Hourou Musuko

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that a poorly researched work on a touchy subject can frustrate people off. The anime medium is infamous for blatantly using offensive stereotypes; One Piece is one of the weirdest examples out there for attacking racism and then, using racial stereotypes.

Then, there’s the animes that deal with the LGBT community.

Stereotyped as flamboyant creatures, the LGBT community suffers through insulting stereotypes and invectives. One of the least prominent group of the LGBT body is transgender community; there is so little focus on them. As far as most ignorant people are concerned, they are crossdressers. Nothing more.

Hourou Musuko, or Wandering ... Son, is a work, based on the bestselling manga, that focuses on crossdressers, puberty, and transgender issues. It serves to educate -- and entertain -- viewers about gender identity. What does it mean to be a boy or a girl? Why do people have so many problems with guys dressing up as girls? Are crossdressers “weird”?

The work tackles these questions through the eyes of Nitori Shuichi. He never like being a boy; he always feels he should have been a girl. Takatsuki Yoshino, a girl, wishes she is born as a boy. She hates wearing girly clothing. Both these main characters feel strangled over societal norms on gender issues and this anime adaptation does great justice in focusing their struggles.

Because this work starts in medias res, the drama immediately starts and that is one of its greatest strengths. It doesn’t waddle on setting the work; the work has an inviting introduction that explains most of the events explained in the manga in the first episode. Personally, the first episode is one of my favorite first episodes out there; it is so impressive that I said, “Wow.”

While it rests on the familiar tropes and archetypes, there is an engaging twist on everything. If you think love triangles are the most boring trope out there, Hourou Musuko will flabbergast you. Chiba Saori, a straight female character, falls in love with Nitori as a girl while Nitori has a crush on Takatsuki. The love triangle situation grows even more complex and captures the viewers’ imagination. Dramatic and slice-of-life situations are there for a reason: to characterize. There is nothing redundant about them and everything feels well-placed. Interestingly enough, the work climaxes on the silly anime cliche: a play in a cultural festival; however, it is one of the best endings out there in anime.

Everything about the characters feels realistic. Nitori and Takatsuki are definitely two of the best written LGBT characters out there; they act like people in real life facing actual dramatic situations. Except they have problems identifying themselves. Saori, while being a more unconventional -- and almost insane -- character, has a degree of believability. Ariga Makoto, Suehiro Anna, and Doi Shinpei -- despite their labels as supporting characters -- are strong characters that complement the drama in the work; it seems bizarre to call them supporting characters. While Sarashina Chizuru may vex viewers, her placement is a necessary evil.

The minimalist watercolor palette for its art is powerful. Bright colors and thin outlines almost feel like you are viewing a moving watercolor painting. Lush backgrounds have never been this interesting. The character designs look fantastic and dynamic. What can I say? Hourou Musuko’s art style is unbelievably incredible.

“Itsudatte” by Daisuke is a charming acoustic piece for an OP: clear vocals, catchy acoustic pieces, fantastic lyrics. While I find it hilarious that the OP focuses on furniture and symbols, its symbolism is worthy of praise. It introduces the serious yet enchanting elements of this work. The ED, “For You” by Rie Fu, is a soothing pop music, but loses its memorability quickly.

Fans argue that its noitaminA’s position creates problems with this work. Its 11 episode structure has condensed the work quite significantly. Despite that, it is an excellent way to introduce viewers to the manga; its easygoingness gives little problems.

So how does Hourou Musuko compare to the likes of other slice-of-life works? Excellent. Its pleasant nature does not scare off viewers; rather, it educates them about the issues. The animation staff did not back off from the issues, no matter the consequences. That, to me, is admirable.

It's strange to think about the roles that we fall into based on our inborn qualities and the societies in which we live. The very existence of the term “cross-dressing” seems to rely on the assumption that there's a “right” way to anoint ourselves with clothes to wear based on our sex, and to do otherwise is to risk social exile. But what if a boy doesn't want to look like or act like a boy, and what if a girl doesn't want to develop into a woman? Do we have any freedom in this regard, or are we slaves to birth and societal convention? ... Wandering Son is a series which looks at the implications of these and other ideas by taking a peek into the life of a middle school student: The feminine boy, Nitori, who privately cross-dresses and begins to identify as a girl. Sometimes at odds with others, and always at odds with himself, he walks through some confusing years searching for the answers to countless complicated questions.

“Simple, but effective” is a phrase that could describe Wandering Son on a couple of levels, but it's most immediately noticeable in the artwork. The color scheme is warm, consisting mostly of pastel pinks and yellows. Backgrounds are reasonably detailed, and they fade into a sea of off-white around the edges, like a drawing on canvas. At the most basic level, you could call the character designs generic, but they're drawn with the same light, rounded watercolor touch that's applied to the backgrounds, and the result is a world that's appealing to the eyes, as inviting and agreeable as it is distinctive. Each scene looks like a moving painting, remarkably fluid, with no out-of-place elements or sharp contrasts to break the sense of consistency.

The music and sound share many of those same qualities. Short of some obligatory “light and cheerful” music for the more upbeat school scenes, the series mostly relies on a seemingly limitless series of piano melodies. Dramas can sometimes be guilty of leaning too heavily on the sound of the piano, but in this case there are a surprisingly large variety of tracks, and they run the tonal gamut from soft and somber to soaring and hopeful, so it didn't bother me in the least. What's more interesting is the show's willingness to use atmospheric noise in place of music. The soft ticking of a clock during a lull in conversation can become harsh and accusing, as can that normally-harmless loop of muzak playing in the karaoke place. In one heart-stopping scene, the shrill cry of cicadas and the beat of slow footsteps are all we can hear as an antagonistic classmate approaches the vulnerable main character behind a closed door, his motives unclear. In this regard, the series can produce an immense amount of tension and audience involvement from practically nothing.

The characters are both a blessing and a curse. Get ready to be completely and utterly lost as early as three minutes into the first episode: The cast is huge, and with the exception of two leads, Nitori and Takatsuki, none of the characters are explicitly introduced in any sort of depth. To make matters worse, in addition to their given name, every character is also referred to by several nicknames, so you can definitely expect to play a little who's-who early in the series. Many of the characters knew each other in past years, but this is touched on very briefly, and the series seems to take it for granted that we'll be able to grasp everyone's histories. To be fair, if you're paying close attention, you can do just that, but it's definitely a tasking introduction that might be a little more complicated than it needed to be.

The series also falters a little when it comes to making the lead roles feel believable. It's difficult to write children with true accuracy, but this is an extreme case; within this series, there are at least three middle schoolers who, by all indications, are more mature and intelligent than most adults. Nitori and Takatsuki are both unflinchingly honest and up-front about their motivations and desires, and Saori, the third lead, is a little girl who has the steely composure and resolve of a professional hitman. In one scene, Saori's mother asks her what she plans to do with her life, and Saori sullenly responds that, if all else fails, she could “just be somebody's mistress.” You'll pardon me for thinking that seems like an unlikely response from an eleven-year-old, and it's a drop in the bucket of unrealistic behavior exhibited by children throughout the course of the series.

That's not to say the characters are a flop, though. Nitori is a character in a state of internal turmoil, trying his best to make sense of himself and work through confusion that most people could only imagine. It all shows through in his tepid behavior, his shyness, his inability to truly feel comfortable amongst others. He's complex, and believable as a person, just not as a child. By and large, the supporting characters are put to good use—as mentioned, they're many in number, so I can't dig into everyone, but some standouts include: Sarashina, a brazen and upbeat girl whose positive attitude and strong sense of identity make her a good role model for Nitori; Ariga, Nitori's friend and confidant who also has the desire to cross-dress; and Maho, Nitori's sister who, like true family, can somehow manage to be simultaneously spiteful and kind. The sense of realism isn't quite up to par, but there's definitely a lot of good chemistry between the characters.

Even by slice-of-life/drama standards, there really isn't much in the way of a conventional story here. Each episode is just a day or two in the life of Nitori as he faces numerous problems. In many ways, Nitori is the story—numerous subplots raise meaningful inquiries about him and the way that he is going to live his life. He starts to undergo puberty, he finds himself attracted to his sister's friend, he is conflicted about whether or not he should cross-dress at school. These beg some questions; how will he handle it when he is too “boyish” to convincingly cross-dress? Will he be able to have a meaningful relationship with the opposite sex despite his own confused state? Will he live in secrecy, or be open about his desire to be a girl? The series is good at provoking these sorts of thoughts without ever being too explicit about them.

