“Mako’s Adventure” It’s hard not to have sympathy for Makoto. Nitorin and Takatsuki get most of the attention, but in many ways he’s in a worse pinch than any of them. Not only is he living a secret and frustrated life, but he’s denied the outlets that are available to […] Read more
“Sprout” It occurs to me that in many a series, Suehiro Anna could have been the character everyone loves to hate. She’s pretty, she’s successful, and she’s an interloper – not only does she arrive in the middle of the story, but she winds up stealing the protagonist from his […] Read more
“Unbalanced” There’s still a feeling of sadness and inevitable change in the air, but I’m damned if I can figure out where Takako-sensei is headed with the story. Takatsuki is dressing as a girl and auditioning to be a model. Ebina-san is going out on dates. And the ultimate transition, […] Read more
“Growing up” What a change of pace this chapter was. After having been very little in the picture for most of the last 100 chapters, it’s Nitorin’s Mom who steps up with the biggest emotional moments this week. The chapter title – and the title page – certainly hints at […] Read more
“Dizzy Girl” My goodness, if ever a chapter was screaming out for game-changing interpretation, it was this one. That’s a dangerous road to go down, of course, but there was some awfully interesting stuff in there that demands analysis. First off, what I loved about this chapters is that it […] Read more
“Positive Dance” Hourou Musuko has always been about growing up, but rarely have we seen it expressed more literally than it was here. In a nice change from recent trends, we get some real focus on Takatsuki. To be blunt (because there’s no other way to say it) she’s turning […] Read more
“Whispered Words” Whoa – now things are definitely heating up. I don’t know if you can technically call Hourou Musuko a “slice-of-life” – and no, I don’t want to open that can of worms – but one of the most magical things about Shimura Takako’s writing is the ability to […] Read more
“Mind Game” The long-awaited reunion finally happens, at the karaoke bar – Nitorin, Makoto, Chiba, Takatsuki, Sasa, Anna, and – seemingly the odd sock – Momo. I felt a little bad for her being stuck there with a “bunch of freaks” when Chi-chan bails with a cold – but at […] Read more
“Mii-tan’s Father – 2” I’m not at all sure how I feel about a new character being introduced at this stage of the game. We’re well over 100 chapters in, and seem nowhere close to wrapping up the arcs of any of the major characters. Many in the cast don’t […] Read more
This is certainly a show that holds up well. With each new opportunity to revisit it I’m reminded of just how much I love it. I confess I sat on this episode for the better part of a week, wanting and yet not wanting to watch it. As long as […] Read more