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Emma (5 books edition) #1
Emma, Vol. 1
Calling upon his inimitable former governess, young aristocrat William Jones is startled to find his knock answered by a clever, bespectacled maid--Emma. From that moment forward, the two are drawn to each other and slowly but surely grow ever closer. But as the love between Emma and William builds, so too do the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart. For in Victorian London, some things are simply not done, and marrying outside of one's social class just happens to be one such taboo...
388 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2015
10 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Kaoru Mori
100 books851 followersKaoru 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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 10, 2016
Vale esta es mi edición de Emma. Carilla pero una pasada y el manga es imprescindible (al menos para mi, una loca de los period drama y de los cómics...), es cierto que el romance es un tanto precipitado pero por lo demás es una maravilla y el dibujazo de Kaoru Mori (y el nivel de detalle, de investigación de la época...) es para babear :3 #fan
September 16, 2020
CW: Child trafficking
I read the last quarter of this while I ate dinner and my food nearly went cold as I yelled, squealed, and flailed around.
My father was slightly concerned.
This manga is tremendous! It's adorable and sweet, the story is captivating, and the art is charming.
Although it does feature some of the slightly odder British/Indian moments that can be seen in other manga, (Black Butler, I'm looking at you.) the clothing, especially women's dresses, and the settings are meticulously researched. Some moments of social faux pas must be excused for the plot progression, but nothing too out of place.
I cannot WAIT to get my hands on the second omnibus. This is absolutely by far the best birthday present I bought myself for my 24th birthday, one of the four brand-new and not second-hand books I bought in 2020.
I read the last quarter of this while I ate dinner and my food nearly went cold as I yelled, squealed, and flailed around.
My father was slightly concerned.
This manga is tremendous! It's adorable and sweet, the story is captivating, and the art is charming.
Although it does feature some of the slightly odder British/Indian moments that can be seen in other manga, (Black Butler, I'm looking at you.) the clothing, especially women's dresses, and the settings are meticulously researched. Some moments of social faux pas must be excused for the plot progression, but nothing too out of place.
I cannot WAIT to get my hands on the second omnibus. This is absolutely by far the best birthday present I bought myself for my 24th birthday, one of the four brand-new and not second-hand books I bought in 2020.
July 28, 2015
Gorgeously illustrated manga set in Victorian London? I'm all in! I only wish all of the collected volumes were out.
November 1, 2015
This book is called Emma for a reason, I imagine, with a tip of the hat to Jane Austen.
The series takes place in 19th century London and Mori has clearly done a lot of research and creates a compelling cityscape. She navigates gracefully from place to place and person to person, between interior and exterior moments.
The protagonists of the novel are Emma, a maid for Mrs. Stowner. Mrs. Stowner, a retired governess and a widow who can be severe but who cares quite a bit for Emma and for William. And William Jones, the young man Mrs. Stowner had been a governess for so many years ago. (William may or may not be her son. I could be making that up, but I thought there were a few hints in that direction.)
Emma, the maid, seems to collect suiters by the dozen without meaning to, but she is very loyal to Mrs. Stowner, and perhaps happy to just work for her? It is hard to say what is going on for her much of the time, and that is how a lot of tension is built in the first half of this volume. Though by the end of this volume, the drama goes from more internal (three intertwined characters who keep a lot to themselves and whose feelings always threaten to go unrevealed) to external (class conflicts and love that wants to break out of the rigid class system).
All and all I thought Mori did a great job with the storytelling and the art. The main characters are complex, and their desires and motivations mysterious at times, loath to reveal much about themselves, but by the end of this first book Mori the characters have all been drawn out a fair amount.
I wasn't quite clear on what was happening with prince Hakim and if he was just being used by the author as a kind of clown, well, that's a big disappointment. I hope Britain's colonialist history with India will not be used for superficial entertainment purposes. I do plan on reading more of the series, though I am not sure my library has more than a few volumes. (It is frustrating that the library often has the first two or three volumes of a much longer series.)
The series takes place in 19th century London and Mori has clearly done a lot of research and creates a compelling cityscape. She navigates gracefully from place to place and person to person, between interior and exterior moments.
The protagonists of the novel are Emma, a maid for Mrs. Stowner. Mrs. Stowner, a retired governess and a widow who can be severe but who cares quite a bit for Emma and for William. And William Jones, the young man Mrs. Stowner had been a governess for so many years ago. (William may or may not be her son. I could be making that up, but I thought there were a few hints in that direction.)
Emma, the maid, seems to collect suiters by the dozen without meaning to, but she is very loyal to Mrs. Stowner, and perhaps happy to just work for her? It is hard to say what is going on for her much of the time, and that is how a lot of tension is built in the first half of this volume. Though by the end of this volume, the drama goes from more internal (three intertwined characters who keep a lot to themselves and whose feelings always threaten to go unrevealed) to external (class conflicts and love that wants to break out of the rigid class system).
