Customer Reviews

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 11

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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!