Emma

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Alternative Titles

English: Emma

Synonyms: Emma Bangaihen, Emma Bangai-hen, Emma Further Tales, Victorian Romance Emma

Japanese: エマ

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 10

Chapters: 72

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 12, 2001 to Feb 12, 2008

Genres: Historical, Romance, Slice of Life, Seinen

Authors: Mori, Kaoru (Story & Art)

Serialization: Comic Beam

Statistics

Score: 8.27¹ (scored by 6456 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet published' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #391²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #500

Members: 15,044

Favorites: 613

8.27

Ranked #391Popularity #500Members 15,044

MangaComic BeamMori, Kaoru (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /10

Chapters: /72

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Synopsis

It's the turn of the 20th century, and Victorian era England plays host to a poignant and emotional saga of love between two individuals of thoroughly different societal standing. Working class maid Emma and wealthy aristocrat William Jones find themselves falling for one another despite their allotted positions in life, and it is their persistent efforts to traverse the dangerous minefields of wealth, power, and staunch tradition, that provides the gripping emotional drama of Kaoru Mori's Emma. The rigid social structures of the time and the disapproving elite, including but not limited to William's own family, seek to keep the lovestruck pair apart due to their heavy condemnation of this breach of proper conduct. But despite their best attempts to resist one another, William and Emma's relationship deepens, and their feelings for one another prove to be stronger than the harshest of judgments.

From the author of the acclaimed series Otoyomegatari, comes this impassioned tour de force of two individuals who strive to never give up on their love. But will William and Emma's relationship fall prey to the slew of unforeseen ordeals that rise up to challenge it, or will they get their happy ending after all?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Emma won the Excellence Prize at the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival for the Manga Division. In 2007, the English release was listed by Library Journal as one of the best graphic novels and was named by the Young Adult Library Services Association as one of the 10 best graphic novels for teens for 2008.

The series was first published in English by DC Comics under the CMX imprint from September 20, 2006 to December 8, 2009. Yen Press republished the series 2-in-1 hardcover omnibuses from May 19, 2015 to August 30, 2016. It is also published in Polish by Studio JG from November 22, 2013 to October 9,2015.

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Related Manga

Alternative version:	Emma
Adaptation:	Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma: Intermission, Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma: Molders-hen, Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma

More characters
Characters

Emma

Main

Jones, William

Main

Atawari, Hakim

Supporting

Hans

Supporting

Molders, Dorothea

Supporting

Stownar, Kelly

Supporting

Campbell, Eleanor

Supporting

Jones, Collin

Supporting

Adèle

Supporting

Jones, Arthur

Supporting

More reviewsReviews

Jan 17, 2009

72 of 72 chapters read

Overall Rating: 9

Archaeon (All reviews)

200 people found this review helpful

As one who was born and raised in England, and a closet bibliophile, it's no surprise that I'm familiar with many classic works of english literature from the victorian period, especially those by Dickens, Austen and the Bronte sisters. Many other works that have tried to mimic those worthies have often turned out to be trashy romantic fiction of the first order (e.g. Mills & Boon novels and the like).

Imagine my surprise then, to find a manga that was not only based on that period, but was also excellent in almost every aspect. That manga is Emma by Mori Kaoru (not to be confused read more

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Jul 20, 2014

72 of 72 chapters read

Overall Rating: 8

_Rika (All reviews)

22 people found this review helpful

It is not every day that one comes across a manga that pulls them into the narrative and keeps them gripped from the get go, not necessarily because the manga in question is an on-the-edge-of-seat thriller or is groundbreaking in its premise, but because its exploration and execution of what it brings to the table, no matter how unremarkable it is at face value, are thoroughly refreshing and therefore appealing, especially taking into consideration the host of titles with dull plots and bland, hackneyed characters that populate the anime and manga verse, particularly when it comes to the genre of romance.

Mori Kaoru’s ‘Emma’ is one such manga for me.

Set in the backdrop of Victorian England of late 19th century, ‘Emma’ tells the story of a young woman–the titular character, a maid-of-all-work in the household of a retired governess– who falls in love with William Jones, a wealthy young man of the upper middle class. Despite the reciprocated feelings, however, stringent class distinctions and societal norms forbid the two lovebirds to maintain and openly acknowledge their relationship in public.

On the surface, the story is fairly generic. A rich guy sweeping a poor girl off her feet is nothing short of a rehashed scenario that has been done to death for the umpteenth time now and is a trope that is glaringly visible in the shoujo demographic. However, ‘Emma’ possesses a freshness and unique charm of its own, partly due to the lavish details pertaining to its historical backdrop that are so well blended into the story and partly due to an array of engaging supporting characters that are rarely encountered in romance stories wherein it is usually the lead couple that gets to be in the limelight. The storyline has two intertwined threads running through it– one that focuses on the trials and tribulations that Emma and William face, and the other that explores the supporting characters, many of whom turn out to be quite likeable. One thing that is admirable about these characters is that they feel considerably human. They could have had been anyone walking down the Victorian London street. Likewise, it is not difficult to imagine that a predicament similar to that of Emma and William arising from differences in social status could have had been shared by someone from the era as the portrayal of class differences which the primary conflict of the story stems from has been convincingly nailed down, contributing to Emma and William’s love story that factor which makes the reader relate to the couple’s plight.

