Megan Leyman

Heads up this is a re-post from August 16th with new photos taken by the talented Khandie Photography

Last week I went into how much I loved One Piece, I mentioned the series Wandering Son saying it’s top in my ranking for personal reasons alongside OP and it has appeared in my top 10 manga I have discovered and read this year I thought I would go more into why I love the series here.

I have only read the series twice and the anime once but it holds the same place as One Piece in my heart, I know it’s crazy but I need to explain why.

That reason is because, it’s the only thing I have read that reminds me of my childhood with me being confused on my gender identity.

The series follows Shuichi Nitori, a trans girl (well the character likes to be referred to a girl throughout the series when they are able to dress up as one, which isn’t easy) who becomes friends with a trans boy Yoshino Takatsuki and the series goes into what they truly want to be, there is 15 volumes of this story so I can’t really go into everything

There are a few scenes that remind of what I experienced and this has brought so much emotion, heck I am getting emotional writing this up just remembering my childhood

The main character Nitori, has a sister who just thinks they are a freak dressing up with parents thinking it’s just a phase.

Compared to me, I’ve got a brother who thinks that whenever I dress up, won’t call me Megan and my mum just thought it was a phase (but is “alright” with it now, it’s a process for her too not just for me).

Ok this scene above didn’t exactly to me at school but did get put make-up put on me a few times, this made me more confused about myself than I was already.

I know this is a cliche thing to get caught when you dress up but it happens, happened to me but instead of a sibling, it was my mum with her clothes on, I had her favourite top on. To say she was annoyed, was an understatement.

I did get to the point when i was with friends to refer to me as a girl instead of a boy, this occurred years later than our character here.

How this book deals with Gender Identity is amazing

^ I had these thoughts while in school but never done anything with it part from crossdressing at home as I was lacking courage, heck I barely spoke to anyone til I was in college and haven’t shut up ever since.

Coming across something that had similar journey and thoughts even fictional meant so much to me, it meant at least I wasn’t the only one dealing with this, there are people like me in the world where the author of this book took inspiration from. Everyone’s life is different and takes different turns, but to find something that is very similar to yours in a story, how can I not love it?

During school i just thought people like me where drag acts, just things to take the piss out of in comedy but it’s not the case.

I love One Piece to bits with the journey that Oda (the author) has taken us on so far, but I just love something that has had a journey based on a reality similar to mine that I can’t resist.

Recently got my hands on the first volume of the series, physically which has been a challenge to get one at a good price as the series stopped a decade ago. I plan on getting the rest in 2025 when I have money spare again (as it’s going towards Japan at the moment).

Since late September (it’s why this post has been re-posted ), I have had a great photo shoot with the talented Khandie Photography and I just had to pick this book for most of the photos.

Probably never going to do a book review on this because

1. It will take years to get hold of all of them physically
2. I’ve been re-reading the first volume over and over and it just gets me emotional. How the hell am I going to survive the rest?

I have only read this series once in full and the memories of that will never leave me, yes I have read One Piece and Ore Ga Watashi Ni Naru Made plenty of times, but this series just pulls on my heart springs in such a way that nothing else can!

Megan

I have had to edit the title for this, as it spoils it’s placement in the upcoming top 10 manga post!