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Le Portrait de Petite Cossette #2
Le Portrait de Petite Cossette 2
As Eiri drifts along the surface of sleep, he watches Cossette's murder--through the eyes of her killer! He awakens to a stark warning: Saving Cossette will lead to his death. Caught between fear and love--and life and death--Eiri must decide just how much Cossette means to him. Will he fall into Cossette's world...or let her go forever?
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2004
About the author
Asuka Katsura
41 books36 followersJapanese name 桂明日香, Katsura Asuka is a manga artist. She has drawn the series Blood+ and Le Portrait de Petite Cosette.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 10, 2020
Okaaay sooo — I now want to withdraw my pessimistic comments about this little series from earlier on. It got better towards the end and that was quite the surprise. It’s a twisted story of love and death; it remains an alluring oxymoron if you ask me.
June 11, 2025
I was really hoping this would improve upon its source material but I'm sorry to say that it fell a bit short for me...The premise itself is so interesting, so it's a shame that neither the anime nor the manga could execute the storytelling particularly well. The anime definitely does a better job of depicting Eiri's growing obsession with and devotion to Cossette, but I do feel that the manga makes a slight improvement on the story's cohesion (which isn't saying much)--it just isn't as compelling, and on top of that, the plot somehow feels even more underdeveloped than in the source material.
I really REALLY wish the manga had played more with Cossette's relationship with Marcello and the idea of violence as inherent to the relationship between artist and muse. (I feel like this is especially true when one considers that, historically--at least in Western/European art--women are almost always relegated to the role of muse and artist's model, but rarely the creator, which is largely reserved for men; and you hardly, if ever, see these roles reversed.) Cossette--whose name literally means "little thing"--is objectified by Marcello and even Eiri (which, again, is better depicted in the anime) because of her beauty, which compels them to try to capture it in order to further their own art. Cossette gets to inspire and be the object of their art, but she herself does not get the opportunity to create. They are the creators of her image, molding it to suit their purposes; and as a result, they get to be the ones who influence how others perceive her, especially after she is gone, which ultimately perpetuates a cycle of objectification and obsession the moment Eiri first looks upon her portrait. To be reduced to a literal object of desire is a very dehumanizing experience, and I wish the manga had explored this idea, since the anime failed to adequately do so as well.
I also wish this adaptation had explained and fleshed things out more. Marcello's infatuation with Cossette is obviously predatory, and her small size and youthful appearance make that power imbalance even more apparent. So how old is Cossette exactly?? She looks like she could be as young as 10, but no one, not even her parents, explicitly comments on the impropriety of her closeness to Marcello due to an age difference; rather, when her parents do express concern, it seems to be more because she's a young lady and, therefore, it is inappropriate for her to be spending so much time alone with a man. In other words, their concern has more to do with her gender than her age. So does Cossette only LOOK very young for her age? I wish her actual age had been addressed, as it could have potentially added even more layers to Marcello's objectification of her: he feeds off of not only her beauty, but also her youth, making him even more of a predatory figure. Unfortunately, his relationship with Cossette is barely explored at all, and he hardly features in the flashbacks/memories, which is a shame because their dynamic is arguably one of the most interesting parts of the story.
The explanation as to why her material possessions need to be "collected" (or rather...exorcised? because it's not as if they're stealing them back...actually, what did they even do with them in the end? The fact that I don't even remember is telling!) also felt weak, as did the buildup to the ritual. I love the idea of objects absorbing dark emotions or "energy" from their environment and thereby becoming "haunted" in a way, but this phenomenon was barely touched upon. Even so, the reasoning behind the need to collect these items is not convincing enough for me to find it compelling. I suppose it's because they're cursed and causing the deaths of innocent people, but that isn't even the case for all of them--the doll in the woman's closet, for instance, seems harmless, as the old woman is totally fine. The whole plot point about the "light" in the subway causing the deaths of random passersby was also lacking and confusing.
Overall, the storytelling was pretty much just as weak as the anime, but possibly even less compelling. To be fair, perhaps that can be owed in part to the short length of the manga, since it's only 9 chapters; but when one has such a restrictive limit on story length, wouldn't that be even more motivation to include only the most crucial story beats and character and plot development in what few panels you do have?? In my opinion this is mostly worth reading for the art alone, which is very beautiful. The premise is interesting, and the story has potential, but it doesn't explore enough of the intriguing topics it briefly brings up to be gripping.
I really REALLY wish the manga had played more with Cossette's relationship with Marcello and the idea of violence as inherent to the relationship between artist and muse. (I feel like this is especially true when one considers that, historically--at least in Western/European art--women are almost always relegated to the role of muse and artist's model, but rarely the creator, which is largely reserved for men; and you hardly, if ever, see these roles reversed.) Cossette--whose name literally means "little thing"--is objectified by Marcello and even Eiri (which, again, is better depicted in the anime) because of her beauty, which compels them to try to capture it in order to further their own art. Cossette gets to inspire and be the object of their art, but she herself does not get the opportunity to create. They are the creators of her image, molding it to suit their purposes; and as a result, they get to be the ones who influence how others perceive her, especially after she is gone, which ultimately perpetuates a cycle of objectification and obsession the moment Eiri first looks upon her portrait. To be reduced to a literal object of desire is a very dehumanizing experience, and I wish the manga had explored this idea, since the anime failed to adequately do so as well.
I also wish this adaptation had explained and fleshed things out more. Marcello's infatuation with Cossette is obviously predatory, and her small size and youthful appearance make that power imbalance even more apparent. So how old is Cossette exactly?? She looks like she could be as young as 10, but no one, not even her parents, explicitly comments on the impropriety of her closeness to Marcello due to an age difference; rather, when her parents do express concern, it seems to be more because she's a young lady and, therefore, it is inappropriate for her to be spending so much time alone with a man. In other words, their concern has more to do with her gender than her age. So does Cossette only LOOK very young for her age? I wish her actual age had been addressed, as it could have potentially added even more layers to Marcello's objectification of her: he feeds off of not only her beauty, but also her youth, making him even more of a predatory figure. Unfortunately, his relationship with Cossette is barely explored at all, and he hardly features in the flashbacks/memories, which is a shame because their dynamic is arguably one of the most interesting parts of the story.
The explanation as to why her material possessions need to be "collected" (or rather...exorcised? because it's not as if they're stealing them back...actually, what did they even do with them in the end? The fact that I don't even remember is telling!) also felt weak, as did the buildup to the ritual. I love the idea of objects absorbing dark emotions or "energy" from their environment and thereby becoming "haunted" in a way, but this phenomenon was barely touched upon. Even so, the reasoning behind the need to collect these items is not convincing enough for me to find it compelling. I suppose it's because they're cursed and causing the deaths of innocent people, but that isn't even the case for all of them--the doll in the woman's closet, for instance, seems harmless, as the old woman is totally fine. The whole plot point about the "light" in the subway causing the deaths of random passersby was also lacking and confusing.
Overall, the storytelling was pretty much just as weak as the anime, but possibly even less compelling. To be fair, perhaps that can be owed in part to the short length of the manga, since it's only 9 chapters; but when one has such a restrictive limit on story length, wouldn't that be even more motivation to include only the most crucial story beats and character and plot development in what few panels you do have?? In my opinion this is mostly worth reading for the art alone, which is very beautiful. The premise is interesting, and the story has potential, but it doesn't explore enough of the intriguing topics it briefly brings up to be gripping.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2021
A beautiful, but also horrific and gruesome volume in this melancholic and beautiful (and weird) series. I really loved it and loved seeing all the things we experienced in the previous volume come to a climax, a conclusion. And ending is forming. It broke my heart. Seeing other memories of Cossette, learn of the ritual, the ending, the memories lost. On that note Marcello was already disgusting but what we learn here... EWWW. NOPE.
The art is pretty, though sometimes at the same time also not so. Hope that is worded right, haha.
I am glad I re-read this series.
The art is pretty, though sometimes at the same time also not so. Hope that is worded right, haha.
I am glad I re-read this series.
September 18, 2018
🌸SYNOPSIS
We continue volume two where volume one left off, we have Eiri seeing what happened to his dear Cossette.
