Support They don't really understand why their desire to be the other gender is wrong. I say touches because it barely delves below the surface on any of its primary topics. I like the setting the story took place "Middle school" is the perfect place to portray puberty for this where the teenagers start question who they are and what will they become as time goes by. Effeminate fifth grader Shuuichi Nitori is considered by most to be one of the prettiest girls in school, but much to her dismay, she is actually biologically male. Wandering Son – Anime Review – I am so happy I finally sat down to watch this anime as it was one of the most rewarding experiences I had leading up to last month and it was awesome to write about an anime that tackles the issues of being transgender as … your anime. It's more literary than most manga and ought to have a broader appeal. Anna wants Shuichi to express his feelings more openly. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2. Taiichirou has not learned to love himself. I Used to be a Wandering Son - Duration: 5:55. HOUROU MUSUKO aka “Wandering Son” (anime review) By. Zeria 7,839 views. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. Nitorin also has to deal with a family who doesn't understand and a sister who bullies "him" about his "cross dressing habit." The anime give great importance how critical the beginning of puberty in developing one's identity and how growing up greatly affect's our goals in life. However, where the story keeps its real strength is in the problematic itself. Instead, the world is alive with the sounds of unseen birds and cars, the distant murmurs of characters we will never meet, the general din of dozens of footsteps in school hallways or distant bicycles of city roads and the hushed cries of insects in the night. Review: Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) An effeminate boy who wants to be a girl, a masculine girl who wants to be a boy, and a student who comes to her first day at a new school dressed in a boy’s uniform just because. Sometimes at odds with others, and always at odds with himself, he walks through some confusing years searching for the answers to countless complicated questions. (Request an anime for review here.) MyAnimeList.net is a property of MyAnimeList Co.,Ltd. (Request an anime for review here.) Do Not Sell My Personal Information Wandering Son is a kind, gentle introduction to the story of two transgendered children beginning to understand themselves. Notice at Collection It touches on the subjects of cross-dressing, transgenderism, and puberty. • It also didn’t go the other way in terms of temptations by making this a giant angst fest and overdramatic. Moreover, the predicament of the storyline exists not just because of characters’ inner conflicts, they are also suffering overtly from being alienated and discriminated because their desired sexed bodies and gender roles are beyond what is “naturalized” by the society. Wandering Son is a quiet book. Instead, Wandering Son almost works as a slice of life. And by that I do not mean IT IS a slice of life, since it is absolutely not, but the story is found between the lines, between the dialogues and the actions of the characters. mould are regarded as deviants. did right. Press Room For instance, Takatsuki agonizes girlhood because no matter how hard she flattens her chest, she cannot avoid wearing a bra for she can never stop her breast from growing. What makes Wandering Son distinct is that it tackles an issue that rarely sees print - transgender issues. Wandering Son tells a fascinating story about what it's really like to be a cross-dresser, taking a still-controversial subject and treating it with respect and honesty. As one good news doesn't come alone. I wrote my first version of this review while I was in college, several years before I transitioned and at least a year before I finally admitted to myself that I was a woman. deal with being portrayed in a show that sees me and my community as normal people that has been built different. Son, is a work, based on the bestselling manga, that focuses on crossdressers, puberty, and transgender issues. Wandering Son is a short and calm anime that was enjoyable for its simple, but thoughtful story. • Please enable Cookies and reload the page. Read reviews on Hourou Musuko Wandering Son on Crunchyroll. however, if it did, the story wouldn't be very good because the main characters would be depressed all the time. Review: Wandering Son In Japanese Animation, there is no more played out genre than the High School drama. Below is a review I wrote of Volume 1 for Skyscraper Magazine : While it is mostly a serious show, the happy moments are never actually forced and it sometimes it is not really sure if a scene was to be happy or sad. Nitori Shuichi is a boy who sees himself as a girl. Instead, it took itself seriously while still keeping an atmosphere of realism and normality (well, it is a slice-of-life series in part..) The character’s don’t feel like clichés, and you can get a sense of the awkwardness they are going through during the series, even with some of the issue in the storyline I think exist (which I’m going to get to in a minute). the beginning or the ending, the anime begins somewhere in the middle of the original story. Source: Facebook via Hourou Musuko Title: Hourou Musuko. I don't think I have ever felt so NEUTRAL about anything in my life. Some needs are fulfilled before the end of the volume, but most wounds are left agonizingly untended. The very definition of 5/10. Shuichi’s confidence in her decision to become a woman is shaken when pictures posted of … From this point, it is really a matter of preference. While most become comedies or sentimental romances Wandering Son turns away from the cliché and captures an element of adolescence that is … Of course, the story wouldn’t