In that same vein, Wandering Son really does have something that's absent from most dramas, and that is a sense of emotional understatement. It generates tension the same way that tension is generated in real life. Awkward silences; sometimes words unspoken are worse than those that are. Simultaneous sidelong glances in which both parties drop their eyes; just returning the gaze of a person you no longer call “friend” can be disquieting. A white flag offered by someone who has wronged you in the past; you want to let bygones be bygones, but you never can tell who's genuine and who isn't. Over time, Wandering Son collects all of these realities and more, hones them to their most disconcerting and incisive forms, and then uses them to great effect. The scene that I would consider to be the show's climax is so soft and unassuming, yet so full of visceral impact, that it's tough to even describe. Bad dramas default to artificially emotional screaming and crying. The good dramas are the ones that are built on the understanding that sometimes life is just so damn cold, silent, and uncomfortable that screaming and crying become a welcome change of pace, the finish line of an emotional gauntlet rather than the start. To that end, this series passes with flying colors.

What ultimately ends up marring Wandering Son more than anything is its treatment of its themes. Don't think for a second that I won't commend the show for taking an idea that's often denigrated to the rank of a joke and bringing it up to center stage, because I will. It's daring, original, and respectful, and I respect that to no end. The series is great at presenting insightful questions. But it cheapens itself a little bit when attempting to provide the answers. For all of the inner toiling, the complexity of the problems faced by the characters, the series ultimately ends up being permeated and diluted by the same overly simplistic “just be yourself and everything is gonna be okey-dokey” message that seems to be omnipresent in all forms of media. My own cynicism notwithstanding, there's nothing terribly wrong with that message in and of itself, but in this context, it's little more than a cop-out, a juvenile thematic resolution crudely tacked onto an otherwise mature and involving experience. It turns Wandering Son into an inarticulate meditation on the topic at hand rather than a full-blown attempt to embrace it, and for lack of a better phrase, it's a crying shame.

Nonetheless, there's plenty to appreciate here, and if you lean at all towards the slice-of-life/drama genres, or if you're just intrigued by the idea but sitting on the fence about whether or not it's worth your time, this is an easy enough recommendation. It doesn't carry nearly as much weight as it might have, but it's still the kind of uniquely artistic and effective series that I wish was a little more prevalent in the entertainment landscape.

Let me get this straight, I usually don’t watch gender-bender series or anything that is related to the genre. Actually, I don’t recall one anime that I saw that the focus was with cross-dressing of any sort. That said, Wandering Son would actually be the first anime that I have seen that made usage of this trope. And to be honest, it came to be one of the best series of the winter 2011. Wandering Son is a short and calm anime that was enjoyable for its simple, but thoughtful story.

Wandering Son starts off with an interesting structure. Instead of starting from an extremity, ... the beginning or the ending, the anime begins somewhere in the middle of the original story. Of course, it is assuming that either the viewer is familiar with the manga or is watching the series seriously. I’m saying this because it is easy to get lost in the anime as it refers a lot to pass events and it is mostly through dialogue than flashbacks. Actually, I applaud the director for using such a direction, simply because that the story works on already constructed and broken relations rather than focusing on making some. However, where the story keeps its real strength is in the problematic itself. Of course, our main characters have an idea of cross-dressing and wanting to be the opposite sex, but such dilemma is never blatantly exposed in the anime, nor does it make it over-dramatic. Instead, Wandering Son almost works as a slice of life. And by that I do not mean IT IS a slice of life, since it is absolutely not, but the story is found between the lines, between the dialogues and the actions of the characters. This way, the anime is helped by a correct blend between light moments and drama. While it is mostly a serious show, the happy moments are never actually forced and it sometimes it is not really sure if a scene was to be happy or sad. Ironically, the lack of focus in the story can also be a weak point for some, as it may get hard to get into a story that doesn’t really shows itself. From this point, it is really a matter of preference. Personally, I think the calm development is the best way to go, since a direct focus would make it too dramatic for nothing. Of course, the story wouldn’t matter without its cast, which exactly knows what it has to do.

Wandering Son has a relatively large cast. Only, it is clear that the anime only focus on the main characters rather than the supportive cast. This way, the small amount of 11 episodes is enough for the viewer to learn about the characters that are really important to the show. As for the others, they play their supportive role very well and that is a big plus point in the series. What is really fascinating about the cast is really the way they are used as whole rather than individually. More precisely, the representation of the classroom can almost be taken as one big character. The chemistry of the students is something I’ve rarely seen in the medium. Individually, the characters aren’t bad at all, but there is a tad annoyance. Looking at characters such as Nitori, Takatsuki and Chiba, they are certainly well written characters. However, especially for Chiba, their way of thinking can often look too far away from the physical age. It’s always hard to represent children or prepubescent teen correctly and realistically in anime and Wandering Son certainly doesn’t have the best one of them all. Of course, I might be wrong on this one, but the characters really were too mature for their age. Though, I wouldn’t say it’s a problem since it works greatly with the story and the feeling of the anime. Childish characters wouldn’t go well with subjects such as gender crisis and the fear of puberty.

The anime is accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack. While the opening song might be debatable, (I for myself wasn’t a big fan of it) the series itself is helped by wonderful melodramatic piano compositions. A prime example is in the first episode where Claire de Lune is played at the end. Not only I respect them for the use of a very popular composition, but it was also completely fitting with the situation. The music is never poignant in Wandering Son. Instead, it is played gently and calmly in the background. You don’t really pay attention, but you know it is well there. As for the voice acting, glad to know that it wasn’t a typical high pitched voice you would often see with children. For most of them, they did a really good job, and while Nitori had mostly a monotone voice, it went very well with its personality.

Another point that is easy to notice in Wandering Son is the artwork which is very similar to book art. I don’t know the reason behind this, but I found it to be relieving. In contrast to the melancholy feeling of the series, the light pastel colors help the viewer to go through the whole series and take it as a lighter anime. The character design is meant to be normal in this show, and so it’s usual for them to look like typical children. However, the artwork is enough to make them look different from the mass. I just can’t say it enough; I simply fell in love with the artwork.

To fill it up completely, Wandering Son is simply a good anime that blends dramatics elements with lighter ones in the best way possible. Even though the style might not be your cup of tea, which is a valid point, I still recommend it to everyone who wants to try something serious once in a while. Really, it shows how the anime industry is still trying to give us original titles rather than the same formula over and over again.

“What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails, and puppy dogs’ tails. That’s what little boys are made of.”

The third movement of Debussy’s Bergasmasque Suite plays softly in the background as a strong gust blows hundreds of cherry blossoms in the night sky. It’s a fitting piece not only for setting such a tranquil mood, but also referencing Paul Verdaine’s poem, Clair de Lune, whose first stanza is a decently fitting representation of what may be one of the most beautifully written slice of life anime out there.

“Your soul is a chosen landscape
Where charming masqueraders and bergamaskers go
Playing the lute and dancing and ... almost
Sad beneath their fanciful disguises.”

Story – 9/10

Hourou Musuko is a story about Shuiichi Nitori, a boy who wants to be a girl, Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl who wants to be a boy, and a cast consisting of their friends and acquaintances as they navigate through the issues of puberty, transsexuality, and gender identity.

I usually state in my reviews that the anime in question has a simple premise, but Hourou Musuko’s is anything but that. The issues that the show tackles are complex and filled with varying perspectives and challenges. The show doesn’t sugar coat the current state of people’s views of the transgender community. Yes, there are many who understand one’s plight and predicament, but often times, he or she may be almost entirely alone, forced to don a set of clothes that may not echo with their true identity, and changing clothes when nobody is looking to feel more like themselves. There are characters in this story that aren’t very accepting, or uncomfortable, or have strange fetishes that just make things worse, or are confused and externalize their confusion into near bullying. There are many people, even friends, family, and loved ones, who are certainly not ready to accept Nitori for the person he wants to be. Hourou Musuko doesn’t offer a perfect world for our protagonists to live in and be happy. It’s a confusing and trying time, with just the right amount of help from great role models to push our protagonists towards understanding themselves and the growth they’re experiencing.

In this sense, it was brilliant to tackle them from the perspectives of children, who are not only innocent, but easily influenced, confused, and prone to unpredictable outbreaks of emotion and anger. I felt like such an angle gave a lot more depth, with the perspectives of children and their older peers and adults on Nitori’s cross dressing a major motif in the story. The story’s most powerful message is of personal acceptance and coming to terms with one’s identity and physical changes that are taking place in one’s body. I truly believe that taking the perspective of kids empowered this message, as it removes any potential fluff in high school dramas while pinpointing the most confusing time for some of us all: the beginning of puberty.


Characters – 9/10

I would imagine it’s really hard to write children, and as we’ve seen from many movies revolving around children (most recently the disaster known as Ender’s Game), children can really suck if not done right.

