Wandering Son

[killickan]

solid story, even if it took me forever to get through.

 

[hanashigawa]

Still one of the best manga dealing with gender identity. It does suffer a bit at the end, as does the yuri classic "Aoi Hana", from Shimura-sensei's decision to rather unexpectedly and abruptly end both stories in the same month, something which I'm not sure was ever really adequately explained. But still absolutely worth the read, particularly so if you are trans.

 

[Fluffislife]

I didn't think the main character was likable,maybe it's beacuse the subject doesn't really interest me.

 

[Pellinski]

This manga broke and fixed me all in one, what a terrific piece of literature about the shardship of finding oneself

 

[desibees]

Oh god all the feelings I’ve had about gender identity put into manga form? Im only at chapter 10 but dang does this make my heart ache for those kids.

I’m seeing this as a very slow burn, so if you’re not that into the discussion of gender identity, this might not be your cup of tea.

 

[g4bimaru]

this was so amazing i just had to close my eyes for a while to take it all in after i read the last page

 

[citrus3301]

This one was really disappointing. The author didn't interview actual trans people from what I could tell and has no fucking idea what being trans is other than "a boy wants to be a girl". The entire book is a cis persons view of how being trans while sugarcoating everything to a nauseating degree. The way they attempt to touch on dysphoria feels pompous and like they are trying to make it seem poetic which is honestly insulting. As a trans woman all this feels like is some cis persons romanticized version of what being trans is without knowing how fucking miserable it is. Had the author done minimal research they would realize that being trans is absolutely nothing like what they imagined. If you want a manga with a trans character that actually faces the real issues that come with being trans read Bokura no Hentai, the author interviewed actual trans people and doctors who help them and has an actual understanding of what being trans is. I'm sorely disappointed in this manga and it's annoying to see a cis person feel they can write a story about trans people without doing extensive research. Trans representation in manga and anime sorely needs a good story centered around trans issues and this one completely missed the mark. 5/10

 

[00a33345]

Amazing. 10/10. Heart-achingly beautiful.

 

[ozcaruwu]

There really isnt a manga thats depicts actual LGBTQ representation better than shimanami tasogare, but this one tried It's not as bad as The so called representation in yaoi/yuri genre since most of those are idealistic and BS (doesnt stop me from reading em tho), This actually shows some of the hardships of being LGBTQ even if the last chapter's message was somewhat contradictory to what it wants to represent. Worst than shimanami tasogare but better than blue flag (coz the ending yknow timeskip)
Still 7/10

 

[immy]

I don't know if I'm just dumb or if it's fault of art. But despite being glued to story for 43 chapters, I still have hard time following who's who.

 

[GlaciusRogna]

For people confused about Yoshino decision and development, this is actually a very common sentiment in girls, take a look at her and the other girls.
First period: painful, humiliated publicly at school
First time you wear a dress: immediately flipped by the end of the day
Visiting an adult you thought you could trust: molested
Going to school by train: molested even after you retaliate
Why would a child wish to be a girl, knowing this? In many countries in Asia, 'woman' is still an insult, why would she want to be a girl or woman?
At least, her story resonate greatly with me. I am a girl, but being a girl is never safe, so I wished I was a boy instead

 

[Grimm_Salem]

I was kinda hoping the story would deal with hormone therapy. Im not sure how hard it is to get started before your 18 in Japan but I was always hoping it would be brought up as something in the future to help. I'm sure now after they are 18 that's info that they might gain due, that would address some valid concerns that pop up during male puberty. I have read some really hard stories where the main protagonist fights for it due to not wanting their voice to be deeper.

 

[Sherlocke_d]

Heard some pretty high praise about this manga, welp, time to jump in

 

[AeonHeals]

I was kinda hoping the story would deal with hormone therapy. Im not sure how hard it is to get started before your 18 in Japan but I was always hoping it would be brought up as something in the future to help. I'm sure now after they are 18 that's info that they might gain due, that would address some valid concerns that pop up during male puberty. I have read some really hard stories where the main protagonist fights for it due to not wanting their voice to be deeper.

