Kaze Hikaru is one of the most under-appreciated manga that I know of. It has an extremely lovable cast, a surprisingly well-researched setting, art that soft on the eyes, and a mixture of both romance, action, and Japanese history. I've made it my mission to try and get people to read it -- to at least try it out. Please do? # Scanlations up to Volume 10 (Read here!) # Japanese volumes up to volume 29. # English Viz volumes up to volume 18. _____ "In the year 1863, a time fraught with violent social upheaval, samurai warriors 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 eventually become one of the greatest (and most famous) movements in Japanese history...the Shinsengumi! After her father and older brother are murdered, Tominaga Sei decides to pose as a boy named so that she can join the ''Mibu-Roshigumi'' (later known as the Shinsengumi) and avenge their deaths. Trained by Okita Soji, she soon finds herself falling in love with him." 「女子じゃありません。私は武士です!I am not a girl. I am a bushi! 」
Looking to fill the Kaze Hikaru-sized hole in your heart? Look no further! If you love the Shinsengumi and pain(which obviously you do if you’ve read KH) then you should look up “Shinsengumi!” It’s one of NHK’s yearly historical taiga dramas, and all 50 English-subbed episodes can be found online. I laughed! I cried! I experienced second-hand embarrassment! 10/10 would recommend to any Kaze Hikaru lover!
I appreciate that Kaze Hikaru addresses the fact that since Kamiya is a girl she has menstrual cycles and that it’s a problem because she’s got to a) hide her gender and b) be active and kick butt at a moment’s notice, but then she does find a way to take care of everything and her friend chips in and helps out and the whole thing is resolved actually very reasonably. Also from now on, when my period surprises me, I will say “My ‘horse’ has arrived!”
“First, fold this paper and connect two of them. You tie this to your waist with a string. It looks like a horse’s saddle girth, so that’s why they call it a horse.”