Harukaze no Étranger (Seaside Stranger: Harukaze no Etranger)

Aug 16, 2018

Trivialmadness

Recommended

Preliminary (19/? chp)

What does it mean to love someone? What does it take to love yourself?

*This is a spoiler free review*

First of all, this is not your average yaoi centering around sex, lust, roles and power. This is a slice-of-life story about two people who fall in love and how they deal with the issues they encounter when their relationship develops. The plot is not complex, it concentrates on main characters’ everyday life and we get to know more about them and their past while they get to know each other better.

The fact that the protagonists are both male brings up questions about sexuality, self-denial and acceptance, ...

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Jul 15, 2019

Rileo

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (12/? chp)

So, i'm gonna be totally honest about what I thought of it. Also, I'm sorry about my mistakes, English is not my first language.
I really wanted to like this one, really. But, unfortunately, I ended up almost hating it.

The artwork is beautiful, the artist is really good at making characters expressions, making them look and feel emotional. That's the best part of the manga. The artwork.

About the characters, the only one I like is Shun. Shun is almost aways feeling down, anxious and nervous, but he always try to do what is best for the people around him. I've lost count how many times ...

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Apr 24, 2017

dykegeek

Recommended

Preliminary (5/? chp)

I find it one of the most amazing yaoi mangas I've read, along with 19 days from Old Xian. Because it breaks some cliches heteronormatives stereotypes of yaoi that I long so much for their fall for more humanistic representation of LGBT couples in mangas. I loved the art above all, the atmosfere, it's beautifull, and how it shows the issues the characters struggle like homophobia, sorrow and loss of somebody to death, self aceptance, sexuality, developing a relationship, dealing with normativity pressures, family bonds, work, the person in it's culture and how they negotiate with that... Is so deep, and also so delicate how ... it treats it, not in a dramatic way, always with sensitivity, even if it treat psychological themes and some dark themes it is not a heavy mangá, ir mantains the beautifullness of life in each panel, is always very delicate how it bring these issues... is amazing, realistic, human. It's not dramatic, nor tragic, it is about reinventing one life, about two persons who create a new life together. The story, the art, is beautifull. I am waiting for the other volumes to see the issue of sexuality, I hope that they will be a reversal couple because this heteronormative dynamic in yaoi is so oppressive and we need other representations... It is amazing because it shows both characters discovering their sexuality together, in an egualitarian and consensual way, and even it is yaoi labelled, it is because it shows sex, but the story don't develop because of it or for showing it but because it is part of their life and of one's life, specially we don't see how a non-straight couple works out this and how deal with it, it's surronded by invisibility while straight people know what to do in first time sex with someone. It shows the development of intimacy between two boys where one is struggling to accept himself as gay and it has blocked the living of one's sexuality in fully manner, and the other never tought that would fell in love with a guy. It's a courageous act to break taboos. There is an openness on the side of Mio to live this experience without judgment but for his boyfriend it's complicated to fell free being intimate to someone due to all the hurts of homophobia and feeling 'not-normal'.
It is amazing that the character Shun say he is gay, this word, and got out of the closet for the family in a public ceremony. And there is no misoginy. Is the first yaoi were I see a LESBIAN COUPLE, who are friends of the gay couple! And the women aren't mistreated, the ex is now their friend and help the relationship and recovering family ties. The manga shows the promoting acceptance of homossexuality in a japanese traditional family and the recovering of this space.

I guess the chapters of the continuation of the history are still being released and translated... I find their sexuality very consensual also most of time except for some stuff that can be problematized. It freaks me out the normalization and eroticization of problematic and oppressive patterns of affection and desire yaoi and I try to rescue the good works that we are able to find. And surely this is one of these good works that need to be recognized.

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Apr 12, 2021

miamiatzo

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (20/? chp)

I'm going to be bluntly honest here (this is also my first review on a manga, so please cope with it).

I can only see Harukaze no Étranger as a self-indulgent work from Kanna. While Umibe no Étranger makes you anxious as to how things will be solved, if Shun will eventually go back and a damn good character development that makes you like them a lot, Harukaze is an all over the place piece of life revolved around nothing. There's no character development at all, there's no change of pace, it's just a plain kiss-kiss eventual sex story with minor to zero plot and not ... a single problem for the characters to solve. Shun's father, as we met him, is cold towards his return because he hasn't contacted them for years. Five years later and he's still cold about the whole situation for no apparent reason. We still don't know why or how Fumi was adopted. And so goes on.

Also, don't even get me started on Shun and Mio's relationship. There's no development at all about it, it's a cold relationship with no communication at all. They spend literally (according to Shun), three months without kissing! Three months not kissing your partner who literally lives with you?? And their excuse is "too much work"??? My parents get home super late every day and still kiss each other goodnight religiously. And even if you analyze each character separately, it doesn't get any better, Shun is in a constantly stressed mood and sometimes looks like an object in the scenario, as for example when they get together with their friends and Mio is all bubbly having fun and Shun seems to be outer space somewhere looking for his personality. Mio isn't any better, he seems more centered than Shun and seems to change a tiny little more as a person than the other characters (which is comprehensible since he just became an adult in the first manga), but his motifs are almost nonexistent, he doesn't even care about Shun's seemingly state of depression - simply brushing it off as stress - or how dislocated he feels at times with other people, mostly concerned about why the sex didn't feel good for him.

Art-wise there are some pretty nice scenes, character designs, and expressions that didn't lose quality over the story. However, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the number of things happening in the same block. I have to stop and read it over again two or three times to understand who said what, what is the main point and what is SFX. Umibe had a more clean and paced look, while Harukaze looks... just sloppy. Dialogues are also somewhat all over the place, sometimes someone is saying something and then the topic changes completely.

