Koi Kaze

Story The highlight of this manga is it's story. It's not necessarily completely unique in premise, but the way it treats its subject matter is what makes it stand out from the pack. Motoi Yoshida presents Koshiro and Nanoka's relationship in a realistic and powerful manner. Humor is also provided whenever appropriate. Art The character designs are all pleasant looking and very distinct from one another. Expressions are always drawn well enough that you can know how a character is feeling. The backgrounds don't show much detail for the most part, unless a scene is being introduced. Overall, the style is a bit simplistic, but this fitsthe story and setting well. Character The two main characters are both fleshed out well throughout the 5 volumes. Readers are able to get to know them and understand their emotions. The supporting cast is small, but each character was given a unique personality without resorting to stereotypes. As Koshiro and Nanoka are the main characters, there are only a handful of scenes which don't involve one or both. However, everyone in the cast plays a role in their development. Enjoyment Motoi Yoshida keeps the story going at a leisurely pace and allows the manga to use it's 5 volumes to their full extent. Nothing feels too rushed, but I never had the desire to skip ahead a few pages or got bored either. It's very consistently written, so after reading a couple chapters, you should be able to decide if it'll hold your interest. Overall I'd highly recommend this manga to anyone who is looking for a refreshingly new and realistic take on romance. 7.5 out of 10

story: The story is beautifully tragic. The utter sense of sorrow that derives from the concept of forbidden, impossible love is expressed well in 'Koi kaze'. I believe most people out there hate incest. Why? Because it is immoral, because they just can't imagine themselves falling in love with their own sibling. This manga however will overturn your rather self-centered ideas of incest relationships. Two siblings fall in love after being separated for nearly eighteen years. Such love is disregarded and is considered 'wrong'. Koi kaze however, questions the justification of this by giving an insight to the hardships that our protagonists face on their journey tosearch for their answers. Love that cannot be fulfilled, love that is not supported by anyone, Love that cannot exist. But WHY? The idea of this forbidden relationship is a melancholic one indeed and I do believe that this manga has been crafted well to effectively portray this. However, I must say that it could have been much more dramatic. Despite the potential of the plot, I felt that even in the most dramatic, climatic scenes, it lacked the power to really pierce my heart and pour out my emotions. Nonetheless it was still enough to make me really consider the perspectives of our protagonists and imagine their hurt,pain,sorrow,depression, and so many more emotions! art: This was a problem. For me, art was a bit of a bother. I would have dropped it right away if it wasn't for the plot which compensates for the dull drawings. Characters: The characters design depicts 'normal' people. The protagonist(s) are not people who are rich, nor very poor. The guy is not one of those unrealistically princely figures that is always crowded by girls. Nor is the girl protagonist a beauty that everyone his the school drools over. They are just normal, typical people like you and me. I felt that that was an important factor that gave the manga a rather realistic feeling and supported the plot well. Overall, I highly recommend this manga to especially those that hate incest. I believe Koi Kaze will twist your opinions from hate to kindness, from disgust to sympathy.

Incest is an extremely taboo subject - and rightly so. Koi Kaze's greatest achievement is that it succeeds in approaching the topic in a balanced, mature way without making light of or overtly sexualising it. For that, I can't help but give plaudits. The plot is not particularly complex: two siblings inadvertently meet before knowing they are blood-related, and experience a brief spark of a romantic connection, later learning the truth, and struggling with the conflicting feelings of attraction and desire to obey social norms. Characters are mostly all ordinary, reasonable people with realistic reactions to the subject at hand. MC is a bit of a rottencharacter, but also a sympathetic one. Art style is consistently good; but it's nothing out of the ordinary for an early 2000s manga. As far as criticism is concerned, it's a little on the short side - there was definitely room to expand the story further and add more developments. Ultimately, this is a forbidden love story that is terribly sad and sweet in equal measure. Worthy of a read, even if the topic makes you uncomfortable. Plot: 7 Characters: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Enjoyment: 9.5