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Wandering Son #8
放浪息子 8
In the latest volume of this realistic manga about transgender students, our protagonists experiment sartorially. Curiosity and transphobia collide in the latest volume of Fantagraphics’ critically acclaimed manga about a boy who wants to be a girl, and a girl who wants to be a boy. In Volume 8, Nitori-kun, a boy who wants to be a girl, explores kissing with girlfriend Anna-chan; and Yoshino-san, a girl who wants to be a boy, finds the courage to go to school wearing a boy’s uniform. Meanwhile, one of their male classmates, Doi-kun, who has caused our protagonists misery in the past, becomes intrigued with their grown-up friend Yuki-san, a transwoman. But Nitori-kun finds himself strangely drawn to Doi-kun… Shimura Takaro’s Wandering Son has been rightly hailed as one of the most progressive and enlightened treatments of gender identity in the history of comics. The eighth volume continues to explore the lives of its characters with insight and sensitivity. Black & white
200 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2015
4 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Takako Shimura
175 books210 followersTakako Shimura (native name: 志村貴子) is a manga artist primarily known for her manga works published in Japan which feature LGBT (especially about lesbian and transgender) topics. Originally from Kanagawa, she now resides in Tokyo.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 25, 2016
I like how this volume brings up the double standard - a girl wearing boy's clothes is considered "cool," while a boy wearing girl's clothes is a "pervert". Deep stuff for middle school students!
November 1, 2016
Not much seems to happen in this volume, volume eight, eighth grade, it’s subtle, but there’s some emotional growth. And you can see in this one how different it is for others when a girl who wants to be a boy, Takatsuki-san (Yoshino) wears “boy clothes” to school compared to when a boy, Nitori-kun, who wants to be a girl, wears “girl clothes” at school. Double standard! But it is also true that when Nitori-kun (Shuichi, or Shu, also called Nitorin) tells girlfriend/teen model Anna that he wants to wear girl clothes that it is no big deal to her, she thinks it’s cute. She’s pretty cool.
Yuki-san, a transwoman, makes an appearance in this story. A progressive treatment of gender identity with many sweet and vulnerable and totally nice characters amidst kissing and cross-dressing and karaoke. Everything and everyone seems to be changing in the story; all the relationships and many of the identities seem fluid and changing. If you read it fast you just might miss the subtle ways shifts take place between and within the kids.
Yuki-san, a transwoman, makes an appearance in this story. A progressive treatment of gender identity with many sweet and vulnerable and totally nice characters amidst kissing and cross-dressing and karaoke. Everything and everyone seems to be changing in the story; all the relationships and many of the identities seem fluid and changing. If you read it fast you just might miss the subtle ways shifts take place between and within the kids.
April 22, 2022
PROTECT SHU!!! PROTECT HIM!!!
I'm so sad that the rest of these aren't translated in English. I'm hoping I can at least find them online somewhere. It's getting so interesting and I'm so nervous for Shu. The way that ended?? I hope he's okay. I kind of love Kaneda-sensei. There's something weird about him, but he seems like a good guy. Doi confuses me? God there's so much happening now and they're growing up so they're becoming more sure of themselves and I love it, but also terrified for them.
I'm so sad that the rest of these aren't translated in English. I'm hoping I can at least find them online somewhere. It's getting so interesting and I'm so nervous for Shu. The way that ended?? I hope he's okay. I kind of love Kaneda-sensei. There's something weird about him, but he seems like a good guy. Doi confuses me? God there's so much happening now and they're growing up so they're becoming more sure of themselves and I love it, but also terrified for them.
June 13, 2018
wow I flew through this volume!
There are plenty interesting dynamics and interactions characters. The last chapter left me worried and I’m diving into vol. 9.
There are plenty interesting dynamics and interactions characters. The last chapter left me worried and I’m diving into vol. 9.
July 3, 2015
Volume 8 is basically the turning point in the series and I'm really happy to see we made it this far with the English editions. My favorite scene that utterly blew me away when I read it in Japanese comes at the end, resulting in a kind of cliffhanger. So I think in a way, Volume 8 is the most important book in the series. Obviously the disparities between reactions to Takatsuki and Nitori at school also demonstrate a serious social problem in Japanese culture.
