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HOUROU MUSUKO WIKI / THE WONDERING PRODIGAL WIKI

The Hourou Musuko Wiki is a transgender themed wiki , featuring the life experiences of several transgender teenagers, as well as an adult trans woman. The story depicts a young student named Shuichi Nitori, described by the mangaka as a boy who wants to be a girl, and Shuichi's best friend, Yoshino Takatsuki, described as a girl who wants to be a boy. The story deals with prickly concepts such as transgender teenagers, transitioning to one's correct Gender Identity, and the hazards of the beginning of puberty.

The Media Wiki page can be found here .

Welcome to the Hourou Musuko Wiki

This is an English language wiki for the manga and anime Hourou Musuko. Because of the manga and anime exploration of the subject of transgender teens, portions of this wiki may not be suitable for pre-teens or younger children. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED !!! That being said, it is expected, and insisted, that everyone coming to this Transgender Themed Wiki must comply with the LGBTQIA+ Guidelines instituted by FAMDOM management, so as to be respectful of transgender characters, as well as transgender concepts presented in the manga and anime stories.

For a quick and fun review of the Hourou Musuko anime, go to the Video Section and watch the anime music videos of Hourou Musuko. Also check out the anime review of Wandering Son done by an experienced anime critic.

Because the Hourou Musuko anime and manga have several transgender characters, this wiki will observe the following gender identification markers and pronoun usage. Cis-female characters will be identified by female markers and pronouns. Cis-male characters will be identified by male markers and pronouns. Transgender characters, the times when they are presenting as their correct gender, will be identified by that gender's markers and pronouns. Transgender characters, when presenting as their perceived birth gender, will be identified by gender neutral pronouns.

( More information about gender neutral pronoun usage can be found here . )

Shuichi's Perceived Gender

Shuichi's Perceived Gender

Shuichi's correct gender, yoshino's correct gender, anna suehiro-shuichi's girlfriend.

Shuichi's Perceived Gender

Overview 

Asds

The story depicts a young student named Shuichi Nitori, described by the author, Takako Shimura, as a boy who wants to be a girl, and Shuichi's friend Yoshino Takatsuki, described as a girl who wants to be a boy. The series deals with issues such as transgender teens, gender identity, and the beginning of puberty. Created by Takako Shimura , Shimura was originally going to write the story about a girl in high school who wants to be a boy, but she realized that a boy who wants to become a girl before entering into puberty would have a lot of worries related to growing up, and changed the story to fit this model. Two other characters that attend school with Shuichi are also shown to have transgender issues to work through, plus one student is depicted as a gender non-conforming teen. All of the transgender characters are thrust into social and emotional situations when they attend school, as well as being out in public and with family, with many and varied reactions from the other students, teachers, family members, and people in general to the ones finally presenting themselves as their correct gender in their lives. Hourou Musuko  was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the tenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006.

At the start of Hourou Musuko , Shuichi Nitori is a young, feminine child assigned male at birth (AMAB) in the fifth grade who transfers into a new school. Shuichi quickly becomes friends with another student; tall, boyish Yoshino Takatsuki. Yoshino soon learns of Shuichi's desire to be a girl. In a show of friendship, Yoshino confesses a similar desire to be a boy. Shuichi also becomes friends with Saori Chiba and Kanako Sasa, two other girls in the class. Saori instantly takes a liking to Shuichi and continuously encourages Shuichi to wear feminine clothes. After Shuichi, Yoshino, and their friends enter the sixth grade, Shuichi meets Makoto Ariga, another AMAB student close to their age from another class, who also secretly wants to be a girl. Shuichi and Yoshino become friends with an adult transgender woman named Yuki, who is living with a man named Shiina. Shuichi's older sister Maho becomes a model and eventually becomes friends with Maiko, a teen model whom she idolizes, and two other teen models: Tamaki Satō and Anna Suehiro. Maho gets a boyfriend, Riku Seya, and Shuichi confesses a crush on Yoshino, but Yoshino cannot at this time reciprocate Shuichi's feelings. After Saori learns of this, she confesses she likes Shuichi too, but Shuichi unfortunately cannot return her feelings. This results in a falling-out between Shuichi's friends as they prepare to enter junior high school.

In junior high school, they meet a tall, eccentric, gender non-conforming girl who befriends everyone named Chizuru Sarashina, and her prickly friend Momoko Shirai, who does not get along well with the others—especially Saori. Eventually, Saori and Yoshino rejoin Shuichi's group of friends, though Saori says she still hates Yoshino and Momoko. Shuichi and Anna start dating, much to the surprise of their friends and Shuichi's sister. Yoshino and Saori manage to halfway repair their friendship, though Saori is still standoffish to others. Shuichi's friends are split up into several classes upon entering their second year in junior high school. Shuichi becomes friends with Shinpei Doi, who previously teased Shuichi about wanting to be a girl. Yoshino attends school in a boy's uniform for a short time; Shuichi tries to go to school dressed as a girl one day, but is laughed at, and becomes discouraged. Shuichi's friends worry as Shuichi begins skipping school. Although Shuichi eventually starts attending school regularly again, Anna breaks off their relationship. By the time Shuichi, Yoshino, and their friends enter their third year in junior high school, Shuichi's voice is changing. The group of friends start thinking about their future high school plans, and Shuichi and Anna start dating again.

It was reported in June 2013 that approximately 1.05 million copies of the manga are in print in Japan. Hourou Musuko was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the tenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006. The Young Adult Library Services Association nominated Hourou Musuko for its 2012 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. The anime was awarded the honorable mention prize for technical achievement in broadcast animation at the 65th Motion Picture and Television Engineering Society of Japan Awards in 2012.

In a review of the first volume by Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network (ANN), she praised the slow pace of the storytelling, which "gives it a more realistic feel". Silverman praises Takako Shimura for making Shuichi into a "human protagonist", but notes that "most of the children act much older than they are". The second volume was featured in ANN's 'Right Turn Only' column in March 2007 as the Import of the Month, where Carlo Santos lauded the series for using acceptance of authentic gender identity as the "actual heart of the story" in contrast to "every other series" involving cross-dressing, which typically use "gender reversal as a goofy plot device". The art was praised as "simple [with] few lines, but incredibly expressive" which Santos claimed is a "style that's the most difficult and beautiful of all." However, Santos criticized the "emotional realism" of the work for having the young characters' "unrealistically mature attitude" towards "issues above their grade level."

