Ranked #481

Kaze to Ki no Uta (Manga)

These highly-acclaimed shoujo manga may have vastly different settings and premises, but the dynamics of the main characters are very similar. Both have a talented but naive character that is drawn into an intense new world after a personal tragedy. This character (Serge in KazeKi; Eiji in BF) becomes close to another boy whose horrid past has made him broken and unapproachable (Gilbert in KazeKi; Ash in BF). They're both romantic (although BF only has romantic undertones) without being full of fanservice; and tragic without lacking hope that the leads will one day be happy.

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Revolutionary Girl Utena may be most commonly compared to Riyoko Ikeda's works, but it was just as influenced by other works of the time, such as Kaze to Ki no Uta.

Both begin with an idealistic lead making a life-changing decision to go to a notable boarding school, where they quickly bond with an unusual fellow student. The leads are both notable as different from the rest of the student body, although not always in a bad way. The two form an immediate bond, but are challenged by their differences in priorities and their personal demons.

There is also a clear parallel between the villains, both of whom have a longtime bond with one of the leads, and both of whom are of notable position in the leads' schools. They both sexually manipulate much of the cast, and are honest threats to the well-being of the leads.

Both have a reputation for their heavy homoerotic and/or homosexual content, but are notable for lack of yaoi and yuri cliches. They focus not on the specific nature of the leads' sexualities, but instead let their dynamic simply be what it is.

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