Emma, Vol. 04

Emma #4

by Kaoru Mori

Secrets are revealed when Emma makes a return visit to London. Behind William's upstanding exterior, he is still despondent over losing Emma. His sister's friend Eleanor is doing everything she can to insinuate herself into his life-- perhaps on a permanent basis! As for Emma, she is on her way back to London to accompany the mysterious Mrs. Trollop to an important social event-- an event that holds come shocking surprises!

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Romance, Graphic Novels, Historical, Comics, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2004

About the author

Kaoru Mori (森 薫) is a Japanese manga author. Her stories tend to be intricately drawn female lead historical dramas set in exotic locations like Britain and along the silk road. Her series include Emma (2002-2008), Shirley (2003-present) and the best known A Bride's Tale (2008-present).

Reviews

[rae ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER THIS VOLUME PUT ME THROUGH I CAN'T😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
💔"i've missed y-" "me too"💔

br with my emotional support 🤝 Aliki🫶

[Aliki (semi hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS VOLUME MADE ME SCREAM I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT IS HAPPENING SKDNDJSKSNSOXNSJX
Luckily i am reading this with raerae for emotional support and mutual screamiiing

[Wero.nika27 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boże co za emocjonalny rollercoaster…

[Freija · Rating 4 out of 5]

madonna santa cosa non é la scena finale!

[ShamNoop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why I’m enjoying this. This British period romance story is a far cry from the stuff I usually like to read or watch, but this is really engaging.

[Lete · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart! The Feels! TOO MANY EMOTIONS~~~~ MAhhh!!

[Paula MB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tomo lo salva el final, lo hace con creces y menos mal porque el resto ya me estaba tocando las narices/haciendo perder el interés.
Me gusta mucho la familia a la que sirve de Emma.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downton Abbey meets manga... William, pining for Emma who had left, somehow ends up engaged to a high society lady, Eleanor, the daughter of a viscount. Meanwhile, Emma comes back to London, accompanying her employer, and somehow ends up escorting William's estranged mother (Mrs. Trollope) to his engagement party. (At this point, the reader has no clue why the mother is estranged, and Emma had no knowledge that Mrs. Trollope was William's mother.) Emma faints, true to 19th century cliché, when she runs into William at the party, and because she fainted, she now must spend the night in his house. Of course William makes his way to her room, and the volume ends with the couple in a passionate embrace interrupted by William's mother. Will the couple be able to continue their relationship? What will become of Eleanor? Time for volume 5!

(Also, the copy I had was from a library and had several pages in two separate spots ripped out. Bummer!)

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare yourself for this one. If you buy it for your teen collection (which I still highly suggest) there is a scene in the middle of the book where Emma sees her mistress (this is a historical book and Emma is a maid) naked. The whole thing seemed pretty unnecessary for the plot, but the illustrations are well done. I have spent a lot of the series crying. So if you like crying, this is the one for you!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The previous volumes of this series have all been acceptable for tweens. Then, in this volume, all of a sudden there's nudity that is completely unnecessary to the plot! It makes me realize how difficult it would be to do readers' advisory for manga unless you've read an entire series... I will keep reading this because I do love the plot and the characters, and I've been watching the anime which is quite good.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Probably the most emotional volume so far. Emma and William's reunion had me tearing up and I am eager to see what happens next with them. The mangaka continues to provide beautiful artwork, well-developed characters, and plenty of historical details.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a complete sucker for the whole "sliding down the door weeping" trope. Also, this is not news to anyone at this point, but Mori's author notes make me laugh and laugh.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a sweet story, but I could have done without the weird unnecessary nudity in one scene.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series

2025 Reread and a buddy read with Frauline_gratzy_

Emma, and truly anything by Kaoru Mori, is a gem of a manga. At the same time, I don't think it's going to be for everything. During my first year nearing 20 years ago, I thought it more reminiscent of works such as Jane Austen, but going over it again now, I think Downton Abbey is a much better comparison.

Kaoru Mori's works are always heavily on the slice of life side and I think Emma is probably the one work with the most driving plot. We have the housemaid Emma as a main character who falls in love with Mr Jones, a gentleman from higher society. Given the setting, naturally drama follows as society does not accept their difference in status. If you are purely looking for a romance read, this is probably not for you - Mori often works with little dialogue and offers quiet scenes often covering entire pages with just a panel or two. For a love story, there is comparatively little interaction between Emma and Mr Jones as the story does wander and drift a bit.

