Orpheus no Mado

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Window of Orpheus is Riyoko Ikeda's magnum opus. A story that takes her own frustrations with the creative process of Rose of Versailles as motivation to revisit the themes of love and revolution in an entirely different setting. It builds an extremely thorough journey that sees three kids experience their adolescence and adulthood while the bolveshiks grow into a force powerful enough to challenge the tyranny of the zar, a sensational premise that delivers in spectacular fashion.

The art is some of Ikeda's best. Ikeda, now an experienced mangaka with years of one shots and full series under her belt, is able to beautifully capture the ... most human of emotions with an overwhelming elegance that just enraptures the reader. It sings, it speaks and it whispers, and you can perfectly hear it every time it does so.

Julius starts off as a very engaging character but her journey does eventually reduce her sense of agency for the sake of the real stars of the manga: Isaac and Klaus. Both male stories deal with topics that feel personal and touching, whether its an musician's relation with their art or a struggle to free Russia from opression. By the time the revolution is being cooked, the story refuses to let you go.

While the ending could have been a lot better, its impossible to not see this journey as a triumph of storytelling and emotion. An 18-volume masterpiece that hopefully english speakers will be able to enjoy one day, as I could only read it thanks for the comrades over at Waterlily Scans.