He drifts along the surface of sleep and reality as he discovers the killer of Cossette. To add fuel to the fire, he sees it all through the eyes of her murderer! He is now left with a warning if he continues along the path to saving Cossette, saving her will end his life. Caught between so many choices, he must decide if his love for Cossette is worth his life. Will he be able to save her? Or will he leave her behind to save himself?
🌸OPINION
This is just an amazing manga, I really love everything about it and I like how it ends, even if it leaves me questioning things. There is so much answered and left open. The art, the characters and I rarely have a manga that ended with me both hungry yet satisfied. Then again, I’m a sucker for a good dark manga that doesn’t end all happily.
I would love to say more but I don’t want to spoil an inch of this manga. It was a glorious read and I can’t believe I took so long to get it. I really enjoyed reading this and it has been so long since a manga left me feeling like this.
🌸PRO
It’s a good read, I really enjoyed it so much
Short but filled with so much
🌸CON
Left a question but that’s all
🌸FINAL SAY
“Like a cancer death is never far behind”
I feel like this manga is mostly about love and death. Can love truly to be a just cause for death? Eiri is left with that notion throughout this whole volume. He is often questioning himself and Cossette is not helpful in this regard. I think in this volume, we see Cossette for who she really is, and I love it, this manga is just something I can’t really describe besides something people should give a look and maybe even read it fully. It’s only two volumes and it really covers everything.
We continue volume two where volume one left off, we have Eiri seeing what happened to his dear Cossette.
He drifts along the surface of sleep and reality as he discovers the killer of Cossette. To add fuel to the fire, he sees it all through the eyes of her murderer! He is now left with a warning if he continues along the path to saving Cossette, saving her will end his life. Caught between so many choices, he must decide if his love for Cossette is worth his life. Will he be able to save her? Or will he leave her behind to save himself?
🌸OPINION
This is just an amazing manga, I really love everything about it and I like how it ends, even if it leaves me questioning things. There is so much answered and left open. The art, the characters and I rarely have a manga that ended with me both hungry yet satisfied. Then again, I’m a sucker for a good dark manga that doesn’t end all happily.
I would love to say more but I don’t want to spoil an inch of this manga. It was a glorious read and I can’t believe I took so long to get it. I really enjoyed reading this and it has been so long since a manga left me feeling like this.
🌸PRO
It’s a good read, I really enjoyed it so much
Short but filled with so much
🌸CON
Left a question but that’s all
🌸FINAL SAY
“Like a cancer death is never far behind”
I feel like this manga is mostly about love and death. Can love truly to be a just cause for death? Eiri is left with that notion throughout this whole volume. He is often questioning himself and Cossette is not helpful in this regard. I think in this volume, we see Cossette for who she really is, and I love it, this manga is just something I can’t really describe besides something people should give a look and maybe even read it fully. It’s only two volumes and it really covers everything.
October 21, 2018
The first volume was a promise that the second couldn't live up to. What a shame!
December 15, 2023
ℑ𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤
September 2, 2024
Rapide comme lecture. Dessins magnifique. Par contre l'histoire est chelou. Mais je fus prise jusqu'à la fin donc je recommande
October 20, 2020
Eiri works part-time at an antique shop, where he becomes obsessed with Cossette, a girl whose portrait is on sale in the store. But Cossette has a tragic story: people who own the painting have all been murdered in bizarre ways. When Cossette's spirit appears in front of Eiri, she asks him to save her. His infatuation with the girl from the beautiful painting sends him through hell and back.
The gothic imagery and melancholy vibe were both fantastic, there are some truly stunning shots throughout this short series. Unfortunately, the plot is just barely coherent and the drive of the story and characters have no depth to them at all. It utilizes gothic-horror archetypes without making full use of them or taking the time to flesh out a compelling narrative. It's all style and no substance. I enjoyed it for the glamorous art alone.
***
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The gothic imagery and melancholy vibe were both fantastic, there are some truly stunning shots throughout this short series. Unfortunately, the plot is just barely coherent and the drive of the story and characters have no depth to them at all. It utilizes gothic-horror archetypes without making full use of them or taking the time to flesh out a compelling narrative. It's all style and no substance. I enjoyed it for the glamorous art alone.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
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January 24, 2016
Bintang 2
Petite Cossette #2/2.
