Claudine.

Claudine (クローディーヌ Kurōdīnu?) is a manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was serialized in Margaret magazine and published in a single tankōbon on May twentieth, 1978. It was one of the first manga in featuring a transgender protagonist. Claudine : Sweetheart...! (Kurōdīnu...!) Creator : Riyoko Ikeda Genre : Romance Manga : Claudine Created by : Riyoko Ikeda Publisher : Shūeisha Published in : Margaret Demographics : Shōjo First published : 1978 Last published : 1978 Volumes : 1

⸺STORY The story is narrated by an unnamed psychiatrist who details the experiences and loves of Claude, the son of a French aristocratic family at the beginning of the 20th century. At birth he is assigned the female gender, however from an early age he defends being a man (see gender identity), to which his mother takes him to the aforementioned psychiatrist, who assures that he is healthy. As a teenager, Claude falls in love with Maura, a servant of his family. Although the love is reciprocal, Maura returns to her native home after the death of her father. Already at the institute, Claude does not see his feelings reciprocated by Cecilia, the institution's bookseller, who is secretly having an affair with Auguste, Claude's father. Luis, Cecilia's brother, spiteful because Auguste abandoned him for her, murders both of them as revenge. The third woman in Claude's life is a dancer named Sirene whom he meets during his university studies. They maintain a relationship for several years, however Sirene ends up abandoning him for one of his brothers. Believing that his female body is responsible for being "an imperfect man," Claude falls into a spiral of depression that leads to suicide. In the final segments of the narrative, the psychiatrist assures the audience that Claude is a trans man.

⸺CHARACTERS: Claude: The youngest son of a French aristocratic family characterized by his good bearing, nobility and intelligence. At birth he is assigned a female gender and given the deadname that gives its name to the work, although from a very young age he identifies and lives as a man and prefers to be referred to as "Claude." Depending on the character, their gender identity is accepted or not, which leads them to suffer a complicated romantic life full of suffering that leads to suicide. The Psychiatrist: The unnamed narrator of the story. She meets Claude when his mother takes him to the psychiatrist with signs of what today would be considered gender dysphoria. At the end of the story it concludes that Claude is a trans man Auguste De Montesse: Claude's father and owner of extensive lands as well as a large fortune. He supports his son from a young age and raises him like a man. Tragically dies in a fire. Madame De Montesse: Claude's mother, more suspicious than her husband (whom she married by agreement) when it came to accepting her son's gender identity. He contacts the psychiatrist at the beginning of the play.

Andrew, Edward and Thomas Claude's older brothers. All three profess a deep love for him. Rosemarie: Claude's petty childhood friend and the first to understand his personal circumstances. Although she has been in love with Claude since she was little, he does not reciprocate her feelings. Throughout the story he suffers a horrible scar from fire and moves to Paris to open a clothing store. At the end of the story she briefly talks to Claude to state that she always saw him as a man. Louis Laques: Rosemarie's tutor, Cecilia's brother and Auguste's former lover. He disappears after causing the fire that ended the lives of Cecilia and Auguste. Maura: Claude's first romantic interest, a beautiful young woman who they adopt as a maid. He leaves home when his father dies. Cecilia Laques: Claude's second romantic interest and Louis' sister. She secretly maintains a relationship with Auguste while working as a bookseller at Claude's high school. He rejects the protagonist because he does not accept Claude's gender identity and sees him as a woman. He dies in the fire caused by his brother along with his lover. Sirene: Claude's third and final interest. Although they have a long-lasting relationship and she accepts Claude for who he really is, she eventually abandons him for his brother, Andrew, an event that drives Claude to commit suicide.