Empathy Through Animation - Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son)
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- Опубликовано: 1 май 2017
- We finally get to one of my favorites, Hourou Musuko, a series which beyond any other more personal appeals it may hold is a remarkable demonstration of the power of this medium apart from any of that.
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Hourou Musuko OST playlist: • Playlist
Tracks used: #20, 21, 23, 24, 31, 33 & Claire de Lune 
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I am crying about the fact that you call both of them by proper pronouns. Such an easy thing to do but it leaves such a big impact. Thank you! Beautiful and very thought out video as well!
As a transguy this anime (and manga) hit very close to home. Especially with takatsuki, and then wen nitorin goes to school in their dress and gets rejected by their parents. We need representation. Good representation. Desperately
God I read some of the manga it kind of fucked me up. It was the first time I ever felt related so much with a character, I almost cried just watching these shots.
I hate when people say that inclusion is pointless, I wouldn't want to be robbed from this and how relatable it is for some people. Being robbed of your identity is the worst thing that can happen to you.
Combinemon I don't mind inclusion as long as it's done in a good and respectful way that doesn't treat the character as a token label.
That being said, I'd like to watch this, or read the manga. Seems as though it handles gender dysphoria maturely.
Onei-3 bad inclusion is called catering.
It's funny how most of the people saying that representation is pointless are those who see themselves over represented in media to begin with. Usually cis/het white people who see themselves reflected in media constantly. From large popular tv shows like Friends, in commercials, on the evening news to even in academics and politics. They have representation so they don't really see why it is so important because they've grown numb to it. But when a minority is represented, some of them (luckily not all of them but definitely the more bigotted ones) suddenly they start acting like representation is being taken away from them. They aren't in the spotlight for that moment because it is taken by someone they already have their biases and prejudices towards. Someone they feel doesn't even deserve that spotlight in the first place, so how dare they take it away from me. It's ironic how suddenly they care about representation when they aren't represented but a minority group, who hasn't felt or seen represented for most of the time, is.
i cannot even begin to describe how affirming your choice of pronouns for these characters, particularly Takatsuki, felt to me
I didn' notice what pronouns Pedantic used for Takatsuiki, am curious now, specially cause the anime portraits Takatsuki as trans, but in the manga she ends up embracing her feminine side and stops wanting to transition, she even becomes a very girly fashion model, as opossed to Shuu who is consistently just a trans girl until the very last manga chapter.
@@Ismoista I read the last manga chapter and was very disappointed :(
"it was just a phase" >:(
@@skywise8 Really? I liked it because we saw that for her wanting to be a boy was rooted in not being confortable with her feminity, which she later made peace with, I thought it made sense, and I think it works cause we have Shuuichi's experience to contrast with that.
@@Ismoista I guess someone could see it that way, but up until that point I related to that character and their experience. I was deeply disappointed when the reveal was that all of their experiences were just a phase to grow out of. :(
I thought it was left ambiguous as to whether they ended up identifying as one or the other. Peoples journeys are different. Some people find themselves and go back to who they were for a while because being the way we are is a constant journey. Takatsuki embracing femininity doesn't necessarily mean they arent trans and wont transition down the line but more unlike Shuuichi who is so confident, they need to look into themselves.
I could be looking to far into it. Either way GIVE TRANS DUDES MORE CHARACTERS THAT ARENT GARBAGE.
This video cut, with unparalleled singleness of mind, to the very heart of what this series means to people like us. Thank you so much for making this.
ceicocat I have no idea what you just said but props to you
Juan Pablo Quirarte "This video was on point."
+Elerie
*chuckles* hmmm.... I'm detecting two extremes, here..
This video is as criminally unknown as the show it's about.
the tone of this video is so comforting, i feel much better than I did when I started watching it (I'll make sure to show this to my buddies)
Thank you for using the proper pronouns. And for covering such a controversial topic as well, given the Internet's general aversion towards trans people due to their "anything tumblr likes is bad".
I'll share and tag the video on my tumblr to get the word out. Have you already posted on /r/ anime?
r/anime was surprisingly accepting of transgenderism.