Matt Thorn, the English translator of the manga, wrote that fans of Anne of Green Gables or The Rose of Versailles would also enjoy Hourou Musuko, and Silverman compared Wandering Son to Mizuiro Jidai. Thorn described the art as "clean and lovely" and went on to cite Wandering Son as "sweet, thought-provoking, funny, and moving, and I think it will resonate with readers regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation". The first manga volume as translated by Fantagraphics Books had an early debut at the May 2011 Toronto Comic Arts Festival and sold out within the first two hours of the event

Media Distribution

Hourou Musuko / Wandering Son (放浪息子 Hōrō Musuko?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takako Shimura. It was originally serialized in Comic Beam from the December 2002 to August 2013 issue, and published in 15 tankōbon volumes by Enterbrain from July 2003 to August 2013. The series is licensed in English by Fantagraphics Books, which released the first volume in North America in July 2011. A 12-episode anime adaptation produced by AIC Classic and directed by Ei Aoki aired in Japan between January and March 2011. Eleven episodes aired on television, with episodes 10 and 11 edited into a single episode, and were released individually on their respective BD/DVD volumes

The Official Hourou Musuko Wiki Anime Music Video

Hourou_Musuko_AMV_-_Let_Me_Be_Myself-0

Hourou Musuko AMV - Let Me Be Myself-0

____________________

The Music of Wandering Son

Otaku Anime Fan's Comments on Wandering Son

happytaco - a year ago

This was such a beautiful anime. It was quite mature, especially for the age range of the characters, but nonetheless amazing. I still thought this was very realistic (not from experience, but from what I've learned), and accurately displays the lives of self-discovering pubescents. My score: 9/10, Would 100% recommend watching or reading.

pinky 10236 - a year ago

Um, the whole point of the show is that the main characters are transgender teens. It's a really good anime, you should definitely watch it.

Lilliana-sama - 2 years ago

This story gave an interesting point of view and if anyone has been a transgender person and through what they have been, then you will find it awesome. I personally wish they would have showed what happened to them afterwards :)

Kirin Chan - 2 years ago

Such a beautiful anime, left me in tears wanting more. In my opinion, it does not matter what/how we choose to gender identify are ourselves; as we all deserve to be respected and loved.

Alians - 2 years ago

The show starts with a mature theme. Later, I realized the show has multiple focuses; such as decision making and courage with great relationship building. This anime is realistic with the character growth and personalities. I give the anime 8/10.

birdy - 2 years ago

This was a really sweet story. I really love this anime and the Ending and Opening songs are really good, and they fit really well with the theme of this anime. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Slice of Life anime with a personal and deep story. This anime made me feel happy and sometimes sad, and overall its a wonderful story.

Jodie Rye - 2 years ago

I cried through most of this series. I so identify with the experiences of Shuichi Nitori. It brought back some powerful memories. There are few stories told in film that accurately portray the conflict transgender youth experience in life.

Anime Review by a Seasoned Anime Critic

Anime_America_Episode_55_Hourou_Musuko_Review-0

Anime America Episode 55 Hourou Musuko Review-0

The Management Positions for Wandering Son / Hourou Musuko Wiki are all taken , and the editing manpower of this wiki is currently adequate . Because this wiki is a transgender themed wiki, it is best for transgender people to edit it, as transgender people can identify with the transgender characters and tell their story with personal conviction, compassion, and a positive take on transgender issues. Nevertheless, the front page, anime episodes section, and the character profiles of this wiki have all been edited, double checked, have been proofread, and have come to reasonable completion. Further editing on these sections is not needed or necessary. However, if you still think that you have to supposedly edit on this wiki, you MUST observe these Editing Guidelines, found here .

Add'l info about Hourou Musuko and the Author

http://www.houroumusuko.jp/ (Official Site)

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=7330 (Manga)

http://takakoshimura.jugem.jp/ (Author Official Site)

http://a0ikit0iki.tumblr.com/ (Author Tumblr)

Another Transgender Themed Wiki That You May Enjoy

There is a Library Wiki on FANDOM that has many short stories all with the same theme---A Main or Side Character who is a male to female transgender teenager or young adult. If that is your interest, then click on the title of the Wiki to instantly teleport to this very special and encouraging Wiki. Also, say hello to the cute, pretty librarian, Noel Norwood, shown on the front (home) page. Yea, she used to be a guy!

The Male to Female Transformation Stories Library Wiki

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>>>>>>List of Anime Episodes<<<<<<<

(Click on the episode title to be taken to that episode's page.)

Episode 1: What Are Girls Made Of ?

Episode 2: Hate & Despise

Episode 3: Romeo and Juliet

Episode 4: I Give You My Name

Episode 5: The End of Summer

Episode 6: Cultural Festival

Episode 7: Rosy Cheeks

Episode 8: Spring

Episode 9 : Cool Girlfriend

Episode 10: They Only Laughed at Me

Episode 11: Confession

Episode 12: Forever a Wondering Son

  • 1 Nitori Shuichi
  • 2 Yoshino Takatsuki
  • 3 Hiroyuki Yoshida

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Wandering Son

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Recent News

Fractale and Hourou Musuko Mark Record Low Rating

Yamamoto Koji, the producer of Notiamina, tweeted that the TV rating of Fractale and Hourou Musuko episode 10 has marked record low of all the Noitamina titles. (0.9... read more

Mar 25, 2011 10:24 AM by dtshyk | Discuss (109 comments)

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According to Monthly Comic Beam April issue, Shimura Takako's manga Hourou Musuko was announced to get an anime adaptation. The volume 10 of the manga will be r... read more

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Wandering Son

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Wandering Son ( 放浪息子 Hōrō Musuko ? ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takako Shimura . It began serialization in the December 2002 issue of the monthly seinen manga magazine Comic Beam . The first bound volume was released by Enterbrain in July 2003 in Japan; as of March 2010, ten volumes have been released. Wandering Son was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the tenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006. [1] The series is licensed in English by Fantagraphics Books , which is scheduled to release the first volume in North America in December 2010. An anime adaptation was announced. [2]

It was produced and was 12 episodes long. 10+11 were merged and it was shortened to 11 for TV airing.

The story depicts a young boy named Shūichi Nitori who wants to be a girl, and his friend Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl who wants to be a boy. The series deals with issues such as transsexuality , gender identity , and the beginning of puberty . Shimura was originally going to write the story about a girl in high school who wants to be a boy, but she realized that a boy who wants to become a girl before entering into puberty would have a lot of worries related to growing up, and changed the story to fit this model. [3]

  • 2.1 Protagonists
  • 2.2 Classmates
  • 3 Production
  • 4 Reception
  • 5 References
  • 6 External links

At the start of Wandering Son , a young, effeminate boy in the fifth grade named Shūichi Nitori transfers into a new school where he quickly becomes friends with a tall, handsome girl in his class named Yoshino Takatsuki. Yoshino soon learns of Shūichi's desire to be a girl and tells him that she wants to be a boy. Shūichi also becomes friends with two other girls in his class, Saori Chiba and Kanako Sasa. Saori instantly takes a liking to Shūichi and continuously encourages him to cross-dress .

When Shūichi and his friends enter sixth grade, Yoshino cuts her hair to a short boyish style. Shūichi meets a boy his age from another class named Makoto Ariga who also secretly wants to be a girl. Shūichi and Yoshino meet a young transsexual woman named Yuki living with a man named Shiina. Shūichi and Yoshino become friends with Yuki and Shiina and continue meeting with them. Maho, Shūichi's elder sister by one year, becomes a model at a modeling agency where she eventually becomes friends with Maico, a teen model whom she idolizes, and two other teen models named Tamaki Satō and Anna Suehiro. Maho starts going out with a boy she likes, Riku Seya, and Shūichi confesses to Yoshino he likes her, but she cannot reciprocate his feelings. When Saori learns of this, she confesses she likes Shūichi, but he too cannot return her feelings. This results in a falling-out between Shūichi's friends as they prepare to enter junior high school.