Hourou Musuko has no such problems, and while I have to fault them for having some children (predominantly Chiba Saori, ironically one of my favorite characters) that act way older than they really appear, at the end of the day Hourou Musuko is powered by a really strong cast of characters that each fit their own role in their story, no matter how small it is. It’s really refreshing to see a cast that’s so varied and each serving a variety of important purposes and aren’t just lifeless plot devices.

Nitori’s best friend Mako is a fantastic foil character, bordering on the line of supporting his friend and envying him. The bombastic and tomboyish Sarashina serve as surprisingly good comic relief and sort of early role model for Tataksuki, who is interested in wearing more boyish clothes. The little girl Sasa is a mediator, trying to keep her friends together despite various conflicts, and she might be one of the characters a good portion of the audience might sympathize with. There are too many others for me to cover, but for such a short show, Hourou Musuko gives life to these characters and give them purpose, though it could be said that they needed to be a bit more fleshed out.

But it’s the three main characters, Nitori, Takatsuki, and Chiba Saori that get the most amount of development, and I think the three of them played such an interesting dynamic. I think Nitori and Takatsuki speak for themselves as the show’s two main protagonists, but Saori is definitely one of the more complex characters in the show, and she played kind of an antagonistic role, always causing problems for her own selfish needs. She’s blunt, and despite her brutal honesty to other people about her opinions she is least honest to herself. Her inability to externalize some of her deeper feelings and get along with people meshed her romantic feelings made her likable despite how mean she was to everyone else.

All in all, Hourou Musuko has great characters, and I think despite the fact that many may act over their age level, I think that’s a small and irrelevant point in the long run. While it’s true that children should be portrayed realistically, the end goal is the thematic elements that are what makes the show really powerful. To that extent, the children are portrayed realistically. They may have lines that hint at more deep thought, but it’s their quirks, confusion with feelings of love, innocence and inability to process between what is socially acceptable and what is not, and unpredictability that makes them children.

Art – 9/10

Hourou Musuko is a really good looking show, and it’s unique too. I must admit that the watercolor-ish look at the beginning seemed a bit too bright for me, but it really grew as the show went on. The character designs are also nice. I thought both Nitori and Takatsuki were drawn really well to demonstrate that they could look both like a boy or a girl. I think they changed Saori from her original appearance in the manga, but I think that only strengthened her presence in the show.

Other than that, there’s nothing particularly spectacular about the animation. The art is where the main compliments are had, and ultimately the show is less about animation as it is about the writing, but I do think their use of facial expressions were really spot on. You could really tell people’s attitude from how they were drawn, the look in their eyes, their smile or apathetic frown. I thought that attention to detail was really important.

Music – 8/10

I’m not particularly impressed by most of Hourou Musuko’s music, but I think that was intended since it was a kind of quiet piece that really didn’t have a need for any kind of outstanding score. The soundtrack was mostly very forgettable outside of three pieces, which was their rendition of Clair de Lune, the opening, and the ending songs.

The songs are composed mostly of a piano and a guitar, and I think that those make for quiet and peaceful tracks. They have melodies but are mostly unimpressive compared to the quality of everything else.

Enjoyment – 9/10

I had a great time watching Hourou Musuko. I haven’t watched too much school based slice of life/drama/comedy (more than most people though), but Hourou Musuko takes the cake for the best and most powerful school/drama anime I have ever watched. Its messages are powerful, thought provoking, and long lasting. This is an instant recommendation to a lot of my friends who are looking for good slice of life, and all of my transgender friends have cried and have sung only praises for such a realistic portrayal of the struggles of the TG community.

The characters in this show, while I may not directly relate to, are very interesting and multilayered. They all have their own qualities and I’m sure many will be bound to find at least one character to really like and look forward to seeing. The show has a great balance of comedy and drama too, without forcing melodramatic scenes down our throats at all. The writing and dialogue was great and demonstrated a mastery of narrative and storytelling. Sometimes Hourou Musuko even read almost like a poem, with beautiful passages short and expressive.

So, as the ending of this show came around, and the sound of applause began to echo in my ears, I could only clap along with everyone else. This seems like an overlooked gem in the anime community, and I sincerely hope you take my words and give this show a chance. I can only imagine which expression you may relate with when those final curtains rise on this magnificent performance.

Hourou Musuko starts with questioning what little girls and boys are made of. It illuminates the role of sex in the construction of “natural” or coherent sexuality and gender, and the disheartening repercussions that the individuals, who fail to conform to what is socially accepted, experience. Further, the plotline sensibly uses the onset of puberty to intricately and realistically show that in this socially constructed world, we are bounded by to what has been “normalized”—boys must wear pants and girls must wear skirts. Together with the simple clean art and easy melodies, this series is crafted in a remarkably sensitive and moving way.

Nitori and Takatsuki ... are the two main characters, who both struggle with gender crisis. Nitori is feminine by nature but trapped in a male body, same with Takatsuki who is masculine by nature however ensnared in a female body. Both clearly demonstrate the challenges of having binary sex system or the society's practice of heterosexuality. The plot visibly shows that the supposed blatancy of sex as a natural biological fact indicates to how intensely its production in discourse is concealed. For instance, Takatsuki agonizes girlhood because no matter how hard she flattens her chest, she cannot avoid wearing a bra for she can never stop her breast from growing. Likewise with Nitori, he vacillates boyhood because as soon as his body hairs grow, it’ll be harder for him to wear skirts and dresses. Moreover, the predicament of the storyline exists not just because of characters’ inner conflicts, they are also suffering overtly from being alienated and discriminated because their desired sexed bodies and gender roles are beyond what is “naturalized” by the society. In these scenarios, I like how these dilemmas are beautifully illustrated by the characters’ portrayal of genuine human emotions.

I recommend Hourou Musuko for those who want to see a simple storyline but yet complex depiction of transexualism, and question humanity. If you find this subject offending, then this is not for you. Also, when watching this anime, try to perceive as if you’re sexless and genderless to fully discern how society materializes bodies to create boundaries and differentiate what is accepted from not.

I've been waiting since June to see this manga be made into an anime, and I wasn't disappointed. The anime starts when Nitori-san and Takatsuki-kun enter junior high school. It does accommodate the story of the manga before they entered junior high school, and I think it does a pretty good job of explaining to people new to the series the premise and what happened before this time.

Story
As in the manga, the story shows an accurate view of what transsexual children/teenagers must face in their life. My only quip is that it doesn't show quite how depressing those feelings are in the manga or anime; ... however, if it did, the story wouldn't be very good because the main characters would be depressed all the time.

Art
The animation was done very well; all the drawings are uniform in appearance, with nothing seeming out of place. The overall style of the anime still shows the very simple style of the manga, which really helped to make it feel right. The art itself is done in light, but very vibrant colors. It gives a very simple and beautiful appearance, which belays the depth of the issues in the story.

Sound
While I wasn't greatly impressed by the music, the simple piano tunes fit with the animation very well. There were a few pieces that I really liked, and the rest wasn't too bad, either. Not my personal choice, but it fits.

Character
The characters are still wonderful; showing depth in their issues and relationships.

Enjoyment
This is where I feel the need to put a "Your mileage may vary" warning. This anime is very beautiful to me, but to some, it might be boring or offensive, if you happen to have something against transsexuals (obviously, it's not meant for you, then). If you happen to be a transsexual like myself, or some other type of gender variant, than you will probably find this anime enjoyable just for being able to relate to it. If not, then you might just find it interesting. Either way, it's really a "You'll enjoy it, or you won't" kind of deal.

Overall
I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who I thought would like it. I would, of course, suggest reading the manga too. A resounding 10, for the beauty of the characters and the story, and for being able to portray such a difficult topic in an understandable way.

"Roses are red, Violets are blue." The phrase is used as the subtitle of the first episode and sums up the conflict of the entire series.

One of the main ways we learn about the world is by being told. Told by those which we accept as our elders, an authority on the subject perhaps. They tell us how we should act, how we should be. They tell us what normal is, what's acceptable, and what is not. Roses are red, and violets are blue, boys are supposed to be one way and girls another. Anything that strays from those guidelines and doesn't fit into the ... mould are regarded as deviants. They are treated with disgust, or perhaps pitied as though they were ill. All the while you wonder that if you don't fit that mould, does that make you something else. This flower is clearly a rose, but it isn't red.

Hourou Musuko deals with a group of middle school students, two of whom are just now wondering why things aren't the way they were supposed to be and how they are isolated and shunned because of it. They search for ways to cope, while wondering whats in store for them in the future.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who has the chance to watch it. The subject matter may be beyond the comfort zone for some, but really settles in with you once you give it a chance. While it focuses on a very specific manifestation of the problem, it highlights a fundamental flaw in our social systems which encompasses many different subjects. If you're looking for something which will tug on your heart strings and wonder about the world, this is it.

[Based on episodes 1-6 of the anime.]