The Anything tumblr is bad view is held because of shitty people who have no real understanding of transgenderism mostly toxic 12 year olds that get mad when they dont get there way or even the “adults” who take anything on the internet serious.
Correction: IMproper pronouns dumbfuck!
@@MichaelM28 they mean proper as in "correct" not in the same way as you would say proper nouns
Nicole Lai Look at her now (I mean the RUclipsr not characters)
I just wanna say that this is easily one of my favorite videos of yours yet. As a trans girl who has not only struggled with her own identity, but has been helping a friend through their own painfully difficult questioning, this really helps cut to the heart of why representation and personally relatable experiences can feel so precious for those of us who are regularly denied it. The way you described, in very intimate detail, the cruel feelings of wrongness, isolation, betrayal, and unwantedness conveyed by the audiovisual direction hit painfully close to home, and so the equally intimate description of how freeing and validating finding acceptance is touched me on a deeply emotional level.
Thank you so much for that.
Wandering Son came to me at a weird point in my life. I was exposed to trans people at a young age and subconciously i would wish and pray to wake up a cis girl. While also scolding myself and begging that my subconscious would stop. When i first watched Wandering Son i connected so deeply to Nitori and her mentor that had i not been so indenial I would have come out as trans right then and there. Instead i hid behind a thought that i was just curious.
Today I'm watching another trans woman talk about her experience with the show while being two years into my own transition.
Thanks for this video.
And thanks for creating such fantastic content for one of my favourite shows where the main character isnt misgendered.
You are the Takatsuki for any Nitori's that watched the video in Nitori's position of the scene. I speak from experience.
That's a longer way of saying thank you.
Thanks for clarifying, 1 year younger you.
I'm not too keen on the anime community in its entirety (sticking to the youtube side and not really interacting with anyone), but this is a pretty brave video to make considering the general attitude of the community that I think is there. Also, to those who are against bringing in the personal into a video: A person's prior experiences will always influence how they engage with and read a piece of art. To deny those experiences in a read is to make art worthless.
This video deserves way more praise than it's gotten. Its a beautiful way to visualize and characterize the true meaning behind this show and a way for people who share similar experiences with the characters, to really have their stories shown as well. Thank you.
I saw Hourou Musuko months ago and it evoked long buried feelings. It took me back to my childhood wonderings about gender. I never actually understood why people build these strong boundaries between male and female.
It hit me when I was in kindergarten. You see, I'm a girl, but I played with toy cars instead of dolls. I hated to wear dresses and I still do , never liked female characters in cartoons because they were so stupid and weak, especially Disney princesses. The first female character I liked was Mulan. So when I went to kindergarten and then to elementary I didn't understand why boys play with boys, why is it wrong that I liked cars (boy thing) and stuffed animals (girl thing). I was torn and confused. Should I be considered boy or a girl? I wasn't fully a boy (I didn't like guns and games of killing and shooting ) nor was I a girl (dresses, pink stuff etc. ) I was me. Not a human with a gender tag applied.
I never considered changing my gender. That's not the point. The social norms are the problem here. It's XXI century but jeez, they are deeply embedded in human's mind. I scare guys saying I play video games, watch sports and fix all electronic gear at home. 'That's man stuff. '
Oh well.
So I'm not sure if I'm happy or not that Hourou Musuko brought these problems again to my mind. The series are delightfully crafted with visuals, framing and pacing. I can identify with characters on personal level.
Please do more analysis Romantic, I love watching them. I'm still waiting for a video essayist to cover Shinsekai Yori. There is so much to dig there.
Oh please do! I've read the source novels too but I think that the adaptation is amazingly well done. If you can't decide then maybe choose one theme and go with it, or if you want to face them all - a mini-series maybe? I leave it for you to consider.
Thank you for answering man, you're the best. =)
My wife's the same way. Her heroines were characters like Lara Croft, what with her acrobatics and stuff. She does the tech work around the house; I cook. Not once has she considered changing her gender, either. 'Course, she was raised in a stable family by conservative parents.
