Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 12

R to L (Japanese Style)In the year 1863, a time fraught with violent social upheaval, samurai of all walks of life flock to Kyoto in the hope of joining the Mibu-Roshi--a band of warriors united around their undying loyalty to the Shogunate system. In time, this group would become one of the greatest (and most famous) movements in Japanese history...the Shinsengumi!The death of Yamanami casts a cold, dark shadow over the troop, as each member feels the unspoken pain of his loss. Kamiya is the only one to mourn his death openly. But just as her emotions begin to settle, a new source of anxiety pops up--Sae, Soji's old love interest, appears in Kyoto looking for him. How will Kamiya cope with this challenge to the most important relationship in her life?

Taeko Watanabe debuted as a manga artist in 1979 with her story Waka-chan no Netsuai Jidai (Love Struck Days of Waka). Kaze Hikaru is her longest-running series, but she has created a number of other popular series. Watanabe is a two-time winner of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the Girls' category-her manga Hajime-chan is Number One! claimed the award in 1991 and Kaze Hikaru took it in 2003. Watanabe read hundreds of historical sources to create Kaze Hikaru. She is from Tokyo.