All and all I thought Mori did a great job with the storytelling and the art. The main characters are complex, and their desires and motivations mysterious at times, loath to reveal much about themselves, but by the end of this first book Mori the characters have all been drawn out a fair amount.
I wasn't quite clear on what was happening with prince Hakim and if he was just being used by the author as a kind of clown, well, that's a big disappointment. I hope Britain's colonialist history with India will not be used for superficial entertainment purposes. I do plan on reading more of the series, though I am not sure my library has more than a few volumes. (It is frustrating that the library often has the first two or three volumes of a much longer series.)
February 16, 2023
3.75/5
Ce manga c'est une petite pépite. Il fait passé un super moment de détente, les dessins sont très beaux visuellement et les personnages hypers attachants.
Bien sûr, cela reste une romance mais cela va bien au delà de ça. On parle des luttes entres les classes sociales, du statut des femmes, de l'éducation des jeunes filles et de leur entrée dans la société.
Ce n'est pas une histoire avec beaucoup d'actions. Certes, il se passe des choses (même si ce 1er tome reste très introductif par rapport à la suite) mais cela reste contemplatif, on avance lentement finalement.
Ce qui m'a beaucoup plus c'est suivre la multitude de personnages et leur point de vue.
Je recommande davantage cette série si vous aimez la Belle Époque ou les mangas historiques de façon plus général. C'est vraiment une chouette série.
Ce manga c'est une petite pépite. Il fait passé un super moment de détente, les dessins sont très beaux visuellement et les personnages hypers attachants.
Bien sûr, cela reste une romance mais cela va bien au delà de ça. On parle des luttes entres les classes sociales, du statut des femmes, de l'éducation des jeunes filles et de leur entrée dans la société.
Ce n'est pas une histoire avec beaucoup d'actions. Certes, il se passe des choses (même si ce 1er tome reste très introductif par rapport à la suite) mais cela reste contemplatif, on avance lentement finalement.
Ce qui m'a beaucoup plus c'est suivre la multitude de personnages et leur point de vue.
Je recommande davantage cette série si vous aimez la Belle Époque ou les mangas historiques de façon plus général. C'est vraiment une chouette série.
April 15, 2017
This was cute!! I really enjoyed the Victorian setting. I think I only gave this three stars because of the fact that there wasn't much development; however, I'm sure that will change as I begin to read future volumes. I think the artwork is good and I love that it's tackling social issues specifically in the realm of status in society and who can marry who. It reminds me so much of a Jane Austen novel and that's probably why I'm enjoying it so much. I definitely already have volume 2 & 3 checked out from the library.
October 5, 2020
The short review [of the whole series]:
I’d read this series years ago initially when it was published by CMX, and thought it was a wonderful read (4 – 4.5 starts). Years later, I’ve read through it again - this time the Yen Press editions (which has a different translation job) - and sadly I’d have to give Kaoru Mori’s “Emma” series 1 – 1.5 stars.
It’s the standard problem of someone from one culture (Japan) writing about another culture (England): the author likes the imagery and “idea” of the culture, but not understanding the complexity of the culture or society itself. It’s noted Mori hired a historical editor (Rico Murakami) after volume 3 and it shows. It’s a Japanese manga aimed at a Japanese audience through and through. This also might be why some readers who are new to manga have mixed feelings about this series. If you are very new to manga (or comics in general) and you are not a teenager, I’d suggest reading manga's that are memoirs/slice-of-life, or even something based on Japanese history/set in Japan.
Unfortunately, "Emma" is rather weak: there are a lot of strange details (or lack of) that hinder the storytelling, a lot of cliches, underdeveloped characters, and the pacing of the first few volumes is uneven. If that's enough of a review for you, stop here, but if you want the details (with some spoilers for omnibus 1) read on.
The longer review:
Yes this is very long. Again, I've read the series before and was giving it a second read. On the second read, I’ve finished Emma omnibus 3 and won't keep reading - I just can't. But I do remember how it ends from my first read through years ago.
First. Well, how do I put this? I’ve noticed that no other reviews really mention this, but it’s clear that Mori is has a fetish for maids, corsets and bunny girls (which is fine). She makes this clear in the afterwords (but doesn't necessarily state it outright per-se). In some later volumes there are a few unnecessary panels of maids with pulled up skirts & lacy stockings (and in some of her other maid related materials). She also mentions that, in her rush to buy research material, she wound up with a number of books that were just about corsets. And honestly, again, that’s all fine. I almost wonder if she would have preferred to write a yuri genre manga. But it also explains why there is something superficial about the writing & illustrations. She even admits in an author note that she doesn't think much of the romantic male lead (William). And while the street scenes are nice, and she researched companies and services that existed back then, the characters themselves are flat. Their personalities are rather lacking and one-note. And the depiction of the class system (the main aspect of the story) is possibly the most under researched and mishandled. That is bad. I mean, it’s truly bad.
