I'm giving this a 3/5, but at the same time looking forward to the next volume. If a non-fetishistic depiction of lgbt and crossdressing is very rare in Japanese media, a depiction of a non-binary person is virtually non-existent. Non-conformist of any sort seem to always need to fall into some other bucket to be legitimized instead of comic relief, and while the author has carved out a basic idea for everyone, they've left space for evolution. [b:Wandering Son, Vol. 1|7829373|Wandering Son, Vol. 1|Takako Shimura|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327284489l/7829373.SX50.jpg|6454458] is one of the few cd/trans stories I know that gave characters space to breathe and discover themselves, even if it was sometimes the hard way. Of course, that series was written more deftly from the beginning, and avoided the sillier shoujo manga clichés.

The first half was clunky in the way that only a Saturday morning Very Special Episode can be, but as characters started settling into themselves it started getting better. There's still time for it to be more than a collection of stereotypical characters and romance drama. Crossing my fingers here.

As for the art, while the character designs and paneling are, unfortunately, rather generic, there's an interesting balance between very bog-standard art and very delicately drawn close-ups. Konyam sees the eyes as a window to the soul and seems to put the most effort into getting them perfectly shaded.