In junior high school, they meet a tall, eccentric girl named Chizuru Sarashina, who befriends everyone, and her prickly friend Momoko Shirai, who does not get along well with the others—especially Saori. Eventually, Saori and Yoshino rejoin Shūichi's group of friends, though Saori says she still hates Yoshino and Momoko. Shūichi and Anna start dating, much to the surprise of his friends and sister. Yoshino and Saori finally manage to halfway repair their friendship, though Saori is still standoffish to others.

When Shūichi and his friends enter their second year in junior high school, they are split up into several classes. Shūichi becomes friends with Shinpei Doi, who previously teased him about wanting to be a girl. After a comment by Saori, Yoshino starts growing her hair long again, and attends school in a boy's uniform for a short time. Shūichi tries to go to school dressed as a girl one day, but he is laughed at, which greatly discourages him. Shūichi's friends worry as he begins skipping school, but he eventually starts attending school regularly again, though by this point Anna breaks up with him. Shūichi grows his hair out, while Yoshino in turn cuts hers again. Doi convinces Shūichi to begin attending class regularly again. By the time Shūichi and his friends enter their third year in junior high school, Shūichi's voice is changing and he gets his hair cut very short.

Characters [ ]

The main characters of Wandering Son (from left to right): Saori, Makoto, Shūichi, Chizuru, Yoshino, and Sasa.

Protagonists [ ]

Classmates [ ], production [ ].

The manga Wandering Son is written and illustrated by Takako Shimura . [57] It has been serialized in the monthly seinen (aimed at younger adult men) manga magazine Comic Beam since the December 2002 issue, with publication ongoing. [58] As such, Wandering Son is one of the longest works to be serialized in Comic Beam . [59] Serial chapters have been collected by Enterbrain in tankōbon volumes under the Beam Comix imprint starting on July 25, 2003; [57] as of March 2010 [update] , ten volumes have been released. [60] Wandering Son was one of several manga titles included with the launch in December 2009 of the manga distribution service of the PlayStation Store for the Japanese PlayStation Portable handheld game console . [61] The series is licensed in English by Fantagraphics Books , which is scheduled to release the first volume in North America on December 22, 2010 in hardcover format. [62] [63] 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," [64] saying that the subject is "perfectly legitimate ... for literature—or comics." [64] The series is also licensed by Ever Glory Publishing in Taiwan [65] and by Haksan Culture Company in Korea. [66]

In an interview in August 2003, Shimura stated that the theme of Wandering Son is similar to the second half of her previous manga series Shikii no Jūnin . [3] Shimura took the junior high school teacher Kentarō Kaneda from Shikii no Jūnin and inserted him into Wandering Son , where he teaches at Shūichi's junior high school, because she really liked his character. [67] Shimura originally planned to use a female high school student who wants to become a boy as the main character. However, she realized that a boy who wants to become a girl before entering into puberty would have many worries related to growing up, and changed the story accordingly. Shimura used her realization that the boy would go through significant changes as he grew up to deepen the development of the story and characters. [3] The Japanese title, Hōrō Musuko , is a pun on hōtō musuko ( 放蕩息子 ? ) , meaning "son lacking moral restraint". [68]

Shimura mainly found her characters' names by looking through name dictionaries, although she also took the names of acquaintances and slightly changed them, and even used train station names for side characters appearing only once. [68] Out of all the characters, Shimura is most pleased with Kanako Sasa. For the designs of clothes for the female characters, Shimura consulted various fashion magazines for girls in their early teens, especially Nicola . [68] Shimura commented self-deprecatingly in the afterword of volume one that, like her other series, her characters do not look very different from each other, her panels are too white, and there is much pathos . [69]

Reception [ ]

Wandering Son was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the tenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006. [1]

The second volume of Wandering Son was featured in Anime News Network 's Right Turn Only column in March 2007 as the Import of the Month, where Carlo Santos lauded the series for using gender reversal as the "actual heart of the story" in contrast to "every other series" involving cross-dressing, which use "gender reversal as a goofy plot device." [70] The art was praised as "simple [with] few lines, but incredibly expressive" which Santos claimed is a "style that's the most difficult and beautiful of all." Santos criticized the "emotional realism" of the work for having the young characters' "unrealistically mature attitude" towards "issues above their grade level." [70] Matt Thorn , the English translator of the manga, wrote that fans of Anne of Green Gables or The Rose of Versailles would also enjoy Wandering Son . [71] Thorn described the art as "clean and lovely" and went on to cite Wandering Son as "sweet, thought-provoking, funny, and moving, and I think it will resonate with readers regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation." [72]

References [ ]

  • ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tenth Japan Media Arts Festival manga recommendations" . Japan Media Arts Plaza, Agency for Cultural Affairs . Retrieved April 6, 2009 .  
  • ↑ "Takako Shimura's Wandering Son Manga Gets Anime" . Anime News Network . March 11, 2010 . Retrieved March 11, 2010 .  
  • ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Takako Shimura interview" (in Japanese). Walkerplus Tokyo. August 19, 2003. Archived from the original on May 26, 2007 . Retrieved April 5, 2009 .  
  • ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 1". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 2". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 44". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 6 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3352-7 .  
  • ↑ 7.0 7.1 Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 39". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ 8.0 8.1 Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 57". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 7 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3928-4 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2005). "Chapter 31". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 4 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2402-0 .  
  • ↑ 10.0 10.1 Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 53". Wandering Son 7 . Enterbrain . ISBN 978-4-7577-3928-4 .  
  • ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Shimura, Takako (2010). "Chapter 74". Wandering Son 10 . Enterbrain . ISBN 978-4-0472-6412-0 .  
  • ↑ 12.0 12.1 Shimura, Takako (2005). "Chapter 28". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 4 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2402-0 .  
  • ↑ 13.0 13.1 Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 52". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 7 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3928-4 .  
  • ↑ 14.0 14.1 Shimura, Takako (2005). "Chapter 27". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 4 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2402-0 .  
  • ↑ 15.0 15.1 Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 4". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 7". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 40". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 56". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 7 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3928-4 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 8". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 36". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2008). "Chapter 58". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 8 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-4499-8 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2010). "Chapter 75". Wandering Son 10 . Enterbrain . ISBN 978-4-0472-6412-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 6". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 10". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 17". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 47". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 6 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3352-7 .  
  • ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 21". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 3 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2091-6 .  
  • ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Shimura, Takako (2005). "Chapter 33". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 4 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2402-0 .  
  • ↑ 29.0 29.1 Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 13". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 25". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 3 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2091-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 3". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ 32.0 32.1 Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 50". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 7 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3928-4 .  
  • ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 34". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 41". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ 35.0 35.1 Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 43". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 6 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3352-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 38". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 46". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 6 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3352-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 18". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 3 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2091-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2006). "Chapter 37". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 5 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2825-7 .  
  • ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Shimura, Takako (2007). "Chapter 48". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 6 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-3352-7 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 11". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 24". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 3 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2091-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2009). "Chapter 71". Wandering Son 9 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-4995-5 .  
  • ↑ 44.0 44.1 Shimura, Takako (2005). "Chapter 32". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 4 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2402-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2008). "Chapter 60". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 8 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-4499-8 .  
  • ↑ 46.0 46.1 Shimura, Takako (2008). "Chapter 61". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 8 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-4499-8 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2008). "Chapter 59". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 8 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-4499-8 .  
  • ↑ 48.0 48.1 Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 23". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 3 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2091-6 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 16". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2003). "Chapter 7". Boku wa Onna no Ko (in Japanese). Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1685-8 .  
  • ↑ 51.0 51.1 Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 15". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2009). "Chapter 73". Wandering Son 9 . Enterbrain . ISBN 978-4-7577-4995-5 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2004). "Chapter 12". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 2 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-1805-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2005). "Chapter 30". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 4 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-2402-0 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2009). "Chapter 68". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 9 . Enterbrain . ISBN   978-4-7577-4995-5 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2010). "Chapter 81". Wandering Son 10 . Enterbrain . ISBN 978-4-0472-6412-0 .  
  • ↑ 57.0 57.1 "放浪息子 1" [ Wandering Son volume 1] (in Japanese). Enterbrain . Retrieved April 8, 2009 .  
  • ↑ " Comic Beam ongoing manga serialization listing" (in Japanese). Enterbrain . Retrieved April 8, 2009 .  
  • ↑ " Comic Beam completed manga serialization listing" (in Japanese). Enterbrain . Retrieved May 31, 2009 .  
  • ↑ "放浪息子 10" [ Wandering Son volume 10] (in Japanese). Enterbrain . Retrieved March 14, 2010 .  
  • ↑ "Japan's Sony PSP Manga Distribution Service Detailed" . Anime News Network . September 24, 2009 . Retrieved November 29, 2009 .  
  • ↑ " Wandering Son by Aoi Hana ' s Shimura Listed in Amazon" . Anime News Network . March 6, 2010 . Retrieved March 6, 2010 .  
  • ↑ Cohen, Jacq (March 8, 2010). "Here Comes the Son - Fantagraphics Starts a Manga Line" . Fantagraphics Books . Retrieved March 11, 2010 .  
  • ↑ 64.0 64.1 Aoki, Deb (March 11, 2010). "Gary Groth Talks: Fantagraphics' New Manga, Moto Hagio at Comic-Con" . About.com . Retrieved March 12, 2010 .  
  • ↑ "放浪男孩" [ Wandering Son ] (in Chinese). Ever Glory Publishing . Retrieved July 13, 2009 .  
  • ↑ "방랑 소년 1권" [ Wandering Son 1] (in Korean). Haksan Culture Company . Retrieved July 13, 2009 .  
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2008). "Afterword". Wandering Son 8 . Enterbrain . ISBN 978-4-7577-4499-8 .  
  • ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 "Ask the Manga Author! Part 6, Takako Shimura part 1" (in Japanese). Kanshin. 2005. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007 . Retrieved April 5, 2009 .   Unknown parameter |month= ignored ( help )
  • ↑ Shimura, Takako (2003). "Afterword". Wandering Son (in Japanese) 1 . Enterbrain . p. 187. ISBN   978-4-7577-1522-6 .  
  • ↑ 70.0 70.1 Santos, Carlo (March 6, 2007). "Right Turn Only!! Kingdoms' Heart" . Anime News Network . Retrieved November 29, 2009 .  
  • ↑ Thorn, Matt (March 9, 2010). "Moto Hagio collection, Takako Shimura's "Wandering Son " " . Retrieved March 11, 2010 .  
  • ↑ Mautner, Chris (March 23, 2010). "A short interview with Matt Thorn" . Comic Book Resources . Retrieved June 18, 2010 .  

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Manga / Wandering Son

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"My sister's dream is to go to a school for idols and to be classmates with Maiko-chan. I think that's stupid. My dream is..."

Wandering Son ( Hourou Musuko in Japanese) is a Slice of Life manga created by Takako Shimura , which was serialized in Comic Beam from 2002 to 2013. It follows two ten-year-old children whose genders are different from the biological sex they were born into . The first is Shuuichi Nitori, a shy and sensitive girl with a love of baking who wishes she could become the kind of girl that truly reflects her heart. The second is Yoshino Takatsuki, who is admired by his classmates but bullied by other boys for things about himself that he cannot control, and who wishes to become a proper man.

When Shuuichi transfers to a new school, she is sat next to Takatsuki and the two children become fast friends. Eventually, they are able to figure out their nature, and do their best to realise their personhood despite the adversity and shame imposed upon them by the surrounding society in which they live: for example, they begin to dress as their correct genders using clothes acquired or gifted from other people.

The story follows the lives of Shuuichi, Takatsuki, and those closest to them as they struggle with matters of identity, adolescence, and how they relate to the roles of the society in which they live. The plot is made up of the milestones that come with adolescence, including the day-to-day occurrences and everything in-between, while the dreams and secrets of the young cast create its drama. The dialogue primarily refers to Shuuichi with "he/his" pronouns and Takatsuki with "she/her" pronouns because most of the other characters in the story are unaware of the correct genders of the protagonists, and the main characters cannot use the correct pronouns for fear of social ostracization. However, as readers, we are aware of which gender the characters are, and refer to them within this article with the correct pronouns.

An 11-Episode Anime for the series aired in winter 2011. The manga has been licensed by Fantagraphics Books and has been released in hardcover since June 2011. Crunchyroll obtained the license to stream the series overseas, but the license expired in 2021.

No relation to the early '70s shoujo manga and anime Sasurai no Taiyō , whose title translates to Wandering Sun in English (perhaps to avoid confusion, the official English title of that series is Nozomi in the Sun ).

This series features examples of:

  • Eye variation. In the manga, everyone has brown eyes. In the anime, characters have golden eyes, black eyes, blue eyes, or even red eyes and purple in Yuki's and Anna's cases.
  • The manga colors the gakuran as pastel, though it could be artistic stylization and they're not really bright blue or green. The anime uses the standard black.
  • Adaptation Expansion : The anime. For example, the climax of episode 1 was an adaptation of a scene in volume eight (around four volumes ahead of the point the anime began). In the manga Shuuichi just stares at the clothes, until her sister comes in and yells at her. They've also pieced together scenes, for example the scene where Shuuichi hits Maho is from another part in the manga (when Maho tries to read a letter) .
  • Adaptational Gender Identity : Zig-zagged : the anime depicts Nitori and Yuki as trans women like in the manga, while Makoto is a Camp Gay boy instead of a trans girl who has yet to transition.
  • All There in the Manual : Some backstory on Yuki was given in He Said "I'm a girl" .
  • Momoko hasn't really shown any interest in boys, aside from Chi mentioning she likes Oka, instead just being extremely clingy toward Chizuru and saying that she "loves" her.
  • Arguably Maho has shown bisexual tendencies with her fangirlism of Maiko.
  • Takatsuki apparently might have liked one of his male teachers. This is vague because not even Takatsuki understood if it was admiration or not. At the end of the manga, she begins crushing on Nitori as well .
  • Shuuichi has shown an interest in Anna and they are dating, but she may be bisexual because of her possible feelings for Seya and Takatsuki.
  • Chiba's obsession with Shuuichi is a fringe example. While Shuuichi is a she, and Chiba enjoys seeing her dressed as such, it is likely she (Chiba) has a hard time seeing her (Shuuichi) as such, leading to much of her personal angst .
  • It is also worth mentioning that the relationship between Shuuichi and Takatsuki ended before it began largely because Takatsuki is uncertain of his own preferences.

