In the first two weeks of our binge of Wandering Son, there was a good deal of setup. We needed to meet all of the characters in order to understand whose young lives we will be following on our journey into youth psychology. While Volume Three may see some new faces, there are a lot more significant events in these two volumes. Maho and Shuichi begin to model. Yoshino and Shuichi have crises of identity started by their exchange diary. There are budding feelings of love blossoming everywhere. Fractures of opinion turn into chasms of hatred. At the end, our main cast goes into the sixth grade divided and unsure of their place in the world.
We begin with exploring the new world of child modelling. Driven by her undying desire to meet her idol, Maiko, Maho attends the audition that she planned towards the end of the second volume. She drags Shuichi along with her, even touting that he looks cuter than most girls when wearing a dress. She pleads that both her and Shuichi belong at the agency. Her tenacity is rewarded, and they are both invited to the agency. Shuichi is initially the favorite of the other girls at the agency though, due to his pliancy and willingness to be treated like a doll. Maho feels isolated, questioning why she would put herself through this emotional hell simply for the chance to meet the person that is, at this point, little more than the object of her adoration. Shuichi does not find that modelling suits him, and quickly leaves the agency. Maho works through her problems, becoming stronger and more sure of herself. She starts the volume hating herself, even slapping Shuichi out of minor frustration. By the end of Volume Three, she has become fast friends with the other models, gained confidence in herself, slapped Ruki in defense of Shuichi, and even achieved her goal of meeting Maiko.
The rest of the core cast will also have their own trials and crises of identity, with Yoshino and Shuichi’s stemming from events surrounding their exchange diary. In our binge of Volume Two, we saw seeds of mistrust sown between Shuichi, Yoshino, Saori, and Kanako through the diary, but it becomes the catalyst for self-reflection and self-loathing for both Shuichi and Yoshino in these volumes. The bully that was literally dunked on by Saori in the second volume, Takanori Oka, snatches the diary away from Yoshino as she is reading one of Shuichi’s entries. From there, the pair’s secrets are shared with their entire grade. They are both humiliated.
As the reader’s perspective is most often focused on Shuichi, we see him bearing the brunt of the ridicule. He is verbally abused by his classmates, and is even tagged with a piece of paper simply saying ‘Gay’ on his backpack. He is saved by the most prominent new character in this stretch of “Wandering Son”, Makoto Ariga. Makoto is depicted as similar to Shuichi in his love for wearing dresses, but more sure of himself. Unlike Shuichi, who is constantly questioning his identity, Makoto has a clearer idea of who he wants to be. Shuichi needs time to find himself, even running away from home briefly after feeling alone in his own household. Makoto proves to be a great help in Shuichi’s recovery from the diary incident, as he provides Shuichi with a shoulder to lean on and positive encouragement. Saori also comes to Shuichi’s side, even being slapped by a bully for speaking out against him in aid of Shuichi. This support help Shuichi get on his own two feet again, and is a testament to the power of supportive friends in times of personal crisis.
Yoshino has a much more treacherous time dealing with her inner thoughts being spread around school. She initially reacts by simply dressing in more girly clothes and avoiding Shuichi. However, all this gets her is objectification, with bullies flipping up her skirt to see her underwear. It is a disheartening insight into the perils of ignorance that young children can sometimes face. Most of them will likely have never known people such as Shuichi and Yoshino. They are seen simply as different, and for that they must be mocked. Yoshino tries to seek solace from her rock of support, Yuki. This does not go as planned, as Yuki simply objectifies her more. Yuki comments on Yoshino’s girliness and innocence, before expressing desires to shower with Yoshino and see her underwear. Only when Yoshino tries to leave, breaks down, and tells Yuki about the diary being made public does Yuki see Yoshino for what she truly is – a fragile young girl who is lost and needs a guide. Takako Shimura shows both the frailty of the core characters’ self-images and how clueless adults can be to the problems of children. Yuki initially completely misreads Yoshino’s situation, and only becomes a positive force again after Yoshino explicitly explains the situation. With the return of Yuki’s support, Yoshino emerges confident in herself, and returns to apologize to Shuichi for her previously cold demeanor.
Continued belowThis return shifts the focus to a notion that has mostly been restricted to the sidelines of “Wandering Son” – romance. The bully, Takanori, spreads a rumour that he saw Shuichi and Yoshino kissing. This sets the classes into a frenzy, as they are want to do in sixth-grade classrooms brimming with hormones. Shuichi doesn’t Shuichi and Yoshino both have romantic dreams about each other. Shuichi is so embarrassed about this that he suggests discontinuing the diary to prevent revealing his true feelings to Yoshino. There is a lot of suggestion, and this is not something that all of the characters handle well, particularly Saori. She confronts Takanori and discovers that Shuichi and Yoshino did not kiss after all. The tide of romantic interest ebbs slightly.
And then it turns. The confessions of love crash over page after page of Volume Four, each with increasing impact. There are feelings frothing and foaming everywhere. Saori confesses to Shuichi that she loves him and hates Yoshino, breaking down in Shuichi’s arms. Maho confesses her love for Ruki Seya. Maho also tells Shuichi that her modelling friend Anna may have a crush on him. Finally, Shuichi shares his love for Yoshino with Saori. This leads Saori to meet with Yoshino and declare that she hates her, a sentiment that Yoshino reciprocates. Just when everything seemed to be heading towards a happy resolution, with the friend group back together after early tension, this hope, and the friend group as a whole, is shattered like the pieces of Saori’s heart. I mentioned in the binge post for the first volume that “Wandering Son” would break my heart, and seeing Saori’s profound despair is the first time I can honestly say that it has.
I already care more for the characters of “Wandering Son” than some of my favorite comic series of all time. Takoko Shimura has brought to life a group so complex and enrapturing that I struggle to only read my allotted binge amount each week. This week, I’ll be reading Volume Five, covering issues 34-41. I hope you’ll continue to read along, and follow this ever-changing and masterful story.
