Kaze Hikaru Vol 3

[meganbmoore]

This series is doing what other series about the Shinsengumi, as much as I’ve enjoyed them, hasn’t: it’s making me want to research the Shinsengumi. But I shall resist this urge. I already know enough to know it’ll likely end up depressing me about what’s coming.

This volume has the event that largely prompted me to eventually check this out: Sei having her first menstrual cycle. Yes, a strange thing to inspire one to start reading a manga, but it happens. I’ve read a fair bit of genderbending and crossdressing manga, but I don’t think I’ve ever read one that handled the issue so bluntly. Aside from Basara, where Sarasa almost convinces herself that she’s a boy when she’s masquerading as one (I really should reread that with an eye on how her sexuality is portrayed, because while she very much a heterosexual girl as Sarasa, she sinks far deeper into the male role than any other crossdressing heroine I’ve seen, including her reactions to Cha-Cha.) Not only does it almost cost her her place in the Mibu Roushi, but it also happens in front of the guy she likes, causing mass panic in him, too. It also goes into detail about how she hides it, which sounds more weird and graphic than it actually is.

I’m glad we’re seeing more of Sei’s friendship with Akesato, though with the Mibu Roushi becoming the Shinsengumi and about to move, I guess that can’t stay for long. I was hoping we’d see something with Oume, too, when she became Serizawa’s mistress, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.

I also like how Sei’s crush on Okita is being portrayed as a young girl’s crush on a guy who probably doesn’t see her that way (Yet, at least. Maybe later.) as opposed to True Love. Okita, for his part, seems to see Sei more as a kid to take care of and guide than a potential lover, and I’m glad that (even though he tends to fail) he genuinely tries to treat her as a boy, and not show particular favoritism.

There was a lot of focus on Serizawa here, and while the end of the volume indicates that that’s for a sad reason (Serizawa is one I wasn’t familiar with before this) I find that, like Sei, my opinion of him changes with his mood. I do like, though, that Sei decided to give him a chance, and then had her attempts to alternately help and manipulate him the way Okita does backfire on her.  It's starting to take ont he feel that I used to associate with Fruits Basket (before that one set up residence at the deep end of the angst pool) of effortlessly slipping between fluff and humor, and serious issues and angst.

And if Saito hasn’t figured out she’s a girl, I’ll be rather sad.
 
No spoilers for future volumes in comments without the spoiler code.

Comments

[the_rck]

My impression (possibly quite inaccurate) is that a lot of what's available in English on the Shinsengumi has come out of fan communities. I haven't looked into the subject in years, but there wasn't much scholarly material available at all in English. There was a Yahoo group for English fans collecting and exchanging fragments of information, translations and so on. (I think they may have started an LJ community or a website or something of the sort. I ran out of time to read posts and got frustrated because I didn't have the basic, assumed knowledge to understand half of what was said on the list.)