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  • Makoto was this for the longest time. Introduced as a foil to Nitori but never got the same amount of transgender-related focus as Nitori, most fans thought Mako was a Camp Gay Wholesome Crossdresser . In high school it's shown otherwise and she even comes out to her mom . The anime didn't seem to think she was female either as she's dressed as a boy in an Imagine Spot , while the manga parallel has her in a girls uniform.
  • Art Evolution :
  • It's quite noticeable if you compare the early volumes to the later volumes, as the style became much more detailed. Justified since time passed, and the main cast began puberty.
  • Shuuichi is very popular with girls, such as Chiba and an elementary school friend she met again in high school. They think she looks good as a boy.
  • Chiba, Chizuru, Seya, and Takatsuki also garner attention when they've crossdressed for whatever reason.
  • For a while, if your name is Takatsuki, you will basically be Chiba's living berserk button , due to him being very close to Nitori, whom Chiba has an unrequited crush on.
  • For Takatsuki himself, he really doesn't like his periods and his slowly growing breasts. Also, don't even think about bullying Nitori in front of him. He will make sure you experience Hell.
  • Bittersweet Ending : The manga. On the plus side Nitori is going to transition soon, she's going to college, and she's still dating Anna . Kanako is dating her grade school crush and Mako's end is rather ambiguous but still not negative. On the opposing side Takatsuki has gradually drifted away somewhat from Nitori, has an unrequited love for her, and is possibly confused about her gender. Though the two of them do share a final tender moment together, and it’s left clear their friendship has meant a lot to both of them.
  • The gang goes to "Wcdonalds" in the anime.
  • Averted in most other cases though, where the names are correct. Maho even mentions Starbucks once.
  • The characters have been seen playing video game consoles, but they have no logos on them. Doi has a Playstation Portable , both Oka and Takatsuki have a PlayStation 2 , and both Maho and Anna have a Nintendo DS .
  • Chiba's personality and design were different for the first 3 volumes, before she changed to her more well-known self. Before she was more peppy, on par with the other children (albeit more socially awkward at times), and didn't look nearly as mature. This is probably one of the few instances of this trope being justified , given that this series revolves entirely around the often-dramatic changes children go through at the age the main cast are at.
  • Kanako's personality wasn't defined in the first volume. She was originally a random classmate before being retconned into Takatsuki's friend. Thus she lacked several of her normal attributes such as being The Ditz .
  • Class Trip : Chapters 16 - 17, to Nikko; also Chapters 56 - 57, to a ski area. The anime didn't adapt the field trip.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl :
  • Chiba Saori for Nitori, big time . In fact, the reason she becomes so awfully moody and such a Jerkass in middle school is because she feels bitter about Nitori's closeness with Takatsuki, leading to her resenting him out of jealousy. For a long while, aside from Sasa, only Nitori can normally talks to her without her acting like a jerk, but as soon as she mentions Takatsuki, Chiba will get mad, again .
  • The covers tend to have Shuuichi in feminine clothing, while in-story she rarely gets to dress like that. Colors also tend to be off such as Maho having blonde hair on the dark cover of volume 1 (despite inside clearly showcasing her with brown, and her family having brown hair), and Anna having brown eyes in one volume when the inside showed her with her ( new ) black eyes.
  • Creepy Crossdresser : Fumiya Ninomiya crossdresses just to impress Chiba. While not an outright villain, he is portrayed as a bit of a Slimeball when compared to the actual trans characters in the cast.
  • Crotch-Grab Sex Check : Shiina did this to Takatsuki in chapter 12. Though in the scenario he thought Yuki was cheating on him with Takatsuki, so he probably grabbed his groin to see if he had an erection.
  • Curtains Match the Window : Later chapters have made most characters fit this. Originally everyone had brown eyes, but now if you have black hair you're probably going to have black eyes. Brunettes have brown eyes.
  • D-Cup Distress : Downplayed with Takatsuki as his breasts are not as big as this trope tends to be, but he's not amused when he begins to grow breasts as he won't be able to put on the male uniform anymore, and saves money for a binder to hide them.
  • The Ditz : Kanako Sasa. Too much thinking makes her brain itchy.
  • Shuuichi gets hit with this hard since it is especially taboo for transgirls to be themselves in public versus the more permissive attitude to transboys in chapter 65 when she gets the idea to go to school dressed in the girl uniform after Chizuru and Takatsuki successfully dressed in the boy uniform note  To explain, Chizuru and Takatsuki have gone to school in boys uniforms, with little consequence other then a small scolding; kids also complimented them on how "cool" and nice they looked. Shuuichi decides to go in a girls uniform one day, she gets sent straight to the Nurse's office for her mom to pick her up, switched into a boys uniform in the office, and becomes the laughing stock of the school .
  • A slight, and justified, example happens in chapter 94. It's Valentine's Day, so Makoto decides to give out chocolates to some people; in Japan typically girls give chocolates on Valentine's Day though. She shies out of giving a teacher she likes chocolates, thinking it'll be weird since she's seen as a boy. When she tries to give a friend, Oka, he freaks out of the thought of another boy giving him chocolate.
  • Dude Magnet : Chiba. Any straight boy character can't seem to be indifferent toward her.
  • The hair colors in the first three volumes were different for several characters. For example Takatsuki was a brunette instead of a raven and Shiina had bleach blond hair instead of black hair.
  • Saori and Takatsuki had brown eyes at first but they're later shown with black eyes (which is a stylized brown).
  • Early-Installment Weirdness : Many characters had different hair colors in the first two volumes' artwork, the manga was more slow-paced, and the personalities were different ( Justified in the latter case).
  • 11-Episode Anime : Started airing in Japan on January 14, 2011. Twelve episodes, with one being Blu-Ray only note  The last two episodes were made into one episode when aired on television, but the Blu-Ray cuts them in half again . It skipped the first several volumes and focused on the middle school portion, though it ended before the characters hit high school.
  • Up until she began high school Maho slept in a bunk bed with her younger sibling. In an aversion to No Periods, Period , Chapter 30 showed her waking up in the night with bloody pajamas and sheets.