For most trans people myself included the choice to transition isn't based, and doesn't have anything to do with a liking for certain gender preferences. That's just one part of what's going on inside the head of a transgender child, or adult. Though I could see how for some people who are gender nonconforming, but not trans, and because of that they think they may be trans because they are gender nonconforming. For me it was about a sense of identity, and self. A sense of self that for me had always been with me from my earliest conscious memories, which was that I was a girl like my mom. When I was at pre-school I would pretty much only play with the other girls, and because it was run by a conservative principal he told my mom that she needed to explain to me that I was a boy, and that I should play with the other boys. She didn't, but that's because she thought of course boys like girls, and she would later say that's when I knew you weren't gay (wow was she ever wrong).
The worst though was when we were made to line up in to separate lines of boys here, and girls over there. It's a painful thing for a lot of trans kids to experience. For me, and a lot of trans people we knew we belonged in the other line, and it was painful to be seen, heard, and perceived as someone that we aren't. The world does treat one differently whether one is perceived to be male, or female. And I can't even begin to tell you how great it feels when the world finally does treat, and see you as you see yourself, and know yourself to be. Without transitioning it would be impossible for me to experience interacting with other females on a female to female level as well as interacting with males on a female to male level. I just wanted to say that for most trans people the self-questioning goes much deeper, and has more to it than external things related to gender like clothing, toys, or hobbies. Like thinking about how your body is going to change when puberty comes, or thinking about yourself as a dad instead of a mom, or a sister instead of a brother, etc.
Your ability to sell me on anime so quickly is almost paranormal.
I deeeeeply admire you for your ability to tell so many personal things in your videos. Currently crying because i just thought today how much i needed more representation of my problems as a trans person on screen and when you talked about representation thats what I thought about and this hit me hard and thank you very much : )
I did not watch that anime, nor did I know it
The anime is called Hourou Musuko , or Wandering son in english. You can find it to watch and download on a website called SoulAnime.com. It is absolutely incredible and highly recommend it .
While it's not anime, you may enjoy the webcomic Rain which is about a trans girl trying to present as herself through her final year of school, even moving away from an unsupportive family with her aunt to do so. It's a lot more upbeat than that makes it sound, and is primarily comedic slice of life, but it doesn't shy away from difficult issues either like the harsh confrontations that can arise from coming out to unsupportive family members. Also has great representation across the board with gay, lesbian, pan, ace, questioning, FtM, MtF, and genderfuid characters.
Here's a link to one my my favorite out of context pages that sums up the comic nicely (it has a link to the first page on that page if you're interested too. jocelynsamara.deviantart.com/art/RAIN-p241-The-Closet-327630834
I had so much trouble watching this show. It’s gorgeous and I relate, but maybe I relate too much.
Also if you experience dysphoria... you can be a girl. Be your ideal self.
It's funny how obvious it is to everyone when you say it out like that yet denial can still happen.
Good luck to you though. I'm trying to get on them myself.
hehe.dumb
Not gonna lie, this video almost brought me to tears. It's rare for me to think or hear anyone talk about Hourou Musuko without getting emotional. I've never experienced the kind of gender dysphoria that you and so many others have, my experiences being more along the lines of reconciling my dual personality as having both feminine and masculine traits. However, as you so brilliantly explained, this show makes it so that you don't have to directly experience the struggles of the characters in order to understand them, and because of that it made me cry on a number of occasions, and will always be a series I look back on fondly. Thank you for this video, Lachlan. Not enough people talk about this masterpiece, and even fewer from the perspective of someone who's lived it. Keep doing what you're doing, dude.
I had wanted to watch this anime but it always sat somewhere in the middle of my to-watch list and never got picked up.
You've bumped it up into the top options, now.
I needed this. You are worthy of being loved by your fans.
Some of these scenes really brought back some memories from my own childhood and growing up. Its such a beautiful anime. I just wish we got some closure on it.
A yes, Clare de Lune. Thank you for reminding me. Always appreciate the personal touches you throw in.
Thank you for making this video. I don't know what else to say. You've cemented yourself as one of my favorite content creators on this website.
I'm glad you made this video. This anime and seeing all the people who went through similar things I did growing up, it makes me feel less alone.
