Kaze Hikaru

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 ItouKashitaro ”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…