It Rhymes with Takei isn’t the kind of graphic novel you blow through in one sitting. It's densely narrated, emotionally layered, and filled with art that asks you to pause. And it should - because George Takei’s life hasn’t exactly been light reading.

This follow-up to They Called Us Enemy is part memoir, part social history, and part love letter - to his husband Brad, to the queer community, and to the idea of progress. Takei doesn’t shy away from painful moments, whether it's being disowned by his own brother after coming out -“you’re dead to me and I’m cutting you off from my family” - or bearing witness to the horrors of the AIDS crisis in the 80s. The art accompanying these chapters is poignant, often hard to look at, but all the more necessary because of it.

And yes, even Trump shows up. Because of course he does. Takei tried talking to him about marriage equality once, and it went about as well as you’d expect. And that was before was his first term.

I appreciated the depth and honesty here, and that it didn’t read like a highlight reel. Takei is generous with his experiences, but also unflinching. One quote that stuck with me: “Whatever progress we’ve seen only happened because brave people sit up and demanded it. The strength of our nation is in its abundant diversity.” That about sums it up.

Whether or not you're a Trekkie, this is worth reading - especially if you’re interested in activism, queer history, or just great graphic memoirs.

*Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy for review.*

This was just brilliant. Following George Takei's life from his early years of being imprisoned in an internment camp in the US during WW2, through years growing up being closeted in a time when to be gay was challenging and even dangerous. I loved following his highs and lows, and the gradual process of him feeling ready to come out at 68.
Incredibly touching, occasionally funny, at times anger inducing, this was very accessible and well written.
The illustrations were excellent and complimented the memoir perfectly.
I couldn't put this down and read it in one sitting. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

Overall, this is a good book. George Takei's activism and childhood is a story that should be told. Unfortunately, the book reads as very wooden, with none of the warmth and humor I associate with the man himself. Overall an okay biography, with good illustrations, about a great person.

This graphic memoir is so many things all wrapped into one - an autobiography, a beautiful love letter to George's husband Brad, an informative history of the legislation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, and a call to action to fight for our rights.

As a casual Star Trek fan, I knew who George Takei was but was not super familiar with his personal story. They Called Us Enemy provides an insight into one period of Takei's life that impacted the rest of it, and It Rhymes With Takei is the rest of it - the whole picture - while also being so much more than a memoir. At the same time heartbreaking and hopeful, I learned a lot from this graphic memoir about Takei's life but also recent US history. While this can certainly be read by itself, it meshes beautifully with They Called Us Enemy to tell a very important story. Like many in recent times I have felt a lot of anger and hopelessness, and although these feelings are present in this book the overwhelming message is one of hope and determination that if we fight things will be okay.

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this second book by George Takei! I had previously read his other book called 'They Called Us Enemies' for a college assignment, so when I saw this book I HAD to get an arc! I felt a roller coaster of emotions reading this book, relating to a lot of the things he spoke about. Just like he did with 'They Called Us Enemies' he and the publishers did an amazing job retelling the events Takei has gone through and the hurdles he had to face when coming out, from fear of what his family thought to the fear of what would happen if people of higher power did as well, mentioning how all his life had been about 'acting'. This was the perfect sequel to TCUE as it goes far more in depth of Takei's adulthood and the events that happened during that time, making him finally decide on releasing this book and becoming an activist. This was such a beautifully illustrated memoir that I hope others that stumble upon this book can read it as well!

This is George Takei's second graphic autobiographical novel. It Rhymes With Takei can be read as a stand alone novel or as a sequel to They Called Us Enemy. I was smiling, laughing, and crying as I read his story. I expected to learn about Takei's coming out story, but I didn't expect a wonderfully dense historical graphic novel that documents LGBQTIA+ history from Stonewall through 2015. Takei pulls the reader into the story by sharing his fears as well as his victories. I highly recommend this graphic novel memoir.

Thank you #GeorgeTakei, #StevenScott, #JustinEisinger, #IDWPublishing, and #NetGalley for me eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This graphic novel beautifully illustrates the life of George Takei. I'm not usually a fan of biographies, but this blew me away.

I found myself on a rollercoaster of emotions, laughing and smiling one moment, and crying the next. It was amazing how many universal queer moments I could relate to, despite living a completely different life, and living different experiences.

One of my favorite things was how seamlessly they wove queer history into the book!

This is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year and I can't wait for more people to read it! I feel like we need this book now more than ever!

This is a wonder graphic novel on the insight of George Takei’s life. He talks about family, his career, his involvement with politics & activism, & mostly his journey through the decades as a closeted gay man finally making his way out of the closet so late in life.

I cannot tell you how much I teared up with joy or sadness from this memoir. As bisexual Asian American this hit for me closer than it probably would with some. Reading about Takei’s struggles both internally and externally was really quite interesting. I have a great respect for this beautiful man! Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do George!