I'm tearing up. Thank you so much for making a video about this anime. I hope people who haven't seen this decide to watch it, things are like are so important for making people more empathic towards those suffering with gender dysphoria.
Wandering Son is so damn good, glad you made a video on it. That scene with Nitori running home had managed to get a friend of mine more interested in the show after they known little about Wandering Son's premise. Definitely a very strong anime all around and Nitori has always been my favorite early on probably from that scene alone.
Thank you for making this video. I watched the first few minutes of it back when it came out last May and was instantly sold on the show just based on the aestetic and how lovingly you talked about it. I marathoned the whole thing in one sitting that day, and it's what made me realize that I was trans. My whole life I'd felt similarly to Nitori, but I'd never managed to make the connection that it was gender dysphoria until I saw the scene you analyze in this video for the first time. I almost never cry at media because for the most part I'm dead inside, but seeing that just completely broke me with empathy in a way that almost nothing else ever has. And after finishing the show I came back to this video and watched the rest of it, the part where you talk about the moonlight scene in question, and I cried again. Both for analytical and emotional reasons, this video is my tenth favorite on all of RUclips. I owe this video the realization of my identity, and I can't thank you enough for making it.
I first watched Hourou Musuko when I was 18 and I soaked it (and literally any other piece of trans representation I could find) up to escape my own life. I felt like I wasn't brave enough, strong enough, or proud enough to do what Nitori does, but at least I could experience something REAL through her story. This video was one of a thousand feathers that broke the proverbial camel's back and pushed me to take the first step towards transitioning. I've spent 24 years of my life in a male haze where almost nothing felt real and every day it got harder to cope. Watching this video and remembering that's it's been so many years since I first watched Hourou Musuko and that those feelings I suppressed back then haven't changed or faded helped me accept that transition wasn't just something I've secretly wanted my whole life, but something I NEEDED for the sake of my own health and happiness. Thank you for that.
PS: f testosterone
man, I love it when a the physical objects in a scene can convey the emotional state and boundaries of characters.
I think I got an inspiration for my 2d design final piece. thx man
It's really interesting how you and others highlight the running sequence as this is the exact clip that convinced me to check out this series. I'm not an anime person at all but I greatly appreciated the existence and composition of this show.
Grant Williams I think the reason that sequence is so often highlighted is because it's generally the scene where the feeling a lot of people had that this show was going to be something special got confirmed. Also it manages to encapsulate a lot of what makes the show so great.
When I watched this show I cried so hard. I'm such a weeny sometimes, sigh. Seen it through 2 or 3 times, and it is amazing
This was a really nice and warm show, but I always wished they delved deeper.
Read the mango
I felt this show was a shallow look at the issues it was tackling. I didn't think there was enough conflict and resolution or enough insight into gender dysphoria. On the other hand as someone who has never suffered from gender or sexual identity confusion and is often a bit dense to metaphor, illusion and symbolism, I can't help but wonder if I missed something along the way. I'm glad the show exists, but I left it feeling like I didn't learn or understand as much as I wanted too about the issues it presented.
overkill1340 the manga is so much better, it even starts like a year earlier in in world time. It goes all the way up until college.
I finished Hourou Musuko a few weeks ago and it was simply fantastic. The show encaptulates this feeling of not belonging and uncomfort so well and as someone with similar issues it really got to me. I loved how everything is so grounded and devoid of unnecessary drama but still heartwrenching at times. I would say that it's a little bit too short but then again that's what allowed me to binge it in one day which made the impact even stronger. Also thank you so much for for referring to Nitori as 'her'. I feel like not enough people do that when talking about her character or about the anime in general.
Thank you for making this video, both for the content and the fact that this comment section isn't the terrifying mess I've come to expect on RUclips whenever anything about transgender people is brought up.
Seriously though this is actually the nicest looking comment section I've seen in ages. Are you a wizard? What sorcery is happening here?
You- ahh!! You’re so good!!! This is so good!!! Video essays that truly and genuinely capture the feel of a particular anime, especially ones so obscure and underrated like this one, are so rare in this community and I’m honestly so grateful for your whole existence. Thank you for making videos.
