"Get L-Ready with me": Azin Lim's playful new book explores lesbian identity
Written by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
In the heart of Seoul's ever-evolving queer art scene, a unique book has emerged that challenges conventional understandings of lesbian identity. Azin Lim's "Get L-Ready with me: how to Femme & Butch" blends humour, vulnerability, and striking visuals to explore the fluidity of identity within the lesbian community. Ahead of this weekend’s launch event, which features an array of exciting performers, we talk to Azin Lim and photographer Evi Neva about why this book needed to be made.
What began as a simple photoshoot transformed into something much more profound. "I had this idea of doing a shoot that showed both a Femme concept and a Butch concept," Lim explains. "I wanted to see if I could really push that concept and become totally Femme and Butch."
Photographer Evi Neva, already established in Seoul's queer community for her portrait work and music/event photography, was the perfect collaborator for this vision. Together, they created a powerful visual contrast that would become the foundation of the book.
"For the Femme, it had to be very powerful. It could not be submissive in any way," Lim says, describing her approach to the photo session. “Similarly, for the Butch, I didn’t want to be overly dominant, but at the same time, I wanted to retain that power."
The transformation between these identities during the photoshoot was remarkable. "Seeing Azin come in as Femme and then transform into Butch, the vibe changed completely," Neva recalls. "It was almost instant to see which one Azin was actually most comfortable in. It was like two different people."
This observation sparked what Lim describes as an "identity crisis" – a moment of revelation that would become central to the book's narrative. "Evi mentioned that I seemed more comfortable as Butch. I realised that when being a Femme, for me, it's impossible to be truly comfortable. That's not what being a Femme is about. It's about being super uncomfortable but then owning it."
What was initially intended as "a really quick, funny zine" of about 60 pages evolved into a 232-page exploration of identity. After showcasing an early version at the 2024 Tokyo Art Book Fair and receiving positive feedback, Lim spent three months expanding the project, adding illustrations and developing her thoughts on what Femme and Butch mean to her personally.
The result is the brilliant new book, Get L-Ready, in which Lim explores a third path outside of the binary Femme Vs Butch dynamic - a path which is a combination of both. It's a well-observed and often hilarious text that's as full of beautiful contradictions as its theme might suggest. It's at once a self-assured declaration of an emerging queer thought leader and a playful exploration of the natural insecurities that come from finding yourself. The 90s zine aesthetic adds to Get L-Ready's journal feel as the words and illustrations offer refreshing insights into the journey of a "late-blooming lesbian”.
Get L-Ready deliberately avoids defining Femme and Butch in absolute terms. "If I do, I will be torn into pieces by all the angry lesbians," Lim jokes. "It's impossible to give a definition."
Instead, "Get L-Ready" explains these concepts through personal experience, sometimes using unexpected metaphors. One of the book’s highlights is a section that uses breeds of cats and dogs to explain how things can be distinct yet part of the same group. “The cat and dog reference came in because they are different, but they're not contradictory," Lim explains, addressing the seeming opposition between Femme and Butch identities. "A banana is not contradictory with an orange. They're just different things, but they're all fruits."
The book challenges conventional assumptions about Femme and Butch identities. While stereotypes might suggest that Femme is inherently submissive and Butch is dominant, Lim's exploration reveals something more complex. Her Femme persona contains a "dominatrix vibe" that contradicts expectations – “As the book says - ‘I’ve got no enemies, they were all stabbed to death with my high heels.’”
For Lim, embracing both identities is essential. "When I'm dating someone, the other person usually has a preference," she explains. The book examines how these labels can often be limiting, especially when faced with people’s expectations.”I have disappointed both- someone who wanted a Butch and another who wanted a Femme. But in other words, that’s exactly where there is room for interpretation. I’ve been many times a bit of Femme or Butch for a certain period of time, and then I realised that I feel limited. When I am able to be both, the energy keeps flowing, and it makes me creative."
The book approaches identity formation with refreshing practicality. "People go through a midlife crisis and shave their head or whatever," Lim says. "When you think about identity and self-expression, it's very difficult. But I wanted to lighten it up. Basically, this is how I become Femme and Butch. Just use a lot of gel."
Publishing an openly lesbian book in Korea represents a bold statement. "In Korea, it's still a confronting experience, actually, to even look at the word lesbian," Lim notes. It’s true: Get L-Ready’s directness about sexuality raised our eyebrows. It’s uncommon to see such openness here. But after a couple of pages, that surprise goes away, and it feels entirely normal. This normalisation is exactly what Lim hopes to achieve. "I want readers to look at it and then be exposed to that," she says about distributing her book to mainstream bookstores across Korea. “The book uses the word ‘lesbian’ often. The bare minimum that I want is for people to encounter the word ‘lesbian’ repeatedly.”
Neva emphasises that while the book explores lesbian identity specifically, its message is "incredibly universal." It's about "carving a path forward that is yours" and challenging the categories society imposes on individuals. That universality is interesting. This IS a book about the lesbian experience. It belongs to that world, and it’s inextricable from that story. Still, even as someone who is not part of that community, I still felt my own personal struggles with identity and connection reflected in the pages. Perhaps this universality can act as a microcosm of the book, or at least the cat and dog metaphor - everyone’s journey might be different, but they are not contradictory.
The launch of "Get L-Ready" has evolved from a simple book reading into a celebration of Seoul's queer creative community. Scheduled for April 12th at GAG Lounge in Itaewon, the event brings together artists across various disciplines—including DJs, dancers, drag performers, and mixologists—all engaging with the book's themes of identity and self-expression.
Lim praises numerous queer creators collaborating on the launch, such as photographer Evi Neva, who captured portraits for the book, admiring how her work uniquely represents each subject. The event will take place at GAG Lounge, a new queer venue in Itaewon, featuring DJ Akudama (who runs Fluidica, an event series celebrating fluidity), artist Tang (Sangmin Lee) moderating the book talk, performances by voguers Dia and Jinju, drag artist Tyler Noll, and burlesque performer Yobo. Additional contributors include DJ/drag performer Sh'needza, mixologist Ricky creating themed cocktails, and nonbinary performance artist USol Kang, who explores BDSM themes in Korea.
"I think this is more than just a book launch or a party," Neva notes. "As queer creators working in different fields and using different mediums, each person is putting out their own thought on the themes the book talks of—about inclusion, self-expression, the journey of learning about oneself."
For both Lim and Neva, the project represents something vital in Korea's emerging queer culture. As Neva puts it, the book is "so educational, so personal, so vulnerable. But at the same time, it has an element of comedy." It offers guidance for "walking into queerness" in a society where such conversations remain challenging.
Through humour, art, and raw honesty, "Get L-Ready with me" invites readers to approach identity with playfulness and curiosity. As Lim summarises her message: "When you are confronted with the question of what you are—it's so grand that it feels almost impossible to decide. Even after you decide, it's hard to be confident in your choice. I wanted to lighten the burden and tell my readers that it could be as easy as getting ready in the morning."
This perspective—that identity formation can be both profound and practical, complex and simple—makes "Get L-Ready with me" a distinctive contribution to queer literature in Korea and beyond.