Now, don't get me wrong. I really like the Étranger series and although I'm disappointed with this sequel it didn't really made me enjoy it less. I feel like there's a lot of things Kanna can work on in the story, but while Umibe looked more professional and had a real story, Harukaze right now just looks like a doujinshi with some unconnected fan stories about the protagonists. (It's still a nice bonus that although they have a certain age difference, right from the start of Umibe it was never the 'young guy meets older guy, they have nonconsensual sex and call it a relationship' plot, which is a rare thing among BL works.)

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Apr 21, 2020

gumrats

Recommended

Preliminary (18/? chp)

This series is really something special. Not your typical yaoi or even just BL, it discards many of the usual tropes in favor of something more slice-of-life, realistic, and down-to-earth. While the first installation (Umibe no Etranger) was great as well, I found the plot a little rushed and would've liked to see the relationship and the characters get more developed and fleshed out: and that's where Harukaze comes in.

It manages to tackle difficult topics like depression, self-acceptance, loss, coming out, and societal homophobia, while also blending in some genuinely sweet and funny moments that balance it perfectly. Though there is always a slight undertone ... of melancholy just under the surface, there is light and hope in the little things that make life feel worth living.

The plot is also something I haven't seen addressed much in fiction, but is a reality for many LGBT people: reconciliation with formerly accepting and estranged family, and what's more, moving back in along with your same-gender partner to take care of them (a slight twist to an otherwise traditional occurrence). In terms of plot, there aren't a lot of huge, sudden developments, but rather, as is typical for slice-of-life, many things are small events over time that gradually build up our understanding of the characters and their relationships (and I say relationships, plural, because this sequel focuses a little more on other characters close to the main pairing).

Story: 10/10

The artwork has a really beautiful style, both for characters and the gorgeous backgrounds, and the character expressions are great. My only problem is that it runs a little far into "same-face" territory and there are certain scenes where I have to discern which character is which, but usually context makes this a non-issue.

Art: 9/10

One thing I love especially about this manga is that none of the characters nor their relationships with each other are perfect, but none of them are complete assholes, either. They feel like realistic people with real problems and complexes and good and bad traits that don't just exist for the sake of countering good traits. They change over time, in both good and bad ways. They lie about themselves, and sometimes we don't learn this until very later on. The story doesn't really seek to "fix" everyone and everything though, rather, it acknowledges that life isn't perfect and neither are people, but it's still worth holding on to them regardless. Although none of the characters are necessarily completely unique or stand-out, the way they contribute to the larger story works perfectly.

Characters: 10/10

Although there are a few sex scenes in it, it definitely isn't the focus and you don't have to be a big BL/yaoi fan to enjoy this. It's a great read for anyone who likes a good romance or slice-of-life story.

This has immediately become a favorite series of mine and I can't wait to see where else it goes. ^-^

Enjoyment: 10/10

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Dec 13, 2023

decco6226

Recommended

Preliminary (19/? chp)

This series is truly an amazing, one-of-a-kind BL series. Taking place right after its Umibe no Étranger counterpart, Harukaze no Étranger continues Mio and Shun's story as they travel from Okinawa to Hokkaido, and the upcoming volumes deal with Shun's family life, and from there, his relationship with Mio.

There aren't many BL manga like this series, ones that don't fetishize guys or homosexuals and are just told as an average romance - despite how horny Mio constantly is, which makes me laugh sometimes. Just like it's prequel story, the manga is very beautiful visually, and focuses a lot more on characters, and their stories ...

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Sep 27, 2021

StPepsi

Recommended

Preliminary (4/? chp)

I think most people here would agree, if I say that everyone here has come across a special manga someday, that once read, turned out to be the axe in the frozen river that is the love for this genre or medium.

This manga encapsulates all of the above for me.

The characters are endearing, relatable and so easy to fall in love with, making it a joy to celebrate their cheerful moments, as well as to feel with them through their hardships. Together the cast takes us on a journey that paints meaningful memories, both good and bad, that are then also softened by aspects that ...

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Nov 7, 2022

tonkotsubomb

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (11/? chp)

I found a random BL manga that interested me but dropped it due to boredom and uninterest as I kept reading.

It's a good manga, the art is the most vital part, it feels light and detailed at the same time with characters looking really good and with great natural backgrounds like snow or beaches. Mio and Shun's relationship is another great part of it, however, it's covered with all this filler bullshit that could make it so much more. I love how wholesome and cute and how much depth there is to the relationship but I wish it could get more to the point so ...

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Sep 4, 2022

lyngul

Recommended

Preliminary (22/? chp)

A family centered slice of life BL

When the prequel umibe no etranger was published in my country I picked it up and I really didn't vibe with that, I only wanted a nice slice of life about two persons of the same sex falling in love, and I was confronted with themes like loneliness, isolation and a difficult coming out story, which was so much like the situation I was living in my personal life.

Now fast forward 5 year this is one of my favourite BL.The relationship between Mio and Shun is really equilibrated in my opinion, they are radically different to each other but ...

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Nov 13, 2024

alexswrld

Recommended

Preliminary (31/? chp)

Seaside Stranger is a gay manga between Mio, A high school student who recently lost his parents and spends his days by the sea and Shun, An openly gay novelist who has been living with his aunt since his parents disowned him. Mio and Shuns relationship moves fast so it goes by fast but we get more material of the couple together, they go through many hardships together and stick with each other through it all. The manga is NOT for minors as it is explicit. However, if you are over 18 I think it would be a great read for any BL lover. If ...

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