The artwork in ‘Emma’ is in one word, elegant. Though character designs are plain, a hefty amount of detailing is put into the backgrounds and the characters’ attires. Mori is a self-proclaimed anglophile and that she chose the Victorian Era as a setting for her story therefore comes across as no surprise. Everything from actual locations such The Crystal Palace of London down to little nuances of British life of the time has been incorporated. That a Japanese manga artist has been able to recreate a foreign milieu as accurately as possible with the available research material is commendable indeed.

Reading ‘Emma’ was a pleasant experience for me and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who is looking for historical romance or romance manga in general. It is an invigorative take on an otherwise typical story, clothed in the garment of an enticing time period and charming characters and laced with an ambience that stirs up a feeling akin to that of nostalgia.

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Jul 19, 2011

72 of 72 chapters read

Overall Rating: 10

Magdalen (All reviews)

19 people found this review helpful

Having grown up in the United Kingdom, with the works of Austen read to me by my mother from an early age, I'm familiar with the historical romance classics, and the archetypes (Austen, Bronte sisters, Lorna Doone, the list goes on) that many books, and consequently manga and manwha, have tried to copy throughout the ages since. Unfortunately for me, someone who thoroughly enjoyed these classics, not one of the recent attempts at blatant fan fiction have managed to curry favour with me. Instead seeming to be pure 'romantic' drivel that, as a teen with the launch of these doomed mystery romances on the upsurge, is all one and the same.

Emma was a manga I actually started, having not read the plot, thinking it was another story based on the famous 'Emma' by Jane Austen herself. To any of you who are thinking along the same lines and have read the 'original' Emma, I warn you now. This manga is not associated at all with Austen's work aside from having the same name and being in around the same time period (though the manga, Emma, is set a little further on in time)

I feel I've got to start with what sucked me in to the story, the art. It is without a doubt one of the best styles I've seen. For someone having been brought up on a history of life in her country, I am not ashamed to say that Mori seems to know more about Victorian England than I do. As a drama student, I have been taught that you aren't just 'selling' a story, you are selling the culture, the atmosphere and the life you are trying to portray from the beginning to end. Not for one minute can you let that facade fall and let the reader or audience think that any of it isn't real. For a Japanese mangaka to take on Victorian England and write ten volumes in that time, I can only applaud the valiant and amazing effort and assure you that she doesn't let up throughout the whole story. I was wrapped up in this beautiful, seemingly foreign world from start to finish and this manga held me as well as any Austen.

Another huge strength (though weaknesses are few and far between anyway) of this story is the characters and the development of them. Emma and William - the protagonists - are again true to Victorian England. Mori captures the restraint and general overwhelming impact of society of the time, not only in her surroundings but her characters. Emma, a shy and contained maid of an ex-governess, is a character you can't help but warm to. While William delves into both sides, to begin with he is impulsive and reckless, but society's constraints pull him back.
I think the other thing Mori does so well is the love in this story. The problem with most historical romances is the love can often be stilted or rushed, especially when you have a love at first sight story such as this. Mori balanced the two sides very well, the love that was near consuming them both, but the reins of society and how hard they were yanked in order to keep these two contained. It's also incredible to watch the development of the two characters as love changes them.
The other thing to be said about Mori's characters is that everyone has a purpose. Often with a love story as powerful as this, side characters can be pushed to the sides or just merely there for comic value, to push the story along, or simply to give the mangaka an extra arc of a story providing a love triangle or jealous sister etc. etc.
This wasn't the case with Mori's work, I felt every character was necessary and played a purpose. While some weren't developed or used much, it's not to say the story would have been fine without them.

Mori deals with 19th century Victorian England in the deft style of an old pro, a historian who has dealt with such an era all their life. Historical romance stories, especially those with a forbidden love such as this, can often use the historical background merely as a prop, and forget about it all too easily when it becomes a trouble to deal with, sweeping aside the chains of society so that the main characters can have their happy ending. I can safely assure you that this is not the case. Even those of you who don't have much of an idea of how important society and class was then, will have a firm grasp of it once you finish this read.

To conclude, I guess all I have to say is Mori has achieved what I previously thought was unattainable. An excellently paced story, with well thought and drawn out characters, set in a believable time period, all with the most beautiful art. I would definitely say that Emma has gone down as a romance manga classic, alongside Mars, for me. I cannot recommend it more.

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Jun 25, 2016

72 of 72 chapters read

Overall Rating: 9

AlbyAL (All reviews)

1 people found this review helpful

Emma's story is very good, with the story of a maid from late Victorian era. I found it interesting because usually I read school romance genre, so try to read this one. I like the historical background in this story.

Emma's art is greatly done, every characters in the story has it own style's. So, it's easy to recognize a character from each other. There's alot of beautiful girls character, i like it.

The characters is well developed. Every characters in it has strong points, and as the story goes, the characters background and relationship is more to told.

As for enjoyment, I think I very enjoyed it read more

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	Poll: Emma Chapter 40 Discussion Beatnik - Dec 24, 2009	1 replies	by Ezz-sama »» Sep 26, 1:20 PM
	Poll: Emma Chapter 35 Discussion Beatnik - Dec 23, 2009	1 replies	by Ezz-sama »» Sep 25, 1:09 PM

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