|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane As the sixteenth volume of Kaze Hikaru opens, a mere week has passed since Sanosuke Harada, one of the Shinsengumi's captains, met a girl named Omasa--whom he now wishes to marry. There's just one small problem: Omasa is the daughter of a merchant, and as the book briefly breaks the fourth wall to note, marriages between samurai and members of different castes were forbidden during this period. Sei isn't the only one of Harada's comrades who's distressed by the thought that the fledgling romance might not end happily in marriage, but she refuses to resign herself to such an depressing outcome. Romance is on other minds as well, notably Saito's; despite his best efforts, his thoughts keep coming back to Dr. Matsumoto's recent pronouncement that Sei's girlish traits can be chalked up to a disease called "feminititis", and Saito can't help imagining "him" as a girl. Matsumoto himself returns with another important role in this volume, giving Sei a chance to think of her father in a new light. This is yet another excellent addition to the series, with several subplots and a lot of development for a few of the characters. I absolutely love Matsumoto's "diagnosis" of Sei, which is a stroke of genius, and how the men around her react to it. There were a couple of moments in here where Sei struck me (not for the first time) as a bit more idealistic than seems entirely plausible, given how much she's seen and been through, but she's such a great character that I don't mind. She's easy to relate to, but there's something extraordinary about her: like many shoujo heroines, she's optimistic and easily moved, but she's unquestionably got a steel core. Through Sei's eyes, we get to see how her higher-ups handle delicate matters, and are given a window into her past; unlike her, readers also get more insight into Soji's feelings for her as a new subplot for him opens up towards the end. I'm impressed by how many storylines Watanabe can address in just one volume (I haven't even mentioned them all!) without making any of them feel rushed or perfunctory. Recommended, as usual, and I'm already looking forward to the next volume. Volume 16 of Kaze Hikaru includes a three-page glossary of historical terms. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
|
||||
 |
| home | reviews | news | features | about us | advertise | privacy policy | contact us |