I feel a little teary-eyed right now... stupid onion cutting ninjas...
I love this video.. about 30 times i did scroll down to the like button but I had already clicked. But seriously.. this video makes me really happy. I feel more myself because of this video, thank you so much.
Came here because of Eyepatch Wolf.
After watching this vid, I'll definitely put this on my watch list
wow. i want to give this anime/manga a chance so i can understand what people feel everyday.
MY post on Trumblr promoting this has become probably the Reblogged post I ever posted. And it hasn't stopped, in the last week it's been reblogged more then my latest posts which are one Fate/Apocrypha and Princess Principal.
So it looks like we're succeeding in getting this message out there.
jaredmithrandir.tumblr.com/post/160236765243/the-creator-of-this-video-really-wants-a-lot-of
There ya go
I loved wandering son so much. It made me cry. As a transgender man I could relate to it and it touched my heart where nothing else could
...this video was actually really good.
thank you again, I have just binged the series and I have never felt so understood in my problems.
thank you
I've never particularly empathized with or cared about dysphoria. Simply from a lack of experience personaly, but your commentary, though a tad dramatic, gave me an insight into your mindset I didn't have before. I don't think ill ever be as dismissive as have been.
Also, it may not mean much, but you moved me so much that this it the first comment i have ever left on any social media platform. Ever.
P.S.: Explanation Point brought me here. I'm glad he did.
PSS: I'm not very good at being nice, but TL;DR You made me more open minded.
After binging the manga i thought about this comment and felt i missed two important things.
1:You make quality content about the subject matter, even without your personal feelings.
2: You, or people with dysphoria in general i suppose
I want you to be happy. Perhaps its meaningless, being just a youtube comment, but i wanted to say it anyway. Just this once.
After reading the manga and watching the anime, I really feel like the anime took the original material and totally elevated it. The manga has deeper exploration by nature of it's length and the mangaka being pretty great, but the anime hones the story's edge and even turns things into a more empathetic and positive message as opposed to the, at times, bleak message the manga gives. I love this anime so much, and I'm so glad to see how brilliant it is on a deeper, critical analysis.
Very compelling video, and good commentary on sensitive subjects
I only watched a few episodes of this anime, but knowing that it and the Monogatari series share great artistic skill, it makes me notice the animation value in anime. Aside from being a positive portrayal of LGBT people, this anime (and the Monogatari series) should be used as examples in modern animation classes.
PLEASE do more on this anime! This anime means so much to me ( as you can probably tell by my name ) and videos based on this anime are very scarce. I would make nothing but videos talking about this series but as I hate my voice I just make AMV’s for it. The only good video about this series other than this one is called “Hourou Musuko and Love” and I’ve watched it online 32 times ( i've been counting ) and even youtube to mp3’d it. This one is even better as the music matches each and every scene change. This video itself and the promise for more content on it made me click the subscribe button. One thing i do think i should mention is when Clair de Lune was playing it was a touch too loud. Just a little bit though. I seriously hope you do make as much content based on this series as possible because watching this made me smile , something I haven't done in years.
I loved this show. It was so meaningful to me while I battled with my own gender identity, and helped me a lot in coming to terms with actually being a girl.
This anime was really underrated. I really enjoyed your analysis. It put my feelings ad emotions into words when I saw that scene. Absolutely breathtaking
As someone who's Agender, Wandering Son fills me with such a warm, clear feeling of happiness. Seeing the characters receive support and care, ways to show and be accepted in their identities, makes me almost indescribably glad.
Wow I don't think I realised half of these. You've just made me appreciate this anime even more.
And yes, I need to come back to it as well.
I actually read the manga for this, back when onemanga was still around. Honestly, looking back I think it's responsible for my understanding attitude when I first encountered a lot of gender junk, and I'm really grateful to it for that. As someone who now identifies as Genderfluid, I'm glad the anime has come out so more kids will be able to experience it.