matter without its cast, which exactly knows what it has to do. exactly that. ©2021 All Rights Reserved. Ironically, the lack of focus in the story can also be a weak point for some, as it may get hard to get into a story that doesn’t really shows itself. "Wandering Son" is a beautiful coming of age story about developing your identity and the difficulties therein. Wandering Son is an uncomfortable series for me, as a girl who struggles with gender dysphoria, because so much of the discomfort and awkwardness the main characters go through is relatable. The pronouns could be an issue, but I would also tack that up to the characters being so young and still so unsure about their concrete genders. Point systems are notoriously fiddly, so here it's been pared down to three simple possibilities: It has no overarching purpose; no direction or destination. Wandering Son – Anime Review – I am so happy I finally sat down to watch this anime as it was one of the most rewarding experiences I had leading up to last month and it was awesome to write about an anime that tackles the issues of being transgender as … A decade on, however, its outsized presence threatens to paper over its problematic elements and, particularly from a Western perspective, overshadows other pieces of trans-focused media efforts. It is rare to come across a show as genuine as Wandering Son without trappings of fan service and the catering to the various ecchi demographics. Actually, I applaud the director for using such a direction, simply because that the story works on already constructed and broken relations rather than focusing on making some. --KrebMarkt 15:19, 12 March 2010 (UTC) Anime. for our two protagonists is presented via flashback sequences that bring us up to speed on where the characters have been and how they got where they are today. Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko) Review - My Coming Out Video - Duration: 16:00. shadowrules VA 3,130 views. Instead of starting from an extremity, the beginning or the ending, the anime begins somewhere in the middle of the original story. Wandering Son is the story of Shuichi Nitori, a boy entering his first year of middle school who has a love for dressing as the opposite sex. Title: Wandering Son aka Hourou Musuko Genre: Drama Company: AIC Format: 11 episodes Dates: 13 Jan 2011 – 31 Mar 2011 Synopsis: Nitori Shuuichi, a shy and effeminate boy, has a fascination with feminine clothing. Description: Shuicihi Nitori appears to be a shy and quiet preteen boy, when he transfers to a new school he quickly makes friends with the tomboyish Yoshino Takatsuki who s… For Hourou Musuko, the awareness, exploration, and acceptance of different gender pursuits is handled with great tact and sincerity, as the characters struggle to come to terms with themselves and their judgmental surroundings. they incorporated so many little things that go along with dealing with puberty as someone questioning gender (things like feeling pressured to wear a bra or getting your period or your voice changing actually came up). This way, the anime is helped by a correct blend between light moments and drama. Read reviews (page 2) on the anime Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) on MyAnimeList, the internet's largest anime database. It is good at insinuating how ignorant and sexist/heterosexist society can be about things like relationships, gender behavior, and clothing (particularly school uniforms). The brilliance of this manga is not only the care and respect shown towards the delicate subject matter, but also the realistic lens through which all of the difficulties of growing up are viewed. Wandering Son doesn't tell a story so much as provide an experience. Terms Other Titles: Wandering Son Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Drama, School Studio: AIC Classic. Of course, it is assuming that either the viewer is familiar with the manga or is watching the series seriously. Wandering Son Volume 8 tells the story of Shuichi Nitori, a boy who wants to be a girl and Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl who wants to be a boy. Anna wants Shuichi to express his feelings more openly. Wandering Son doesn’t have much of a musical soundtrack. This hobby of his is encouraged by his friends on account of how “cute” he is, which makes it difficult for Shuichi to handle the changes of his body upon entering puberty. Nitori Shuichi is a boy who sees himself as a girl. The pieces that are chosen are discreet and often there is no music at all. This … I say touches because it barely delves below the surface on any of its primary topics. Sitemap. It's a slice of life look into the lives of two main characters, Nitori and Takatsuki. Gary Groth = overkill. In the penultimate volume of Wandering Son, we find several characters suffering from a lack of love. The anime adaptation Cheers. On top of that, Nitorin is dealing with a school system that shames "his" behavior and has "him" sent home for wearing a girl's uniform (although female characters wearing a boy's uniform are not). Wandering Son is a coming of age story about Shuichi, a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino, a girl who wants to be a boy, going through school. It is directed by Ei Aoki of Re:Creators, Fate/Zero, Aldnoah Zero, and the recent ID:Invaded fame and adapted/written by Mari Okada from O Maidens, Gundam IBO, and Annohana fame. Wandering Son takes a slice of life approach to its coming of age story, but to get a full picture Shuichi and Yoshino's journey it's best to follow them from the beginning. I had some trouble keeping track of who was who sometimes since, instead of going the route of giving people unrealistic hair colors to make more variety, they went with keeping it at more realistic browns and blacks. like how the children are experiencing it -- bit by bit. The most important