I also really love Volume 8 as the characters have finally matured enough to offer us a glimpse into their futures. Maybe not exactly what they'll end up doing with their lives (there are always twists and turns in High School, College, etc), but what they'll be like as adults. Out of anger at the unfairness of her life, Chiba already speaks as if she is an adult, which probably indicates she'll regress in maturity later on (despite being Trans, I can relate to her character most). Maho's tsundere is finally beginning to crack and you catch a glimpse of the more easy-going Maho toward the end of this volume. Sarashina is outspoken but always leaps before she thinks. You can't help but imagine her just like that as an adult as well. Anna is probably my favorite character. Her interactions with Takatsuki and Chiba during the double-date prove she's cool-headed and kind-hearted in any situation. Whenever I saw the NGE phrase "Girlfriend of Steel" I always immediately thought of Anna. Takatsuki might be the exception here, because she herself is so tormented. It doesn't feel like her character is maturing so much as building better defense mechanisms. Takatsuki is the kind of person you'd want to reassure and bolster her self-esteem. To be so torn at that age... I think there's a good chance she'll tip over into depression and/or suicide later in life (just a wild supposition). Shu is the heroine and the character who suffers the most throughout the story. She suffers under the bootheel of her sister's desperate conformity and ego-centrism. She suffers her friends mercurial attitudes about her. She suffers a Japanese society that looks down on you for being different. She suffers from lack of resources for her transition. Yet, we're already seeing her self-talk centre around building self-confidence and following her heart. In Volume 8 she shows little hesitancy with Anna and acts a lot more open with her friends than she once did. Shu is on the cusp of a kind of personality gestalt into something beautiful.
I also really love Volume 8 as the characters have finally matured enough to offer us a glimpse into their futures. Maybe not exactly what they'll end up doing with their lives (there are always twists and turns in High School, College, etc), but what they'll be like as adults. Out of anger at the unfairness of her life, Chiba already speaks as if she is an adult, which probably indicates she'll regress in maturity later on (despite being Trans, I can relate to her character most). Maho's tsundere is finally beginning to crack and you catch a glimpse of the more easy-going Maho toward the end of this volume. Sarashina is outspoken but always leaps before she thinks. You can't help but imagine her just like that as an adult as well. Anna is probably my favorite character. Her interactions with Takatsuki and Chiba during the double-date prove she's cool-headed and kind-hearted in any situation. Whenever I saw the NGE phrase "Girlfriend of Steel" I always immediately thought of Anna. Takatsuki might be the exception here, because she herself is so tormented. It doesn't feel like her character is maturing so much as building better defense mechanisms. Takatsuki is the kind of person you'd want to reassure and bolster her self-esteem. To be so torn at that age... I think there's a good chance she'll tip over into depression and/or suicide later in life (just a wild supposition). Shu is the heroine and the character who suffers the most throughout the story. She suffers under the bootheel of her sister's desperate conformity and ego-centrism. She suffers her friends mercurial attitudes about her. She suffers a Japanese society that looks down on you for being different. She suffers from lack of resources for her transition. Yet, we're already seeing her self-talk centre around building self-confidence and following her heart. In Volume 8 she shows little hesitancy with Anna and acts a lot more open with her friends than she once did. Shu is on the cusp of a kind of personality gestalt into something beautiful.
July 31, 2015
I can't believe this volume cuts off at that point!! The next chapter is the one that made me cry (a lot) the last time I read the series.
This volume is definitely a turning point for Nitori -- throughout the volume she struggles with the process of coming out, whether it's worth it, and so on. I have thoughts I haven't quite gotten together about Nitori's privilege in passing for a girl (everyone telling her that she's cute, so why not) and how it doesn't end up mattering. It's an important volume, and Fantagraphics has, as always, done a great job with it. I can't wait to read volume 9!!!
This volume is definitely a turning point for Nitori -- throughout the volume she struggles with the process of coming out, whether it's worth it, and so on. I have thoughts I haven't quite gotten together about Nitori's privilege in passing for a girl (everyone telling her that she's cute, so why not) and how it doesn't end up mattering. It's an important volume, and Fantagraphics has, as always, done a great job with it. I can't wait to read volume 9!!!
January 21, 2016
This series is fantastic and important and considering the cliffhanger it left off on, I am not looking forward to the wait for the next volume.