I very, very rarely comment on youtube videos--YT isn't really my scene, too much of a dirty SJW--but it's, uh, 4:30AM and I legitimately have tears running down my face because of this video. Thanks for sharing your own experiences and providing really excellent, thoughtful analysis of the visual storytelling in this important little anime. It also actually really helped me with developing and structuring a blog post I've been working on (unrelated to Wandering Son) so thanks for that too. Just, seriously, thank you.
>Hourou Musuko video
Oh god, I'm having flashbacks and I'm about to cry. The anime shoots itself with its end but the manga was beautiful, maybe if it had more than 12 episodes, it could have done better.
And now I'm also being reminded of Bokura no Hentai, so if you excuse me, it's time for the tears to flow again.
Hero of Lorule more people need to read bokura no hentai
Maybe if they did, we could get /at least/ a proper english translation and release because I'd buy the hell out of that shit
Hero of Lorule Saaame. I doubt we'll ever get anything though, since it's finished and you're the first person other than me I've ever seen mention it
Yeah, sadly, these types of manga don't get much attention.
Did HM ever get an english release though?
Hero of Lorule not sure about that, but it got an anime, and it's on crunchyroll, so maybe
I HAVE WAITED SO LONG FOR A WANDERING SON ANALYSIS THANK YOU SO MUCH PR!!
Omg playing Clair de Lune too?? You are killing me :'(((
I saw this video and I read the manga and watched the show within 2 days thank you for introducing me to this story.
Fantastic video. I haven't seen Hourou Musuko yet but I'm about to go download it after seeing this. The way identity and spectatorship are conveyed through shot composition in the clips you showed is reminding me a lot of Utena.
Bless you for not misgendering the characters
Thank god someone else loved this show. A friend of mine bought me this as a manga series when I told him that I was learning japanese. It's been a few months now, and I've only really read the first two books (It's a difficult book to learn on), but it's been a long time since I've found a story that means more to me. This show is criminally underrated and so is the manga. I don't even know if it was released in english to be honest...
Wow, that was really powerful. You've definitely convinced me to watch it, and as soon as I get through the set-in-stone part of my to-watch list, not just at some nebulous point in the future. It think it'll probably become one of the crucial ones that I recommend everyone watch at some point. While I've never struggled with Gender Identity issues myself, deciding quite early that what makes me me isn't tied at all to whether I'm male or female, and that I'm perfectly okay with being a guy, I do have a friend who a few years ago decided that whatever his body said, he was really a guy. Now instead of being called Megan, he's now called Mason. Fortunately for him, as soon as he came to a decision on his gender identity everyone around him just accepted it.And as a side note, in the beginning of the video you said that Shinji is relatable to so many people, yet as someone who hasn't gotten around to watching Evangellion all I know about him is "Get in the FUCKING ROBOT, Shinji!" I haven't heard any of the love of that character.
Randomly stumbled across this video, really brought up feelings having confronted that issue in my life.
Great video will be sticking around, throwing in the few personal lines was quite something as well, since most youtubers still distance themselves.
All up, amazing work. Will be subscribing and sticking around.
This anime makes me cry...
i remember reading the manga of this years ago!
Haven't seen this anime, but
I could feel the impact it had on you through this video.
The series impacted me anyway, but having things like barriers between characters pointed out just makes me realise just how genius this really is.
Robin Wright She made a 1 hour video on this anime 10 months ago which is like this times 10
Easily your best video. I'll definitely give this one a watch.
Please do more Hourou Musuko. It's such an amazing show and there's so much you can get from it. I only recently discovered it and I've watched it 3 times already :P
Huzzah! I've noticed that someone recently created a subreddit for this series and would love to get it off the ground and active. This is a series that deserves way more recognition for all the amazing things it does.
This reminded me that I used to wonder myself, what the other side of the coin would have been like. I don't think I wanted a change, at least not a permanent one, and don't now. I was just curious. Now all of a sudden, I'm curious again. As this question is now distracting me, and the topic is so foreign to me that I don't expect to make much progress trapped in my own head, I think I'll have to watch this, and hope it catalyzes some answers. Or something. I dunno.
That music at the beginning and then your voice almost creates an RC anime effect. Good video anyways
This anime not only made me cry, it made cry everytime I think about it
It sadly is relateable to me...
Beautiful video for a wonderful series. I'm glad you spoke about this series and your explanation for the episode was fantastic. Earned yourself a new sub! :D
one of my faves i related to the mc so much
rlly nice analysis u gained a sub
just for the fact that you did a hourou musuko video is enough for being thankful to you, but that dont mean i think the video is good just for that, its great for his own merits so, thank you and good work
Watching all your amazing videos like this without the ability to support you monetarily (as im a poor 20 year old struggling to support himself) makes me feel a bit guilty. I hope my support through viewing and subscribing is enough for now and i hope to have the financial security to support you in the future. Thanks for all your work man your videos are amazing
I'd really love to see you potentially do more videos on Wandering Son in the future!
You know that one thing that could ruin the whole anime for you? That happened to me with this anime. Nitori's story and character development was powerful, wonderful, and brought me to tears. Her friend, the "ftm" character, I put that in quotes because his arc is pretty much at the end was: 'it's just a phase', which was very disheartening for me, as a ftm transboy to see on screen. What kinda of message was that for not just me, but other ftms that watched this anime, got invested in the character emotionally and mentally, and to only have the ftm character (sry forgot the name) revert back to being "a girl".
Pretty much that ruined the entire anime for me, and so I haven't seen it since and I've been scouring the Internet for another transgender anime, but there isn't for transboys. A lot for transgirl though.
Don't worry, that part isn't in the anime.
This video is AMAZING! I didn't realise just how intricate and well put together this scene was. It was already a beautiful and emotional scene but now that I know about all these meanings, it's even more so!
All this talk about goshdarn pronuns used for the anime's protagonists, did anyone even notice that you basically came out to your viewers in this video???
this show is very close to my heart because it made me realise that I'm trans two years ago when I first watched it (after seeing only the two first episodes). thank you for making this amazing video about it and I hope you make more in the future, it's a really good show and it's definitely worth watching to the end, and reading the manga too
I watched this anime when I was about 12 and I hadn’t been exposed to the concept of being transgender, so I didn’t really understand the plot of the story beyond the fact that it REALLY RESONATED with me. I had forgotten about it until a few months ago, I have been out as genderfluid for about 2 years now and rediscovering this anime is an incredibly surreal experience.
Such a wonderful analysis, excellent work!!
This series was a huge factor in me realizing and coming to terms with my gender. I'm amazed by how powerfully it resonated with me. If not for this series I'd likely still be trapped in what was an ill-defined general anxiety that left me incapable of doing basic things to take care of myself. Thanks for doing a video on this, the points you made helped pinpoint just what left me so blown away by the first episode, and I love seeing this show get more exposure. The more people watch it, the more likely that there will be others like me who had their lives changed for the better seeing themselves in Nitori.
I didn't know I needed this show and I'm thankful I found it again because the first time I ignored it for some weird reason it's like I'm meant to watch it recently and feel better atm and it touches my heart so good that I get teary because it feels so good to relate to someone somewhere in the world and to know I'm not alone and to see my story portraited in such a beautiful art is touching
wow I never realized how genius this anime is
wow this really hit me. Whilst watching the video so many of my hidden feelings about being trans started to come up again
I just want to say that to me it means alot that someone who understands my feelings about being trans also happens to really love alot of the anime I love. It's a strange feeling of knowing that there are people like me out there who are not only also struggling with these issues, but have similar interests to me as well and that means alot to me.
Absolutely love the video and the show as well.
Man i love this video also me being a bisexual transgender women i related deeply, immediately i read the manga afterward.
So glad I found this video. I'm going to share it with some of the other girls in my trans support group so you definitely earned yourself some more subscribers.
All I can say as a trans man is thank you.
positive trans representation in media is so rare.
I'm glad I found this video
I've never seen this anime, so I only got most of the analysis. The rest of me is still crying about that poor kid.
I am so incredibly glad and surprised to find your essay on this anime. You really distilled the things I love most about it: it’s empathy. Thank you for creating this video and promoting an anime that truly shows the hardships those with gender dysphoria experience.