Story/Characters: 7/10 of 10

If you are in the market for a touching story with a lot of emotion and drama, this could be the show for you this season. If you are looking for action, fan service, or comedy, look elsewhere. (There are plenty of options!) For those of you familiar with the manga, you might want to know that the story appears to pick up in the middle. The manga starts when they are in 5th grade, but the anime starts on the first day of middle school. A lot of the history that is under the bridge ... for our two protagonists is presented via flashback sequences that bring us up to speed on where the characters have been and how they got where they are today.

The biggest knock on the show is that it doesn't really have any plot. It is completely slice-of-life drama. There is not anything to drive the story. It just brings you along to watch as these youngsters learn about themselves and the world around them. In my opinion, that is a minor flaw at best, as the writing and the pacing of the show is such that you really get a good emotional feel for the characters, and that is the real payoff in this show

Another possible complaint is that it is hard to follow. The show does not stop to explain anything to you about any of the characters, and there are a whole lot of them! (This can also be viewed as a strength, as it shows that the creators have enough respect for the viewer to let them figure out the story on their own without spoon-feeding it to them. Frankly, too much expository material can ruin slice-of-life stories, as they then turn into lectures and lose the natural feel that makes them enjoyable in the first place.) Frequently, I find myself uncertain of who is who early in an episode, but as the show has gone on, that happens less often. And that is a good thing, because the characters are one of the real strengths of the show! They are well-rounded, fully vibrant characters with quirks and nuances that make them come to life in your mind. The one thing that might strike some as false is the unnatural maturity of some of these middle school age kids, but being the father of a middle school boy who is active in things like scholastic bowl and orchestra, I can say that I don't find them that unnaturally mature. (In the event that he reads this review, I have to add that I am, of course, referring to his wonderfully mature friends, not him! LOL! ;)

Art: 10 of 10

Another strength of the series is the art. Looking like moving watercolor paintings, every detail is lovingly drawn to elicit the mood the story requires. The backgrounds and characters are exquisitely done. The only criticism I have is that some of the characters are a bit too similar to each other, but I think that is more of a problem with the lack of explanation of who is who than with the art. After a few episodes, I was able to distinguish the characters well enough, except when you aren't supposed to be able to! (There is a character that appears very differently than they had earlier in one of the episodes, and I think you are supposed to be a bit confused until their name is said.)

From what I understand, the soft watercolors and washed-out backgrounds emulate the style of the manga, which has been referred to as "minimalist" in its artistic style. That carries through to the anime, with the art having wonderful detail, but no more or less than is absolutely needed. It never feels like there is too much to see to truly appreciate a scene, but at the same time, each scene is rich enough to convey its message without the viewer feeling there is anything missing. The emotional impact of the images themselves is considerable. The art is impressive!

Music and Sound Effects: 10 of 10

The OP for the show ("Itsudatte." by Daisuke) is strong, bringing the viewer into the story with just the right mood, but where the music really shines is the excellent ED ("For You" by Rie Fu). The song has the ability to elicit tears all on its own, with a keen sense of longing and devotion, yet an uplifting and optimistic feeling as the song progresses. The spartan animation, consisting of Shūichi walking along stoically on a blank background, then having his movement become more animated and girlish when the music returns to the chorus and the air is filled with cherry blossoms.

The music inside the episodes is very understated and well done. It knows when to emphasize the mood and when to remain in the background for support, but it also knows when to go away entirely and let the awkward silence or the natural background sounds fill the space, cementing the mood in that situation as well.

Overall Enjoyment: 10 of 10

This is a fantastic show. It is heartfelt and warm, with great respect for its characters and the viewers ability to understand the story with minimal expository material. It may not be my favorite of the season, as there are shows that are more "fun" in the moment and more stimulating. However, in the long run I expect that it will rank among my favorite shows of all time and I will probably buy the BluRay and watch it time and again when I am in the mood for some deep character drama. There are many places to go to get a good romantic comedy or a nice suspenseful action show or even a raunchy, fan service laden ecchi fest. There are very few sources for exquisite art combined with rich character drama and deep emotion, and Wandering Son is one. (OK, any movie by Makoto Shinkai qualifies, and that is why I ordered the DVD of "5 Centimeters Per Second" the other day, but I digress…)

It is extremely rare to find an anime that approaches LGBTQ issues in any serious or in depth manner. The T in LGBTQ seems to get the least attention of all in the anime/manga world. This anime amazingly encompasses both MTF and FTM issues to an extent. It also does not approach it in an offensive or stereotypical way, as most animes that contain and trans character do. As someone who identifies as trans, this was extremely refreshing in an otherwise ignorant community.

The story was a little slow, but it is about growing up and that is how life can be. I was impressed that ... they incorporated so many little things that go along with dealing with puberty as someone questioning gender (things like feeling pressured to wear a bra or getting your period or your voice changing actually came up). The pronouns could be an issue, but I would also tack that up to the characters being so young and still so unsure about their concrete genders. It was a very emotional watch for anyone who has to deal with these issues and can also be very triggering, as a bit of a warning. It is good at insinuating how ignorant and sexist/heterosexist society can be about things like relationships, gender behavior, and clothing (particularly school uniforms). Nitorin faces insults like freak and tranny (even the slur "fag" comes up) which are very harsh and hurtful words. Nitorin also has to deal with a family who doesn't understand and a sister who bullies "him" about his "cross dressing habit." On top of that, Nitorin is dealing with a school system that shames "his" behavior and has "him" sent home for wearing a girl's uniform (although female characters wearing a boy's uniform are not). Afterwards, he is completely alienated by his class and his supposed friends.

This anime asks important questions like "Why is it wrong to wear the clothes you want to wear?" They also present relationships in a non-stereotypical way. Nitorin may identify as female, but he still dates a cisgender female in the series. Usually transgenders are viewed as very specifically heterosexual. I think it could be very educational for people who don't understand trans issues or gender fluidity... and especially for those who would label this a "gender bender" anime.

The story is basically character driven. It is all about these character's lives and how they are dealing with these complicated issues. It is about discovering their true selves and learning to cope with that and how society will treat them. Nitorin represents the MTF of the trans community, while Takatsuki is the FTM. The way I see it, Chiba-san is often the bully and transphobic towards both of them. She asks cruel questions in order to hurt them, knowing that their gender identities are a weak spot. She seems to represent the average person pushing their own gender ideals on her friends, regardless of their feelings. This gets more and more evident towards the end of the show. There are a variety of characters, that range from understanding and accepting to very transphobic and ignorant. There was a problem with vagueness regarding more minor characters however. There was no real explanation of the background of Yuki, the transsexual female mentor Nitorin and Takatsuki are friends with.

I enjoyed the series because it was something I could relate to, which is extremely rare in the anime community. However, it was triggering and managed to make me very depressed on occasion. Overall, it handled the issue with extreme care, which is rare and very encouraging. I think we need more anime like this. There is very little LGBTQ inclusion in the anime world, after all. It didn't have much of a concrete ending, though, since they were just beginning to delve into bodily changes of puberty when the series ends. I hope they decide to continue the anime as the manga progresses.

This anime, I can't quite put my finger on it.. It's really great and I love this anime, but yet it's not exactly a favourite yet. I do intend to read the manga eventually but for now, I have to say, it's one of those anime that you would end up loving because of the feeling it gives you.

Story: 9 Great

I loved the story. It's a pretty simple concept. A boy who wants to be a girl. Yet, it's such a sensitive and difficult situation. It does let the watcher understand that there's really not much of a difference for a guy who wants to ... want to be a girl from a normal guy. Nor a difference for a girl who wants to be a guy. End of the day, they are all humans and have feelings and wishes for things that everyone else wishes for. They just want to be accepted for who they are. It's pretty touching at points especially as you watch him grow up and slowly start to change yet staying true to what he had always believed in.

Art: 10 Outstanding

Really love the art! Seriously, it's the art that made me decide to give this anime a go. I really loved the soft pastel colors and the watercolor and pencils look. It makes it seem a lot more gentle which fits really well with the story. They are after all still kids too.