Rather than just focus on Emma, Mori shows snippets of various characters' lives and not always within chronological order. Personally, I love the way Mori works and, while I do on occasion wish there were more interactions between characters across the board, I appreciate the nostalgic and atmospheric setting she creates. Being able to have characters express themselves with little words or simply not letting the reader be privy to words spoken is also an art of its own.

I think my view on this series has changed which I suppose is natural given the large gap between my original and my reread. But what hasn't changed is that I thoroughly enjoyed it and while it may have a few flaws and certainly won't be the right series for everyone, it is nonetheless one I value very highly.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finalmente i nostri due protagonisti si rivedono, solo che questa reunion non poteva arrivare in un momento peggiore: nel bel mezzo della festa di fidanzamento di William ed Eleonor - un matrimonio ben visto dalle rispettive famiglie, che unisce le risorse finanziarie dei Jones e il titolo nobiliare dei Campbell. Forse convinto di non avere più possibilità di rivedere Emma, William decide di fare questo passo, pur non provando niente per la giovane Eleonor (decisamente molto infatuata di lui). La festa dovrebbe anche essere l'occasione per celebrare anche l'ascesa di William come nuovo capofamiglia. Alla festa è chiamata anche a partecipare anche sua madre, Lady Trollope e, visto che non ha una dama di compagnia, Dorothea le presta Emma per una sera (peraltro la poverina è stata pure costretta ad andare senza occhiali, quindi manco riconosce William all'inizio). È una reunion che mette a dura prova entrambi e fa capire che il sentimento che li univa non è mai venuto meno. Immagino che adesso inizierà lo psicodramma. Dubito fortemente che William voglia portare avanti il fidanzamento con Eleanor (alla fine ha chiesto la sua mano solo perché tutti se lo aspettavano e forse, in assenza di Emma, gli sembrava la soluzione meno inquietante, ma francamente non mi ha mai dato l'impressione di essere particolarmente entusiasta), ma questo potrebbe avere delle conseguenze. La distanza sociale che divide lui ed Emma è sempre la stessa, così come il giudizio negativo della società. Però, è stato molto bello vedere come entrambi abbiano finito per nascondere la rispettiva sofferenza dietro una maschera di apparente tranquillità. Tranquillità che è andata bellamente a farsi benedire. Bene ma non benissimo 🙃

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best one yet! It got the most shocked faces out of me, for sure.

I still don’t understand Hakim’s purpose aside from just sitting around (and now he said he’s leaving) which is a bit disappointing BUT there was a lot I loved about it:

- William & little Colin spending more time together/William making time for him
- Emma back in London
- Aurelia (aka William’s mom) taking to Emma so quickly and asking her to come to the party

It was all worthy of an operetta itself. Did I tear up when they reunited and both cried in each other’s arms? You bet I did!

The qualms I have are similar to before: I think the romance between Emma & William was too rushed in the beginning (but that didn’t change the impact of them reuniting) and in the same vein his proposing to Eleanor felt so rushed and confusing too when two seconds earlier he didn’t seem interested at all. (I do like her fiery sister Monica and her coming to tell him off ASAP, though! 😂)

Also the London society folk at their parties are just super dull… but again I think that’s how we’re meant to feel to convey William’s feelings too.

On the whole, for the tearful reunion and William’s mom being in the know now, this gets a 4.25/5.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Emma” is a manga about a maid and an upper class gentleman who fall in love and have to fight the Victorian class system to be together. It is a traditional romance narrative, with warm characters and a rollercoaster plot line.
I decided to read this series because I wanted to take a break from hard reading, with some light graphic novels. I was drawn to this series because it is set in the Victorian era, which is one of my favourite historical settings.
“Emma” is a sweet story. The writing, however, I found was a little quirky. It seemed that the writing would suddenly stop, without revealing everything. For example, a character would be telling a joke, I’d flip the page, and the scene would be completely changed. This also happened when a character was retelling something, when a character was revealing something, and at random times throughout the dialogue and narrative. I found it disruptive and frustrating.
The other irksome part I found about “Emma” is in the number of books included in the series. The main narrative runs from book one to, and including, book seven. Books eight, nine, and ten are not part of the main narrative, but are instead made up of short stories about the other characters in the series. This is a sweet idea, but I do not like this to be included in the main series. It should have been added as additional material, or as a separate, sub-series.
The overall story was alright. I have too much to read that I probably will not read the short stories that are included in the series. “Emma” fulfilled its purpose of giving me a break from hard reading.

[Cecelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past two weeks I've been teaching kids about the difference between needs and wants. Like we obviously need a home but we want mansions. I'm going to do a little exercise.