Liz Allen You think this was good! She made a 1 hour video on the same anime 10 months ago
Bravo! Very well written video!
Damn dude just found you love your content so far. Broke but love it
thanks you
It takes one to know one my doogie, hit up that endocrinologist
So I've been wondering, and I don't know if you or anyone else here knows, how well does someone who has never experienced gender dysphoria relate and understand the characters when watching this series? And overall, what feelings and impressions do they get from this series? Everyone whom I've talked to about this series is someone, like me, who has experienced gender dysphoria. It seems that for us, it's a strong point of relation and it provides a lens through which we experience the series. But how do those without that experience perceive the series? It's something I've been ever more curious about lately.
mecaterpillar I've never experienced gender dysphoria and this show and manga is one of my favourites. The series paints its characters so vividly and so well and contextualises their specific problems (including gender related where applicable) within the broader framework of late childhood and adolescence and the common experiences and struggles we all have and face during that time that it's easy in the broad sense to understand and empathise with the characters. And really to me that's makes it so good. It doesn't preach it just asks you to spend time with these characters, to empathise with them, to understand them, and then to come to your own conclusions about them and their experiences as presented to the viewer which I found to be a very interesting and moving approach.
Thank you for replying. I appreciate the insight.
I felt this show was a shallow look at the issues it was tackling. I didn't think there was enough conflict and resolution or enough insight into gender dysphoria. On the other hand as someone who has never suffered from gender or sexual identity confusion and is often a bit dense to metaphor, illusion and symbolism, I can't help but wonder if I missed something along the way. I'm glad the show exists, but I left it feeling like I didn't learn or understand as much as I wanted too about the issues it presented.
That paragraph is cut and pasted from another response I made on this video, but I figure it applies here. It's been a while since I watched the show, and I'm likely to revisit it this week now that I'm thinking about it again. I went into the show wanting to understand more about gender dysphoria but, in the end, I didn't really feel like I had any more insight or understanding than I went in with. Perhaps this is because I'm quite empathic and I can imagine most of the struggle presented by the show on my own, or perhaps the show just isn't made to teach people who don't suffer from similar issues, it's just made to be highly relatable and express to those who do, that there is someone who understands, that they aren't alone. The responses to this video itself show sooooooo many people who suffered from gender dysphoria and similar issues and, if nothing else, the show has great merit in it's ability to facilitate a discussion and point out these people to eachother and help them not feel so alone. Or as my first paragraph indicates, maybe some deeper understanding just went over my head or I expected an unrealistic, in comparison to the real experiences of those who do experience gender dysphoria, level of conflict.
I can't relate well to the characters who suffer from the dysphoria, nor the ones who are angry about the condition, because I am/was neither, but I was sad for the former, and glad when some of the latter come around to better understand and acceptance. My strongest character experience came from {SPOILER} Fumiya, initially disgusted by Shuichi, but has a change of heart. I remained suspicious of him and felt similar feelings as if I was a protective older brother to Shuichi {END SPOILER}. For comparisons sake, I wasn't a depressed teenager, and Shinji Ikari annoys me and nearly ruined Evangelion for me, so Wandering Son certainly did a better job of making me empathize with a character I cannot relate to. Of course there is a lot that could be said about positive vs negative character traits, but that's well outside this discussion.
Hopefully I have answered your inquiry in a useful fashion. Thank you for asking as well, I felt a bit disappointed about the show in the end and never really had any other outlet for my feelings on it, as my post length might suggest.
I absolutely loved both the anime and the manga to death.
I go to scouts and when I was younger, one the leaders was a trans boy. I once asked about why he went to the girls bathroom in the school we were at. I was some other guys and he sat us down and said (knowing that we would probably not know about transgenderism) said that when he was younger, he wanted to be a boy. It was even on his Christmas list. He said that it was Santa's gift to him. I wonder about him since he's now in university. I now understand at least a bit about how he thinks. He thinks that his ability to be who he wants is a gift. I hope I see him again. Hope you're doing great, Luke!😁
thank you for saying her :)