Wandering Son (2011)

Hōrō Musuko

Director: Ei Aoki
Series Composition: Mari Okada

Most of the time when transsexualism is portrayed in film and television it is done so for laughs at the expense of crossdresser, labelling those involved as perverted. Few series dare to tackle the issues involved for those wanting to be the opposite gender fairly. Wandering Son is one of these, portraying transsexuality, gender identity and puberty in a mature and incredibly realistic way.

The plot involves a young boy, Nitori Shuichi, who wants to be a girl, and a young girl, Takatsuki Yoshino, a girl who wants to be a boy. Their reasons are deep-seeded and complex, and entirely innocent. They attend school with their classmates, and through various encounters and experiences, slowly gather the courage to dress the way they want and do the things they want to do, regardless of the criticism from their classmates, teachers and parents.

The decision to dive right into the middle of the manga, means that the entire story can be concluded in the eleven episodes of the Noitanima slot it resides in. This way it can retain its slow pacing, accomplishing a lot of character development in each episode while never feeling rushed. This decision also provides a rich back-story to the characters that is hinted at throughout. The audience is given enough information to deduce their life-forming events, while also making it seem like there is much more to these characters than is apparent. It wasn’t one single incident that made these characters the way they are.

The character’s progression throughout the series begins subtly. They achieve small triumphs by wearing clothes of the opposite gender in secret. Revealing their desires to their friends results in encouragement, providing them the confidence to wear the respective clothes outside. As they are pre-pubescent with no major gender-specific developments, there is no notice of perversion. Other incidents such as a tomboy wearing a boy’s uniform to school and a gender bender school play boost their desire. Still, they are constrained by the fear of publicly announcing their desires to their classmates. Their denial of something they desire so badly lends the show a stifling depression, yet the bittersweet moments when they achieve their small triumphs brings the show back from utter sadness. The final conclusion of each character’s journey parallels the end of an era, as they progress from one stage of life to another, finding closure and a melancholic feeling of nostalgia.

The simple love triangle at the beginning of the show develops to be quite unpredictable, straying away from the usual “will they? won’t they?” indecisiveness of the romance genre, and matching up characters with unsuspected others. Relationships begin and end, and compromises are struck, with consequences affecting everyone involved. The cast grows to be quite large by the end of the series, yet all the side characters are equally as developed as the main characters, and still entirely relevant to the plot.

The subtle, laid-back animation style sets the focus on the characters and the story. The beautifully simplistic background frames allow for a greater study on the expression of the characters themselves, and the character designs denote youth and innocence, even if they do all have impeccably shiny hair.

It is clear now that Mari Okada abandoned Gosick and Fractale to mediocrity, spending her talents on this masterpiece. With its mature writing and bravery tackling complex issues, Wandering Son stands well apart from most other anime.

4½ / 5