I am trying to resist reading it online, but the flesh is squishy and weak.
I am trying to resist reading it online, but the flesh is squishy and weak.
July 28, 2016
This was one of my favorite volumes so far. It's wonderful to see the characters becoming more comfortable with their sexualities and more straightforward about such. I enjoyed seeing Nitori go to school in girl's clothing.
June 6, 2018
What a fucking bummer that this was the last Fantagraphics volume
April 15, 2021
I couldn't find the volumes after this one on this app, so this is my review for the entire manga series.
Okay, so as a newly out (to myself and a few close people) trans person this hit deep. I...have a lot of mixed feelings about this manga. I loved it, but it hurt at the same time, and still I couldn't stop reading, especiallytoward the end. The story was so relatable to me it felt familiar, not even just as a trans person, but as a person. Yet there are some big issues I have with it I can't ignore.
First off, some general things I enjoyed:
The characters and their world is extremely well developed and feel very realistic. The manga follows its characters from elementary school to the end of high-school, and its slow pace and almost excruciating level of detail pay off to make it not only expansive and immersive, but also gives it a very nostalgic and relatable feeling, because it captures growing up so well. This is a manga about the subtle moments, the feelings both big and small woven into mundane, everyday life, and the slow changes and developments that come over the years, and I loved that. It focuses highly on character development and relationships, and everyone, even minor or side characters, feel like someone you know. It's that real.
Some storylines do feel unnecessary and drawn-out, and like I said it isn't exactly a page-turner. I think the author could have cut some plotlines, and perhaps it would have made parts of the story more effective. But at the same time I admire the dedication, and it does also feel rich and rewarding in many ways. The way the manga portays emotion through visuals is very effective, though I don't know enough about manga/comics to go in depth about that.
My real 'beef' and conflicting feelings with this manga lie in the trans representation.
Okay, so as a newly out (to myself and a few close people) trans person this hit deep. I...have a lot of mixed feelings about this manga. I loved it, but it hurt at the same time, and still I couldn't stop reading, especiallytoward the end. The story was so relatable to me it felt familiar, not even just as a trans person, but as a person. Yet there are some big issues I have with it I can't ignore.
First off, some general things I enjoyed:
The characters and their world is extremely well developed and feel very realistic. The manga follows its characters from elementary school to the end of high-school, and its slow pace and almost excruciating level of detail pay off to make it not only expansive and immersive, but also gives it a very nostalgic and relatable feeling, because it captures growing up so well. This is a manga about the subtle moments, the feelings both big and small woven into mundane, everyday life, and the slow changes and developments that come over the years, and I loved that. It focuses highly on character development and relationships, and everyone, even minor or side characters, feel like someone you know. It's that real.
Some storylines do feel unnecessary and drawn-out, and like I said it isn't exactly a page-turner. I think the author could have cut some plotlines, and perhaps it would have made parts of the story more effective. But at the same time I admire the dedication, and it does also feel rich and rewarding in many ways. The way the manga portays emotion through visuals is very effective, though I don't know enough about manga/comics to go in depth about that.
My real 'beef' and conflicting feelings with this manga lie in the trans representation.
February 18, 2019
With a cliffhanger like this volume ended on it makes me so furious knowing that the series, which I absolutely love, continues...but isn’t translated into English. Also, this is internet “research” so it might be true...Fantagraphics stopped translating and publishing these volumes because they weren’t selling well. Lame.
Anyway, this volume was great! These characters truly found a way into my heart...but I still despise Maho. She is the embodiment of toxicity. She was even rude to her own grandparents who by the way are super sweet! Not being able to read the future volumes prevents this character being redeemed for me. Also, that cliffhanger...it pains me to NOT know what happens next and what all the supporting characters’ reactions are to this event! Nitorin has found a spot on my personal hero list, so much so that at the moment I made him my FB profile picture.
A huge thank you to Takako Shimura for creating another wonderful series! I am depressed being well aware that there are 7 more volumes that I’m unable to read. I can only hope sometime in the near future that they get translated and that this series perhaps gets republished WIDELY towards a younger audience that’d totally benefit from reading it.
