Finished
“Trans teen Rika runs away, meets kindred spirit Satsuki; together they confront identity and seek self-acceptance.”
After School Mate
アフタースクールメイト
7.15
7,304 rank · 1,857 readers · 15 favorites
Shounen
School
Drama
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Personalized to you
Honest pros & cons
Based on your library
Synopsis
Trans teen Rika runs away, meets kindred spirit Satsuki; together they confront identity and seek self-acceptance.
Family, friends, himself... Rika is frustrated by his inability to gain understanding of the gender difference between his body and mind, and one day he gets into a fight with his mother and runs away from home. There he meets Satsuki, a boy who can share his feelings of not being understood... The two meet and confront the issues they have been running away from... A coming-of-age drama that questions "individuality"! (Source: Shueisha, translated)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 4 sampled reviews
7.0
/10
What 4 readers settled on.
75%
recommend
Score distribution
median 7.5
mode 4
σ 1.87
Agreement
Polarized
σ 1.87 · split reception
The polarity gap
4.0 pts
Recommenders 8.0 · others 4.0
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 2.00
Running avg · Jan 2023 → Mar 2025
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “After School Mate is an absolutely beautiful, moving story that excels at exploring identity and self-worth through a cast of deeply human, well-written characters. While the art is merely good and...”
- 9 “This manga is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, and painfully realistic exploration of identity that manages to achieve more in a few chapters than many longer series. While the art occasionally falls...”
- 7 “After School Mate is a sweet, relatable manga that excels at portraying the genuine hardships of the transgender community, including family rejection and gender dysphoria, while maintaining strong...”
Verbosity
Short · 0%
Medium · 75%
Long · 25%
Read Order & Related
A self-contained story.
No sequels, spin-offs or alternate tellings — After School Mate begins and ends here.
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 13 × 2 ch × vol
- Total read 1h 44m approx
- Published Nov 2021 – May 2022
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M66318 catalog