Hourou Musuko (TV Mini Series 2011) Poster

(2011)

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9/10
Great anime
Farlo12321 November 2020
I really enjoyed this anime. Btw, don't get fooled by the fake low scores of the episodes. It's from transphobic trolls. The same thing happened with Zombieland Saga which also has a trans character.
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8/10
Simple, innocent and almost nostalgic comparing to anime mainstream
guanyuu3 October 2013
There was a time when anime were highly praised for being directed to the young audience. Although, the growth that anime industry had been introduced to is quite important to the general entertainment world and to increase the presence of this art internationally; it's also overshadowing this anime genre which is deeply missed. In Wondering Son, instead of the traditional boy meets girl, we have a boy who wants to be a girl meets a girl who wants to be a boy but don't rush into conclusions. Transgender and cross-dressing issues could be controversial and might offend a few but the anime tries genuinely not to be offensive in any form. If you put your state-of-mind into a sitting where transgender is not that special of an issue the series would look an easy-going story of friendship, a heartwarming one which is 100% acceptable for a 5-year-old to watch, actually, this would be your general feeling after the first 10 minutes into the series. The series would open for you a window about the mix of emotions the protagonists experience with strangers and close ones. Funnily enough, the boy and the girl in the story are getting it quite easy from the outside world comparing to, let's say, if the story follows a boy and a girl with the same issues in united states, but you can still sense that the response from the most makes them wander: "how many people truly understand what we are going through?". Although, what the protagonists going through is special; any teenager in the edge of puberty would related to the story in a way or another. The sense of alienation as well as romantic development with peers in this age is another motif in the series. You'll sense also in the series that gender-identity and sexual-orientation might develop each on its own. The drawing and coloring techniques of the anime are simple and lovable; bringing warm atmosphere as if it tries to smoothen the controversial aspects of the story which is, in my opinion, succeeded to do so. The music used in the series is quite soothing and fits well in general but, in few notes, it could turn a bit dull. Wandering son characters don't try to be flashy or flamboyant like several of transgender or cross- dressing characters in the media. You might view the series events as boring if you don't identify yourself with the genre (Drama, Slice of life SOL) but I highly recommend it for its artistic value since the story nature is a new intro to the anime world which I view it as the best medium for such a story.
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8/10
Tells a lot of figuring yourself out as a tween
Irishchatter25 June 2019
Honestly I'm glad we get to see in anime to see kids who are trying to figure themselves out and who they want to be identified as. Honestly I wish schools nowadays would teach sexuality to kids because I mean, I feel it would like the child/teen explore more of their preferences without pressure. Unfortunately there is still a long way to go before any school does take on this important approach more.

I really liked how this anime portrays this characters and what type of challenges they are going through with their identities. It shows realism and of course can help adults (not just kids) out there who are going through the same thing.

Definitely this is a must watch anime!
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10/10
A heartwarming story of a boy who wishes he was a girl
Tweekums31 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
When I first saw that this series was about a school boy who wishes he was a girl I feared it would be full of cheap laughs but thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong. The series follows Shuuichi Nitori; a school boy with a secret he is keeping from most of his classmates. He isn't the only person in the class with gender identity issues though; Yoshino Takatsuki wishes she was a boy! As the story progresses more people come to know that the two like to dress in the other genders clothes but their reception at school is very different; a girl turning up in a boy's uniform is considered cool but a boy is girls clothes must clearly have something wrong with him.

This slice of life series takes a mature view of its subject matter without being heavy handed and nicely exposes the hypocrisy of society in how they judge boys who dress as girls compared to girls who dress as boys. While the subject matter is serious there are plenty of amusing incidents and a likable cast of characters. The animation is another reason to watch this series; it has a beautiful look; almost like a water colour with its pastel shades. If you haven't seen this yet I'd heartily recommend it; I found it to be best of the Winter 2010/11 series that I watched.
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9/10
Wandering Son is an eloquent show about Gender Dysphoria
Skye121 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
More dramatic slice-of-lifes like this aren't usually my cup of tea, but I felt an obligation to watch Wandering Son as a trans girl myself. My god, am I glad I did. It very accurately portrays gender dysphoria and the struggle of gender identity, especially when you don't have any resources to help with it. There isn't much 'plot' in the series, just different characters growing and interacting, which works well for the story. None of the characters are too similar personality-wise, though I did have some problems remembering their names, which usually isn't an issue for me in manga or anime. In addition, some more varied character designs would've been nice.

Probably the most emotional scene in the show to me was when Nitori went to school in a girl's uniform. She just stands there, looking at her teacher, and you can tell the tension there, you can see her thinking "well, so what?" even though no words are exchanged. It's a powerful moment, which makes it even more devastating when you learn she was removed from the class due to this, and forced to stay in the nurse's office for the remainder of the day. This is especially emotional because we know the reaction Takatsuki got when he wore a boy's uniform to school. People thought he was cool, they congratulated him, but when Nitori wears a girl's uniform to school she is instead isolated, forced away from the classroom. It does an amazing job of highlighting the difference in the way society sees trans boys and trans girls. Even if you aren't trans, the scene does an amazing job of selling the emotions of the moment.
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10/10
A wonderful anime which focuses on transgender peoples
bhermann-4060831 March 2020
Another one of my favorites. I know some people have gripes with that, due to how the show portrays transgender people, but I just have to disagree. The story centers around Nitori Shuichi, a boy who sees himself as a girl, who meets Takatsuki Yoshino, a tall and attractive young girl, who also dreams of being the opposite sex. There are so many LGBTQ characters in this show, apart from Nitori and Takatsuki. For instance, Anna Suehiro, a girl, has feelings for Nitori, and two people are straight trans women: Makoto Ariga and Hiroyuki Yoshida. I enjoyed this series greatly, enough to give it a rating of 10.
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10/10
Accurate yet not overbearing portrayal of Gender Dysphoria
lizkazon1 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Throughout the series, we follow the transgender female, Nitori, on her journey through a boy's puberty. It is sad seeing her struggles throughout the series. From the loss of her confidant and close friend, Takatsuki, who is a transgender male, to the developments which male puberty bring such as: Pimples, masculinization, and deepening of the voice. We see her struggle to gain acceptance from her very unsupportive and often cruel sister. She suffers heartache after a friend, who she thought she liked, manipulates her in to attending school as a girl, after her transgender male friend, Takatsuki, attends school as a male.

It is truly sad and throughout the series, I found myself crying for her, hoping everything will work out in the end. This story is truly LGBT and Trans friendly, and avoids the poor tropes which often accompany the genre. This story was truly heartwarming and I hope that many more like this series are made, to truly outline the hardships of puberty as the wrong gender.
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7/10
Watchable.
yasananlarim21 July 2022
A good but unrealistic anime series with little to no conclusion. I expected the ending of the series to be better. Yes, there should have been a better ending. But watchable and enjoyable.
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