Okay . . . so it has been a while since I have posted and the more astute of you will have noticed that my GoodReads "currently reading" book has been Volume 4 of Wandering Son for weeks. No, I haven't been reading a 220 page manga for over two weeks. But it should be said that one could easily get lost in this series over and over again . . . which is just what happens to me every time another volume in this series is released. So, just imagine me putting off this review over and over in order to simply read the volumes once again. It really isn't far from the truth! And with that, on with the incredibly tardy review!
Publisher Description:
The fifth grade. The threshold to puberty, and the beginning of the end of childhood innocence. Shuichi Nitori and his new friend Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino is a girl who wants to be a boy. Written and drawn by one of today’s most critically acclaimed creators of manga, Shimura portrays Shuishi and Yoshino’s very private journey with affection, sensitivity, gentle humor, and unmistakable flair and grace.
My Review: 5/5 Stars
Okay, I am in love with this series. I have no qualms saying this is one of the best manga series created. It will undoubtedly find itself compared with the greats of the medium in decades to come. The art is crisp and the panels well thought out, resulting in images that perfectly contour to the narrative with all its emotional poignancy. The story is as beautiful as it is often heartbreaking. The lives and struggles of Suichi and Yoshino, who both wish they were the opposite gender, are portrayed elegantly and sensitively. While there have been countless examples of one gender passing as another in manga (Rose of Versailles, Hana Kimi, and OuranHigh School Host Club, just to name a few), there aren't many examples of truly Trans* characters. The same can be said of literature in general. There are a few examples, here and there, but most of them fall short of showing the Trans* experience as a whole, not disconnected from the world around the characters. In these volumes we have the story of Suichi and Yoshino as they begin to question gender and its role in their lives, but these are stories surrounded by the stories of their friends, family, bullies, and everyday people. The relations of each and every character turns Suichi and Yoshino's story into a part of a whole. Not just an experience of one or two people, but a CULTURAL experience. In doing so, Shimura has created something more than the cardboard cut out of a Trans* individual; she has created real people who happen to be Trans*. This is a very big distinction in the same way that an exotic bird living in a cage in a New York apartment is a completely different thing than that same exotic bird found in its natural habitat; the former has been surgically removed from one place and transplanted to another ill-fitting environment while the latter is resplendent in its normal surroundings. Suichi and Yoshino (and all the characters) read as real people with real emotions and reactions. Through all of this, the narrative deftly avoids the omnipresent trap of preaching to the reader. All of this combines to create a wonderful experience as the reader walks alongside the characters as they simply try to find themselves . . . as if that is EVER a simple task.
Matt Thorn does an amazing job of translating the series and includes some great forwards about gender and sexuality in Japan and Japanese honorifics that are not only informative but add substantially to the reader's experience and depth of immersion. His delicate handling of the source material has resulted in a translation that feels true and faithful in every way possible, including retaining the complexity of honorifics which most English readers may have difficulty understanding (if not for his wonderfully written forward and honorifics glossary). The only issue I have here is that these forwards are at the end of the book, as it is read (right to left); this means that readers familiar with manga may completely miss these forwards as they dive into the beginning of the story.
I'm incredibly thankful that Fantagraphics has published this gem in the states, as their delicate and respectful treatment of comics and graphic novels is exactly what a series like "Wandering Son" needs and they do not disappoint. Each volume is sumptuously large in size (at 7"X9.5" the volumes are easily 40% larger than the average manga) and exquisitely hardbound, which makes for a comfortable and pleasant read. The printing is crisp and well detailed and each volume includes character introduction pages done in beautiful watercolor. The final result of Fantagraphic's efforts is a book who's every page resonates with the humor, sensitivity, and (most of all) love of its characters.All in all, this is an amazing story that has won awards and garnered critical praise (2012 Eisner Award Nominee and one of YALSA's Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens to name a couple) and with 13 published volumes in Japan, we have many more entries to look forward to reading! Fantagraphics has released 4 volumes in America with volume five scheduled for release in November. Regardless of your sexual orientation, gender identity, or beliefs I am sure anyone who enjoys comics will love these books as much as I do.
If you've read it, let me know what you think in comments!
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