▁" come ▁out " ▁to ▁them . ▁Kob ay ashi ▁has ▁already ▁told ▁his ▁parents , ▁and ▁Nar u ▁promises ▁to ▁be ▁To yo ' s ▁supp orter ▁when ▁he ' s ▁ready . ▁ ▁Public ation ▁Origin ally ▁serial ized ▁in ▁H ana oto ▁magazine , ▁the ▁individual ▁chap ters ▁were ▁collected ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁two ▁tank ō bon ▁volumes ▁by ▁Hou b un sha ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁respectively . ▁Digital ▁M anga ▁Publishing ▁lic ensed ▁the ▁series ▁for ▁English ▁language ▁release ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁and ▁released ▁the ▁two ▁volumes ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁respectively . ▁The ▁m anga ▁is ▁lic ensed ▁in ▁Taiwan ▁by ▁Sh arp ▁Point ▁Press . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁Moon ▁and ▁the ▁Sand als ▁was ▁nominated ▁by ▁the ▁Young ▁Ad ult ▁Library ▁Services ▁Association ▁for ▁inclusion ▁on ▁its ▁list ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Great ▁Graph ic ▁Nov els ▁for ▁Te ens . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Y osh in aga ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁E is ner ▁Award ▁for ▁her ▁work ▁on ▁The ▁Moon ▁and ▁the ▁Sand als ▁and ▁F lower ▁of ▁Life . ▁ ▁L yle ▁Mas aki ▁of ▁After El ton . com ▁comm ends ▁the ▁m anga ▁for ▁illustr ating ▁" the ▁challeng es ▁gay ▁men ▁face ▁in ▁Japanese ▁society ", ▁and ▁for ▁not ▁following ▁the ▁traditional ▁mode ▁of