Kana & Tomo

By Phillip Otake

Kana & Tomo meet in high school and hit it off right away. Tomo is a raging masc lesbian and a star in the volleyball team, battling a homophobic principal, an ogre of a father, and her own demons. Kana plays bass guitar and just returned from living in London where she transitioned socially but she still has issues being at one with the binary world around her. At their school they discover a kindred spirit in Mandy, a Samoan English teacher from Melbourne. They attempt to set-up a group for queer kids but the idea is rebuffed by the principal so they set-up an online group instead.
On a trip up to Tokyo Pride, Kana, Tomo, and Mandy hatch a plan to open a queer-friendly café together and the search begins for a suitable spot. Kana’s mum gets involved and all is well until tragedy strikes. A team mate of Tomo’s dies and the girls seek answers from the school. Finding none, they quit in a blaze of internet indignation. But for Tomo, things worsen when her father announces plans to move away. She flatly refuses to go and cops a vicious beating. It’s all too much—her demons, the loss of her friend, and the prospect of losing Kana—and she escapes into the night. Kana, her rock, finds her and with Mandy, they get on with life beyond school and open up that café.