What do I mean by this? Well, here are a few examples (spoilers ahead):
> There is a chapter where William (male lead/love interest/ very wealthy merchant) offers to pay for a new pair of glasses for Emma (female lead/love interest/maid). It’s made clear that Emma needs a new pair as she scarcely recognized William from across the street, even while wearing her glasses. She says she needs to think about it, then proceeds to think about his offer overnight (with an unnecessary flashback to how she obtained her glasses from her employer). The next day, for sentimental reasons (?), she declines his offer of new glasses. William then desperately insists that he must give Emma a gift of some kind, dropping all polite pretenses, and asks what she would like. Emma, in turn, without much hesitation, asks for a lace handkerchief and mentions that she has always wanted one (!).
There has been no mention of her wanting a lace handkerchief at all prior to this (either visually or in writing). That Emma has chosen to forgo something that would improve her quality of life, and requests a lace handkerchief (that she never takes out of its box) is just baffling and bizarre. But also, it comes across as very inappropriate.
Realistically, she should turn down the offer of any gift because of the implications attached to the gesture: that it really just falls in line with the idea of William pursuing a purely sexual relationship. Does Mori know that many married wealthy men boffed the maids on the side (and that those men felt entitled to do so)? It doesn't seem like it. And William looks worse off by insisting on giving her something, anything at all, and refusing to back down. It’s chapter that really highlights how naïve the writing is. Mori seems to like writing moments like the flashback with the glasses, but doesn’t actually know how to craft a whole story or weave the moments together very well.
> In a later chapter (still omnibus 1 of the Yen Press edition) Emma shows up outside of Williams family home, unannounced, trying to find him (how did she know where he lives? Who knows). They were suppose to meet in a park and talk, but somehow have missed each other (despite arranging a place and time to meet). The head butler that serves William’s family spots her outside, invites Emma in and he says she can wait for William in one of the lush drawing rooms. Again, this would never happen. The butler has never met Emma or seen her before, he didn’t know that Emma and William were going to meet, has never even heard her name mentioned, and she is clearly working class, so why would he just invite her in? The butler would never invite this person into the home, into a drawing room, and would never do it without first consulting his employer first (which would be William's father). The only circumstances that might make sense would be if she was injured or if there was an emergency, but in this case she is just loitering outside of the property gates. (In case you are wondering, in this chapter, William's younger siblings see Emma for themselves, and try to spy on her... from within their own home... and then one of them gets so upset that she bursts into the room saying that Emma is low class and William would never marry her. Barely anything has happened in this manga and yet this scene is forced in. How does this whole scene come to pass at all? Because the butler invited Emma inside.)
> Another detail that just seemed sloppy would be that Williams oldest sister Grace tutors their youngest brother. Why would this happen? It’s mentioned that the family has a staff of 100 people and it’s made very clear William himself had a governess when he was young. Why would the eldest sister (who apparently is “spoken for” ie. engaged) be wrapped up in tutoring their youngest brother? Their father would have hired staff to tutor all his young children and would be keen for her to carry on with mingling in higher social circles, attending events, becoming more acquainted with her future family and possibly prepare for the wedding.
> This next one is going to sound like an odd complaint and nit-picky, but having talked to several friends, they agreed with me on it, so here it is. The story opens with William walking up the front steps of the home where his former governess lives (Emma's employer). William is about to knock on the front door which, for some reason, are double doors. Before he can, Emma opens one of the doors and hits him squarely in the face. It’s an obnoxious introduction to the two characters, but also: this would never happen. Why?
Because doors designed for residences/homes open inwards, not outwards (even on double doors). Also, there are front steps. No one would design a front door that, when opened, would cover the entire front step and hit someone in the face. How could someone even enter the home without having it hit them in the face? Do they stand to one side and open one of the narrow doors? I’m sure there are people reading this part of the review and rolling their eyes, but it’s an example of Mori & their editor not thinking through the details, and really forcing a situation for the sake of comedy. It’s intended to be a cliché comedic manga moment, but it comes at the expense of believably (which is important if you are trying to recreate a historically accurate tale) and honestly it’s a lazy, boring cliché.
> And Hakim. Hakim is a Prince with a harem of women who don’t say or do anything. For the reader who is more aware of the history of the British Empire and India, along with the concept of Orientalism, it’s awkward. Ironically, Hakim is one of the more interesting characters out of everyone. Again though, there’s an oddness to her writing. No one addresses or treats him formally as a Prince (which they should do even if they are friends). And Hakim doesn’t actually serve much purpose to the main story. He is a friend of William (through business?). He meets Emma once and then goes to see her a second time with the proposal of marriage. She declines his proposal (of course), he's fine with that and then he proceeds to just sort of sit around Williams family home looking on at the antics of the wealthy white English family. He announces at the end he is going to leave and go home (although it's not the last we hear of him). This is all within omnibus 1 by the way. It's very odd and doesn’t really build up anything meaningful in the story. As for the harem of women…. well. Mori admits in an afterword that she didn’t really intend to do anything with those characters, she just liked the idea of them. Which really seems to be the real recurring theme of this manga.