I need the next volume immediately. I want to rip out the pages and glue them across my wall like an art gallery. I need there to be some kind of happy ending for William and Emma. I want to shriek every couple pages out of sheer frustration.

Listen I'm not saying this book is torture but like this is the most excruciating slow burn I have ever witnessed and wow the little simple details in this book just push me over the edge. Every time William cries I could literally punch myself in the throat and it would hurt less. Ugh.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I definitely can understand the concern with the nude scene within the book, especially if you are recommending this series to a pre-teen and there is no warning about it. However, I disagree that it doesn't add anything. Sure, maybe not to the main plot. But it adds to the character and who she is as a person. I saw her as free and liberated, a complete contrast to the other women within the series. She isn't shy to show affection for her husband or talk about intimate times. I find her character refreshing.

I am glad that they reunited, but I don't agree they should have kissed. Regardless of the fact he doesn't truly love his fiancee, he is still engaged and that would be cheating...

[Zian B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel bad that some of Emma’s coworkers are gossiping about her but I like that it’s not damaging her work environment. I also enjoyed seeing Emma visiting Mrs. Kelly’s grave, despite how sad that moment was.
Also, I love the twist that ended up being Emma escorting William’s estranged mother to the event. I had my suspicions from the previous volume but after reading this, I’m glad I was right and I feel as though William’s mother will be an ally for her son and Emma’s potential/future relationship.
I’m very curious to see what happens in the next volume since I feel like it’ll be mainly filled with drama. Although I’m sure within that drama, I’ll feel very sympathetic towards Eleanor.

[Tiya Mulani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept reading the ending pages back and forth for countless times.
I was wondering how could I read this whole manga years ago without even feel anything at all? Because reading it now gave me so much feelings and emotions.
It also shocked me to realizing I was engaged this much.

Tried to recall the next plot after the 4th volume but I couldn't remember anything. But, strangely, while reading this volume some clues actually came to my mind, like about William's mother and some conversations on other parts.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Emma goes off to America and William tracks her down, and you can guess the rest. Mori-san is hard-pressed to come up with much suspense in this conclusion to the Emma series, and then fills pages in the second half of volume 4 (which is volume 8 by some versions) with random stories involving characters from the Emma-verse.

I was almost done with Mori, except she keeps pulling me back with the intimate, candid afterwards with herself as a simplified drawing. That and the beautifully rendered nekkid lady drawings she throws in for no obvious reason.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Definitely enjoyed this one much more than the first (two) volumes. Volume 3 introduced the final of the major characters and volume four had such a wonderful build-up to the meeting of Emma and William that I was telling myself to stop speed reading and appreciate the art. This is just such a good, familiar, simple story. I loved meeting the new family. I loooove Dorothea. The art is still amazingly detailed and lovely.

Very good times all around.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was so wholesome and so NOT wholesome at the same time. I finally understand why the story is rated “teen plus” (nudity).

The nudity is skippable without missing any key plot points, but man, I was not amused by this unwholesome addition to an otherwise wholesome series.

On the positive: we see a bit more growth in Emma & William—something that’s extremely overdue.

And Mrs. Trollop? She’s turning into one of my fav characters!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma and William run into each other at a party which is a great surprise to them both.

The series is getting more interesting! I still have a problem telling people apart sometimes (it's a large cast) and there are odd spots where the story jerks from one thing to another, but Emma is a sweet, wonderful person. You just have to hope for her happy ending. I'll be reading the next one!

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma returns to London and learns of William's engagement with heartbreaking results. I feel for William but his lack of steadiness in regards to Emma is annoying sometimes. Still he is there when it matters most and will hopefully stay steadfast.

[Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi favorito hasta el momento, que bonito, dramático y romántico, no me suelen gustar los romances pero este tiene de todo, y el estar situado en el siglo XIX y dividido entre el mundo de criados y señores me parece de lo más interesante

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many hidden little layers and changes coming through. The ending was amazing and yet you wonder how he is going to dig himself out of this hole now. It was a fun read that showed all the changes in the social circles brought on. Emma is so reserved and sweet it was fun to see her so flustered.

[Soobie is expired · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho colpevolmente lasciato da parte tutte le recensioni di Emma che non se lo merita proprio visto che è una delle migliori serie che abbia letto ultimamente.

Specialmente perché in questo volume i due si rincontrano dopo tanto tempo... E il mio cuoricino di pietra si è quasi sciolto...

[Sheri Kempton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was the best one yet! Along with the story of Emma and William, Kaoru Mori also tells stories of some of the side characters we've come to know and love. I am continually amazed at the stunning illustrations and the emotion they convey. I just love this series!!!