Wandering Son English Sub & Dub

About Wandering Son

Looking for background on Wandering Son (放浪息子)? This drama, romance and slice of life series by AIC and Enterbrain (2011) starts out like this. The premise: Fifth grader Shuuichi Nitori is considered by most to be one of the prettiest girls in school, but much to her dismay, she is actually biologically male. Fortunately, Shuuichi has a childhood ally who shares similar feelings of gender dysphoria: the lanky tomboy Yoshino Takatsuki, who, though biologically female, does not identify as a girl.

From there, these two companions share a similar concealed and find solace in one another; however, their lives become even more complicated when they has to tread the unfamiliar waters of a new school, attempt to make new friends. Faced with nearly insurmountable odds, they has to learn to deal with the harsh realities of growing up, gender identity, relationships, and acceptance. Lauded as a decidedly serious take on gender identity and LGBT struggles, Takako Shimura's Hourou Musuko is about Shuuichi and Yoshino's journey to discover their true selves as they enter puberty, make friends, fall in love.

In a drama series like this, character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. Voice work is led by Kousuke Hatakeyama as Shuuichi Nitori and Asami Seto as Yoshino Takatsuki. Think of it as a pick for viewers who prefer story and feelings over flashy action. At 11 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with AIC and Enterbrain, which means the visual identity of Wandering Son follows that studio's craft. The drama focus matters here: character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. At 7.4/10 it earns a solid reception, a safe pick for fans of the genre. Voice casting, including Kousuke Hatakeyama as Shuuichi Nitori, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. Released in 2011, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.