I did some research into it yesterday and HRT is just not really accessible. Until 2023 trans people could only change their gender after being sterilized, insurances only cover the gender affirming surgery but not the HRT and you often can't get the surgery if you are on HRT, which is just insanity to me.
Also Japan happens to be the only of the G7 countries that doesn't recognize same-gender marriage, even if the laws are advancing rapidly since the 2000s and some prefectures will give certificates to same-gender couples so they can visit each other at hospitals, for example.

 

[Guiorgy]

[..] As a trans woman all this feels like is some cis persons romanticized version of what being trans is without knowing how fucking miserable it is. [..]

I do understand the criticism, but not every story has to be brutally honest, there's room for fairy tales too. I mean look at any princess story ever, all roses and suneshine, when real ones were but a tool for political mariages and birthing heirs. I do want to read a more accurate depiction too, so I did put Bokura no Hentai on my to-read list, thanks for the reference. Understanding it is fiction, I don't think it's deserving 5/10, though, it's understandable to be upset for someone close to the subject.

 

[Guiorgy]

I was kinda hoping the story would deal with hormone therapy. Im not sure how hard it is to get started before your 18 in Japan but I was always hoping it would be brought up as something in the future to help. I'm sure now after they are 18 that's info that they might gain due, that would address some valid concerns that pop up during male puberty. I have read some really hard stories where the main protagonist fights for it due to not wanting their voice to be deeper.

I was secretly hoping Yuki would save him with some magical pills to stop his development before his voice cracked, but obviously that's not happening

 

[Omega_Keiichi]

While the beginning is actually pretty hard to read and follow, by the end the experience and time makes this manga grow into something incredible. While I am not trans, I can enjoy this series and understand many hardships many characters faced. I love following characters for many years, and this story does it in an amazing manner.

Shuichi is a wonderful boy that realizes that he wants to be a girl. While she does have some stereotypical feminine qualities, she is also strong-willed and determined to find her way into being the woman she wants to be. She grows and has many hardships, but she weathers through while caring for everyone around her. Takatsuki is a girl that wants to be a boy, and her personality shows that in many masculine traits. She is very still pretty sensitive as well, but she cares for her friends. It's difficult to write about these characters in full here, as they grow over the 6 1/2 or so years that the manga takes place. Many characters are introduced early, and time only continues to add more. Each character is flawed and interesting in their own ways, even if their conflicts don't directly connect to the main characters. Seeing them grow and change is truly fascinating.

While the writing is pretty tough to read early on, the story is phenomenal and worth pushing through. It is a great slice of life with a strong premise that I think many can relate to. Seeing each character tackle their own struggles with growing up alongside the more complicated issues that Shuichi and Takatsuki face keeps things interesting. There are times where conflicts and characters are frustrating, but it feels realistic to the character's ages and personalities. The scariest part for the characters is that many conflicts don't have answers. The weakest part to me is the passing of time being weird at times; there are even times where things happen out of panel that confused me. It's weird finding out something that the main character has been up to for month(s) alongside other characters, but I wouldn't call it bad writing persay.

9/10 I HIGHLY recommend those with interest or curiosity in the topics tackled in this slice of life give it a read... Just be prepared to push through HARD early on. It is worth it. The conclusion is wonderful, even if not everyone ends up where I expected/hoped they would.

 

[Unkown254]

I think that Yuki-san and Shi-chan were extremely creepy and predator-ish, and this fully ruined the manga for me. I read up until book 6, hoping for some kind of acknowledgment of the complete sexual harassment going on; but there wasn't any. It's disgusting, and it's upsetting that a sweet book had to be so creepy. They were groping kids and making suggestive comments, can it get anymore horrible? I don't appreciate my trans experiences being looked at through some perverted lens.