In Japanese fiction, the Shinsen-gumi are a ubiquitous character. Admittedly, I have mostly read shōjo manga and visual novels about them, particularly the Hakuouki series and the legendary Kaze Hikaru. However, there are definitely more than just those two, and regardless of the target audience, each of them approaches the topic in a different way.
The Blue Wolves of Mibu take a more masculine stance. Still, it is comparable to its female-oriented rivals in that it centers upon Hijikata, Okita, and an extraordinarily attractive young adolescent character named Nio. Nio has white hair. (It seems that all author-created characters, regardless of gender, that join The Shinsen-gumi must be attractive and feminine in appearance.) The main plot points are as follows: Nio meets Hijikata and Okita, joins the group when they are still known as the Miburoshi, and discovers the true nature of this force that lies behind the past.
Nio is a really simple character to root for. In addition to being sincere and well-intentioned, he has enough intellectual curiosity to desire to know how the Miburoshi’s reputation and reality differ. His primary motivation is to ensure that Japan has the finest future imaginable, which is greatly motivated by the generosity he has encountered. Nio was reared at a temple as a young orphan before being taken in by an elderly woman along with another youngster. He was nurtured mostly by the woman who owns the restaurant, although he is cognizant of his peculiar appearance and the kindness of his adopted grandma and sister. He accepts Hijikata and Okita’s invitation to join Miburoshi after they see his physical prowess. After moving to the group’s headquarters, he runs into other well-known figures like Isami Kondo, Harada Sanosuke, and Nagakura Shinpachi.
The volume mostly focuses on presenting the people and circumstances. It is presented as a story told by an elderly man many years after the events of The Shinsen-gumi. Although Saito Hajime hasn’t turned up, the fact that a fellow recruit goes by the name “Hajime” runs the risk of casting doubt on the narrative’s claim to be the story of individuals forgotten by history. It’s primarily setup and works just fine; it doesn’t really accomplish anything different from other works of a similar nature, introducing the main characters, outlining the dynamics of the gang, and including a ton of action sequences. These fall into three categories: actual conflicts, training, and mischief. The middle category receives the greatest page space. Playing around together is a quick way to show the friendly environment within the group, which contrasts with the characters’ later actions and the Miburoshi’s reputation in Kyoto and the surrounding areas. This is probably done to ensure that we understand the characters and their relationships. As Nio engages and processes everything at the small exclusion of a newbie from an established group, it also enables him to begin considering who and what to believe.
The backdrop, characters, and action scenes are all fairly well-represented in the artwork; the only major problem is that the faces are overdrawn to the point of being uncomfortable in relation to the rest of the piece. Not that the clothing and backdrops, which are significant indicators of the time period, aren’t detailed; rather, there’s a lot more organic quality to the way they’re drawn. Faces, on the other hand, generally give the impression that the artist was attempting a bit too hard to make the protagonists stand out. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t more color art because color art is far more appealing.
The first volume of The Blue Wolves of Mibu is good overall. That may sound like a damning compliment, but in actuality, it isn’t all that different from any other straight historical fiction manga about The Shinsen-gumi at the beginning. For aficionados of the subgenre, that makes it a safe bet, and given that the introduction is handled, I believe it will soon start to stand out from other works of a similar genre. However, before deciding, you should read through this if you’re not a fan of Shinsengumi.
