters), Taiki threatens to be buried under a pile of similar comics. Nor am I sure that the quieter and more believable pace of realization for the comic’s heroine will help the comic stand out from its peers. Instead, Taiki promises to be a sleeper hit, popular with critics and those fans fortunate enough to find it, but lost in the mass of comics to the masses.