> As for Emma herself she is… dull. She’s suppose to be a woman who men adore: literally, she is sent endless of love letters by numerous suitors. In one instance, while William is sitting among other elite wealthy young men at some engagement or event, he overhears the men talking about Emma and how she is a beauty. How do they even know who she is? She works for a retired governess and Emma only ever seems to run minor errands that are walk-able. Yet apparently she a notorious beauty and quite the woman. Why all these men are falling over for her is rather baffling. Her character is dull in that way that severely underwritten characters are, one with no real personality or distinguishing features. I suspect that “Emma” is sort of Mori’s ideal type, and that she has built up a much more interesting idea of Emma in her head, than what we are reading on paper. Or, perhaps, she is purposely written in such a bland way that young women reading it are able to project themselves onto the protagonist more easily (not to mention that Emma has brown hair & brown eyes, whereas the other "British" characters are blond & blue eyed: it's very telling choice).
There are characters that are later introduced who are more developed and intriguing than earlier characters (ex. the German family) but its just not enough to sustain interest for the remainder of the series.
And yes, the artwork is lovely, but at the same time, the artwork also suffers from same-face syndrome. Another downside is that while manga is generally well known for allowing breathing room and establishing a sense of feeling & atmosphere in a way that most comics don't (aspect to aspect & non-sequitur panel sequences etc), there were sequences and pages that felt unnecessary or could have been shortened, and the pacing felt off as a result of it.
I had fun reading this as a teenager, and I’d say it’s definitely a YA-target manga. It is beautifully illustrated, and chances are that's what I was paying attention to the most when I first read it. It may just be one of those scenarios where you like it the first time you read it (when it's fresh), and you should avoid reading it a second time. If you do try and read it a second time you might be cursed like me and feel compelled to write a really long review.
I’d read this series years ago initially when it was published by CMX, and thought it was a wonderful read (4 – 4.5 starts). Years later, I’ve read through it again - this time the Yen Press editions (which has a different translation job) - and sadly I’d have to give Kaoru Mori’s “Emma” series 1 – 1.5 stars.
It’s the standard problem of someone from one culture (Japan) writing about another culture (England): the author likes the imagery and “idea” of the culture, but not understanding the complexity of the culture or society itself. It’s noted Mori hired a historical editor (Rico Murakami) after volume 3 and it shows. It’s a Japanese manga aimed at a Japanese audience through and through. This also might be why some readers who are new to manga have mixed feelings about this series. If you are very new to manga (or comics in general) and you are not a teenager, I’d suggest reading manga's that are memoirs/slice-of-life, or even something based on Japanese history/set in Japan.
Unfortunately, "Emma" is rather weak: there are a lot of strange details (or lack of) that hinder the storytelling, a lot of cliches, underdeveloped characters, and the pacing of the first few volumes is uneven. If that's enough of a review for you, stop here, but if you want the details (with some spoilers for omnibus 1) read on.
The longer review:
Yes this is very long. Again, I've read the series before and was giving it a second read. On the second read, I’ve finished Emma omnibus 3 and won't keep reading - I just can't. But I do remember how it ends from my first read through years ago.
First. Well, how do I put this? I’ve noticed that no other reviews really mention this, but it’s clear that Mori is has a fetish for maids, corsets and bunny girls (which is fine). She makes this clear in the afterwords (but doesn't necessarily state it outright per-se). In some later volumes there are a few unnecessary panels of maids with pulled up skirts & lacy stockings (and in some of her other maid related materials). She also mentions that, in her rush to buy research material, she wound up with a number of books that were just about corsets. And honestly, again, that’s all fine. I almost wonder if she would have preferred to write a yuri genre manga. But it also explains why there is something superficial about the writing & illustrations. She even admits in an author note that she doesn't think much of the romantic male lead (William). And while the street scenes are nice, and she researched companies and services that existed back then, the characters themselves are flat. Their personalities are rather lacking and one-note. And the depiction of the class system (the main aspect of the story) is possibly the most under researched and mishandled. That is bad. I mean, it’s truly bad.
What do I mean by this? Well, here are a few examples (spoilers ahead):
> There is a chapter where William (male lead/love interest/ very wealthy merchant) offers to pay for a new pair of glasses for Emma (female lead/love interest/maid). It’s made clear that Emma needs a new pair as she scarcely recognized William from across the street, even while wearing her glasses. She says she needs to think about it, then proceeds to think about his offer overnight (with an unnecessary flashback to how she obtained her glasses from her employer). The next day, for sentimental reasons (?), she declines his offer of new glasses. William then desperately insists that he must give Emma a gift of some kind, dropping all polite pretenses, and asks what she would like. Emma, in turn, without much hesitation, asks for a lace handkerchief and mentions that she has always wanted one (!).
There has been no mention of her wanting a lace handkerchief at all prior to this (either visually or in writing). That Emma has chosen to forgo something that would improve her quality of life, and requests a lace handkerchief (that she never takes out of its box) is just baffling and bizarre. But also, it comes across as very inappropriate.
Realistically, she should turn down the offer of any gift because of the implications attached to the gesture: that it really just falls in line with the idea of William pursuing a purely sexual relationship. Does Mori know that many married wealthy men boffed the maids on the side (and that those men felt entitled to do so)? It doesn't seem like it. And William looks worse off by insisting on giving her something, anything at all, and refusing to back down. It’s chapter that really highlights how naïve the writing is. Mori seems to like writing moments like the flashback with the glasses, but doesn’t actually know how to craft a whole story or weave the moments together very well.
> In a later chapter (still omnibus 1 of the Yen Press edition) Emma shows up outside of Williams family home, unannounced, trying to find him (how did she know where he lives? Who knows). They were suppose to meet in a park and talk, but somehow have missed each other (despite arranging a place and time to meet). The head butler that serves William’s family spots her outside, invites Emma in and he says she can wait for William in one of the lush drawing rooms. Again, this would never happen. The butler has never met Emma or seen her before, he didn’t know that Emma and William were going to meet, has never even heard her name mentioned, and she is clearly working class, so why would he just invite her in? The butler would never invite this person into the home, into a drawing room, and would never do it without first consulting his employer first (which would be William's father). The only circumstances that might make sense would be if she was injured or if there was an emergency, but in this case she is just loitering outside of the property gates. (In case you are wondering, in this chapter, William's younger siblings see Emma for themselves, and try to spy on her... from within their own home... and then one of them gets so upset that she bursts into the room saying that Emma is low class and William would never marry her. Barely anything has happened in this manga and yet this scene is forced in. How does this whole scene come to pass at all? Because the butler invited Emma inside.)
> Another detail that just seemed sloppy would be that Williams oldest sister Grace tutors their youngest brother. Why would this happen? It’s mentioned that the family has a staff of 100 people and it’s made very clear William himself had a governess when he was young. Why would the eldest sister (who apparently is “spoken for” ie. engaged) be wrapped up in tutoring their youngest brother? Their father would have hired staff to tutor all his young children and would be keen for her to carry on with mingling in higher social circles, attending events, becoming more acquainted with her future family and possibly prepare for the wedding.
> This next one is going to sound like an odd complaint and nit-picky, but having talked to several friends, they agreed with me on it, so here it is. The story opens with William walking up the front steps of the home where his former governess lives (Emma's employer). William is about to knock on the front door which, for some reason, are double doors. Before he can, Emma opens one of the doors and hits him squarely in the face. It’s an obnoxious introduction to the two characters, but also: this would never happen. Why?
Because doors designed for residences/homes open inwards, not outwards (even on double doors). Also, there are front steps. No one would design a front door that, when opened, would cover the entire front step and hit someone in the face. How could someone even enter the home without having it hit them in the face? Do they stand to one side and open one of the narrow doors? I’m sure there are people reading this part of the review and rolling their eyes, but it’s an example of Mori & their editor not thinking through the details, and really forcing a situation for the sake of comedy. It’s intended to be a cliché comedic manga moment, but it comes at the expense of believably (which is important if you are trying to recreate a historically accurate tale) and honestly it’s a lazy, boring cliché.
> And Hakim. Hakim is a Prince with a harem of women who don’t say or do anything. For the reader who is more aware of the history of the British Empire and India, along with the concept of Orientalism, it’s awkward. Ironically, Hakim is one of the more interesting characters out of everyone. Again though, there’s an oddness to her writing. No one addresses or treats him formally as a Prince (which they should do even if they are friends). And Hakim doesn’t actually serve much purpose to the main story. He is a friend of William (through business?). He meets Emma once and then goes to see her a second time with the proposal of marriage. She declines his proposal (of course), he's fine with that and then he proceeds to just sort of sit around Williams family home looking on at the antics of the wealthy white English family. He announces at the end he is going to leave and go home (although it's not the last we hear of him). This is all within omnibus 1 by the way. It's very odd and doesn’t really build up anything meaningful in the story. As for the harem of women…. well. Mori admits in an afterword that she didn’t really intend to do anything with those characters, she just liked the idea of them. Which really seems to be the real recurring theme of this manga.
> As for Emma herself she is… dull. She’s suppose to be a woman who men adore: literally, she is sent endless of love letters by numerous suitors. In one instance, while William is sitting among other elite wealthy young men at some engagement or event, he overhears the men talking about Emma and how she is a beauty. How do they even know who she is? She works for a retired governess and Emma only ever seems to run minor errands that are walk-able. Yet apparently she a notorious beauty and quite the woman. Why all these men are falling over for her is rather baffling. Her character is dull in that way that severely underwritten characters are, one with no real personality or distinguishing features. I suspect that “Emma” is sort of Mori’s ideal type, and that she has built up a much more interesting idea of Emma in her head, than what we are reading on paper. Or, perhaps, she is purposely written in such a bland way that young women reading it are able to project themselves onto the protagonist more easily (not to mention that Emma has brown hair & brown eyes, whereas the other "British" characters are blond & blue eyed: it's very telling choice).
There are characters that are later introduced who are more developed and intriguing than earlier characters (ex. the German family) but its just not enough to sustain interest for the remainder of the series.
And yes, the artwork is lovely, but at the same time, the artwork also suffers from same-face syndrome. Another downside is that while manga is generally well known for allowing breathing room and establishing a sense of feeling & atmosphere in a way that most comics don't (aspect to aspect & non-sequitur panel sequences etc), there were sequences and pages that felt unnecessary or could have been shortened, and the pacing felt off as a result of it.
I had fun reading this as a teenager, and I’d say it’s definitely a YA-target manga. It is beautifully illustrated, and chances are that's what I was paying attention to the most when I first read it. It may just be one of those scenarios where you like it the first time you read it (when it's fresh), and you should avoid reading it a second time. If you do try and read it a second time you might be cursed like me and feel compelled to write a really long review.
August 21, 2015
I've been looking for this omnibus forever and even though it was pretty expensive it was definitely worth it after waiting so long. Hardback manga is something I'm definitely digging at the minute, the dust jacket on this volume is so cute and it's reversible too so you get your pick of whichever side you prefer best. The hardback itself is a dark green with gold calligraphy font on the spine.
At first I wasn't too sure about the artwork - the faces all seemed a little... odd however, the costumes are beautiful, the background scenery (which is occasionally forgotten in manga) is gorgeously detailed and really makes you feel that you're there. The story is very cute, if a little typical but no less enjoyable. A man of gentry, Willam, falls in love with the adored maid of his former governess named Emma.
The story builds from there as William battles over what is expected of a man in his standing when it comes to marriage or if he should go against this and fight to marry Emma. This, in turn, helps to gleam a little into the severe class division at the time and really draws you into wanting William and Emma to have a happy ending together. This couple is too cute!
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume. As well as being adorable, it also takes you through so very difficult and touching times concerning the governess and Emma's own backstory. I really hope to get the next volume soon!
At first I wasn't too sure about the artwork - the faces all seemed a little... odd however, the costumes are beautiful, the background scenery (which is occasionally forgotten in manga) is gorgeously detailed and really makes you feel that you're there. The story is very cute, if a little typical but no less enjoyable. A man of gentry, Willam, falls in love with the adored maid of his former governess named Emma.
The story builds from there as William battles over what is expected of a man in his standing when it comes to marriage or if he should go against this and fight to marry Emma. This, in turn, helps to gleam a little into the severe class division at the time and really draws you into wanting William and Emma to have a happy ending together. This couple is too cute!
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume. As well as being adorable, it also takes you through so very difficult and touching times concerning the governess and Emma's own backstory. I really hope to get the next volume soon!
February 27, 2016
Oooh c'était tellement bien !! Définitivement Kaoru Mori est une très bonne auteure ! Ce tome reprend les deux premiers tomes "normaux", et c'était absolument génial. J'ai absolument tout adoré : le dessin, fin, détaillé, les personnages, intéressants et attachants, et les relations qu'ils entretiennent les uns avec les autres... Celle d'Emma avec sa maîtresse, par exemple, est tellement belle !
Je retrouve vraiment les ingrédients que j'avais déjà tant aimé dans Bride stories : l'originalité, que ce soir du sujet pour un manga, ou de la façon de traiter l'histoire ; les personnages, les relations pleines de finesse, la magnifique naissance de l'amour par petites touches...
Je ne peux que vous recommander vivement de tenter un Kaoru Mori, c'est beau, c'est plein de finesse, c'est original, c'est travaillé, tant le dessin que la documentation en amont... Bref, c'est vraiment génial !
Je retrouve vraiment les ingrédients que j'avais déjà tant aimé dans Bride stories : l'originalité, que ce soir du sujet pour un manga, ou de la façon de traiter l'histoire ; les personnages, les relations pleines de finesse, la magnifique naissance de l'amour par petites touches...
Je ne peux que vous recommander vivement de tenter un Kaoru Mori, c'est beau, c'est plein de finesse, c'est original, c'est travaillé, tant le dessin que la documentation en amont... Bref, c'est vraiment génial !
May 23, 2021
This was the first manga I’ve ever read in full and what a sweet sweet manga it was.
I was initially hesitant to purchase it because of the hefty price tag but it was worth it.
This was a relatively clean volume with beautiful illustrations and an adorable story to match
The only thing one should be aware of is possible trigger warnings which I’d say are :
POSSIBLE SPOILER…….
Kidnapping
Trafficking
Child abuse
Which took me by surprise actually. Wasn’t expecting that which is honestly why I lowered the score….
Outside of that highly recommend it and am already looking forward to volume two !
I was initially hesitant to purchase it because of the hefty price tag but it was worth it.
This was a relatively clean volume with beautiful illustrations and an adorable story to match
The only thing one should be aware of is possible trigger warnings which I’d say are :
POSSIBLE SPOILER…….
Kidnapping
Trafficking
Child abuse
Which took me by surprise actually. Wasn’t expecting that which is honestly why I lowered the score….
Outside of that highly recommend it and am already looking forward to volume two !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2021
This is one of my attempts to step out of my comfortable reading circle. I don't particularly like historical fiction but I wanted to read this to see if I would like it. Turns out, not really. I love the art and I appreciate the very thoroughly researched details. But the plot advances rather slowly, which is one of the main reasons I don't enjoy historical fiction as much. So I'm gonna give up on this series for now. But the jury is not out yet! I might continue it in the future.
February 26, 2016
My first foray into manga and I'm not sure I can ever try it again. The writing was ridiculously simplistic and bland and the illustrations....ugh...I found myself skimming over them just to quickly read the text. No differentiation between characters, no expressions, I just had zero connection with this book.
August 3, 2017
3.5 Playing with simplicity.
This manga is rather unique artwise to me.
The dialogue is very simple with the art telling most of the story. I found that rather refreshing.
The overall plot was pretty standard and not anything new, but I did enjoy reading it.
Also, the cliffhanger at the end was heartbreaking.
I look forward to the next volume. ^^
This manga is rather unique artwise to me.
The dialogue is very simple with the art telling most of the story. I found that rather refreshing.
The overall plot was pretty standard and not anything new, but I did enjoy reading it.
Also, the cliffhanger at the end was heartbreaking.
I look forward to the next volume. ^^
June 8, 2015
I didn't enjoy this story very much, its not bad its just I'm not into primarily romantic stuff. But if you do love romance I highly recommend this novel. The romance is enhanced due to the setting at which this takes place, when social standing was almost everything.
August 1, 2018
I really enjoyed this! The juxtaposition of an English drama with a manga writing and art style worked really well here. The characters are adorable. Their flaws and strengths are easily highlighted. I am excited to read more of this series!
February 12, 2024
I liked it, but I found it a bit disjointed. Like parts were missing or something. I can't see how this is a love story as they've only met two or three times. They've only had one date, and interacted once or twice besides that one date. I'm hoping it gets a bit better in the next volumes.
October 29, 2014
4,5 les dessins sont superbes et l'histoire mignonne.
January 18, 2021
Gentle, gracious, and good.
July 25, 2024
Plot Summary (spoilers)
Emma, an orphan who ended up being taken for some nefarious reason, runs away and finds a home on the streets of London. Eventually a kindly governess takes her on as a maid.
Emma is pretty, quiet, and intelligent and she captures the interest of William Jones. His father has old school beliefs that two classes should not mix. He refuses to give his consent to William's interest in Emma.
The governess Emma works for passes away and now Emma is jobless and homeless. She realizes she and William will never be and decides to go back to her home by the sea.
Thoughts
I liked the manga. Nicely illustrated. However, I did feel like the story was a bit disjointed. You learn the plot a little bit at a time and some of the character's confused me. Like the young Indian prince? He was also in love with Emma. Not sure what his purpose was in the story.
Also, why didn't the governess leave anything for the maid who took care of her?
I have questions. I will pick up volume 2 and see if any are answered.
Emma, an orphan who ended up being taken for some nefarious reason, runs away and finds a home on the streets of London. Eventually a kindly governess takes her on as a maid.
Emma is pretty, quiet, and intelligent and she captures the interest of William Jones. His father has old school beliefs that two classes should not mix. He refuses to give his consent to William's interest in Emma.
The governess Emma works for passes away and now Emma is jobless and homeless. She realizes she and William will never be and decides to go back to her home by the sea.
Thoughts
I liked the manga. Nicely illustrated. However, I did feel like the story was a bit disjointed. You learn the plot a little bit at a time and some of the character's confused me. Like the young Indian prince? He was also in love with Emma. Not sure what his purpose was in the story.
Also, why didn't the governess leave anything for the maid who took care of her?
I have questions. I will pick up volume 2 and see if any are answered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
Wanted a "forbidden love across social castes" romance, and got perhaps the most beautiful depiction of Victorian England in manga, in addition to a manga whose deft scene direction manages to convey so much with relatively little in terms of words and narration. The character writing, too, is effective and on-point; they're not very complex characters, but I am smitten with them all the same.
The only complaint I'll make is that the character designs are a little samey, and for a bit I had trouble telling characters apart. I imagine that'll be less of a problem going forward, though.
The only complaint I'll make is that the character designs are a little samey, and for a bit I had trouble telling characters apart. I imagine that'll be less of a problem going forward, though.
