Creator: Taeko Watanabe
Translation: Mai Ihara
Adaptation: Mai Ihara
Publisher: Viz
Age Rating: Older Teen
Genres: Action, Romance
RRP: $8.99
Kaze Hikaru v13
Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane

Kaze Hikaru continues to be a series I don't think about much in between volumes, yet I really enjoy each new installment. As volume 13 opens, the Shinsengumi have just relocated to a new home inside the city proper, attracting plenty of suspicious attention from their new neighbors. Sei, despite being reminded that they're now living in enemy territory, attempts to win the locals over with her friendly, open attitude, but Okita is less than encouraging about her tactics. In fact, he's being harder on her than usual in several ways, and she finds herself commiserating with and becoming friends with Miki, the intellectual Ito's younger brother. In the process, Watanabe gives readers a look into Ito's past, and reminds both readers and Sei herself that her secret life as a girl in a men's world is always risky, and that she can't afford to be complacent about it. The dynamic that creates is an interesting one, and Watanabe handles it very well: Sei trusts the people around her with her life (and they trust her), but she can't risk trusting them with the truth about her. It seems as if she always remembers that intellectually, but not emotionally, and the contrast is understated but clearly presented.

This volume is driven more by the characters than the politics and historical events, which tends to be my preference (although I have a lot of appreciation for the detailed backdrop they provide for the story). Sei herself is a very sympathetic, determined character, and while I sometimes have trouble with relentlessly cheerful protagonists, I always enjoy reading about her.

Kaze Hikaru has a very genuine feel to it; the comedy is rarely over the top, and it provides a good balance for the serious events surrounding it.

As usual with this series, VIZ has done a great job with the new volume. Historical and cultural terms are clearly explained, and Mai Ihara always turns out a solid translation and adaptation.

Volume 13 of Kaze Hikaru includes a three-page glossary of historical terms.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.

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6 October 2009
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