250 tahun yg lalu di Eropa ada seorang gadis cantik bernama Cossette. Cossette dibunuh oleh seorang pelukis aneh bernama Marcello yg ingin mengabadikan kecantikan Cossette. Perkakas dan perabot milik Cossette bersedih dan mendendam pada si pelukis sehingga memancarkan hawa jahat yg kuat yg membuat jiwa Cossette terbelenggu dalam neraka keabadian.
Cossette berusaha mengumpulkan perabotnya dengan memanipulasi laki laki yg memiliki jiwa yg sama dengan sang pembunuh. Laki laki itu adalah Eiri. Setelah tujuan mengumpulkan perabotnya tercapai, Cossette akan melakukan ritual yg akan membawa Eiri agar selalu bersama Cossette dikeabadiannya.
Akankah Eiri rela dirinya menjalani ritual yg dimaksud? Apa yg akan terjadi pada Eiri jika mengubah keputusannya pada detik detik terakhir ritual?
Iblis selalu menggoda manusia dengan berbagai cara agar mereka dapat membawa manusia dalam keabadian neraka. Sepertinya itulah yg terjadi pada Eiri tokoh introvert dalam kisah ini.
Petite Cossette #2/2.
250 tahun yg lalu di Eropa ada seorang gadis cantik bernama Cossette. Cossette dibunuh oleh seorang pelukis aneh bernama Marcello yg ingin mengabadikan kecantikan Cossette. Perkakas dan perabot milik Cossette bersedih dan mendendam pada si pelukis sehingga memancarkan hawa jahat yg kuat yg membuat jiwa Cossette terbelenggu dalam neraka keabadian.
Cossette berusaha mengumpulkan perabotnya dengan memanipulasi laki laki yg memiliki jiwa yg sama dengan sang pembunuh. Laki laki itu adalah Eiri. Setelah tujuan mengumpulkan perabotnya tercapai, Cossette akan melakukan ritual yg akan membawa Eiri agar selalu bersama Cossette dikeabadiannya.
Akankah Eiri rela dirinya menjalani ritual yg dimaksud? Apa yg akan terjadi pada Eiri jika mengubah keputusannya pada detik detik terakhir ritual?
Iblis selalu menggoda manusia dengan berbagai cara agar mereka dapat membawa manusia dalam keabadian neraka. Sepertinya itulah yg terjadi pada Eiri tokoh introvert dalam kisah ini.
January 30, 2011
Although this was the 2nd in the manga series and I hadn't read the first, I had no problem understanding the story or plot. It was pretty much straightforward: a young man develops an interest in a portrait of a young woman whose spirit comes to both haunt and love him.
The artwork was very consistent thoroughout, something which some manga artists don't do, and the non-manga style art which portrayed scenes of the pasts, and abstracts regarding mankind, death and the world of the living were really outstanding.
Although there are really no graphic scenes the +16 rating I felt was necessary due to the subject matter. This manga is chilling and it makes you think (which was good), yet the only reason I didn't rate it higher was the strangely emotionless portrayal of unnecessary death.
The artwork was very consistent thoroughout, something which some manga artists don't do, and the non-manga style art which portrayed scenes of the pasts, and abstracts regarding mankind, death and the world of the living were really outstanding.
Although there are really no graphic scenes the +16 rating I felt was necessary due to the subject matter. This manga is chilling and it makes you think (which was good), yet the only reason I didn't rate it higher was the strangely emotionless portrayal of unnecessary death.
November 28, 2011
Review for the whole manga series
This manga only has 2 volumes so it's a very short manga. I gotta admit after reading Volume 1 I was confused because the things are not that explained and I don't know exactly where the story is going. However, when I've read Volume 2 everything finally makes sense. It was the type of manga that is very creepy and there's like this horror and gothic feeling. I really like the ending because I didn't really expect that it would end that way. Because it ended in a very tragic and scary way. And I never really thought that the ghost was evil because she's very cute and she's like very beautiful and fragile that I didn't really expect her to act that way in the end.
