Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 11 [Paperback]

Taeko Watanabe (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2008 | Series: Kaze Hikaru (Book 11)

In the year 1863, a time fraught with violent social upheaval, samurai of all walks of life flock to Kyoto in the hope of joining the Mibu-Roshi--a band of warriors united around their undying loyalty to the Shogunate system. In time, this group would become one of the greatest (and most famous) movements in Japanese history...the Shinsengumi!

Yamanami learns that the path of righteousness and justice is not as straight and clear as he thought when he receives conflicting requests for allegiance. Ito asks Yamanami to show mercy for his friends in the Tenguto, who support the emperor, while Kondo insists that they be dealt with as enemies of the shogun. With lives at stake, will Yamanami be able to balance justice, loyalty and honor?

In the year 1863, a time fraught with violent social upheaval, samurai of all walks of life flock to Kyoto in the hope of joining the Mibu-Roshi--a band of warriors united around their undying loyalty to the Shogunate system. In time, this group would become one of the greatest (and most famous) movements in Japanese history...the Shinsengumi!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Taeko Watanabe debuted as a manga artist in 1979 with her story Waka-chan no Netsuai Jidai (Love Struck Days of Waka). Kaze Hikaru is her longest-running series, but she has created a number of other popular series. Watanabe is a two-time winner of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the Girls' category-her manga Hajime-chan is Number One! claimed the award in 1991 and Kaze Hikaru took it in 2003.Watanabe read hundreds of historical sources to create Kaze Hikaru . She is from Tokyo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421517361
• ISBN-13: 978-1421517360
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars smitten by this series, January 3, 2009

By 

K. A. Smith (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 11 (Paperback)

I confess that at first I wasn't a big fan of the art style of this series, but it has really grown on me and now I love it. In particular, I admire the care and effort the mangaka has put into making the clothing, locations, and overall story as historically accurate as possible. Of course, because there is a romance aspect and a character who does not exist historically (the leading "lady") being worked into the true historical facts, some things had to be modified, but I am able to overlook that.

Personally, I enjoy the premise of a female character taking her fate in her hands, avenging her family, choosing to become a warrior despite her stature and gender (even undercover!), devoting her life and loyalty to a cause (and to the one she loves) and not having to be some hot babe at the same time--and being accepted and loved in return, as a person.

Despite this series being a shojo (for girls) manga, there's a good dose of fighting and violence, as well as comedic aspects that make me laugh so much. Volume 11, however, takes a somber dramatic turn that also left me in tears. Sei is again challenged to resolve both her desire to be a true bushi, and to have true love--if either can ever come to pass. It's a conflict that I worry can only end in more tears--but who can say?

This is perhaps my favorite manga series I've read: funny, dramatic, bold, rich with history (I'm learning more about Japan's history than I ever knew before), action-filled, and with what feels to me to be a tender and fervent sincerity. I wait impatiently for volume 12!