  • A flashback that shows trans woman Yuki had her first Nocturnal Emission at a school field trip as a child. She was embarrassed and confused but her future boyfriend Shiina didn't mention it when he caught her washing her underwear in the bathroom.
  • Beginning at high school, Chiba stops wearing pigtails to school. She's worn pigtails ever since she began middle school, though only when she was in school. She began wearing pigtails when she was at her most angry and depressed, starting around the time her characterization changes permanently. She's later works on making herself more appealing and less aggressive in later chapters, and only wears her hair down.
  • Sasa stopped wearing her pigtails for the first time in years for high school, which makes her come off as trying to mature.
  • Fashion Hurts : In the anime pilot, Shuuichi complains about the collar of her uniform being too tight.
  • First-Name Basis : Maho forces her boyfriend Riku into this. Sasa also refers to Chiba as "Saorin", which comes from the fact that a lot of Japanese girls add "-rin" to their friends names as a nickname. Shuuichi is on a First-Name Basis with Makoto, though Shuuichi calls her "Mako-chan", while she is called the feminine form of her last name in return (Nitorin).
  • Forced Out of the Closet : Fumiya accidentally outs Nitori as being transgender, or at least someone who crossdresses, around her new middle school friends. He gets called out for this.
  • Free-Range Children : Even as elementary schoolers the characters are free to run around town or even go on the train on their own (without cellphones at that).
  • Generic Cuteness : Averted. Shu is feminine, but poor Makoto just won't pass as a pretty girl even if she dresses up.
  • Gender Vocabulary Slip : Shuuichi and Takatsuki once noticed that Shuuichi refers to herself with the pronoun "boku" which is used by boys, while Takatsuki refers to himself as "watashi" which is gender neutral and more formal. They intentionally decide not to change this though as they agree it suits them.
  • Growing Up Sucks : Especially Shuuichi and Takatsuki feel this way, since their physical changes will make it harder to pass as their real gender.
  • Since elementary, Nitori has been bullied by Oka and Doi for being feminine. It was predominantly emotional bullying and ostraciziation, though there was an attempt at an Outfit-Rip Sex Check once.
  • Saori's relationship with Nitori and especially Takatsuki is heavily based on her forcing her pessimism and views onto them (especially during middle school). For example, she's constantly trying to get Takatsuki to become more feminine and putting him down for wanting to be seen as male.
  • In middle school, Yuki was forced into the girl's uniform by bullies. This scared her from going to school for years afterwards.
  • Subverted with the one transphobic hate crime. Yuki told Nitori that one of her friends was killed by a boyfriend when he learned she was trans. Yuki actually made this up and the woman is just fine.
  • Saori, she just cares for Shuuichi irrespective of gender presentation, although she thinks of her as a boy and would prefer she lived as one.
  • Anna is a similar way. She doesn't really mind what Nitori's gender is.
  • Nitori when it comes to Takatsuki. She's mostly attracted to girls, but Takatsuki is the only boy she will ever like.
  • I Have No Son! : Yuki's parents come pretty close to this. (Well, also, they have no son now, but... you get the idea.) There's a side-story in a collection of one-shots by the manga-ka called He Said "I'm A Girl" that shows a bit about Yuki's past. She was scolded by her father for being on a TV show about being transgender , but not disowned. Only her brother and her brother's wife are okay with Yuki's identity. Her mother chooses not to talk to (and possibly see) her, which in a sense, is worse than the father who is upfront about his disapproval.
  • Important Haircut :
  • In both cases it's subverted. Shuuichi wanted a certain (feminine) hair style, but it turned out differently from what she planned. Takatsuki grew his hair out because Saori told him it would look cool and other boys had longer hair too, but it wasn't as manly as he wanted.
  • Takatsuki started growing his hair out in high school. It's not a bob haircut, but not nearly as short as before. He eventually grew it past his shoulders, the longest we've seen on him, possibly due to being a model or deciding to live as a girl .
  • Doi got a haircut in high school due to upper classmen forcing him to. It occurs right when he stops being a bully towards Nitori.
  • Informed Flaw : Mako can't pass apparently but she looks just as passable as Nitori does with short hair. Mako does have poor self-esteem and much of the criticism comes from herself though.
  • In Medias Res : The anime begins at volume 5 of the manga, when the cast enters junior high.
  • Inopportune Voice Cracking : Played for Drama . Trans girl Nitori doesn't recognize her voice is changing at first and thinks it's a cold.
  • Intergenerational Friendship : Shiina and Yuki, who are adults, with the teenaged (originally preteen) Takatsuki and Shuuichi.
  • Kudzu Plot : Shimura increasingly juggles various parallel plot points, giving each only a few panels of attention before moving to the next, leading you to reread chapters just to keep a handle on what is going on.
  • LGBT Awakening : Nitori began wearing feminine clothes and attempting to pass as female after classmates made her put on a headband as a joke. Befriending a kindred spirit, a trans boy named Takatsuki, was also a big component.
  • Nitori almost always imagines herself with long hair and wants long hair in a Hime Cut but doesn't feel she can grow it out due to Double Standards involving boys and hair length. Saori, Yuki, and Maiko all have long hair and are feminine. Averted with Chizuru (who isn't terribly feminine), Momoko (who has a medium length cut), Maho (with a bob cut) and Satomi (a pixie style). Maiko eventually averts it when she cuts her hair into a pixie cut. That change gives Nitori the idea to cut her hair into the same style but it ends up looking less feminine on her since she's begun hitting puberty .
  • This trope is used to support Takatsuki's masculinity. After infancy, he has always kept his hair short, and around age ten he chose to cut it to the standard length of most other boys his age. At one point he grows it out a bit at Saori's insistence that he can have longer hair and still be masculine, however he cuts it back immediately when he realizes she was manipulating him into being more feminine. In high school when he's left in isolation with Saori he lets his usual mop top cut grow out into a shag hair cut. Him growing out his hair in high school is different from before, as he lets it get longer than ever before as part of him questioning his gender. He wants to answer the question of is he really a man, or if he "just hates being a girl" like Saori accused him of feeling. However the overwhelming positive reception, praise, and admiration he receives for presenting as female and a growing apathy in his own self creates distress and confusion in him, making Takatsuki unable to claim a masculine identity and causing her to decide to live as a girl .