So, 5 stars for creeping me out and the unexpected twist in the end.
This manga only has 2 volumes so it's a very short manga. I gotta admit after reading Volume 1 I was confused because the things are not that explained and I don't know exactly where the story is going. However, when I've read Volume 2 everything finally makes sense. It was the type of manga that is very creepy and there's like this horror and gothic feeling. I really like the ending because I didn't really expect that it would end that way. Because it ended in a very tragic and scary way. And I never really thought that the ghost was evil because she's very cute and she's like very beautiful and fragile that I didn't really expect her to act that way in the end.
So, 5 stars for creeping me out and the unexpected twist in the end.
December 4, 2011
Even though the story was quite simple, I really enjoyed it. In the second volume I finally noticed, what I liked the most about the art - the backgrounds, especially the room with the dolls, which was gorgeously creepy and awesome at the same time. And the buildings, those were also very nicely drawn.
The ending was... I can't say totally unexpected, but also can't say totally expected. I was expecting something not good to happen and that did, so yeah :)
Anyway, if you're a fan of somehow psychological-horror mangas, which aren't too long, this is surely for you.
The ending was... I can't say totally unexpected, but also can't say totally expected. I was expecting something not good to happen and that did, so yeah :)
Anyway, if you're a fan of somehow psychological-horror mangas, which aren't too long, this is surely for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2012
This is the second and final volume of the manga. It continues with their search for Cossette's objects although we finally know the truth, which I had already suspected from the first volume, of why Cossette chose Eiri. The revelation was suitable to the dark theme and I find the ending good. I don't know why, The drawing style was the same to the very end. I salute the last page!
March 10, 2014
eiri menyetujui keinginan cossette agar jiwanya tenang dalam kematian dan dikarenakan eiri juga menyukai cossette.syarat berat berupa fatamorgana menakutkan akan dialaminya.readers pasti melongo&kecewa saat mengetahui ending cerita ini.
jangan lupakan petikan epilog cerita yang kental dengan nuansa gothic ini yang diucapkan karakter cossette:
"SIAPA YANG SANGGUP MENCINTAI DIRIKU HINGGA RELA MENYERAHKAN JIWANYA UNTUKKU?"
jangan lupakan petikan epilog cerita yang kental dengan nuansa gothic ini yang diucapkan karakter cossette:
"SIAPA YANG SANGGUP MENCINTAI DIRIKU HINGGA RELA MENYERAHKAN JIWANYA UNTUKKU?"
November 13, 2014
This is the second and
apparantly the last book of
the manga.
I liked the intensity of the plot, the
creepiness (as always), the mystery,
and also the romance.
The artwork was very consistent. It
was gothic. I was somehow
confused with the first volume but
this one helped me to understand
the story better. I was really
shocked the way how the story was
ended. It was depressing.
apparantly the last book of
the manga.
I liked the intensity of the plot, the
creepiness (as always), the mystery,
and also the romance.
The artwork was very consistent. It
was gothic. I was somehow
confused with the first volume but
this one helped me to understand
the story better. I was really
shocked the way how the story was
ended. It was depressing.
May 8, 2015
Read in 2011-
The tragedy in these books were so beautifully woven. The words and the poetry was mesmerizing. These books introduced me to tragedy and gothic culture. Needless to say, it's been almost 4 years but I still fangirl over corsets and portraits, and dolls still scare me to death. All because of these books.
The tragedy in these books were so beautifully woven. The words and the poetry was mesmerizing. These books introduced me to tragedy and gothic culture. Needless to say, it's been almost 4 years but I still fangirl over corsets and portraits, and dolls still scare me to death. All because of these books.
February 28, 2013
Cossete hanya memanfaatkan kurahasi, ia ingin menarik kurahasi menuju keabadian semu. Sementara itu keberadaan kurahasi semakin samar, dari lembar lembar foto, jejaknya lenyap seketika.
Unsur gothic nya mantap, pokoknya saya suka sekali.
Unsur gothic nya mantap, pokoknya saya suka sekali.
November 19, 2009
creepy series.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews