Shirahime-Syo

by Clamp

Legend says that when it snows, it is because the Snow Goddess is crying. From Clamp, creators of Chobits and Cardcaptor Sakura, comes a collection of five tragic tales, all connected by the bond of snow. Shirahime-Syo is Clamp's take on traditional Japanese from and storytelling. Featuring luscious watercolors and gentle brushstrokes, it is a beautiful departure from Clamp's usual fare. Discover for yourself the mystery behind the snow.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Short Stories, Romance, Japan

132 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 1992

About the author

Ōkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]

Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]

Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]

Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]


CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.

In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.

In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.

Reviews

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rilettura. Letto per la prima volta nel 2005 alla sua uscita e la seconda nel 2018.

Storie molto belle ma anche molto tristi disegnate dalle mitiche CLAMP. Loro, tutte che siano in gruppo o singole, sono parte delle mie Mangaka preferite.
Con le CLAMP si va sempre sul sicuro.

Se non l'avete già letto al suo tempo ve lo consiglio.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the snow goddess Shirahime cries – her tears turn to snow.

This is a small collection of short stories by CLAMP. The stories are not linked together and all depict tragic tales in a snowy ancient Japan. It is a shame that the stories are so short – given a little more depth and they could have been heart-wrenching. At the same time, their shortness is what gives them a fairytale-like feeling and gives them a traditional touch.

Even though they are short, they are all sad and the fates of the individual characters struck me. I thought the first story was particularly sad. Although they are not linked together, I also quite liked how the story was rounded up at the end.

One reason to read this little book is for the sake of the artwork. CLAMP generally has beautiful artwork and this work is no exception. I actually wonder whether the entire work was done in colour – the pages look like black and white versions of what might have been a work with colour. But it is definitely the long hair and the landscapes that make this book a treat to look at! Just looking at the hair and kimonos swaying in the snowy wind is beautiful.

It might not have as much to offer in terms of story contents but it is certainly worth having a look at the artistic aspect or if one is interested in Japanese tales. It is fast enough to read anyway so there is no harm in giving it a try!

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man seeks shelter from a raging blizzard. A young girl plots revenge on the black wolf who killed her father. A heartbroken man leaves the love of his life on a lake of ice. A lost traveler comes to regret fatally injuring his savior. A melancholy spirit reveals the origins of snow.

This manga is a collection of five tragic stories loosely connected by the legend of Shirahime; a goddess whose tears turn into snow. They're obscure and surrealistic, leaving a lot up to interpretation. They all share themes of forgiveness, redemption and tragic irony. I liked the creativity behind them, but they mostly lacked emotional depth and good characters in my opinion.

An interesting departure from CLAMP's usual style, nonetheless.

[Lau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es sencillo y se lee rápido. Me gustaron más los dibujos que las historias en sí, si bien la segunda me resultó muy poética (aunque triste).

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but sweet sad stories about snow, separation, and sorrow.

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A re-read from my youth! I remain a sucker for sad, romantic folklore. Gorgeous art.

[A’ n h Kate ྀི · Rating 4 out of 5]

Là một truyện của nhà Clamp nét vẽ không lẫn vào đâu được

[T O À N P H A N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art CLAMP thời này rất nịnh mắt tui, nhất là ở những trang đôi, đẹp sững sờ.

[Nathan Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couple of short boring stories. Always love CLAMP’s art style tho.

[carolzinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
It actually made me think a lot about love and life in those times.

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

[rilettura dopo quasi 15 anni - parte 2]

Sempre bello questo volume unico di storie brevi. I disegni delle CLAMP si sposano da dio con ambientazioni passate e folklore. **

[Ivona Coghlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully sad and moving and the art is just gorgeous. These are short stories, some are more like brief scenes but they are so atmospheric. I find the end particularly moving without really knowing why.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first manga I’ve read in at least a decade. This was good.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book containing many stories surrounded by snow. All stories are quite quick and easy to read, with eye catching art. I really recommend it if you can get a copy.

[Kat R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty, and sad.

[Iacopo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sono un po' rimasto deluso. Mi aspettavo altro, speravo meglio.
Sono 4 racconti collegati esclusivamente dall' ambientazione delle storie .
I disegni mo sono piaciuti, ma non mi hanno fatto impazzire e la traduzione, o quantomeno i dialoghi sono stati un po' troppo semplici e standard.
Mi è dispiaciuto.

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I was a little disappointed. I expected something else, I hoped for better.
They are 4 stories connected exclusively by the setting.
I liked the drawings, but they didn't drive me crazy and the translation, or at least the dialogues were a little too simple and standard.
I was regretful.

2.5⭐

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tres historietas sobre la dama de de las nieves, aquí llamada Shirahime, cuyas lágrimas se transforman en nieve. Tres pequeñas historias sobre el dolor, el desamor, la separación, la ruptura y la muerte, acompañadas del precioso arte y estilo de dibujo tan expresivo que acostumbra a tener CLAMP. Es muy corto, mucho diría yo, pero en este caso...lo breve, si bueno, dos veces bueno.

[Wiktor Cirzon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smutne cztery opowieści zamknięte w jednym tomie. Kiedy już poczułem klimat danej historii, to ona się już skończyła.

Moim zdaniem lekko ponad 130 stron w formie komiksu to zbyt mało, aby opisać skalę cierpienia bohaterów wszystkich historii. Było to spłycone, bo na tyle długość pozwalała.

3/5 ⭐️ - smutne, interesujące i byłaby wyższa opinia, gdyby manga była dłuższa.

[Min Trong Suốt・透明みん · Rating 2 out of 5]

chưa từng thấy thất vọng về nhà clamp như cuốn này..

[Alicja Przydryga · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐

[Izlinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise was rather captivating, four short stories about the snow. It's a legend that the snow are the tears of the snow princess, and the four short stories center on that theme, though I count it as three main stories, with one story sandwich-ing these three.

I think "On Wolf Mountain" and "The Ice Flower" are the most heart-breaking stories. Love is such a tricky emotion... The lengths one will go to feel it, keep it alive... So is regret, and uncertainty. "On Wolf Mountain" touched me differently, because there is an unanswered question at the end, but it's possible to see every character's reasons for doing what they did, except for one character, and I had to wonder what the truth was...or if it really mattered if what the man thought in the end was the truth, and what should have mattered was the present and not the past. (Sorry if this is quite cryptic. I'm trying not to give spoilers.)

"The Ice Flower" is so heart-breaking because of one character's intensity of keeping their promise from the beginning of the story. I found it a loss, that this character decided to keep their promise with such a twist.

"Hiyoku No Tori" was another story about love and regret, though it didn't touch me quite as deeply as the other two.

The beginning introduction and "Epilogue" was a nice introduction and ending to the book.

I think the reason I give this book four stars is because it is too short, and "Hiyoku No Tori" wasn't as strong as the other two. This left me wanting more short stories based on the snow falling and the legend.

[Denise みか Hutchins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to admit it but I’m a bit disappointed by this manga.  I knew it would be short just from the tiny size but I was also misled and ill-prepared by the description on the back cover.  Specifically, it says “five tales” but at a stretch one could claim there are four, although there are really only three proper tales plus a matching intro/epilogue.  Where I felt ill-prepared was the style of tale I was about to be told.  I suppose the back cover DOES say “traditional Japanese form” but that’s a bit vague.  I am familiar with and enjoy traditional Japanese fairytales but, like reading the original Grimm fairytales, one has to go in with an expectation that things might not progress in the usual ‘entrance > build up > climax > conclusion’ format and therefore might not make sense or have a satisfactory ending.  Furthermore, if the stories in this book had at least been tied together by more than the idea that “snowflakes are the tears of the snow goddess” and a general theme of negativity (death, misunderstanding, frustration, etc.) then maybe I would have enjoyed it more.  I think what really saved it for me is that the art was everything I hope for and expect from CLAMP, very beautiful and captivating.

I purchased this tome for only $1 at a library book sale so, although I was a little disappointed, I don’t feel horrible about this manga.  I may even pick it up again on a lazy snow day; reading depressing fairytales while cuddled in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate sounds pretty cozy.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique collection of short stories from CLAMP, centering around the legend of the Snow Princess. The running theme is that snowflakes are the tears when the Snow Princess weeps. Makes sense that these are all more somber stories, giving the Princess plenty of opportunity for tears. While the stories themselves are unrelated, they are eventually tied together in the last segment. Like CLAMP's other short story collection, The One I Love, the stories themselves are short without the chance for much depth. They do stir emotion, though, and keep a somber, tragic feel throughout. Personally, the first story (the wolf) was the saddest. I also really liked the third story (the herons) but felt that the ending was a little too optimistic for the overall book.

CLAMP's artwork is typically gorgeous, but this book is unique, going for a more traditional Japanese brushwork/watercolor sort of feel. It's beautiful, and with the snowy landscapes, it makes for a cool, wintry read.

With the stories being more about mood than depth of plot or characters, this probably isn't a good read for those new to CLAMP. If you appreciate beautiful art in your manga, already know you love CLAMP, or want a somber, tragic sort of read... well, this is a good one for you.

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shirahime-Syo is CLAMP's take on traditional Japanese storytelling, focused on a central theme of loss and sorrow in an icy wilderness and paired with simple and soft watercolors. I really enjoy reading short stories, and I think CLAMP handles them quite well. Each tale is short and painful; even the most stoic of readers will find it near-impossible to get through these without feeling a twinge of sadness.
My favorite of these stories is "The Ice Flower," followed closely by "On Wolf Mountain". What can I say? I'm a sucker for tragedies, and these two delivered beautifully. I don't want to spoil too much, but I loved Kaya's solution to waiting for her husband to return. It's harsh but poetic, and I like that. The weakest story of the three would have to be the last one, "Hiyoku no Tori," not because it's bad, but because it sort of goes against the themes of the book by giving it a hopeful ending.
The artwork is unlike CLAMP's previous styles, drawing more from classic manga, which goes with the idea of tackling Japanese mythology, and it works wonderfully, keeping the reader hooked and entranced throughout.
This is definitely one of my favorite CLAMP works, and a welcome refresher after reading some of their weaker stories. It's a nice reminder of their deserved reputation.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had forgotten how beautiful the illustrations in this book are, so I'm glad I had time to sneak this in tonight.

This is a collection of four manga (a particular form of Japanese storytelling--like American comic books or graphic novels) with the common thread of snow falling and the following line: "On a day when the snow falls like today, they say it is the snow princess shedding her tears." The final story, which also is the shortest and is a continuation of the third story, shows the snow princess herself and explains the truth behind that statement. The stories themselves can best be described as bittersweet, since there really are no happy endings to any of them. The illustrations mainly are black and white, with the exception of those given at the beginning (the book reads right-to-left) which serve as the book's introduction.

This is not a book for everyone, but it can be enjoyed by those who already read manga or traditional graphic novels or comic books. It also takes time to get used to reading in the opposite direction because of the layout of the photo blocks, but once a person gets started the book can be read easily.

[Jemiah Jefferson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike a lot of CLAMP's better known titles, the emphasis of this book is more on the visual art and less on dialogue and story. That's not to say that it doesn't have value, isn't gorgeous, isn't worthy, or isn't really great - in fact it will assume a proud place with the rest of my CLAMP library - but it is not story-driven material. It exists in the realm of dream and metaphor, and might have been just as effective untranslated, or with no words in it at all. The art combines traditional comics-style inking, watercolors, Sharpie (or a wide-tipped marker in general), and sumi-e brush-style inking, and yet is still not quite the "traditional" Japanese art style that I associate with the era between the 1400s and the late 19th century. Despite the traditonal simplicity of the stories and characters, Shirahime-Syo remains a modern expression.

[Orsolya Szabó · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was my first time reading a manga (Japanese comics) and it was love at first sight. I fell for the genre, the author (it's an early work of team CLAMP, yet beautiful) and for the short stories inside. There are five chapters: Prologue, On Wolf Mountain, Flower of Ice, Happily Married Couple, Epilogue. The three stories are told by a man who meets a young, beautiful woman on the mountain, watching the falling snow - they wind around the belief that snowflakes are the tears of the Snow Goddess, as she cries in her sadness.
Whether this is true, you should find out yourself - the 'Tales of the Snow Goddess' will tell you.

[Sakura · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the description says, this is basically a one volume manga anthology of five tragic stories, all connected together by the falling snow. If you're a fan of Clamp, I definitely recommend checking it out as it's one of their lessen-known works (at least it's pretty under-the-radar for me compared to their more mainstream stuff). Even if you're not familiar with Clamp, if you're in the mood for some touching, though sad/emotional stories, with some beautiful art all wrapped up in a single volume, then this is worth a look.

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought state side by Tokyopop in a nice hardcover edition this book is light on words preferring to tell most of the story through the beautiful artwork Clamp has come to be known for. Prior knowledge about Japanese mythology like the Yuki-onna may have influenced my view of this simplistic book of short stories but even if you don't care for the story I am sure you can enjoy the eye candy of artwork through out the pages.

My favorite part of the book is the conflicted characters who have to find their destinies through the fields of ice and snow whether good or bad.