Kaze to Ki no Uta
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kaze to Ki no Uta, The Poem of the Wind and the Trees |
| Abbreviation(s): | KazeKi |
| Creator: | Keiko Takemiya |
| Date(s): | 1976-1984 (manga), 1987 (OVA) |
| Medium: | manga, OVA |
| Country of Origin: | Japan |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Kaze to Ki no Uta is a shoujo manga considered one of the progenitors of the shounen ai/yaoi genre. Serge Battour, a new student at Lacombrade Academy facing racial prejudice due to his half-Roma heritage, meets a mysterious new roommate named Gilbert Cocteau, who behaves seductively but resists Serge's attempts at kindness. As the story unfolds, Serge learns that both Gilbert and the school itself are hiding painful secrets. It deals with rape and abuse in a boarding school setting.
The series has a set of sequel novels called Kami no Kohitsuji: Agnus Dei in which Serge's descendant Henri and a new friend learn what became of Serge after the events of Kaze to Ki no Uta. Henri also falls in love with Gilbert's descendent Matthieu, but their affair also ends in tragedy.
There is also a side novel focused on Jules and Rosemarine set post-series, detailing their backstory and their feelings towards one another.
Critical Reception
Fandom
The fandom is a small and niche one, existing mainly on Tumblr. It had a small but noticeable presence on Livejournal in the 2000s, before people began to abandon Livejournal en masse.
Surprisingly, it hasn't caught much heat from modern fandom for its unsavory themes and its use of Bury Your Gays. Rather than being angry at the series for the latter, fans will discuss how much it broke their hearts and some will write happy ending AU fics.
Auguste Beau is a popular target for bashing and hate due to his actions towards Gilbert and other characters such as Rosemarine.
Legacy
Kaze to Ki no Uta is a classic boys' love title that many yaoi and vintage anime fans hold dear to this day.