[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fuyunosemi.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:240: Kusaka, left, and Akizuki.]]

''Winter Cicada'' (''Fuyu no Semi'') is a BoysLove series of three [=OVAs=] set against the backdrop of the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration, written by Youka Nitta.

A young man named Kusaka is part of a clan intent on expelling foreigners from Japan, a view he personally disagrees with. He first meets Akizuki during a failed attempt to prevent his clan members from burning the British Embassy, and during their second meeting persuades Akizuki to teach him English. Eventually Kusaka is offered the opportunity to go to Great Britain for several years, and confesses his feelings to Akizuki just before he goes.

When he returns, both their clans have switched viewpoints and are embroiled in the Boshin War. Kusaka obtains a high-ranking position and searches for Akizuki at every fight he is in. When he finds Akizuki on the battlefield, about to commit suicide, he stops him, kills the only witness, and sneaks him away. Akizuki is unable to escape but still determined to commit suicide, grieved that Kusaka would commit murder for him. Kusaka on the other hand is determined to keep Akizuki alive at all costs.

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!!The series provides examples of:

* AnArmAndALeg: Akizuki loses his left leg during a battle.
* BoysLoveGenre
* ConflictingLoyalty: Set during the great Boshin civil war in Japan (1864 to 1869). Akizuki is on the isolationist side (expel foreigners and keep the Shogunate system) and Kusaka is on the imperialist side (open the borders and embrace modern culture). Somewhat subverted in that both main characters want to keep the borders open
* DearJohnLetter: Akizuki left one for Kusaka.
* DeathIsDramatic: Understatement.
* DeathSeeker: Akizuki.
* DeathWail: Kusaka does this when Akizuki commits suicide.
* DisabledMeansHelpless: Kusaka won't let Akizuki do anything himself due to the loss of a leg and the fact he could use anything around him to end his life.
* DownerEnding: Akizuki successfully commits suicide and Kusaka soon follows.
* DressingAsTheEnemy: Inverted when Kusaka dresses Akizuki as a Chōshū clan member so he may get away and be treated for his injuries.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: This is what Aizawa convinces Akizuki he must do and hands him a knife to commit seppuku.
* {{Gayngst}}: The two lovers cannot be together because of social circumstances (from being on opposing sides during the Boshin War to the typical prejudices against homosexuality).
* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Kusaka while fighting in the war. One wonders how in the heck they could even fight with those helmet-hair thingies.
* JidaiGeki: The arc is set in the Bakumatsu/early Meiji era.
* LeaveNoWitnesses: Arguably Kusaka's MoralEventHorizon which shocked Akizuki.
* PullTheThread: Aizawa did this to Kusaka when he suspected Kusaka was lying about his accounts following the battle he found Akizuki injured.
* ReincarnationRomance: Kato and Iwaki of ''Manga/HaruWoDaiteita'' are ''heavily'' implied to be the reincarnations of Kusaka and Akizuki respectfully.
* SecretRelationship: Kusaka certainly tried everything he could to keep his relationship to Akizuki secret from the rest of the Chōshū clan.
* {{Seme}}: Kusaka.
* {{Seppuku}}: Akizuki goes through with it. Kusaka follows him shortly after.
* ShowWithinAShow: The OVA / Manga series ''Haru wo Daiteita'' is the story of two contemporary adult video actors filming ''Winter Cicada''.
* SnowMeansDeath:
** Kuzaka finds Akizuki lying in the snow at the end of the final OVA.
** Subverted in the manga, where what gives away the fact that he's dead is all the blood.
* StarCrossedLovers: They were never going to really get a chance.
* ThouShallNotKill[=/=]TechnicalPacifist: Kusaka was the former, became the latter during the war and then became neither...
* TragicallyDisabledLoveInterest: Akizuki became this when he lost his left leg.
* {{Uke}}: Akizuki.

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