Thread:Old McDonald/@comment-10733658-20141218235444

Initial effort. Please feel free to tweak or let me know where changes are needed.

''(Heading)Gender Identity:

The revelations of Chapter 5 leave numerous unanswered questions concerning Tooru Mutsuki. During his earliest appearances, there is no indictation that he is anything but a slim young man. However, the cliffhanger of Chapter 4 reveals Mutsuki to be wearing a binder to conceal feminine breasts. The opening flashback of Chapter 5 confirms that Mutsuki was born and raised as a girl, but experienced intense feelings of discomfort living as a woman. Unable to explain the cause of his feelings or reconcile them, Mutsuki requested to live as a man after entering CCG's Junior Academy.

As a direct result of this information, it is theorized that Mutsuki is either a female Transvestite or a Transgender man.

It has been shown that while Mutsuki remains anatomically female, he has also been shown to be actively living with a male identity. Besides his choice of the most highly-masculine personal pronoun ("Ore": informal - I, the Tough Young Man), Mutsuki is shown to dress in men's clothing and uses the men's restroom in Chapter 2. In a conversation between Dr. Shiba and Sasaki, he is also explicitly referred to using gendered language ("kare", he). As such, it appears that he has either fully concealed his circumstances from others or is treated as a man in accordance with his request.

In the official profiles given in Volume 1, Mutsuki's sex is listed as "Female". It is unknown whether this also includes Mutsuki's identity, or simply reflects the standards of Japanese Law.

Japanese law requires sex reassignment surgery prior to the changing of legal documents. This surgery is not available until the patient is at least 20 years of age, and must be paid completely out of pocket. It is unknown whether this applies to Mutsuki and his current circumstances.

In conclusion, the character of Mutsuki is one that has raised numerous questions. It is unknown going forward how the question of Mutsuki's identity will be addressed, or what significances it may have to the plot or character arcs.''

Tries to be neutral as best I can! 