Kaze Hikaru

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Do yourself a favour and don’t treat this as a full blown romance story, as Kaze Hikaru has much more to offer than what it seems to be on the surface! Where some might find the romance itself lacking, it will easily be made up for by the interesting history, paneling and character design that is both visually and narratively distinct.

(If you’ve come here after a vigorous Hakuoki marathon - like I did - skip this review and just pick up the manga already!!!)

”Even if the bath has turned to mud… it would be better than sharing a bed with you.”
— Hijikata Toshizou to Itou ... Kashitaro

”You’re too adorable, Hijikata-kun”
— Itou Kashitaro

(Volume 14, chapter 41, page 58)


…


Kaze Hikaru or Shining Wind

The author has spent extensive amounts of time on research to provide us with a rather atypical shoujo piece - an immersive trip to the late edo-period amongst the infamous Shinsegumi! If you find yourself interested in japanese history, especially the bakumatsu era and the shogunate’s elite corps hired to protect Kyoto, Kaze Hikaru provides a fun and easy to follow entry to the intrigue of the bakumatsu. ;)

The author has included cute little research diary in the end of some chapters, allowing us to learn on different historical aspects of the time, such as geiko/(geisha) hairstyles, kimonos and even how girls managed their periods at the time!


Something that really convinced me to start reading Kaze Hikaru was the ART STYLE! It’s so different from most shoujo I’ve read - very unique, and with such bold and confident linework. Backgrounds are meticulous and each character is easy to recognize.


Aside from how beautiful the characters are in this manga, they also all have their distinctive, VERY colourful personalities, and their interactions together are a delight to follow.

The two leads Kamiya Seizaburo (real name Tominaga Sei) and Okita Souji are of course the main focus of the story, but I found myself so drawn to all the other characters and their lifes just as much if even more… Kamiya’s and Okita’s romance is undoubtedly cute but some might find it too slow as the character drama and history aspects tend to take the spotlight in Kaze Hikaru.

My favourite would definitely be Saito Hajime’s character. Top of his head might be bald, but I suppose it makes him keep it so cool at all times! Seriously though, he is such a cool guy! Keeps serious through the most flustering situations, while inside he is screaming! Honestly I squeal at every interaction the main character Kamiya has with Saito!!! I love them!

The interaction between the vice captain Hijikata Toshizou and Itou Kashitaro is also worthy of a honourable mention. I bet Itou would read BL… you’ll know what I mean once you read it hehe! I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did!


And finally, I do hope this has gotten you to want to read Kaze Hikaru, for it has many sweet, cute, emotional and even giggle-worthy moments.

P.S
Something to keep in mind if you are a completionist however; this manga has been running for a very long time, yet the english translations haven’t quite caught up. I was able to find around 30 volumes translated…

This is honestly one of the top manga on my list (and I've read a LOT). I can't recommend it enough and I hope the rating will increase because it really does deserve a higher one.

But don't pick it up expecting fluffiness and sugary love-doveyness galore. The 'history' part of the manga plays an important role in directing the plot but it's not THAT heavy that it overshadows the relationships that form the core of the story (battles/fighting is kept to a minimum, not like in Rurouni Kenshin). It's a gender bender that stems from something more than just trying to win the heart of ... the hot guy who the girl saw on TV or on a billboard.

For those who don't enjoy the story of the Shinsengumi very much, this manga might seem unappealing but the author really does a beautiful job of developing likable, lovable, and interesting characters that are multi-faceted (silly but skilled, gentle but strong, etc). I've really come to care about the three-dimensional characters and I really think that you will too if you give this manga a chance.

The characters are met with the gray aspects of life, make mistakes and grow from them. And they learn from and about each other and it's just a pleasure to see the relationship grow between the two main protagonists as well as between the members of the Shinsengumi. The story is just a great mixture of humor, history, friendship, drama, and romance.

I understand why this series wouldn't be everyone's (especially younger readers') cup of tea since it isn't as 'girly' as, say, Vampire Knights (which I also like). It's storytelling style is subtle and thoughtful, where the comedy isn't as exaggerated as in Skip Beat and the romance less direct than in something like Fruits Basket. The artwork is really great (detailed backgrounds, consistent) but the characters aren't the usual prettiness you find in something by CLAMP (that took some getting used to for me, but now I simply love it! -- and for the most part they are distinguishable from one another unlike in many other manga).

Sorry for the writing such a long review but I really hope you'll give it a read. Please message me with any comments, especially if you're a Kaze Hikaru fan!

What is this exactly?

I've read 80 chapters and this is what I'm currently wondering.

It's not action.
There are barely any fighting/war scenes and even when they do appear they end within a few panels. For the most part, the fighting, the war etc are being TALKED about by our characters, but we don't actually *see* anything happening more than their everyday lives at the HQ.

Drama?
Well, yeah there is drama. However, to be honest I'd classified it as slice of life and not drama. The reason is that it's all infuriatingly episodic, with everything kinda rubber banding to its default state after the mini-arc ends. And I ... say MINI, because, despite the number of volumes, there's no real 'arcs' or larger plot points (other that the most obvious ones, like that they are the shinsengumi, what they strive for.. etc). For me real drama has to have impact on the characters.

Gender-bender?
Yes. This one I can easily agree with. Kamiya does seriously try to live as a bushi. However, that doesn't change the fact that her femininity is CONSTANTLY underscored, highlighted, talked about, EVERY freaking character and their grandma is secretly in love with her. And she just. Won't. Stop. CRYING! ARGH!

Historical?
Indeed. In the sense that it's akin to attending a history class where someone talks about all these historic events but you don't actually get to SEE any of that. And in the rare cased you do - it'll be a panel here and there and then it'll quickly pan away from all that and let you admire the SKY while TALKING about what happened and the result.

Romance?
Haha...hah...ha... *sigh*
There are touching scenes, I'll give it that. However. There's NO development, no progress. At the beginning you think it's just slow paced and get all excited for what will happen. But then, as you read and read and read... it starts to slowly dawn on you that no. Nothing's happening. And when something finally MIGHT happen and you see a faint glimmer of hope that their relationship will finally start to evolve... it's turned into a bloody PUNCHLINE. A gag. And so you laugh. Because what? You'll cry? Nah, you're not the heroine.

Slice of life?
YES. This is it I think. It's a slice of life about the everyday life of the Shinsengumi. With the emphasis in DAILY life. You see them eat, bathe, shit, fight, laugh, cry, fart, sometimes die or go to the red light district. They talk about important matters, but you don't really care because you won't see any of that anyway. They are an interesting bunch and it's quite entertaining to see them carry on with their lives, but don't expect character growth. It's like there's this default state for all of them, and after every mini-arc, they just kinda return to that default state. Rinse and repeat. Over and over...and over again. Fun!

6.5/10 because it did keep me for 80 chapters before I lost my patience.