Dec 21, 2019
Hokusai was the first to frame the word "manga" which he defined as Brush Gone wild or sketches without importance where he depicted landcapes, elements of everyday life and the supernatural. The word was created to contrast with his more ambitious and noble production. It is then fascinating to observe how Hinako Sugiura managed to breathe this noble style of ukiyo-e into the sphere of contemporary manga.
Hinako Sugiura was an artist specialized in the lifestyle of Japan's Edo period. Manga only represent a third of her work and was also well known for her novels, essays and also for having worked as an
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historian advisor for the directing of a lot of movies or tv series depicting this era.Each chapter presented in this anthology regrouping short stories written between 1881 to 1985 is a portrait of a different geisha as well as of one of their client, complementary to their existence.
The Yoshiwara red line district, which is still preserved in today's Senzoku, has been the theater of countless stories. As for its different representations we could think of Utamaro's etchings, Jun'ichiro Taniguchi novella or some of Kenji Mizoguchi films, but it seems that Sugiura Hinako managed to get us even closer into the intimity of these women. Far from being presented as an artist's astheticizing myth, it reveals the truth of these women, the real reason why they are in this situation.
From the most popular house to those of ill-repute, in each room a man and a woman are conversing before going into the serious affairs where words aren't needed. Only a few lines are needed to represent their vision of life and personnality.
For these young women, the prince charming is called "young heir", an hypothetical son of a rich merchant that would get them out of there before getting too old and would give them a rent as their official concubine. When one is getting by, every mean is good to get him to sign a solemn promise. A contract written on the bed can become a dangerous weapon in case of financial problems as a good commercial reputation also comes from the virtue of the head.
A regular from the red-line district decides to deflower his nephew by offering him a night with one of the best geisha around town. The future of this virgin could depend from this first night. What will this geisha do about it ?
In a less refined, a regular spend a last night with his favourite girl before getting sent out to the countryside by his father to learn about hard work and the real value of life. From a "young heir" he becomes just another customer of no interest but is that really the case ?
In yet another house, a guest brags about having strangled his boss. The myth of the criminal and his lover following each other in death embellish their ephemeral relationship...
Some other stories, shorter and in a different style, create an echo of different conversations, different outlook on the district of Yoshiwara and its mixed population.
Each of these women is of an examplary dignity, each of these men as well even if their virtue can be doubted. Each except one that would leave in the morning as innocent as he entered.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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