Kaze to ki No Uta

Kaze to Ki No Uta is the story of Serge Batouille, the son of a wealthy man and a Roma woman. Taking place in the late 19th century, the story is a recollection of his memories of Gilbert Cocteau at Laconblade Academy in Provene, France. The story has themes of class prejudice, racism, homophobia, homosexuality, incest, paedophilia, rape, prostitution, and drug abuse.

Gilbert Cocteau is a promiscuous student who has reputation for being a boy of corrupt morality since he frequently misses classes and engages in relations with older male students. However, Gilbert is a tortured young man who has been treated like an object all his life rather than a human being. The primary antagonist in the story – Gilbert’s uncle, Auguste Beau – is a respected society figure who manipulates and sexually abuses his young nephew. Auguste’s influence is so great that Gilbert actually believes that the two are in love, and Gilbert remains enthralled with Auguste, even to the bitter end when he finds out that Auguste isn’t quite who he thought he was.

Golden-hearted Serge becomes fascinated with Gilbert, and tries to win his friendship despite being threatened with ostracism and even violence. Gilbert himself even rejects Serge’s offer of friendship, although it seems that Serge may be Gilbert’s only hope to escape this hellish life.

Serge perserveres and eventually the two boys become friends and lovers. Faced with a violent rejection by members of the faculty and student body, Gilbert and Serge flee to Paris and live for a short while as paupers. Gilbert, however, cannot escape all of the demons of his past, and finds himself dragged into a life of hard drugs and prostitution.