  • Long-Runners : Ran from December 2002 to August 2013.
  • Love Revelation Epiphany : Saori grows to love Fumiya after he confessed to wanting to ask her out.
  • Type 10 occurs temporarily between the Nitori siblings and Seya with him as B, Maho as A and Shuuichi as C.
  • Shuuichi, Chiba and Takatsuki form longer-running one, which starts out as type 5 (Shuuichi as B, Takatsuki as C and Saori as A), but growing tension between Takatsuki and Chiba, and the appearance of Suehiro Anna complicates things.
  • The triangle between Takatsuki, Chiba, and Shuuichi eventually resolved itself, with Anna taking Chiba's place now.
  • One chapter has Hormone-Addled Teenager Nitori masturbating when his girlfriend Anna calls her. It's as awkward as it sounds but Anna doesn't notice.
  • In the flashbacks where Yuki describes her past it's implied twice that she was masturbating to thoughts of Shiina.
  • Mistaken for Cheating : This happens in chapter 12 when Yuki's boyfriend walks in when she's alone with Takatsuki, touching his face. This is despite the fact that Takatsuki is only around 10 or 11, so it makes her seem like she's a paedophile. Though considering how Yuki's acted toward him in future chapters... This whole situation is rather complicated. Yuki is a trans-woman who is attracted to the body and features of young girls, as they are things she always wanted for herself as a child but couldn't have. Takatsuki is a trans-boy, and is thus biologically female. Yuki did not know this at first but mistook him for simply being a regular boy but was attracted to his skin, which she mentions is smooth like a little girls. At the time the mistake scene occurred, whether she was about to do something or not is arguable. But given her behavior in a later chapter, after knowing Takatsuki's physical gender, not arguments seems a little weak.
  • Mistaken for Pedophile : As mentioned, Yuki. In the same chapter her boyfriend was touching Takatsuki's chest when a woman walked by.
  • Takatsuki and Saori from are mistaken for being boyfriend and girlfriend by their respective Stalkers with a Crush. This assumption goes away when they learn Takatsuki's sex.
  • Nitori and Takatsuki get mistaken for a couple a few times.
  • Model Scam : Avoided. In high school Takatsuki gets picked up by a man who says he's a model agent. Takatsuki ends up discussing this with their mother and with Anna, who agree that it seems suspicious Takatsuki instead begins modeling at Anna's legit agency.
  • One of the teachers is from a previous manga by Shimura, Inhabitants of the Threshold . If you look closely at the last episode you'll see a green haired guy and a girl standing in one scene - they're the protagonists of said manga. The girl waves at Kaneda and she's noticeably older than she was in her series.
  • Inverted in the Sweet Blue Flowers anime, as Nitori appeared in a cameo.
  • One of the manga scenes is lifted word from word from a chapter of Boku Wa Onnanoko . Interestingly enough that chapter of the manga is in-series a play written by Nitori.
  • The final chapter is called "For You", which was the name of the anime's ending.
  • Mukokuseki : Averted. The characters have either brown or black hair, and brown or black eyes. Early colored manga had a variety of hair colors and eye colors, but eventually they settled on the colors around volume 3.
  • Shuuichi has had them, though for non-sexual reasons. At the end of the first episode she wakes up from a dream and has to wash her underwear, which she does other times in the manga.
  • The first flashback to Yuki's childhood was of the first time this happened, while on a field trip.
  • No Indoor Voice : Sarashina has a tendency to be a loud Large Ham .
  • No Periods, Period : Averted in the case of Takatsuki and, later, Maho. Momoko, Sasa, and Chiba have also stated they've had their periods; Momoko and Chizuru even were surprised when Sasa said she was on hers.
  • No Smoking : Averted. Fumiya and Shiina have been shown to smoke several times, and Yuki has been depicted smoking at least once.
  • On the Next : The anime incorporated the previews into the outro animation.
  • Outfit-Rip Sex Check : In the manga, Oka and some other boys attempted this during the first field trip. At a hot springs they tease Nitori about being confused about her gender and try to "check". Nitori's high-pitched scream makes them run off laughing instead.
  • Platonic Life-Partners : In the end, this is probably the best term to describe Takatsuki and Nitori's relationship. Even if he doesn't return her feelings, Nitori still notes that he's the one who understands her the best because they are similar , which she is very grateful for.
  • Precocious Crush : Kaneda is apparently popular with students. Maho mentioned him in an early chapter, before he was revealed, and background girls like him. Makoto and Takatsuki crush on him as well.
  • Progressively Prettier : While not ugly, Takatsuki does tend to make unusual and exaggerated facial expressions in the manga. The anime changed them and toned them down.
  • One-Steve Limit : Subverted. A omake reveals the Nitori siblings dad is named "Hiroyuki", which is also Yuki's birth name.
  • Prone to Tears : Nitori starts out very sensitive, but becomes less so as she ages.
  • Sailor Fuku : Shuuichi was the only one in the manga to apparently own one for a long time, though recently she's brought a new uniform that matches her high school one . Sasa's and Chizuru's high school requires Sailor Fuku , so they wear one.
  • Series Continuity Error : In the first volume of the manga Takatsuki says "Her brain gets itchy? That's weird." in reference to Sasa's nature , and otherwise acts as if they aren't close. In the second volume it's established that they've been close friends since kindergarten, so Takatsuki should already know of Sasa's habits.
  • Setting Update : The anime was made in 2011 while the manga version of those chapters happened in the mid 2000s. Thus some technological upgrades were done to the anime.
  • Quite a few characters, including Mako and Yuki, ship Takatsuki and Shuuichi.
  • Maho shipped Shuuichi and Anna early on, but later she switched camps and wants them to break up.
  • Shout-Out : Shuuichi is quite the fan of Anne of Green Gables .
  • Shown Their Work : The manga has a realistic view on different LGBT topics. Simple cross-dressing, being transgender , being trans as a kid, questioning one's gender identity as a kid but growing out of it, being gay, sexuality in relation to being trans, trying to pretend to be one's biological sex to confirm they are actually trans etc. The series is a Lighter and Softer portrayal of much of what a transgender person would go through in Japan, but it does not sugarcoat the matter.

