Hourou Musuko

Description

Fifth grade. The threshold of puberty, and the beginning of the end of childhood innocence. Nitori Shuichi and his new friend Takatsuki Yoshino enjoy happy homes and loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino is a girl who wants to be a boy...

Type

Manga

Related Series

Boku wa, Onnanoko (Side Story)

Associated Names

Hōrō Musuko

The Transient Son

Wandering Child

Wandering Son

放浪息子

放浪男孩

Groups Scanlating

Broken Time Scanlations

Hourou Musume

Kotonoha

Latest Release(s)

c.122-123 (end) by Hourou Musume 12 years ago

c.120-121 by Hourou Musume 12 years ago

c.119 by Hourou Musume 12 years ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

15 Volumes (Complete)

Completely Scanlated?

Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol 5, Chap 34

Ends at Vol 10, Chap 82

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

8 topics, 32 posts

Click here to view the forum

User Rating

Average: 8.4 / 10.0 (751 votes)

Bayesian Average: 8.32 / 10.0

32%

23%

22%

13%

Last Updated

July 16th, 2024 9:51pm PDT - 9 months ago

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Genre

Drama Gender Bender Psychological Romance School Life Seinen Slice of Life
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Categories

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Recommendations

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Enterbrain

Serialized In (magazine)

Comic Beam (Enterbrain)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

Fantagraphics (8 Volumes - Dropped)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #746

(-3)

Monthly Pos #1446

(-282)

3 Month Pos #2411

(+95)

6 Month Pos #2847

(-206)

Year Pos #3565

(-306)

List Stats

On 1796 reading lists

On 1443 wish lists

On 1049 completed lists

On 121 unfinished lists

On 583 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

Hourou Musuko to End in July

12 years ago

Does Hourou Musuko spoil the Rose of Verailles

14 years ago

Anime start and end

14 years ago

hourou musuko how much romance??

15 years ago

Hourou Musuko Anime in development

15 years ago

User Comments [ Order by time added ]

Excellent

by aprilapple
16 years ago

Rating: N/A

At first I was attracted to the beautiful watercolor in the beginning and the realistic characters. The earlier chapters were sweet simple and intriguing. However, as the manga went on, more serious issues came into play; it became a lot more intense. I couldn't stop reading; I just loved it.

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Marvelous! Monotonous!

by Fronzel
16 years ago

Rating: N/A

Contains the most realistic simulation of life I’ve ever seen in manga, especially in its depiction of the fickleness of the human heart. Characters make rash judgments, suddenly change their minds, and are frequently unfair to others, just like real people. This is a real accomplishment.

It's also quite dull.

Real life isn't very interesting, and it's insistance on slow, slice-of-life pacing means the hook (gender issues) doesn't even get much focus. Eventually, I just couldn't be bothered.

... Last updated 16 years ago

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Loveable!

by pearlesque
18 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

These have to be the most loveable characters I've yet encountered in a manga! I adore them. Both Nitori and Takatsuki are incredibly sweet, but their friends and family are wonderfully characterized, too. Every single character is created with tender care, and you can feel how much the mangaka loves them.

On a serious note, it's great to see a manga address transgenderism in a mature and understanding way. It's particularly rewarding to read about Nitori's childhood worries, and Takatsuki's insecurities. The way these two struggle with issues of gender identity is something I can relate to, since my childhood was a lot like theirs. 🙂

I really hope things turn out well for them. Such sweet kids! I know they'll grow up to be wonderful people.

... Last updated 18 years ago

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Poetic

by Aristocrat
16 years ago

Rating: N/A

I really like this manga. It's very poetic in my opinion. The characters are likable and they have flaws that people can relate to (not being clumsy and endearing flaws). Sometimes the characters make me angry with the choices they make and sometimes they surprise me in a good way.

The emotions are very real even if it's a very unlikely setting. This manga is definitely worth a try.

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Wow!

by wallyakazukin
9 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

This manga is sooooo amazing. The author wrapped the gender manga issue so beautifully. And yep, somehow it's unpredictable, just like life itself. As it's a seinen, some sexual issues are included here, but, well... that's kinda added more spices to this manga? I don't dislike it. It's just fit there.
A boy who wanted to be a girl, and the girl who wanted to be a boy. How they dealt with their emotional complexes, how the plot was flowing uncontrollable (as I said before, unpredictable like a life itself), and how the author chose the -somehow, bittersweet ending. Of course there were some flaw here and there, because of the slow paced, and runabout thinking. But I think that's what make the story seems more realistic. Highly recommended.

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very good

by shadow181
18 years ago

Rating: N/A

i felt very catious as I started reading this, the artwork was a li'l bad, and the story rough. But after a few chapters the story developed and characters were more rounded.

So I eventually started to really enjoy this, can't wait for future releases!

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Terrible for ftm

by zawa113
1 year ago

Rating: N/A

I, myself, am ftm. As an mtf story, I don't have problems with it, but as an ftm story, it drops the ball sharply and painfully. It breathes life into the old stereotypes of "you're not really a man, you're just a confused woman who hasn't found the right dress yet!" I would avoid this as trans masc at all costs, there are far FAR better ftm manga out there now and this needs to stop being held up as a gold standard for trans manga.

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Beautiful...

by Larka
12 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Shimura Takako does an amazing job of portraying these characters and telling their story. Though it may be confusing at some parts, seeming as if there are time skips, it all fits wonderfully together. Though some may question the characters' "emotional realism," I feel like it's entirely realistic which adds to this masterpiece. As you read, you clearly watch the characters grow, physically, mentally, emotionally.
I would definitely recommend this piece, though if you are sensitive about lgbt issues then be warned. However, the author deals with these topics in a very sensitive(?)/delicate(?) way.
I may be slightly biased though, being questioning myself

... Last updated 12 years ago

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Things happen: the manga

by Lokin
1 year ago

Rating: 4.0 / 10.0

Wandering Son was groundbreaking during its publication for being one of the first to "seriously portray gender identity issues" in the manga medium. For many, it set the gold standard in telling these stories. However, for today's standards?... Underwhelming.

Reading it a decade and half ago, when everyone acclaimed it, I could feel the same. It was novel at the time, and introduced concepts I wasn't aware about. It was interesting.

But revisiting it under modern lens and standards reveals nothing but a husk. A directionless husk. It's as if... the author is unsure of themselves, what they want to convey, where their story leads?

It's like, yeah... here's some characters with gender identity issues, and things happen. Time passes. New characters get introduced. Events occur. But ultimately, nothing mattered.

...

Truly, just as the title suggests, the author wanders on and on. Each moment flows beautifully, building tension for a catharsis that never arrives. But what of its themes? What message did it try to convey?... None. It was simply r/pointlessstories in manga form.

And like its characters, the story just... wanders off into nothing.

Things happened.

The end.

... Last updated 6 months ago

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a bit dissapointing

by fishfood16
3 years ago

Rating: N/A

note: i ended up making an account to leave this comment) as a trans person myself, i felt excited to read a manga specifically talking about growing up trans from both the perspective of both a trans girl and trans boy. but in the end, i felt like i had wasted some of my time reading a love triangle manga that sometimes remembers it’s about being trans. most of the story didn’t even feel like it was talking about trans issues, just “look at main character they’re crossdressing!” without really paying attention to the psychological effects being forced in the closet can have. i was also disappointed with the way they treated takatsuki, this huge lead up then to completely back down on it. i think the art is beautiful, but as a trans person it didn’t live up to the standards i had heard about.

... Last updated 3 years ago

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