June 10, 2025
I adore the story and the art! How Kaoru Mori chooses to tell stories through the eyes of stray cats or side characters our main ones meet is delightful and once again - the ART! I love her art, it’s so beautiful and detailed 💙
November 13, 2023
This book is everything I love. I can’t believe the joy this book brought to me.
June 16, 2024
10/10 my absolute favourite manga ever
February 18, 2025
J'aime beaucoup ! On reconnaît bien là le trait de Kaoru Mori, même s'il n'est pas encore aussi abouti que dans Bride stories !
July 14, 2025
I can already tell this story is going to murder me D:
November 9, 2025
LOVE!!! Full thoughts here: https://youtu.be/G4V4cCG6aUE?si=ae_G0...
August 18, 2023
3.5 stars
March 15, 2024
Campy fun with expressive, classic art.
June 9, 2019
Re-Read Review:
I re-read this volume for OtakuAThon and wow did I love this even more than the first time I read it. When I first read this, I was new to manga and trying to find my way. Hopefully this will be a more comprehensive, spoiler free review.
First off, I love the fact that this is a historical manga series. I find the Victorian era very interesting and I loved seeing Kaoru Mori's story told in this time. Along with that, I love that it feels like Kaoru really captured the essence of the Victorian time period.
Kaoru Mori's art style is absolutely exquisite. She draws such beautiful scenes with so much detail that really brings the story to life. Her characters jump off the pages and the setting is so well done it's like being in London or in these fancy homes. It's obvious that Kaoru did a lot of research before she wrote this manga and has a passion for this time.
I loved Emma as a character. I found her to be such a quiet character but she's such a sweet character as well. Her journey is so heartbreaking and for her to turn out how she did is amazing. It's clear that Kaoru was very careful about writing Emma's backstory to show how she is such a good character.
I also really loved William Jones. I found him to be such a sweetie who just wants to love who he loves. It's heartbreaking to think about the fact why he can't marry who he wants. I though William was such a sweetie and I can't wait to see more from him.
Overall, I fell in love with this manga while reading it again. Although it's not the fastest paced mangas, I still really loved it. I can't wait to continue with this manga.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Review:
4/5 Stars
Okay where is volume 2 because I need it now! I wasn't sure how I was going to feel going into Emma as I am very sure of myself on the front of knowing the books that I like generally but still am trying to find my footing in manga. Come to find out that this book was literally everything. I love the little breaks that the writer and artist put into this book because she is so funny and her interest in the subject really blew me away. It's clear that she is dedicated to her art and it works perfectly. I loved the story of this but then again I am a sucker for maids and upperclass society men falling for them. This was unique though in that I came to feel for every character even though I knew them for such a short time. The story was riveting and I couldn't put it down. Even more so the artwork was absolutely stunning. I found myself awestruck by pages of beautiful illustrations with the most intricate design. Paired with the story, this was a quick and interesting read and I will definitely be continuing on with this manga series.
I re-read this volume for OtakuAThon and wow did I love this even more than the first time I read it. When I first read this, I was new to manga and trying to find my way. Hopefully this will be a more comprehensive, spoiler free review.
First off, I love the fact that this is a historical manga series. I find the Victorian era very interesting and I loved seeing Kaoru Mori's story told in this time. Along with that, I love that it feels like Kaoru really captured the essence of the Victorian time period.
Kaoru Mori's art style is absolutely exquisite. She draws such beautiful scenes with so much detail that really brings the story to life. Her characters jump off the pages and the setting is so well done it's like being in London or in these fancy homes. It's obvious that Kaoru did a lot of research before she wrote this manga and has a passion for this time.
I loved Emma as a character. I found her to be such a quiet character but she's such a sweet character as well. Her journey is so heartbreaking and for her to turn out how she did is amazing. It's clear that Kaoru was very careful about writing Emma's backstory to show how she is such a good character.
I also really loved William Jones. I found him to be such a sweetie who just wants to love who he loves. It's heartbreaking to think about the fact why he can't marry who he wants. I though William was such a sweetie and I can't wait to see more from him.
Overall, I fell in love with this manga while reading it again. Although it's not the fastest paced mangas, I still really loved it. I can't wait to continue with this manga.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Review:
4/5 Stars
Okay where is volume 2 because I need it now! I wasn't sure how I was going to feel going into Emma as I am very sure of myself on the front of knowing the books that I like generally but still am trying to find my footing in manga. Come to find out that this book was literally everything. I love the little breaks that the writer and artist put into this book because she is so funny and her interest in the subject really blew me away. It's clear that she is dedicated to her art and it works perfectly. I loved the story of this but then again I am a sucker for maids and upperclass society men falling for them. This was unique though in that I came to feel for every character even though I knew them for such a short time. The story was riveting and I couldn't put it down. Even more so the artwork was absolutely stunning. I found myself awestruck by pages of beautiful illustrations with the most intricate design. Paired with the story, this was a quick and interesting read and I will definitely be continuing on with this manga series.
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