Sound: 10 Outstanding

I really! LOVED the soundtrack. I loved both the starting song and the ending song. The starting song reminds me of school days. :) Like a sunny day dawning in a classroom, or a trip to the beach and happy days spent with friends. I thought it fits the anime pretty well since there is a tight knit of friends and family and how they learn to stick together and accept one another. The ending song seems more personal. It's seems to fit more to Nitori's self, how he feels and thinks. It's almost like I can imagine Nitori rising his head under the bright sun and walking on with everyone accepting him the way he is. The chorus would be when all his friends joins him and they all have a good time together. Both of these songs gives me goosebumps when I listen to them. As for the background music, I could listen to them all on it's own. It's got very nice melodies, some with violins and pianos and at times can be pretty touching or happy light feeling. The songs are what makes me miss the anime whenever I listen to them. Makes me feel sad it's ended and I can't see them move and come to life anymore. I can only continue the story and find out more about the characters through the manga pages.:(

Character: 9 Great

The cast is REALLY good. For most characters, I like their personalities. Even the ones I hated at first ends up being not that bad after all. Each character, you get to watch them develop and "grow up" and watch how their relationships with each other develop. Nitori is the main character so of course, you will watch him grow the most and feel for him the most. But the supporting characters do play some influence in his growth. It's an anime where you learn to like and feel for the different characters. In the end, you will wish they all find their happiness. :)

Enjoyment: 9 Great

Really enjoyed this anime, if not I would not have bothered to write a review for it. There's nothing you won't enjoy about. Except maybe a character in this anime may irritate you but other than that, everything about it is lovely, the music, the theme songs, the characters, the feelings you get with all these combined together. Just listening to the soundtrack right now & it makes me miss this anime very much. :(

Overall: 9 Great

I considered it as a 9 instead of a 10 because, as much as I love this anime, it doesn't really end up as one of my top 10 favourite anime. Or maybe it will some day, but it doesn't give me the feeling that I want to re-watch this anime. It's lovely definately!, that's why it's almost got a perfect 10, it's just that I'm not too sure if I'll love it enough to the point that I'll want to rewatch it again in the future. :)

Hourou Musuko's subject matter is rarely dealt with in anime: it explores the issues of gender identity and societal perception of gender roles through the lens of 5th graders, a particular age where puberty is becoming a thing, and clueless kids are changing into romantically involved teenagers. It's a time when kids become more aware of their surroundings, more conscious of their changing feelings; it's the perfect stage to explore how one may feel being an LGBT (lesbian-gay-bi-trans).

Needless to say, this subject is particularly sensitive given modern society's ambivalence towards LGBT, and anime typically dodges the bullet by giving LGBT characters ridiculously comedic roles ... in stories. Not here. For Hourou Musuko, the awareness, exploration, and acceptance of different gender pursuits is handled with great tact and sincerity, as the characters struggle to come to terms with themselves and their judgmental surroundings.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Hourou Musuko is its exceptionally understated presentation. There's no dramatization, no really emotional music, no big crying scene…heck, there doesn't seem to be any climactic scene at all. Characters are handled with stringent neutrality, and the scenes are given exactly as they would be, without any particular touch-up. It's as if we're given camera videos following real people as they go on about with their lives. This may seem like a flaw to some, as it's not the most emotionally engaging or exciting way of going about things, but considering the maturity level required for the subject, I find the presentation completely justified, optimal even.

This issue extends to the characters, as the 5th graders of Hourou Musuko are oftentimes more honest, brave, and mature than most adults could ever be. Never once in the story did I ever consider these characters to be grade schoolers, as they are definitely college+ in spirit with the straight-faced way they handle each other. This begs the question: is it considered a flaw that these characters are not realistic for their age? Personally, I don't think that's the point. While this story does base itself off the feelings of discovery people would experience at the onset of puberty, its core themes of acceptance and coming-to-terms are universal in nature. Essentially, the story is about 5th graders, but is meant to reflect on the LGBT subject for everyone.

Aside from the realism issue, the character writing itself is absolutely no slouch. Every character is written not to fulfill a certain role or device within the plot, but to be a full-fledged human being with emotions, doubts, and conflicts. That is not to say that the story uses a lot of internal monologues to present these characterizations; in fact, Hourou Musuko might as well be the poster child for the "show, don't tell" principle. We are never flat out given what a character is feeling; instead, we evaluate it through their expressions, their body language, and their dialogues. Don't feel like you've been given enough information? Don't get why a character acted a certain way? Go back and rewatch the scenes, or use something called analysis and interpretation (in other words, your brain). Ridiculous, I know.

If there's one word I can use to sum up this series, it's mature. Hourou Musuko treats its themes with respect, its characters with respect, and most exceptionally, it treats its audience with respect. We are expected to keep an open mind, to try to understand what the characters are going through, and to use our brain once in a while. We're expected to be mature, to take the subject seriously, and to embrace the themes of acceptance wholeheartedly. That may be setting too high a standard for most people, but heck, I sure wish more anime would follow this example.

Hourou Musuko is a story about people struggling with their gender, sexuality and body, and about the people who are close to them.

I really liked the story, since I've never before watched any show dealing with these topics so well, I did however feel like the story wasn't going anywhere during some parts.
I also felt like the story could have been delivered better if there'd been some more episodes, since it felt like parts from the original manga were left out from this anime adaption, but I am not sure.

I loved this anime's art, its soft pastel colours made everything look very ... cute and lightened the mood a lot. The motion is fluent and there're a lot of subtle details,like cherry blossoms falling down, in the background.

The OST didn't include that many tracks but the tracks that were there really helped to support the mood of the story and the OP and ED were also very well sung. None of the voice actors were bad, but there were also none that really stood out to me, and I guess they were just alright.

The strongest point of this anime surely must have been the characters, as I watched the show, I could relate a lot to nearly every character, even the ones who seemed to be rude without any reasons to do so. All of the characters felt very real, with their quirks, flaws and little twists to them.

I really enjoyed this anime, as its art and characters really captivated me and would like to stress that this story is one that can be enjoyed by people who have no affinity with anything that's to do with gender or sexuality, and also by people who do.

EDIT: I wrote the above review over eight years ago in August 2015. In the years since then, I discovered I am transgender myself, rewatched this anime two or three times and changed my opinion on it here and there. I still think it is a pleansant watch and largely continue to agree with the above review, but I do want to add the slight sidenote that this series, although it holds a special place in my heart, has some odd ways of portraying trans people here and there.

Anime Review No.6

Just finished watching Hourou Musuko and I say this is one great anime. The anime is well made and the production studio didn't failed to portray what is the series all about. Another best slice of life anime I watched this 2015.


Review: The content may contain "SPOILERS"

Plot (9/10)

The story revolves around 3 characters Nitori, Shuuichi, Chiba, Saori and Takatsuki, Yoshino. They are young teens struggling to adapt the new life of being a middle school student while undergoing the changes in puberty. Suppose to be your typical school life and slice of life anime series but it isn't. Unlike many generic ... school life series "Hourou Musuko" or "Wandering Son" have something that stand out among the rest. The plot discuss the topic of "transsexualism" in a way people can learn something about this topic without disgust and hating the show. The anime give great importance how critical the beginning of puberty in developing one's identity and how growing up greatly affect's our goals in life. I like the setting the story took place "Middle school" is the perfect place to portray puberty for this where the teenagers start question who they are and what will they become as time goes by. Yes this is the slice of life anime I wanted to watch.

Art (10/10)

The art style of the anime matched the premise of the plot and the mood of the story. The water color style is nice. The studio really did their best to make the anime background unique and the character design is very well made among other slice of life anime series which uses the same art style for their character design which is pretty boring seeing the same faces over and over again but in this anime you won't see any resemblance as far I see.


Sound (8/10)
I didn't like the Opening of the series which made me think the series is another used slice of life and school life show but men how wrong I was when I watched the series. The background music of the show is a strong point cause the sound made the atmosphere serious while at the same time heart warming. The series did a good job in setting the mood right and ending it properly. I'll shall say the series did well in making it's audience cherish every single moment of the important scenario and this is why how fundamental the background music suppose to be because it's all about building the mood of the plot and especially it's characters. The Ending song "For You" by Rie Fu is definitely going to go in my song list. The ending music made the show bright and colorful while at the time you are wondering what will happen next in the following episode. Nice Ending and Nice background music.

Characters (9/10)
In all the school life anime I have watched this year this anime series pull out what those series lack and that is the personality of the characters acting and reacting as real people. You won't be seeing overused tsunderes, danderes and all the deres you can think of in this series and personally I am really annoyed when every time a school life anime is made there always this copy paste personalities you get tired off. The parents and adults in the series made a great contribution in building up the characters in this series and supporting them at times of need. The adults actions proves to be important in guiding the young one's in handling their problems in life which other anime series ignores. The supporting characters here is not just your average "simple characters" which work as plot devices to make you feel the story have people in the background while our main characters make dialogues NO! They serve as a great fundamental factor influencing, and shaping our main characters and also they are all likable for each characters for they have genuine personality. In my next preview of an anime series I will do my best to give brief information about each character why they are special and how they are not robots that have copy paste personality from previous show. This show did an amazing job in "Fleshing Out" it's every character and this is what characterization is all about.


Enjoyment (9/10)
I didn't even notice the time when I finished this series. Every moment is good and interesting. I don't recall I ever get bored in every scene and even most of the time they are just talking to each other I really didn't get bored but instead I get hyped in every word the characters delivered to each other and they deliver great ideas that further build what the series is all about and this why even if this anime is just a simple show about simple people with simple conflicts I have learn to love and Appreciate it.


Overall (9/10)

This anime is inspirational for it give you brighter view point about life. Simplicity is true beauty I always say. You don't need mind blowing dialogues, elaborated plot mechanics and over the top budget animation to make a masterpiece or an inspirational show. Hourou Musuko proves that. I highly recommend this series for open minded people about simple aspect of life. Another hidden gem which the masses ignore just because the anime is a "seemingly generic slice of life and school life show". They don't know what they are missing. Trust me.

Now, as a person who comes into contact with the field of sociology every now and then, and by extension discussions on gender and sexuality, the description of this show instantly drew my attention towards it. Sitting down to watch, and spurred on by other reviews, I was expecting to sit down to a deep and interesting series that put a spotlight on gender issues (helped by the title of the first episode "What Are Little Girls Made of?"). I...had a bit of a lukewarm reaction to the series.

Before I get to that though, I want to start off with what I think this series ... did right. The most important is that this series decided to try and look at the issue seriously. There is little to none anime antics in this series, which is great because the idea of crossdressing characters normally gets played for laughs and serves as an excuse to make a joke. It also didn’t go the other way in terms of temptations by making this a giant angst fest and overdramatic. Instead, it took itself seriously while still keeping an atmosphere of realism and normality (well, it is a slice-of-life series in part..) The character’s don’t feel like clichés, and you can get a sense of the awkwardness they are going through during the series, even with some of the issue in the storyline I think exist (which I’m going to get to in a minute). I had some trouble keeping track of who was who sometimes since, instead of going the route of giving people unrealistic hair colors to make more variety, they went with keeping it at more realistic browns and blacks. And sometimes it almost felt like characters came out of nowhere, with just a passing flashback occurring to satisfy the curiosity. Once things get going it’s better though and easier to tell who is who.

Probably the biggest positive I can give though is the animation; it is by far one of the best looking animes I have ever seen. The watercolor style of the series is wonderful. From some other reviews of the series I’ve seen it apparently gives a sense of adolescence and all that, but sadly I’m usually not that perceptive on the relationship between animation styles and storylines so I can’t offer an opinion. All I can say is that it looks good, and I hope to find more series with a similar art style. I think it works great for this kind of story.

Now onto the negatives, and I'll start with the simplest issue of Takatsuki's side of the story; it kind of got buried under Nitori's, and I'm disappointed that it really didn't get as much attention as it probably should have. However, I can be fair and state an alternate view on this; Takatsuki's story doesn't get as much attention as Nitori's simply because society is more accepting of "girl wanting to be a boy" than "boy wanting to be a girl" and so less potential for dramatic storytelling. This comes to a head in one of my favorite episodes of the series, and is briefly discussed in character, but still, for being the other main lead I feel Takatsuki's story didn't get the depth that Nitori's did and so it suffers from only getting a few scenes here and there that expand on her internal conflicts. Again though, it may just be because society accepts boyish girls more than girlish boys and so it’s an easier problem for her.

Of course, I also have an issue with Nitori's storyline, and that issue is that by the end I feel like we really didn't get anywhere with it. Let me explain. Throughout the series I was waiting for some kind of moment, some kind of discussion on why Nitori wants to be a girl with some level of passion on Nitori's part. Instead, all I got was everyone saying he looked cute, putting him in dresses, and Nitori just kind of accepting it (minus one scene later on, but he gets kind of passive again afterwards). I just really feel like Nitori's wanting to be a girl was TOLD to us more than SHOWN (outside of crossdressing, but cross-dresser=/=transgender), and with all the comments about how 'cute' he was seeming to be the only real reason given for crossdressing, it seemed more like he was wanting to be a girl just to conform to what everyone else wants and what society says is appropriate (guys are handsome and tough, girls are cute and dainty).

And so overall, by the end of the series, I almost felt like nothing was that accomplished in terms of the major storylines. I should note this opinion is only relevant to the anime; I have yet to take a look at the manga, and I am tempted to because what I do know of it seems like it may fix some of the issues I'm discussing here. Therefore, it may be safe to say my issues here deal more with the shortness of the series (11 episodes) than an inherent flaw of the premise itself.

So my final word on this series would be this: if you're interested in a series that has a deep, detailed discussion of gender and sexuality, this is about the best you're going to get. While it could have been handled better, it doesn't do a bad job, and I appreciate the serious look at the topic instead of falling to prey to the more 'comedic' or ‘angst’ potential of "gender bending".

I read the manga since about chapter 3, and at first, admittedly, I was disappointed that the anime made the decision to skip ahead.

But then I realized -- it sucked you into the story further, because the characters were telling /you/ the story.

Hourou Musuko is a tale about two elementary school children who are transgender. Nitori Shuichi wants to become a girl, and Yoshino wishes to be a boy. They become friends and they go on "dates" -- where Yoshino dresses as a boy, and Shuichi dresses as a girl.

The story is quite simple, yet very complex. The way it goes about it is ... like how the children are experiencing it -- bit by bit. They don't really understand why their desire to be the other gender is wrong. That, and the way Nitori's sister disapproves and thinks he is disgusting is very much how a family member might react. I believe that every character is realistic.

And by the way, the transgender thing is /not/ a convenient, or sexual, plot device.

If you're searching for a heartwarming story about the struggles of two transgender children growing up, then definitely watch this. If you are an idiot who wants a comedy and doesn't understand deep storylines, avoid it. But in my case, this is definitely one of my favorite anime of the year and I'm looking forward to what kind of ending the anime will show.

I think the water color-like art is beautiful and it fits the series very well. The music is soft, and the music they play during the emotional scenes brings the story to life even better. I love the voices, too -- Nitori sounds boyish, but also quite feminine, like a boy who hasn't quite yet hit puberty should sound.

[9.0/10]
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Wandering Son blew me away. A series that could've easily harbored so many of the negative qualities I associate romance anime with, such as an overabundance of melodrama, love triangles, and boring characterization was utterly subverted throughout this short, eleven episode run-time. So much so that I honestly felt surprised throughout most of my watch-through. While there is a love triangle, while there is melodrama, although thankfully it is reigned in, the characterization is far from boring and the writer(s) do an impeccable job with keeping you on your toes. This series doesn't go where I thought it would, as it spends it's run-time making ... sure you experience a believable story, rather than a concise, palatable one.

Relying on some beautiful, warm, watercolor art with expressive and shockingly exceptional animation, Wandering Son doesn't even skimp on its visuals, setting its tone immediately. This is further emphasized with slow, methodical editing that works symbiotically with equally slow and thoughtful direction. What initially looked somewhat generic slowly sprouted into visually acute, as the director cuts all music and lets scenes breath on their own, with a fair share of intentionally awkward pauses that emphasize the youth and confusion these characters are going through.

What Wandering Son succeeds so vigorously at is the ability to tell a lose-fitting story in this confined, semi-contrived environment. A school, where we pull back layers behind characters and everyone in this expansive cast gets their moments of humanization. The bullies aren't bullies, the goofballs aren't goofy, and even the quietest characters get to roar every once in a while.

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[Characters & Narrative]

Wandering Son follows Shuuichi Nitori, a boy with a knack for cross-dressing, and Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl with a similar interest. What begins as a fascination with the other gender's aesthetic blossoms into curiosity, love, and eventually inner turmoil that there really isn't an answer to. Nitori struggles with the idea of being a boy, what it means to want to be a girl, and how he'd go about being accepted. This is as much as a study on the idea of cross-dressing as it is the concept of being transgender, and that's equally surprising.

Color me cynical, but I was simply not expecting this kind of detail to be present in an anime. Especially not a television anime, a medium that I've constantly spoken against as pandering, sexist, and having an over-reliance on creating objects to sell rather than characters. Yet here I sit, in a medium that has a plethora of television shows all mocking the idea of cross-dressers, transgenders, or simply not even bothering to delve into it at all, letting them be and making them the butt of jokes. "Traps" and the like, being a huge cultural meme at this point. It was refreshing to see a take on it that not only examined the idea of being transgender, but doing it in literally the least exploitative way imaginable. That was, perhaps, the biggest subversion of all.

Nitori and Takatsuki meet a whole cast of different characters, a cast that is honestly somewhat confusing and vast at first. The first episode, while quite good, left me with a lot of questions and confusion simply due to how many people there were on screen and how different each one was. Each character felt well-placed, too, from the dramatic, soft-spoken, and vicious Chiba, to the totally love-able and goofy Sarashina and her almost parasitically latched-on friend, Shirai. What was so refreshing about this expansive cast is that each one had their list of flaws and positives, even the newer characters introduced at the mid-way point of the series after the new school year starts.

For example, Sarashina, a total goof and completely "open", in the best possible way, is initially incredibly divisive amongst this already established groups of friends as her abrasive and talkative nature lands her in hot water with Saori, who understandably doesn't appreciate hearing everything this girl has to say. But even Saori, who is, quite frankly, painted a lot like a villain at first in the show, is totally vicious and rude, yet that teen angst feels earned and actually well-established enough for you to see her side of things. Especially with the background we end up realizing she has with Takatsuki.

If i'm confusing you, then you know how I felt after the first few episodes, and this is only a fraction of the characters. Surprisingly, it all ends up falling in place. What first started as a somewhat obnoxious love-triangle between Nitori, Saori, and Takatsuki, where Nitori is in love with Takatsuki, Saori is in love with Nitori, and Takatsuki is just not romantically interested, ends up completely disintegrating into something significantly more interesting. Character and narrative-wise, the writer(s) take more than that extra needed step to make something as contrived and cliche as a love-triangle palatable, going so far as to totally subvert the notion and we end up in a position that is less romantic and more engaging on a narrative level.

As the venerable Dan Harmon said when asked on the concept of romance as a genre, "Romance isn't a genre, it is a topping. Watching the romance genre is like going to a 'salt' restaurant." I agree, romance struggles to be compelling all the way through, which is why it is often paired with comedy and other genres to make it more palatable. Here, what initially feels like a romance is at the backdrop of the more important narrative, the identity crisis that a lot of these characters end up going through.

Sure, it is somewhat contrived to have one character be gay, two be transgender, and so on. Yet it works here because each one has a different approach. Each one is faces their own demons, and in some cases, no demons at all, as Nitori's good friend hardly struggles with the concept of being attracted to other men, which is so poignant to me as someone who is critical and often expecting every ounce of melodrama to be wrung out of an anime like this.

Yet that never happens. In a way, Wandering son is very much like the anti-Your Lie in April, where I relentlessly criticized that series for having every single moment be this obnoxiously over-the-top emotional breakdown with sappy music and utterly incoherent philosophical babbling from supposed fourteen year olds. Wandering Son tones that down, instead of having kids remark on the nature of their situation with fake nuance, they instead speak to themselves bluntly, and you gain that nuance through the situations they are placed in and the way they react. Which is infinitely more clever and appealing to me. There are no huge, swelling musical pieces as the characters break down crying and confessing to one another. No. Wandering Son cuts the music, it lets you live in the moment as the characters are and experience what they are. Quite frankly, it's fucking awesome.

Even the romance in Wandering Son is often treated like a kind of puppy-love, and while puppy love is real for the puppy, it is what it is. It isn't the end-all of the series because it is tackling a significantly more nuanced idea. Ultimately, the characters shine the brightest in Wandering Son, and while i'm sure there is much more story to tell, what with the looming threat of puberty changing the field once again, as slightly examined towards the end of this series, the way Wandering Son ended felt great in its own way.

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[Aesthetic]

So this show is pretty much perfect in its aesthetic, there is very little I would change. Apart from a few moments towards the middle that felt rushed through animation, Wandering Son actually had pretty exceptional animation throughout for a small-budget television anime. In fact, it looked much better than it had any right to.

There was a warm watercolor aesthetic, where the background was blown-out and the sides of the screen were constantly foggy and white, almost dreamy, it looked great. There were moments of great animation, too, especially with subtle character-driven movements. Animation in general can't nearly be as subtly expressive as live-action, as you often have to resort to tactics such as narration or overblown reactions, yet in this case they really do portray some genuinely subtle moments through only animation.

The director, Ei Aoki, is outstanding in this series, too. I initially thought the endless loop of piano melodies backing the majority of early episodes was somewhat frustrating, but that loop eventually mellowed out and the director cut a lot of the sound from certain moments, letting them be punctuated by silence, which is a great aesthetic choice as a director. Some scenes were only music, others were only dialogue with no backing track. This made all the difference with these potentially melodramatic scenes ringing incredibly true for these children.

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[Conclusion]

I think it is needless to say that I really loved this series. It is one of my favorites and it came out of nowhere for me. There are flaws, such as the contrived nature of the plot at first, as well as the initial groan-worthy love-triangle that thankfully blossoms into something engaging. It is also blunt with its symbolism on many occasions, as there are some subtle, nuanced, symbolic moments that are unfortunately back-ended by unneeded characters explaining exactly what just happened.

Where Wandering Son shines is in its believable characterization of its kids. Sure they address these heady topics perhaps ahead of their age, but the way they do so is so natural and impressive that I can't help but commend this series. It doesn't rely on stringing emotions along or even trying its best to make you cry, because that's not what Wandering Son wants to examine. Unlike something like Your Lie in April, where it constantly tries its best to shove melodramatic bullshit down your throat until you choke some tears out, Wandering Son reigns these emotions in and instead tells a character-driven story about finding yourself and truly accepting who you view yourself as.

Characters aren't what they seem to be. As I said, bullies aren't bullies, even Nitori's sister, who is perhaps the most unlike-able character in this series due to her being "the bratty sister", gets some much needed, and surprisingly subtle characterization that made her believable. Not every character has to be someone you like or sympathize with, but as long as they fit the series and further establish your verisimilitude, you should appreciate their existence.

Love doesn't go as planned. Not everything works out perfectly. That is shown constantly throughout Wandering Son. There is no perfect ending where everyone ends up happily together with the people they have crushes on, in fact, the show effortlessly skirts that idea by refraining from focusing on it. Nitori and Takatsuki's similar yet separate struggles are at the forefront here, not any kind of romance you might expect this a series as emotionally in-tune as this to focus on.

Wandering Son is exactly what I want from my emotionally powerful anime. Characters make the story, not the other way around, and this series succeeds in that regard with flying colors. Beautiful execution on almost all levels. If you are looking for an anime that is willfully detached from the character-driven cliches of so much romance and school-drama-oriented series', then Wandering Son is perfect for you. If you want anime that is daring, ambitious, well-directed, and ultimately, subtly rewarding, then Wandering Son is undoubtedly for you.

Within the first couple seconds, I knew Hourou Musuko would be unlike anything I had ever watched before. For those who are too lazy to look above, Hourou Musuko is the story of two friends: a boy (Shūichi Nitori) who wants to be a girl and a girl (Yoshino Takatsuki) who wants to be a boy. As one can infer, the anime has a lot of themes relating to sexuality (cross-dressing, gender identity, puberty, etc.) That being said, it is definitely not for everyone, like if you have a problem with gays, lesbians, cross-dressers, etc. or if you don't like to think too hard about ... your anime. But for the rest of us, Horou Musuko may very well be one of the best anime out there.

Story: 9
And you thought being a teenager was awkward for you...
To put it simply, Hourou Musuko shows the everyday trials and tribulations of middle schoolers, straight, cross-dressing, gay, whatever. The themes of sexuality are a big part of this so this makes it especially good for those of us who are or know someone who is LGBT. While I, myself, am not LGBT, many of my close friends and family are. This anime really accuratley portrayed the struggles of sexuality and finding one's self. The story is really (for lack of better terms) refreshing and wonderful however it can be somewhat confusing, especially in the first episode. Those who have read the manga say that it doesn't make much sense to those who haven't read it but I (having not read the manga) was able to make sense of it. A suggestion to those who are planning to watch: have a list of characters so you can match up faces with names. It really does help. But the story, to put it another way, is simply beautiful.

Art: 10
When watching Hourou Musuko, one might compare it to walking through a watercolor painting. The art is lovely and evokes just the right amount of nostalgia. The art style is not the anime stereotype with large eyes and a rainbow of hair colors. It's fittingly realistic and the animation is right on.

Sound: 9
In keeping with the theme, the music and acting in Hourou Musuko is really something. Simple yet tender piano melodies make up most of the score while there are some pieces that fit right in with comic scenes. The voice actors do their jobs and do them well. The cast has many new faces (er, well, voices) like Asami Seto who debuts as Takatsuki. They really give the anime that feeling of reality and make it seem plausible. Thumbs up for newbies!

Character: 10
Although it's hard to keep track of who's who (especially in the first episode), all the characters are really unique and unforgettable. Their feelings really come across and not in an overly dramatic way, either. No one's the bad guy and there are no losers; rather, everyone is able to tell their side of the story and justify their actions. The relationships are remarkably real and really do stir up that feeling of nostalgia (first love, friendships lost, etc.)

Overall: 9
Really, it's a high nine so more like 9.7 or something (I'm very hesitant to give out 10s!)
So, in conclusion, Hourou Musuko is an amazingly realistic story that is somewhat sad and definitely will leave you feeling nostalgic. The art and music are both gorgeous and add to the overall feeling of the story. The voices actors are effective in their parts in getting the characters' feelings across and the characters themselves are each unique. Their awkward teenage relationships make the story something that I (and hopefully you) won't forget anytime soon.

