風と木の詩 6

風と木の詩: 8 volumes #6

by Keiko Takemiya, 竹宮惠子

Genres: Manga

407 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Keiko Takemiya (竹宮惠子), earlier known as 竹宮恵子 (note: it's the first kanji in her given name, 恵→惠) is a Japanese mangaka.

She is one of the 24-Gumi (Magnificent 49ers), the group of female manga artists that pioneered the shoujo genre. Professor of manga studies at Kyoto Seika University.

Reviews

[Rosenblue · Rating 2 out of 5]

In all the volumes I've read of this series so far this volume and volume 5 are my least favorite.
I'm annoyed with the constant depictions of abuse in the manga.
At first I thought the author would leave these scenes a few brief moments of Gilbert's escapades at his school and some scenes insinuating what has happened between Gilbert and his uncle.
Unfortunately this wasn't the case.
It seems Keiko Takemiya has lost sight of what the original intention of her story was.
Serge hasn't made an appearance since volume 3.
His part of the story is possibly going to be rushed since there are very few volumes left of the series.
I'm disgusted and disappointed with the path the story is following.
I was hoping this wasn't going to be a typical case of another mangaka using trauma events such as rape or kidnapping as shock value.
The story was going so well and the author fell into the temptation of sexualizing the victim.
It annoyed me that Gilbert is willing to do anything to piss off his uncle that he would run off to stay at a Bonnard's house - the very man who sexually assaulted him last volume.
To top things off Bonnard started sending gifts to Gilbert as if nothing happened.
There is a pattern in the book where Gilbert keeps leaving to go to parties on his own and accepting gifts from suspicious people.
There is a scene where a man at a party confesses his love for Gilbert in elegant poetic speech at a fountain.
If Gilbert wasn't a 10 year old child being confessed to by an adult man this scene would have been romantic and even beautiful.
It's a shame that every goal of every other person who interacts with Gilbert always has nefarious intentions set in place.
The boy who helped Gilbert in volume 5 is never mentioned again.
Rose Marie the school's head of the student council and supreme Superintendent at Lacombrade academy in the future tries to blackmail Auguste (Gilbert's uncle) into having him appointed his future occupation/position.
Marie knows about Gilbert staying over at Bonnard's house - a man known for his distasteful behavior with young boys.
Auguste knows what might be happening between Bonnard and Gilbert and yet he does nothing about it.
Another pattern in this story.
Gilbert is assaulted by a jealous apprentice of Bonnard by the name of Renault.
It's crazy to me that this boy is jealous of Bonnard's obsession with Gilbert.
No matter how this volume tried to paint Bonnard as this kind man I won't forget what he did in volume 5.
I don't see how Renault and Tino can work for someone as evil as Bonnard happily as if he isn't an abuser.
The volume ends with Gilbert's cruel parents appearing after abandoning their child for 10 years.
Auguste's brother creepily touches his hands because the writer wanted to remind her readers how disturbed the two brothers' relationship is once again.
Gilbert's mother returns with a new child claiming that this child is a legitimate heir and that Gilbert isn't since he is actually the child she had with Auguste.