However, I never questioned my sexuality or ever felt uncomfortable with my gender. Sure, I had all kinds of doubts and anxieties growing up. It takes me inside a world I’ve never known. He is no less, and no more, human than the rest of us. He could be anyone you meet on the street. His gender struggles are portrayed as one aspect of his life and not as all-consuming.
There is nothing extraordinary about his family or the school he is attending.
We see Shuichi living the typical life of someone his age. Shimura is very careful not to exploit her characters or make them come across as strange. We watch as he slowly comes to accept himself, and this first volume ends with him admitting to himself that his deepest desire is to be a girl. It’s in his dreams that Shuichi is honest about his feelings and works through his fears. Shuichi’s dreams play an important part in the narrative. The focus is on character growth and development. The bulk of this first volume is spent introducing us to the main characters and preparing us for the main themes of gender identity and the choices we face as we define ourselves. By contrast, Yoshino has already begun experimenting with cross-dressing. When the book opens, Shuichi is discontented with his biological gender, but he doesn’t seem ready to embrace his transgender nature. Wandering Son by Takako Shimura is the story of growing up as a transgender person, told in first person from Shuichi’s perspective. Yoshino is a masculine-looking girl who dreams of being a boy. Shuichi is a feminine-looking boy who dreams of being a girl. They are classmates who sit next to each other and quickly become good friends. Both are in fifth grade and have just recently transferred to a new school. Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki are mirror images of each other. ***Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers***
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