Reviews for Koi Kaze

I'm glad, that read it. Much smarter than all mangas with similar topic I've read and not so mainstream as majority of manga in general - that's for what I loved reading the subj very much. I think, the fact that the hero is an adult is really cool. There exist not so many such mangas, that I know (like Monster, Rurouni Kensin, partly Death Note, Gintama...) and it's much more pleasure to read them, 'cause you as reader aren't treaded as 13-year child, plot is mature and not so random and senseless.

Incest. One of the many taboos as dictated by the judgmental society. One that is considered immoral and wrong in every aspect. Metaphorically speaking, incest is a visually-disastrous model that no average painter nor photographer would ever pay attention to it; it's that ugly, regardless on which angle it is viewed from. Especially if this was to be discussed in my home country of the Philippines, known to be the only country in Asia whose predominant religion is Roman Catholic. The mere thought of one bringing up a discussion of this nature in my homeland would be enough to have him/her suspected of having suchtendencies, and even worse, ostracized by society for a long time...

Story-wise, Koi Kaze tells the ordeals of 27-year-old Koshiro Saeki and 15-year-old Nanoka Kohinata, actual, blood-related siblings who have never seen each other for more than a decade. A fateful encounter between the two has set the stage for a breathtaking plot that slowly, but surely develops over the course of time. While many comment on the ending leaving the readers to speculate as to what will happen next, this is fully understandable in my case. If this was a real-life story, only one unseen 'Supreme Being' can answer the unspoken questions in the minds of those concerned about the two. After all, 'the future's not ours to see', as a line in a song goes. For Koshiro and Nanoka, 'whatever will be, will be'.

Sure enough, if the story wasn't realistic and powerfully compelling enough, I would have not minded to read a single page of this manga due to its artwork at first glance. However, the more I kept reading, my opinion on the artwork changed as well. Sure, it may not be as good as the artwork of even more recent and contemporary manga titles; however, given the nature of the primary theme of this manga and the pacing of the plot, the artwork appears mellow and relaxing for a change.

Character-wise, Koshiro and Nanoka have been portrayed in the most realistic way possible for an incest-themed story. The way they deal with their feelings for one another despite the obvious taboo of their developing relationship adds to the spice of the plot, and their efforts to keep such relationship away from the prying eyes and eavesdropping ears of society are what one would likely encounter in real life, should they know or be acquainted with someone in this type of relationship.

At first, when I first discovered this title from random searching in Wikipedia, I wasn't expecting that much, given the fact that I thought no other incest-themed anime and/or manga would satisy me other than the likes of Yosuga no Sora and Aki Sora. Koi Kaze, however, proved me wrong in many ways, and I was totally knocked off my feet. By the time I was done reading, I found myself having enjoyed Koi Kaze more than having enjoyed and being satisifed with the aforementioned two titles.

Overall, Koi Kaze is a must-read for those with an open mind towards the sensitive taboo subject tackled here, and something I would recommend with probably a dozen words of caution to those who have not encountered this theme in any work of fiction in any medium of presentation.

Story The highlight of this manga is it's story. It's not necessarily completely unique in premise, but the way it treats its subject matter is what makes it stand out from the pack. Motoi Yoshida presents Koshiro and Nanoka's relationship in a realistic and powerful manner. Humor is also provided whenever appropriate. Art The character designs are all pleasant looking and very distinct from one another. Expressions are always drawn well enough that you can know how a character is feeling. The backgrounds don't show much detail for the most part, unless a scene is being introduced. Overall, the style is a bit simplistic, but this fitsthe story and setting well.

Character

The two main characters are both fleshed out well throughout the 5 volumes. Readers are able to get to know them and understand their emotions. The supporting cast is small, but each character was given a unique personality without resorting to stereotypes. As Koshiro and Nanoka are the main characters, there are only a handful of scenes which don't involve one or both. However, everyone in the cast plays a role in their development.