🖖

Thank you to NetGalley, IDW publishing, & the author/illustrators for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This deeply touching graphic memoir is vulnerable and incredibly important. Takei shares with readers his experiences as a gay man in the entertainment industry and politics and his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68 after living most of his life in the closet. Takei’s first graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, tells the story of Takei’s younger years and his family’s imprisonment in the Japanese internment camps. It Rhymes With Takei is told with the same creative team and follows his life thereafter.

This is an inspiring and informative primary account of the last 80+ years of American History and showcases the importance of political advocacy and fighting for rights and freedoms. I highly recommend this book to High School students and Adult readers.

A really lovely graphic novel memoir detailing Takei's sexuality and coming out journey. Both the writing and artwork were beautiful, and Takei's story was equally beautiful, especially having been a fan of his for most of my life (I've been a Trekkie since very early childhood). It was nice to see this topic tackled with such poise as well as robustness; Takei didn't shy away from delving into every aspect of his journey or gloss over how long his hid himself away for fear of losing his career both as an actor and an activist. Yet while we saw his fear of being found out, we also saw his shame of hiding, especially as people he loved and cared for were dying from AIDs and being denied equality, and he couldn't fight for them as he fought for so many other causes that meant so much to him. I also appreciated that Takei didn't try to put a nicer face on how coming out went with his brother; he allowed the reader to experience his sadness, anger, and disappointment in his brother, likely knowing that so many other Queer readers would have similar experiences with their own families and that relating his own experience, sharing that commonality with them, would help them.
It was also such a joy to see George and Brad's love story unfold. They've always been such a lovely couple to see online and in interviews, so seeing how they met and fell in love was so sweet and wonderful, especially given the circumstances at the time, and that they have continued to love and support each other after all this time.
This graphic novel was truly a joy to read and experience. I really enjoyed learning more about Takei's life, including things I'd never learned before, reading some behind-the-scenes Star Trek stories, and seeing a great gay icon really come into his own on his own terms. I can't wait for this book to be available for more people to read and enjoy as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an early review. It was really, really lovely.

To understand what this book means to me, I've gotta talk about my dad. See, my dad is a giant nerd, who grew up watching Star Trek live when it first premiered on NBC in the 1960s. My dad is also a little old-fashioned sometimes, which is why it was such a big deal in 2011 when he called me over to the computer to show me some news he found: that George Takei, one of his childhood heroes, was challenging a "Don't Say Gay" bill in Tennessee by urging students to use his name instead.

I won't go into details--you should read the book for that--but I will share that my dad thought this was great. He thought it was hilarious, for one, but he also thought it was an excellent way to criticize a stupid law. Which is how I found out that my dad was cool with gay people. Which made me, as a closeted bisexual who at the time had a crush on her best friend, feel safe in my home.

So what I'm saying is, when I saw that this book with this title was on NetGalley, I not only requested a copy immediately, I also skipped the rest of the NetGalley books in my queue to read it first. So thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC of this graphic novel.

First things first: this book is gorgeous. Harmony Becker's artwork has a simplicity that contains room for a vast amount of emotion and expression. The moments when George describes his inner turmoil are beautifully illustrated and extremely relatable. It's also a beautiful experience as a younger queer person to read the story of an "elder gay"--aka someone who experienced the AIDS crisis firsthand and lived through it. Things are dark right now, but things have been dark before.

It's hard to talk about how meaningful this book is without going into details but I'll settle for saying that George does a fantastic job of balancing the joy and tragedies in his life in a very real way. This is probably because while he focuses on his experience as a gay man in this book, he cannot tell his story without sharing the rest of him as well--and in an atmosphere where queer people are continually reduced to only their sexuality or presentation, this is a breath of fresh air. It also tickled more of the old Hollywood nerd in me than I expected and gave me some fun Star Trek factoids to share with my dad--and only my dad. If you wanna find out, you should read the book.

I know I got an ARC for free, but I've already pre-ordered my copy for this June.

I really loved "They Called Us Enemy", which is about Takei's childhood growing up in a Japanese camp during wwii, so I was excited to see this new graphic novel from him and that team! This is also an autobiographical graphic novel about Takei but this time focusing more on his queer journey through his life from the 1940s through his acting career in the 60s and to his marriage in the 2000s. Definitely a great read for anyone who likes star trek, history, queer history, and/or graphic novels!

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I believe George had two main reasons for creating a graphic novel biography: First, he felt dissatisfied and even guilty over having a memoir published in the 90s that omitted his sexual identity. Being closeted clearly filled him with fear, shame, and grief throughout his life, and having an incomplete story out there as his own story in his own words caused him pain. Second, he saw the impact of telling true stories in the graphic novel format after working with the same team to create They Called Us Enemy, about his childhood in the American internment camps during WWII. The artwork is incredible- there is so much detail and still so much text able to be included on the page. George is a champion of human rights and his life and his advocacy for others should not be forgotten. I hope this book makes it onto library shelves even with the pressures to erase LGBT stories by the far-right.