Ever wonder why you were forced to do and wear what you were as a kid? Society labels you based on whats between your legs and not whats in your mind. The story breaks down the barriers of whats the norm and whats taboo to give you a story that isn't in the genre of slice of life but it should be.

At the coming of age where these questions are not yet asked, where children start to discover what gender they really are.

This story focuses on what little boys and little girls are made of, not by whats between your legs but whats in your ... mind. The way its supposed to be? According to society no, but the way it should be.

If you're into romances and stories that break down norm barriers, then Hourou Musuko is for you.

I, like most people on this planet like things.

Things that I like come in many shapes and forms, one of which being anime and manga. One such anime / manga I like is Wandering Son. A character driven narrative that follows the lives of a handful of middle school children as they grow through puberty and the issues that they come up against. All in all this is a pretty standard setting and premise for an anime or manga, all it really needs is me adding on the words ‘fan service’ and ‘fighting power’ and really this description could be about 90% of any anime ... out there.

In actuality, the themes and overall feel of Wandering Son is something that I’ve found to be pretty unique in the medium. The series, and manga, may differ but some things that are shared between them, given that I have read the first four volumes of the manga and watched the entire anime twice, is that they both gently deal with issues of transgenderism, relationships, and gender roles. I say gently because there is really nothing forceful about what is shown. Every character is treated as a human, as a person. There is no ‘role’. For any single character in the show I would have to use multiple archetypes and at least one or two paragraphs of extra text to even get close to summarising them. I can’t just say “There’s the tsundere bad ass pilot” or “She’s the naïve gold hearted moe.”. Instead I’m forced to describe them as people, though of course their relationships towards one and other is another way to point out who is who to those who struggle to tell the characters apart.

The art style of the manga is very minimalistic, a childish aesthetic without actually being badly drawn. This is no Oyasumi Pun-Pun when it comes to art. But, from my aesthetically inclined perspective, the art style matches the feel of the manga perfectly. Utterly capturing childish innocence with maturity. But, the characters can be hard to make out. I haven’t really had that issue except in panels showing the classroom, but Shimura Takako has had letters about that issue from fans of the manga so us Westerners aren’t just being stupid. The anime has this to a greater effect, in that in your first viewing you probably won’t know who is who half the time until around episode four. But, you get gorgeous looking water colours and pretty fluid animation. So it isn’t bad at all, and probably could be argued is due to the nature of most anime to have very distinctive characters aka: Pink haired girl, brown haired guy, that dude with the eye patch, rather than the more authentic colourings and hair styles of Wandering Son.

There is no real over arching storyline in either the anime or manga, at least up to volume four of the manga. And that isn’t a bad thing. Given that this is a mature journey like narrative. These are real fictional people. And you care about them. There is no villain, sure Nitori’s sister may bully him at times, but she genuinely cares for him. The bully at school has much more going on for him in a non-antagonistic way than bully characters normally do. Anna on her introduction is initially shown to be strict and cold hearted, even though she’s a really conscientious and caring character. This narrative is about, driven by, and made beautiful by the characters, and as I’ve already expressed about them they are amazing.

Now, as amazing as I find this series, as much love and affection I may lather onto it, that might mean absolutely nothing to you. You ain’t me? So why should or shouldn’t you watch or read this? If you’re looking for some brain dead, happy go lucky, or witty moe, this ain’t what you’re looking for. If you’re after brutal murder, nope. If you really want to stay away from shows that delve into issues with gender and sexuality in a meaningful fashion, you probably should watch this, but I say that in a “Everyone should experience this.” way, as opposed to “This show doesn’t do that.” when it clearly does. If on the otherhand you want a gentle, meaningful, and thought provoking look at growing up ‘the wrong sex’ or just growing up in the real world with real personal development issues. This could be for you. I have never felt such horror for someone having a wet dream before reading this. Understandably that didn’t get into the anime.

And this was a thing I liked.

The Winter 2011 season ushered in the worst ratings for Noitamina (a prestigious timeblock dedicated to short, quality anime such as Honey and Clover, Nodame Cantabile, and Eden of the East) yet. While I can understand the ratings declining because Noitamina’s action offering Fractale is, to put bluntly, complete fail, its dramatic offering, Hourou Musuko, is incredibly good. Admittedly, it's not the best of the timeslot, but it can stand comfortably with most of Noitamina's higher quality shows. At any rate, it makes Fractale even more of a joke.

Story

Hourou Musuko the original manga nears a hundred chapters, most of which are around twenty pages long. ... Hourou Musuko the anime reviewed here takes these hundred chapters and condenses them into a compact and coherent eleven-episode story. According to manga readers, some things are lost along the way, but as an anime-viewer only, I found the story really complete.

Too often one-cour manga adaptations become advertisements for their source material. For example, while Kuragehime (a Fall 2010 show from Noitamina) has top-notch direction and execution, its open-ended finale practically commands the viewer to read the manga to see what happens next. Hourou Musuko, in contrast, finishes with a very appropriate degree of closure. The protagonist comes to terms, best he can for his age, with the themes of the series, and relationships are realistically resolved.

Still, while the pacing and structure of the story are textbook perfect, I’m a little ambivalent on the content. Since I don’t share Nitori’s issues, I’m in no place to comment on the accuracy of the show’s depiction of transgendered triumphs and tribulations. But I will say that I saw this show more as an “artsy, touching young adult anime drama” (it’s a surprisingly broad category) with transgendered as a background theme. I’m sure I missed many of the nuances, but I feel the show is pretty light on social commentary. Ultimately, I ended up more invested in the relationships between the cast than the issue that much of cast is born into the wrong sex.

Characters

On the subject of cast, Hourou Musuko does a really excellent job at both developing and illustrating its characters. Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki are really well-developed and likable leads. Nitori has many sides, and it’s interesting to watch those conflict both regarding his gender issues and his interactions with his peers. And Takatsuki’s earnestness and loyalty set her apart as a unique and lovable female character.

But while the characterization of a select few is great, the overall characterization is far from flawless. Although Hourou Musuko makes good use of its time regarding its characters–a single scene can reveal a lot about their personalities–it still doesn’t dedicate enough time to the main cast. Nitori's closet friends all get gypped on time in favor Anna and Doi who have romance and rivalry respectively with Nitori. And too much time is spent on a Chiba, a typical (though admittedly well-executed) yandere-tsundere mix as well.

Style

Visuals

Although it’s not as flashy as action shows, Hourou Musuko is a visual feast. It’s easy to admire well-drawn action sequences, but drama is a genre that requires really subtle animation and incredible attention to detail. Hourou Musuko does this and more.

Firstly, the style is really unique. I was initially put-off by the shininess, but the water-color technique is really stunning in motion, and it’s impressive how consistent it is. Secondly, although the characters look distinguishably anime, almost everything else appears very realistic. Not only are backgrounds surprisingly full of detail and movement, but the show does not sacrifice verisimilitude for sparkly backdrops and whatnot typical of anime drama. Flowers don’t sprout upon a character’s introduction; bubbles don’t cascade when a character smiles. When artistic metaphors are used correctly, it can add a lot to the scene, but Hourou Musuko’s avoidance of the trope better suits its soft and serious tone. In short, Hourou Musuko’s art is as solid as its story if not better.

Audio

Sound isn’t a component that usually can make or break a series. There are exceptions, but the sound of Hourou Musuko is not one of these exceptions. It’s very passable, but there’re only a few flashes of brilliance.

For example, the background music is always appropriate (very pretty and soft, just like the rest of the series), but it’s not particularly memorable. Admittedly, the opening and ending songs are catchy, but they’re not catchy enough to keep my attention during their staid sequences.

But I do have to give props to some of the voice-actors. Voice-acting is really important as many of the characters fight against nature to express who they really are. Both Nitori and Takatsuki, the two characters with the toughest job, have newcomers voice them, and the risk really pays off. Asami Seto makes an excellent debut as Takatsuki, balancing Takatsuki’s biological sex with her mental gender. Kousuke Hatakeyama is not quite as good as Nitori, but I’m thrilled they picked a boy around Nitori’s age to play him. Additionally, his subtle deepening of Nitori’s voice as the series progresses is really well done.

Verdict

Overall, Hourou Musuko is a really excellent series. I have a sinking feeling it’ll be quickly forgotten (or at worst, only remembered as the Noitamina show that aired at the same time as that godawful Fractale), but it’s definitely worthy of the timeblock it aired on. For me, Hourou Musuko stands as the perfect example of how to condense a long slice-of-life-esque manga into a short, stunning, and very enjoyable anime. Highly recommended to those who enjoy bittersweet drama with well-written and realistic characters.