Enjoyment

Motoi Yoshida keeps the story going at a leisurely pace and allows the manga to use it's 5 volumes to their full extent. Nothing feels too rushed, but I never had the desire to skip ahead a few pages or got bored either. It's very consistently written, so after reading a couple chapters, you should be able to decide if it'll hold your interest.

Overall

I'd highly recommend this manga to anyone who is looking for a refreshingly new and realistic take on romance.

7.5 out of 10

story: The story is beautifully tragic. The utter sense of sorrow that derives from the concept of forbidden, impossible love is expressed well in 'Koi kaze'. I believe most people out there hate incest. Why? Because it is immoral, because they just can't imagine themselves falling in love with their own sibling. This manga however will overturn your rather self-centered ideas of incest relationships. Two siblings fall in love after being separated for nearly eighteen years. Such love is disregarded and is considered 'wrong'. Koi kaze however, questions the justification of this by giving an insight to the hardships that our protagonists face on their journey tosearch for their answers. Love that cannot be fulfilled, love that is not supported by anyone, Love that cannot exist. But WHY?

The idea of this forbidden relationship is a melancholic one indeed and I do believe that this manga has been crafted well to effectively portray this. However, I must say that it could have been much more dramatic. Despite the potential of the plot, I felt that even in the most dramatic, climatic scenes, it lacked the power to really pierce my heart and pour out my emotions. Nonetheless it was still enough to make me really consider the perspectives of our protagonists and imagine their hurt,pain,sorrow,depression, and so many more emotions!

art:

This was a problem. For me, art was a bit of a bother. I would have dropped it right away if it wasn't for the plot which compensates for the dull drawings.

Characters:

The characters design depicts 'normal' people. The protagonist(s) are not people who are rich, nor very poor. The guy is not one of those unrealistically princely figures that is always crowded by girls. Nor is the girl protagonist a beauty that everyone his the school drools over. They are just normal, typical people like you and me. I felt that that was an important factor that gave the manga a rather realistic feeling and supported the plot well.

Overall, I highly recommend this manga to especially those that hate incest. I believe Koi Kaze will twist your opinions from hate to kindness, from disgust to sympathy.

Incest is an extremely taboo subject - and rightly so. Koi Kaze's greatest achievement is that it succeeds in approaching the topic in a balanced, mature way without making light of or overtly sexualising it. For that, I can't help but give plaudits. The plot is not particularly complex: two siblings inadvertently meet before knowing they are blood-related, and experience a brief spark of a romantic connection, later learning the truth, and struggling with the conflicting feelings of attraction and desire to obey social norms. Characters are mostly all ordinary, reasonable people with realistic reactions to the subject at hand. MC is a bit of a rottencharacter, but also a sympathetic one.

Art style is consistently good; but it's nothing out of the ordinary for an early 2000s manga.

As far as criticism is concerned, it's a little on the short side - there was definitely room to expand the story further and add more developments.

Ultimately, this is a forbidden love story that is terribly sad and sweet in equal measure. Worthy of a read, even if the topic makes you uncomfortable.

Plot: 7

Characters: 7.5

Art: 7.5

Enjoyment: 9.5

Koi Kaze was a manga series by Motoi Yoshida that dealt with a taboo relationship between two closely related, think familial, characters. Yes, the sweet and innocent portrait of the main character on the first volume cover was smokescreen. Understandably, despite having an acclaimed anime adaptation and available in North America as a DVD release, the manga itself never had an official English translation. It’s a pity because the manga had a more complete tale than the anime. Though the story had mature themes, the author handled it masterfully. The story certainly made you feel uncomfortable, but never was it gratuitous. It all started when Nanaoka andKoushirou have a memorable encounter in the subway which ended up with the high school girl and salary man sharing a ferris wheel gondola. While suspended mid-air above the city, the two shared recent heartbreaks, with Nanaoka comforting the older man. After the ride, both discovered that the two of them were estranged siblings.

In Koi Kaze, the author has a well-written story and well-developed characters. The art style is highly effective in conveying the emotions of the characters. It is a beautifully tragic love story that explores the taboo subject in a mature and realistic manner.