I grew up watching Star Trek because my dad was a Trekkie, and though NextGen came out as I was a kid, the original was there when my dad was young. So, I've always known who George Takei was. It wasn't until the last 10 years that I appreciated Takei for who he was, and even then, I didn't know how much of an impact he has had on the world around him. I don't know much about celebrities. I have read an autobiography here and there, but overall, I don't pay much attention. So, though I am aware that Takei has written many, many books, and some very important books and an important play, I like to live in the world of fiction where you can leave any time you want.
This is written in the form of a graphic novel, and though there are a ton of beautifully drawn pages, it is still a densely verbose story. Takei talks about growing up being a gay boy and then a gay man and hiding who he was. Either by choice or by societal expectations. He talks about the AIDS epidemic and how difficult to watch his friends go through this and yet society vilified the LGBTQ+ community. Then the fear of being arrested just for being in a gay bar. He talks about his political foray and activism and then how he met Brad and their story. It is an interesting read, and even when he talks about how his brother disowned him when he came out, he remains optimistic. Throughout all the unimaginable hardships it is amazing the amount of optimism this man has. I love how he got his catchphrase and how he embraced himself as a character to make people feel more comfortable in their own skin. I learned a lot about Takei, and though LGBTQ+ rights have come a long way in the last 50 years, there is still a long way to go and I think that Takei's experiences are quite eye-opening. This book was well-written and well worth-the read.

4 stars, I am a big, big fan of "uncle" George Takei - I loved Star Trek of course, but more than that I admire and support his many, many years of activism. And I learned a lot from his previous and excellent "They Called Us Enemy" too. So if the same team was bringing us his autobiography just in time for Pride, it was a "have to read" on my TBR and I am so grateful to have been approved to read it early. I found it quite interesting, George's acting career, love life and marriage to Brad, and of course all the many, many important and good things that George has been and still is fighting for. There were a couple places I would have liked a bit more or less detail, but overall, this is a remarkable look at a remarkable human & I highly recommend it. My sincere thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance readers copy - a true pleasure to read and review this title!

It Rhymes With Takei is George Takei’s second graphic memoir, this time focusing on his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68. I loved his first graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, so when I saw this was available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it!

You don’t need to have read his first memoir to read this one, though I personally found it enhanced the experience for me. However, if you are also a fan of They Called Us Enemy, you will be excited to learn that George worked with the same team: Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger. You’ll recognize the art and writing style, except this memoir is in full color.

Though this memoir is about Takei’s decision to come out at age 68, it really covers experiences throughout his lifespan. George explores experiences of being othered as a Japanese American (which is further explored in They Called Us Enemy) and as a gay person. He also explores the political and historical contexts, movements, and personal contexts of various times in his life, and how they impacted his decision making around staying in the closet, and then ultimately coming out. But even beyond that, we learn about his family, friends, loves, education, travels, career, and advocacy throughout his life. All the details we didn’t get to see in his first memoir.

I felt all the feels while reading this one. Hope, joy, anger, sadness, disappointment, heartbreak, all of it. I think you’ll feel them, too. I'm impressed not only with the depth of emotion, but also with how Takei and the team are able to create such a moving and cohesive memoir while covering so much ground in terms of personal and historical narrative.

Overall, I really enjoyed Takei’s second graphic memoir. It’s an obvious recommendation for his fans. But I would also recommend it to fans of memoirs in general. It also covers a lot of LGBTQ+ history, so those interested in the historical context with a personal touch may be interested in picking it up.

*Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I received a digital copy of the graphic memoir "It Rhymes With Takei" by George Takkei, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisnger. George Takei writes of his life knowing from a young age that he was Gay. For the majority of his life he stayed in the closet. He knew the penalties and hatred he would face if he "came out" He writes of his family spending years in an internment camp because his family was Japanese and it was during world War 2. he family were treated with hatred. when he knew he was gay he had to keep it a secret. since he was an actor and in the public eye coming out as gay could destroy his career.
He met his future husband Brad and they quietly became a couple. They married when it became legal. He knew around this time he had to come out as gay. He became an outspoken advocate for gay rights. This book is a graphic book. it is well written and the graphics are very good. I am a fan of George Takei and a supporter of gay rights. So happy to read this book.

I loved this graphic memoir. I have previously read, and enjoyed, Takei's "They Called Us Enemy" and this book about his life does not disappoint. I think the author does a great job at describing how his life played out, how he came to be who he is today, and all of the obstacles and difficulties he had to face and endure to be the amazing human he is today. A MUST READ.

As a long time queer Star Trek fan, I've followed George Takei's story for decades. I jumped on the chance to read his novel as soon at I could get my hands on a copy. It was an in-depth look at his career, his life, and his battle for equality and the right to marry his long time love, Brad Altman. He delves deep into his despair and personal tragedies during the AIDS crisis, and other monumental moments in his life. I highly recommend this book.

A life-affirming, invaluable and engaging memoir of Takei which inspires and informs without being didactic.
I highly recommend this to all parents, and teachers in particular.