Like I said, I don’t understand everything in there, but I usually get the context of what’s going on and mos tof the time that’s enough, until I can read the English version to understand the depth, or until my Japanese gets more skilled. hehe

But it’s a great series, and I’ve become one the great Shinsengumi fans in the world, visited many Shinsengumi related places in Kyoto and Tokyo (Kondo Isami-senseis grave included) and bought many KH, RK and Shinsengumi related things. I love the Bakumatsu!

Reviews for following volumes will most likely be on my personal blog, which you can find here.

(and I just want more people to read it so that there are more people to talk about it with. hee! I never seem to fall this hard for the really popular series that do have lots and lots of fans to share enthusiasm with (though I think the fans Kaze Hikaru does have are all pretty dedicated!))

Michelle, thanks for posting this review! It was perfectly timed to coincide with my current KH-fangirling, so I’m afraid I got a bit rambly in my comments. The series gets so much more fascinating and wonderful in future volumes, though. I hope you get to enjoy the rest soon!

lys – Thanks for your comment! I’ve noticed some of the everyday moments you talk about already, like with the Shinsengumi tending their garden or things like that, though most of the time, so far, the guys seem to be teasing Kamiya and pondering whores.

Anna – Aren’t libraries awesome? Mine doesn’t have every Shojo Beat series, but it’s pretty devoted to acquiring all volumes of those it does carry. I’m planning to stop by tomorrow and snag volumes 3 and 4.

I got volume 13 a couple weeks ago, which inspired a marathon-rereading (I’m currently up to volume 9; I keep getting distracted looking up more historical background info on wikipedia and elsewhere…). I absolutely love it. I wasn’t particularly interested in or knowledgeable about Japanese history beforehand—I’d seen some of Kenshin on the Toonami block so I was vaguely aware of the Shinsengumi’s existence; I think it was the art that interested me in this series. It did take me a few reads through the first couple volumes to start to understand what was going on and who was who (the series does throw a lot of characters and organizations and ideals at you all at once! it was probably a little easier for Japanese readers who’d heard this stuff in school before), and even now rereading the early volumes a few years later, I continue to pick up on new stuff. It didn’t turn me into an obsessed Japanese-history-fan, but for those who are interested in the subject, I think the amount of research and detail in this series would make it a satisfying read. Still, I just love how Watanabe-sensei brings the events to life and gives such a sense of who these famous names might have been, as real people. The characterization is excellent. I’ve laughed and cried so many times reading the stories. The attention to details of every-day life is fascinating and helps to round out the “world” of this manga and make it believable. I even love Watanabe-sensei’s approach to the cover illustrations, chronicling the seasons and capturing the moods of different times of the year/day. I continue to be impressed and fall deeper in love with the series with every volume I read. So glad to see it getting more attention lately!