is that this series decided to try and look at the issue seriously. Also check out the anime review of Wandering Son done by an experienced anime critic. sure you experience a believable story, rather than a concise, palatable one. An effeminate boy who wants to be a girl, a masculine girl who wants to be a boy, and a girl who comes to her first day at a new school dressed in a boy’s uniform just because. End of the day, they are all humans and have feelings and wishes for things that everyone else wishes for. Source: Facebook via Hourou Musuko Title: Hourou Musuko. With Yui Horie, Asami Seto. This flower is clearly a rose, but it isn't red. Wandering Son (manga review) In light of nonsensical anti-LGBT bathroom laws being passed in certain American states and under consideration in others, I wish the lawmakers agreeing to this harmful paranoia were reading the wonderful manga, “ Wandering Son ” by Takako Shimura. With the majority of “Wandering Son” focusing on her, Shuichi’s ending is as tumultuous, nerve-wracking, yet ultimately immensely satisfying as such a complex and compelling character deserves. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. Wandering Son is an uncomfortable series for me, as a girl who struggles with gender dysphoria, because so much of the discomfort and awkwardness the main characters go through is relatable. Makoto is lacking both internal and external love. September 26, 2012. If the director's intent was to create the single most uninteresting thing in all of history, he nailed it. There is little to none anime antics in this series, which is great because the idea of crossdressing characters normally gets played for laughs and serves as an excuse to make a joke. In the penultimate volume of Wandering Son, we find several characters suffering from a lack of love. This slice of life anime really digs into emotions and relationships of adolescents and sets motivations into action with a strong sense of cause and effect. Your IP: 50.116.6.9 Privacy Wandering Son, Vol. They are treated with disgust, or perhaps pitied as though they were ill. All the while you wonder that if you don't fit that mould, does that make you something else. The manga is awesome as well for revealing the reality of all types of societal issues. Affiliate links within this post may be commissionable. Wandering Son is a slice of life story about the confusing times teenagers find in relation to themselves and how they compare to others. Are crossdressers “weird”? 16:00. in stories. Wandering Son, by beginning its narrative journey in elementary school, ... Good Ok Bad features reviews of comics, graphic novels, manga, et cetera using a rare and auspicious three-star rating system. Share Tweet. Stefan Blitz. Wandering Son can’t be forgotten for its importance as a piece of transgender literature within manga, anime and Japanese popular culture, and holds an important place in my heart. And it shows us that story through what are quite simply the best, most fully realized character relationships I've ever seen. (Request an anime for review here.) I say touches because it barely delves below the surface on any of its primary topics. Hourou Musuko Anime Review. They just want to be accepted for who they are. In these scenarios, I like how these dilemmas are beautifully illustrated by the characters’ portrayal of genuine human emotions. That, and the way Nitori's sister disapproves and thinks he is disgusting is very much how a family member might react. Nitori is feminine by nature but trapped in a male body, same with Takatsuki who is masculine by nature however ensnared in a female body. feels like they just wanted to use the idea because of its originality and not actually to discuss the topic realistically, though up to a certain point I used to think they were trying to be serious about it. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Because the Wandering Son anime and manga have several transgender characters, this wiki will observe the following gender identification markers and pronoun usage. Makoto is lacking both internal and external love. A little boy is mistaken for his older sister and is bewildered by the feeling that this stirs in him. are the two main characters, who both struggle with gender crisis. Wandering Son is a series which looks at the implications of these and other ideas by taking a peek into the life of a middle school student: The feminine boy, Nitori, who privately cross-dresses and begins to identify as a girl. Of course, our main characters have an idea of cross-dressing and wanting to be the opposite sex, but such dilemma is never blatantly exposed in the anime, nor does it make it over-dramatic. Wandering Son, by beginning its narrative journey in elementary school, removes sexual preference from the initial spectrum of topics—at least for the principal characters, if not for their peripheral antagonists (who engage in all the weak-minded slurs I would have ejaculated when I was their age). While most become comedies or sentimental romances Wandering Son turns away from the cliché and captures an element of adolescence that is … I LOVE IT! Gary Groth of Fantagraphics Books said in an interview he licensed Wandering Son because "it's not a typical choice for a manga title published in the U.S. and it's not typical subject matter for comics in general," saying that the subject is "perfectly legitimate ... for literature—or comics." Likewise with Nitori, he vacillates boyhood because as soon as his body hairs grow, it’ll be harder for him to wear skirts and dresses. Cookie What does it mean to be a boy or a girl? I’m saying this because it is easy to get lost in the anime as it refers a lot to pass events and it is mostly through dialogue than flashbacks. Cloudflare Ray ID: 60e994fe4f3f9ba3 The motion is fluent and there're a lot of subtle details,like cherry blossoms falling down, in the background. Advertising The plot discuss the topic of "transsexualism" in a way people can learn something about this topic without disgust and hating the show. 2 book. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. be a girl, from a normal guy or a girl who wants to be a guy. cute and lightened the mood a lot. Not here. Why do people have so many problems with guys dressing up as girls? Wandering Son is an anime from studio »Anime International Co., Inc.« that falls into the main genre of Slice of Life Drama. Read 118 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. school life series "Hourou Musuko" or "Wandering Son" have something that stand out among the rest. It serves to educate -- and entertain -- viewers about gender identity. FAQ Both clearly demonstrate the challenges of having binary sex system or the society's practice of heterosexuality. Start with volume 1. Wandering Son is the story of Shuichi Nitori, a boy entering his first year of middle school who has a love for dressing as the opposite sex. The second volume is either available now, according to the Fantagraphics website, or on Jan. 2, 2012, according to Amazon . The plot visibly shows that the supposed blatancy of sex as a natural biological fact indicates to how intensely its production in discourse is concealed. Some needs are fulfilled before the end of the volume, but most wounds are left agonizingly untended. Wandering Son is an anime centered on dysphoria and how the people around the character and society think as they are going through it. Yes this is the slice of life anime I wanted to watch. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. Afterwards, he is completely alienated by his class and his supposed friends. Taiichirou has not learned to love himself. Nitorin faces insults like freak and tranny (even the slur "fag" comes up) which are very harsh and hurtful words. Please, no ignorance will be tolerated. One of his friends, Takatsuki Yoshino, is a tall girl who would rather wear boyish attire. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. It's really meant for adults, but I think children will also be able to relate to it and appreciate it, especially those who have trouble fitting in with their peers. Personally, I think the calm development is the best way to go, since a direct focus would make it too dramatic for nothing. --KrebMarkt 17:23, 11 March 2010 (UTC) Wow. About Wandering Son is a coming of age story about Shuichi, a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino, a girl who wants to be a boy, going through school.It touches on the subjects of cross-dressing, transgenderism, and puberty. This hobby of his is encouraged by his friends on account of how “cute” he is, which makes it difficult for Shuichi to handle the changes of his body upon entering puberty. All you have to do is google "Hourou Musuko" or "Wandering Son anime" and you will find enlightened reviewers praising this anime better than I ever will. Wandering Son is a book I spent some time with earlier this year. And sometimes it almost felt like characters came out of nowhere, with just a passing flashback occurring to satisfy the curiosity. Published. Hourou Musuko Anime Review. I believe that every character is realistic. Affiliate links within this post may be commissionable. Other Titles: Wandering Son Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Drama, School Studio: AIC Classic. Wandering Son is a coming of age story about Shuichi, a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino, a girl who wants to be a boy, going through school.It touches on the subjects of cross-dressing, transgenderism, and puberty. What makes this book unique is that Takatsuki is a girl who wants to be a boy an Wandering Son is a beautifully drawn hardcover manga, that feels a lot like what you would normally expect from a North American graphic novel. Based on: The Hourou Musuko manga by Takako Shimura Length: The show is made up of a single 12 episode season, with the story beginning … Privacy Settings It was a very emotional watch for anyone who has to deal with these issues and can also be very triggering, as a bit of a warning. But for the rest of us, Horou Musuko may very well be one of the best anime out there. Read reviews on Hourou Musuko Wandering Son on Crunchyroll. Yoshino and Shuichi are two friends, both starting at a new school, both starting puberty, and both transgender. Wandering Son starts off with an interesting structure. Cis-female characters will be identified by female markers and pronouns. This is one of the greatest anime of all time. Once things get going it’s better though and easier to tell who is who. It's pretty touching at points especially as you watch him grow up and slowly start to change yet staying true to what he had always believed in. Review: Wandering Son In Japanese Animation, there is no more played out genre than the High School drama. "Wandering Son is about gender confusion and those awkward teenage years of sexual awakening and a perfectly legitimate subject for literature -- or comics." Viewer is familiar with the manga is awesome as well for revealing the of! Privacy Privacy Settings do Not Sell My Personal Information Cookie Notice at Collection Sitemap time with earlier this year have! Family member might react better though and easier to tell who is who details. Yoshino, is a short and calm anime that was enjoyable for its simple, thoughtful... Surface on any of its primary topics create the single most uninteresting thing in all of history, he it. 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Things get going it ’ s better though and easier to tell who is who Press Room Support Advertising Terms. Story, rather than a concise, palatable one possibilities: Wandering is! That story through what are quite simply the best, most fully character!