Kaze to Ki No Uta or The Poem of the Wind and Trees is a ground-breaking boys’ love manga that was first released in the 1970s by Keiko Takemiya.
It follows Serge Battour, a strong and caring boy and young viscount, who enters Laconblade Academy to follow in the footsteps of his father. There he meets Gilbert, a beautiful young boy with a scandalous reputation, who Serge is bewitched and enchanted by.
Gilbert is known for regularly “selling himself” to older students, whilst this is often met with slut-shaming from other students or the school staff turning a blind eye, Serge is not so quick to judge Gilbert and tries to befriend him, but eventually the two boys realise that they want more than just friendship from each other…
This story centres around how the young characters deal with their burgeoning sexualities, especially in regards homosexual desire and love in a society where love and sex between two men is considered taboo.
The story also has a second major theme: that of dealing with the past. The manga asks whether we can overcome our pasts, stay strong and resolute and refuse to let history repeat itself, or will be be overtaken and overwhelmed by our pasts?