wandering son gif

  • The Smurfette Principle : Inverted with Takatsuki. Comparing to all the trans girls this series have (Nitori, Makoto, Yuki), he is the only trans boy out of them. And in the end, she decides to detransition and live as a girl.
  • Transgender Cool Big Sis Yuki's birth name is "Hiroyuki".
  • Makoto requests for Nitori to refer to her as "Mako-chan" not soon after they begin being friends.
  • Nitori herself may avert this. Her given name is "Shuuichi" and in middle school she wanted to swap names with Takatsuki, who is "Yoshino", but that never happened. When she begins working at a gay bar the owner gives her the name "Lilly" but we don't know if this is her chosen name or not. Mako refers to Nitori by the feminine nickname "Nitorin".
  • Spell My Name With An S : Maiko's name is typically written as "Maiko" by fans, but one magazine in the manga romanizes it as "Mai c o".
  • Stacy's Mom : Essentially all the mothers, though Chiba's mom has been referred to as "beautiful" by a boy in-series.
  • Tragic Dream : The protagonists are unable to transition so they must deal with puberty and growing up as a gender they don't wish to.
  • Nitori and Anna begin dating in middle school. Anna knew about Nitori wearing girl's clothes and was fine with it, but the full situation didn't dawn on her until Nitori tried to go to school dressed in the female uniform . The confusion led Anna to break up with Nitori, though they end up together again later. Everything ends up resolved when, before Nitori goes off to college, Anna tells Nitori that she likes her as a girl and she's fine being labeled lesbian if they're together .
  • Makoto is a closeted trans girl who has a habit of falling in love with guys. However, she can't be open about her feelings because everyone sees her as a boy and she'd likely get rejected as a result. Her main crush throughout middle and high school is a bully named Oka. Oka doesn't notice Mako's feelings and gets weirded out when Mako tries to give him "friendship chocolates" on Valentine's Day.
  • Trans Equals Gay : Several bullies mock Shuuichi about her 'crossdressing', saying that she's gay.
  • Uncanny Family Resemblance : Shuuichi and Maho, especially when the former grew their hair into a bob like her sister. Oka's little brother looks exactly like him, right down to the haircut. Funnily enough, while they don't resemble any of their parents too much, they look almost exactly like their aunt looked about their years. And said aunt, then Miss Kimishima, just happened to be the first crush of a boy... who became Shuuichi's homeroom teacher in the middle school and therefore couldn't really keep his calm in the girl's presence. Ouch .
  • Unresolved Sexual Tension : Nitori and Anna for quite a number of chapters. During the time they were broken up there were several tense moments between them. Nitori made it clear that she loves Anna, and Anna felt the same way, but they had difficulties making the jump to romance. A lot of blushing occured though. Eventually that tension ended when they got back together again however it was replaced with an even worse tension. They both become sexually frustrated in their high school years but never do anything about it.
  • Unwanted Harem : Almost criminal to list this one here due to the intense realism used when portraying it. A subversion of the common associated tropes, but falls cleanly into a Harem ; it's arguably a deconstruction of harems.
  • Wanted a Son Instead : Nitori's grandparents had a bet on the sex of their grandkids. The grandma lost both times because she thought Shuuichi was female and Maho was male. Nitori's father ponders whether she was really wrong about Shuu after all.
  • Webcomic Time : Six years in-series was nine years in real life. The series was written throughout The Noughties so you can tell when a chapter is written by the technology. Originally not that many kids had cellphones but later on almost everyone has them; the type of cellphone has also changed from flippable to touch screen in a few cases.
  • Wise Beyond Their Years : Less apparent than other examples, and more realistic, but still there. A common complaint about the manga is that the kids act "too" mature for ten to thirteen year olds. Although it's less about too mature and more about too aware. Children who aren't trans tend not to overanalyze and philosophize about gender until they're older, while trans kids feel the pressure sooner.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are : In Chapter 78 Nitori gives this to Mako. After confining into Nitori about how she doesn't see herself as cute, Nitori told her that she was. This incident made Mako consider whether she may have feelings for Nitori.

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Wandering Son (2011)

Original title: 放浪息子.

Wandering Son

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Wandering Son - watch online: streaming, buy or rent

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Newest Episodes

S1 e13 - "confession ~each season~", s1 e12 - they only laughed at me ~black sheep~, s1 e11 - forever a wandering son ~wandering son's progress~.

Shuichi Nitori transfers to a new elementary school, and there, meets Yoshino Takatsuki. The two children discover they share a similar secret.

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    Notice. The Management Positions for Wandering Son / Hourou Musuko Wiki are all taken, and the editing manpower of this wiki is currently adequate.Because this wiki is a transgender themed wiki, it is best for transgender people to edit it, as transgender people can identify with the transgender characters and tell their story with personal conviction, compassion, and a positive take on ...

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  4. Wandering Son

    Wandering Son (Japanese: 放浪息子, Hepburn: Hōrō Musuko) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takako Shimura.It was originally serialized in Comic Beam from the December 2002 to August 2013 issue, and published in 15 tankōbon volumes by Enterbrain from July 2003 to August 2013. The series is licensed in English by Fantagraphics Books, which released the first volume in ...

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    Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) is a touching anime about the struggles and joys of two childhood friends who are transgender. Shuuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki explore their gender identity, friendship, and love in a realistic and sensitive way. If you are looking for a heartfelt and mature story that tackles a rare topic in anime, check out Hourou Musuko on MyAnimeList.net, the world's ...

  6. [WT!] Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) : r/anime

    Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) WT! Wandering Son is a slice of life series about figuring out who one is. For three childhood friends, Yoshino Takatsuki, Shuuichi Nitori, and Saori Chiba, life becomes increasingly complicated as they transition from the confines of their elementary class to the uncertain and formative years of middle school.

  7. Hourou Musuko

    2011. Winter 2011. 3.777 out of 5 from 3,805 votes. Rank #2,420. Screenshots. Shuichi Nitori is about to start middle school with a terrible secret: he wishes he were a girl and likes wearing their clothes. With the right outfit and his cute, effeminate looks, he is often able to convince people that he is someone else - or even something else.

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    For fans of the Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko) series. A sub dedicated to fans of Wandering Son, also known as Hourou Musuko. 116 Members.

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    Faced with nearly insurmountable odds, they must learn to deal with the harsh realities of growing up, being transgender, relationships, and acceptance. Lauded as a decidedly serious take on gender identity and LGBT struggles, Takako Shimura's Hourou Musuko is about Shuuichi and Yoshino's attempts to discover their true selves as they enter ...

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    Reat May 22, 2011. 9. Wandering Son is a slice of life story about the confusing times teenagers find in relation to themselves and how they compare to others. What makes Wandering Son distinct is that it tackles an issue that rarely sees print - transgender issues. The two main characters both finding themselves confused about why they were ...

  11. Wandering Son

    Wandering Son (放浪息子 Hōrō Musuko?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takako Shimura. It began serialization in the December 2002 issue of the monthly seinen manga magazine Comic Beam. The first bound volume was released by Enterbrain in July 2003 in Japan; as of March 2010, ten volumes have been released. Wandering Son was selected as a recommended work by the ...

  12. Wandering Son (Manga)

    Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko in Japanese) is a Slice of Life manga created by Takako Shimura, which was serialized in Comic Beam from 2002 to 2013. It follows two ten-year-old children whose genders are different from the biological sex they were born into.The first is Shuuichi Nitori, a shy and sensitive girl with a love of baking who wishes she could become the kind of girl that truly ...

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    Hourou Musuko Wandering Son. Average Rating: 4.6 (724) 73 Reviews. Add To Watchlist. Add to Crunchylist. Nitori Shuichi is a boy who sees himself as a girl. He transfers to a new elementary school ...

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    need help finding wandering son. Help. hey y'all, there's this lgbtq+ friendly anime i really want to watch called wandering son, but it's not available on crunchyroll anymore. do you know anywhere else i could possibly watch it on ? Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Sort by:

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  19. Wandering Son

    Shuichi Nitori is a 5th grade student who likes to bake and has always been something of a feminine boy. When he transfers to a new school, Shuichi is mistaken for his 6th grade sister on his first day. Then he ends up sitting next to Yoshino Takatsuki, a tall, boyish girl who everyone calls "Takatsuki-kun." They both have secrets they can't let anyone know….

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  21. Anyone know where I can watch "a wandering son"? (a trans ...

    Wandering Son is an Aniplex show, and Aniplex is actually a sister company to Crunchyroll now. You'd think that'd make Crunchyroll the place to watch Wandering Son, but they actually lost the streaming license for the show in 2021. I think that Aniplex is trying to bury the show, and justifies the low sales for the manga internationally to ...

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  23. Wandering Son

    Wandering Son - watch online: streaming, buy or rent . We try to add new providers constantly but we couldn't find an offer for "Wandering Son" online. Please come back again soon to check if there's something new. Newest Episodes . S1 E13 - "Confession ~Each season~"