Anyway, this volume was great! These characters truly found a way into my heart...but I still despise Maho. She is the embodiment of toxicity. She was even rude to her own grandparents who by the way are super sweet! Not being able to read the future volumes prevents this character being redeemed for me. Also, that cliffhanger...it pains me to NOT know what happens next and what all the supporting characters’ reactions are to this event! Nitorin has found a spot on my personal hero list, so much so that at the moment I made him my FB profile picture.
A huge thank you to Takako Shimura for creating another wonderful series! I am depressed being well aware that there are 7 more volumes that I’m unable to read. I can only hope sometime in the near future that they get translated and that this series perhaps gets republished WIDELY towards a younger audience that’d totally benefit from reading it.
August 21, 2020
So, it goes. Finally deciding to go to school in their uniforms of choice. I found out that although there are other volumes this one is that last that was translated into English due to poor sales.
It is too bad. I am glad that this volume ended on a particular note. It doesn't feel too unfinished.
It is too bad. I am glad that this volume ended on a particular note. It doesn't feel too unfinished.
Read
September 14, 2019Genre: manga, slice of life
2 LGBTQ main characters: transgender
2 LGBTQ side characters: transgender and questioning
Importance of identities to plot: 5/5
Romance: 1/5
Coming out: yes
Notes: Oh my goodness the ending!!! Is such a cliffhanger and I’m itching to get my hands on volume 9
2 LGBTQ main characters: transgender
2 LGBTQ side characters: transgender and questioning
Importance of identities to plot: 5/5
Romance: 1/5
Coming out: yes
Notes: Oh my goodness the ending!!! Is such a cliffhanger and I’m itching to get my hands on volume 9
September 15, 2021
Yay! Shu is now confidently telling some people that he wants to dress as a girl! And he's gone to school dressed as a girl. It's very exciting.
Unfortunately, this is the last volume available in english so I will be waiting a while before I find out how the story ends...
Unfortunately, this is the last volume available in english so I will be waiting a while before I find out how the story ends...
February 19, 2017
I felt that this volume picked up the pace and started heading back on the story's original path. Excited for the next!
February 22, 2019
8th grade trans kids in Japan.
January 31, 2020
Pretty good sweet LGBT theme manga! Good story and loved the art😻👍😁❤️
January 28, 2021
I can't believe the english translations end here, its such a cliffhanger!
May 13, 2021
Yay! We’re finally to the point I have been excited to read all along, and then.... no more books in English????
May 8, 2017
Things pick up again and come to a climax as the group begins a new school year.
February 11, 2016
I am always impressed by Takako Shimura's ability to express difficult thoughts and emotions through her art and writing, and this volume is no exception. As Shu grows more and more certain that he is happiest dressed as a girl (I'd call him a transvestite or gender fluid rather than transgender, but please feel free to disagree with me), his sister Maho becomes more and more aggressively cis-gender, and I suspect things will come to a head in volume 9. Shu's new relationship with Doi, the boy who tormented him in elementary school, is also beginning to open up as they mature, and one of the most interesting parts of this story is watching the adults reject something that the other kids can grow to accept, even if at first they struggle. This is as much a generational tale as a gender one in that sense, and I wish it could be required reading in schools.
January 20, 2019
Giving it five stars just because most of the things I had issues with faded out in this book, and the ending, while sad, was really raw and honest. This manga definitely shouldn't be the only one to handle LGBT issues, but it's an important piece of the puzzle and it's going to pave the way for many more trans characters... I hope.
January 20, 2015
much like what happened with bunny drop
I'm going to blow through this entire series in a few more days
and want to stop, but unable to
and be totally unsatisfied with the ending
oh also volume 8 is not as good as seven which was not as good as six.
I'm going to blow through this entire series in a few more days
and want to stop, but unable to
and be totally unsatisfied with the ending
oh also volume 8 is not as good as seven which was not as good as six.
July 2, 2015
This manga continues to be amazing.
September 1, 2015
*4.5 stars. This is getting really good! Nitori-kun is getting to be so bold and brave, I love her as a character. Things are just looking more optimistic.
January 5, 2016
Really intense.
Maybe my favourite.
I love these guys.
And Shimura Takako.
Maybe my favourite.
I love these guys.
And Shimura Takako.
May 25, 2015
Still good, but not a particularly interesting volume.
April 29, 2017
3.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews