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ポーの一族 プレミアムエディション (全2巻) #1
The Poe Clan Vol. 1
The Poe Clan: a race of "vampirnellas" who feed on the energy of the living, whiling away the centuries in a village of roses where time and geography have no meaning. A brother and sister, Edgar and Marybelle, are initiated into the clan too young and, unless a wooden stake or a silver bullet should lead to their demise, are doomed to live for eternity. Through these immortal adolescents and the mortals whose lives they touch, Moto Hagio explores what it means to live and to die, to have loved and to have lost.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
49 people are currently reading
1036 people want to read
About the author
Moto Hagio
214 books212 followersMoto Hagio (萩尾望都 Hagio Moto) is a manga artist born in Ōmuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, though she currently lives in Saitama Prefecture.
She is considered a "founding mother" of modern shōjo manga, and a member of the Year 24 Group (24-Gumi). She helped pioneer modern shōjo manga, modern science fiction manga, and BL manga. In addition to being an "industry pioneer", her body of work "shows a maturity, depth and personal vision found only in the finest of creative artists". She has been described as "the most beloved shōjo manga artist of all time."
Moto Hagio made her professional debut in 1969 at the age of 20 with her short story Lulu to Mimi on Kodansha's magazine Nakayoshi. Later she produced a series of short stories for various magazines for Shogakukan.
Two years after her debut, she published Juichigatsu no Gimunajiumu (The November Gymnasium), a short story which dealt openly with love between two boys at a boarding school. The story was part of a larger movement by female manga artists at the time which pioneered a genre of girls' comics about love between young men.
In 1974, Hagio developed this story into the longer Toma no shinzo (The Heart of Thomas). She was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1976 for her science fiction classic Juichinin iru! (They Were Eleven) and her epic tale Poe no ichizoku (The Poe Family).
She is considered a "founding mother" of modern shōjo manga, and a member of the Year 24 Group (24-Gumi). She helped pioneer modern shōjo manga, modern science fiction manga, and BL manga. In addition to being an "industry pioneer", her body of work "shows a maturity, depth and personal vision found only in the finest of creative artists". She has been described as "the most beloved shōjo manga artist of all time."
Moto Hagio made her professional debut in 1969 at the age of 20 with her short story Lulu to Mimi on Kodansha's magazine Nakayoshi. Later she produced a series of short stories for various magazines for Shogakukan.
Two years after her debut, she published Juichigatsu no Gimunajiumu (The November Gymnasium), a short story which dealt openly with love between two boys at a boarding school. The story was part of a larger movement by female manga artists at the time which pioneered a genre of girls' comics about love between young men.
In 1974, Hagio developed this story into the longer Toma no shinzo (The Heart of Thomas). She was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1976 for her science fiction classic Juichinin iru! (They Were Eleven) and her epic tale Poe no ichizoku (The Poe Family).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
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August 31, 202031/8/20
My first classic shoujo! I'm so happy I read this one, it had so many interesting themes that were explored and the art was absolutely stellar. I think it's really cool to read pieces that have had such a huge influence on the manga that is currently being made. I'm most certainly looking forward to reading more of Hagio's work :) Also will be doing a review of this one soon on my Youtube channel :)
26/8/20
I have recently been getting into some older shoujo and shounen manga and this seemed right up my alley! :)
You can find me on
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My first classic shoujo! I'm so happy I read this one, it had so many interesting themes that were explored and the art was absolutely stellar. I think it's really cool to read pieces that have had such a huge influence on the manga that is currently being made. I'm most certainly looking forward to reading more of Hagio's work :) Also will be doing a review of this one soon on my Youtube channel :)
26/8/20
I have recently been getting into some older shoujo and shounen manga and this seemed right up my alley! :)
You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website | The Storygraph
May 29, 2020
There is something dreamlike about both the art and the vignettes of this shifting cast of beautiful vampires. Hunters lost in the woods... lovely and fragile girls who look like other girls who died long ago... people who disintegrate, who drown or perhaps simple fall beneath the waves... abandoned children being fed on roses...
This will appeal to fans of atmosphere and art rather than strictly plotted story. Unless some installments are missing (which could be? They don't seem to be in chronological order, and I don't know if this is all the stories or a selection) there are a lot of disconnects and tales left unfinished. This is partly because they are connected only by Edgar, so when he leaves a scene we don't find out what happens to the rest of the characters.
Hagio is fantastic and an important artist in the development of modern manga, so I'm thrilled that she is being made more widely available to Anglophone audiences.
This will appeal to fans of atmosphere and art rather than strictly plotted story. Unless some installments are missing (which could be? They don't seem to be in chronological order, and I don't know if this is all the stories or a selection) there are a lot of disconnects and tales left unfinished. This is partly because they are connected only by Edgar, so when he leaves a scene we don't find out what happens to the rest of the characters.
Hagio is fantastic and an important artist in the development of modern manga, so I'm thrilled that she is being made more widely available to Anglophone audiences.
September 6, 2019
The physical book itself is massive and beautiful, pale gold and covered in roses. The art is so pretty and so 70's and VAMPIRES. Maybe the melodrama is a lot, but I love it. I never thought I'd see this released in English and am so happy.
October 18, 2019
The Poe Clan is a classic shoujo series about the lives of a family of vampires. There are six chapters in this first volume, ranging from 20 pages greater than 100, skipping through time and location. Although two characters grace the cover, the devilish Edgar is the lead, and is the only character who appears throughout the book.
Although people will draw comparisons from the Poe Clan to Twilight series, as both are geared to teenage girls, this saga has much more in common with Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. So much so I have to wonder whether Moto Hagio read Interview With A Vampire before beginning this series. Both sagas brim with male homosexuality, vampires trapped in existential despair, eternal children, and are interested in warped family relationships and loss.
The reader is slowly introduced to the Poe Clan, through the eyes young men who are drawn the beautiful and eternally youthful Marybelle, and by the journals of wayfarers who stumble upon the Village of Poe surrounded by fields of roses. It isn't until Chapter 4 that the vampires take center stage, and it's more more than half way through before the reader gets an origin story for the main character. But these slow reveals and jumps in time give a depth and mystery to this story that I deeply appreciate. I even enjoy the slightly episodic nature of the chapters, giving Moto Hagio a chance to showcase different scenarios and eras for her characters.
The 'Vampirenella' of the Poe Clan drink the essences of both roses and humans, and seem to be able to draw energy from humans by the tips of their undead fingers as well as the occasional neck bite. I am unclear as to the exact nature of this Clan. Edgar can appear as a young man, a winged demon, or a satyr. Does he need blood, or can he survive on roses? No matter. He's too busy seducing young men. Eternity is "too much to bear alone."
The artwork here is definitely of the 70's manga, which will be dated to some viewers. I mind it less, although the last chapter felt rushed. Sequentially I was lost across a few pages and it was easy to confuse characters. The translation flows well and these edition is heavy and beautiful. I'm so glad Rachel Thorn has found Fantagraphics to publish Hagio's work, and I look forward to Volume Two.
Although people will draw comparisons from the Poe Clan to Twilight series, as both are geared to teenage girls, this saga has much more in common with Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. So much so I have to wonder whether Moto Hagio read Interview With A Vampire before beginning this series. Both sagas brim with male homosexuality, vampires trapped in existential despair, eternal children, and are interested in warped family relationships and loss.
The reader is slowly introduced to the Poe Clan, through the eyes young men who are drawn the beautiful and eternally youthful Marybelle, and by the journals of wayfarers who stumble upon the Village of Poe surrounded by fields of roses. It isn't until Chapter 4 that the vampires take center stage, and it's more more than half way through before the reader gets an origin story for the main character. But these slow reveals and jumps in time give a depth and mystery to this story that I deeply appreciate. I even enjoy the slightly episodic nature of the chapters, giving Moto Hagio a chance to showcase different scenarios and eras for her characters.
The 'Vampirenella' of the Poe Clan drink the essences of both roses and humans, and seem to be able to draw energy from humans by the tips of their undead fingers as well as the occasional neck bite. I am unclear as to the exact nature of this Clan. Edgar can appear as a young man, a winged demon, or a satyr. Does he need blood, or can he survive on roses? No matter. He's too busy seducing young men. Eternity is "too much to bear alone."
The artwork here is definitely of the 70's manga, which will be dated to some viewers. I mind it less, although the last chapter felt rushed. Sequentially I was lost across a few pages and it was easy to confuse characters. The translation flows well and these edition is heavy and beautiful. I'm so glad Rachel Thorn has found Fantagraphics to publish Hagio's work, and I look forward to Volume Two.
January 10, 2021
La primera lectura del año no ha podido ser mejor. Hasta ahora lo que he leído de esta autora me ha gustado, así que no podía dejar escapar la que muchos consideran su mejor obra, y no decepciona. Me he llevado varias sorpresas mientras leía. La primera, que antes de llegar a la mitad del volumen, ya se había acabado la historia, a ver, es evidente que no porque queda más de medio tocho por leer, pero era un final, tan bueno que por un momento no supe que me encontraría a continuación.
La segunda sorpresa es esa continuación. Son diferentes historias que van adelante y atrás en el tiempo, desde el siglo XVIII a la guerra mundial, y ocurren en diferentes países. A pesar de parecer que esté todo mezclado en realidad tiene mucho sentido y he disfrutado mucho la lectura de esos capítulos. Está claro que esta autora siempre me sorprende y logra conquistarme con su narrativa. Qué ganas de que salga el segundo volumen!
La segunda sorpresa es esa continuación. Son diferentes historias que van adelante y atrás en el tiempo, desde el siglo XVIII a la guerra mundial, y ocurren en diferentes países. A pesar de parecer que esté todo mezclado en realidad tiene mucho sentido y he disfrutado mucho la lectura de esos capítulos. Está claro que esta autora siempre me sorprende y logra conquistarme con su narrativa. Qué ganas de que salga el segundo volumen!
April 6, 2025
Absolutely magical, ethereal, poetic, and captivating
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November 14, 2020The current goodreads blurb is pretty accurate. The one I read originally made this sound a lot smuttier and more gender-bent than it actually is. That's not a criticism of this book, which is very good; it was just different from what I expected. Beautiful and dreamy and sad -- kind of emo-historical fantasy, I guess?
March 7, 2024
3.5 rounded down. I LOVE the ending of the first chapter and enjoyed a couple of the other short stories, but needed some time to like actually realize they're standalone stories and not part of a continuous narrative lmao also while I love the art, I felt that the story beats didn't so much glide but jerk forward, which also took me some time to get used to.
February 15, 2021
Moto Hagio es de las pocas autoras de manga clásico que sigo de forma constante, desde que leí "¿quién es el pasajero número 11?" intento hacerme con todo el material material suyo que sale (normalmente editado por tomodomo como en esta ocasión). En este caso hablamos del que posiblemente sea su trabajo más popular, una historia de vampiros contada mediante episodios individuales de la vida de los protagonistas que se corresponden con distintos momentos de la historia europea.
Los vampiros de Moto Hagio (que ella llama Vampirnellas) tienen sus propias reglas que no siempre se asemejan a las de los vampiros tradicionales, de hecho a veces resultan un poco contradictorias, porque aunque se supone que los vampirnellas no beben sangre sino que la absorven de alguna manera con las manos, si se hace referencia a la sangre en algunos pasajes. En todo caso la autora prefiere dejar este tipo de cosas para la imaginación de cada uno y se centra en la relación entre los personajes principales (Edgar, Merribelle y Allan) y la de estos con otros personajes, en su mayoría humanos, en los que suelen dejar una huella imborrable para luego desaparecer de sus vidas envueltos en un halo de misterio y frecuentemente dejando consecuencias trágicas.
Aunque en el manga aparecen más vampirnellas con mayor o menor importancia en la trama, los personajes principales son los anteriormente mencionados Edgar, Merribelle y Allan, los dos primeros son hermanos y el tercero es incluido en el clan de los Poe posteriormente. Los tres coinciden en ser personajes en transición a la edad adulta, pero que conservan gran parte de la ingenuidad e inocencia de la niñez, esto contrasta con su condición de vampiros y su necesidad de extraer su sustento de las víctimas. Si hay un protagonista que destaque sobre los otros es Edgar, de hecho gran parte de las historias y sucesos giran en torno a sus necesidades y deseos... él es el que propicia la incorporación de Allan y Merribelle al clan, el que hace que se muevan las tramas por su amor a su hermana o por su deseo de vivir nuevas experiencias y en general el que lleva la voz cantante, hecho que se explica no sólo por su personalidad sino porque ha sido transformado en vampirnella por el líder del clan de los Poe y es el que transforma a su vez a los otros dos.
El arte de Hagio es muy especial y ha sido imitado por muchos autores posteriores, consigue una gran belleza en los personajes y los ambientes con unos trazos simples y claros, sin excesos estilísticos. En general el cómic es una maravilla visual, Moto Hagio es una maestra de la composición de página y consigue no sólo páginas y viñetas de gran belleza, sino que hace la lectura muy fluída y sencilla.
Los vampiros de Moto Hagio (que ella llama Vampirnellas) tienen sus propias reglas que no siempre se asemejan a las de los vampiros tradicionales, de hecho a veces resultan un poco contradictorias, porque aunque se supone que los vampirnellas no beben sangre sino que la absorven de alguna manera con las manos, si se hace referencia a la sangre en algunos pasajes. En todo caso la autora prefiere dejar este tipo de cosas para la imaginación de cada uno y se centra en la relación entre los personajes principales (Edgar, Merribelle y Allan) y la de estos con otros personajes, en su mayoría humanos, en los que suelen dejar una huella imborrable para luego desaparecer de sus vidas envueltos en un halo de misterio y frecuentemente dejando consecuencias trágicas.
Aunque en el manga aparecen más vampirnellas con mayor o menor importancia en la trama, los personajes principales son los anteriormente mencionados Edgar, Merribelle y Allan, los dos primeros son hermanos y el tercero es incluido en el clan de los Poe posteriormente. Los tres coinciden en ser personajes en transición a la edad adulta, pero que conservan gran parte de la ingenuidad e inocencia de la niñez, esto contrasta con su condición de vampiros y su necesidad de extraer su sustento de las víctimas. Si hay un protagonista que destaque sobre los otros es Edgar, de hecho gran parte de las historias y sucesos giran en torno a sus necesidades y deseos... él es el que propicia la incorporación de Allan y Merribelle al clan, el que hace que se muevan las tramas por su amor a su hermana o por su deseo de vivir nuevas experiencias y en general el que lleva la voz cantante, hecho que se explica no sólo por su personalidad sino porque ha sido transformado en vampirnella por el líder del clan de los Poe y es el que transforma a su vez a los otros dos.
El arte de Hagio es muy especial y ha sido imitado por muchos autores posteriores, consigue una gran belleza en los personajes y los ambientes con unos trazos simples y claros, sin excesos estilísticos. En general el cómic es una maravilla visual, Moto Hagio es una maestra de la composición de página y consigue no sólo páginas y viñetas de gran belleza, sino que hace la lectura muy fluída y sencilla.
July 28, 2020
The art definitely felt like it was from a different time. Graceful and full of significant looks. The page layouts are highly varied, with a lot of intricate detail that might make it a bit harder to follow if you are still nervous about reading manga. The book itself is oversized however, so it was really a very luscious and beautifully intricate experience that I felt a bit rushed through due to my library loan timeline.
An older story it is not surprising that the presentation of gender is not hugely progressive. That said, you could certainly tell how this aligned with Moto's credentials as the mother of shōnen-ai.
Race was the most uncomfortable thing for me when it came to this particular book. Not unique to this book, the way that "whiteness" is presented in most manga compared to how "blackness" is presented is not great. And while I certainly have heard other people talk about this, if any of y'all can direct me to more full some articles or books about race in manga I will love you forever. That said, I will keep trying to find these conversations and report back if I find anything. The chapter that coincided with the Holocaust was just weird too in my opinion.
Not very central, but there's at least one chapter in the book where one of the character is kind of wasting away. A very olden times and fairy tail sort of understanding of disability, much like everything else in this book.
Class is never really explored in the book. This is a typical vampire story where long life has lead to a generally high level of wealth.
A harder book for me to get through due to its length (512 pages!) it's a very strong book. Beautiful, it's easy to see the kind of influence that Moto Hagio has had in Manga. I'll be rating this volume three out of five stars.
An older story it is not surprising that the presentation of gender is not hugely progressive. That said, you could certainly tell how this aligned with Moto's credentials as the mother of shōnen-ai.
Race was the most uncomfortable thing for me when it came to this particular book. Not unique to this book, the way that "whiteness" is presented in most manga compared to how "blackness" is presented is not great. And while I certainly have heard other people talk about this, if any of y'all can direct me to more full some articles or books about race in manga I will love you forever. That said, I will keep trying to find these conversations and report back if I find anything. The chapter that coincided with the Holocaust was just weird too in my opinion.
Not very central, but there's at least one chapter in the book where one of the character is kind of wasting away. A very olden times and fairy tail sort of understanding of disability, much like everything else in this book.
Class is never really explored in the book. This is a typical vampire story where long life has lead to a generally high level of wealth.
A harder book for me to get through due to its length (512 pages!) it's a very strong book. Beautiful, it's easy to see the kind of influence that Moto Hagio has had in Manga. I'll be rating this volume three out of five stars.
August 6, 2024
Why you should read this: It's one of the earliest but definetely the most influential vampire manga of the 1970s. It's also a shojo masterpiece, with beautiful eternal children who are cold and traumatized and so lonely ...
It's a stunning piece because it's so emotional: if you really let yourself feel with these characters, their situation is heartbreaking, beautifully rendered into images that only appear simple at first galnce.
Very interesting and novel take on child vampires - Vampanella in this one.
For vampire and gothic lovers. These stories are episodic in nature and not chronological, but the character development is stellar and it's well worth a read.
Moto Hagio always offers a very psychological approach to all her characters, and Poe is no exception. Every time a layer of their personality is pulled back, something new is revealed.
Beautiful.
There is a musical :)
It's a stunning piece because it's so emotional: if you really let yourself feel with these characters, their situation is heartbreaking, beautifully rendered into images that only appear simple at first galnce.
Very interesting and novel take on child vampires - Vampanella in this one.
For vampire and gothic lovers. These stories are episodic in nature and not chronological, but the character development is stellar and it's well worth a read.
Moto Hagio always offers a very psychological approach to all her characters, and Poe is no exception. Every time a layer of their personality is pulled back, something new is revealed.
Beautiful.
There is a musical :)
July 21, 2021
no one actually conveyed how good this is like the existential and poetical yearning is on par with that of anne rice's vampire saga???
and the stereotypical shōjo roses being plot relevant and obviously very much iconic and actually original in here???
at first the old fashioned art made me cringe a bit because i had never read a classic manga but i quickly changed my mind because it's so gorgeous??? and the composition in every page is stunning and unlike any other manga I've read???? the FLOW!!! hagio really understands how to distribute the vignettes and even the dialogue bubbles to suit the narration best in a way you rarely see in comics or mangas from anywhere, art spiegelmam wishes he had what hagio has!!!
and the stereotypical shōjo roses being plot relevant and obviously very much iconic and actually original in here???
at first the old fashioned art made me cringe a bit because i had never read a classic manga but i quickly changed my mind because it's so gorgeous??? and the composition in every page is stunning and unlike any other manga I've read???? the FLOW!!! hagio really understands how to distribute the vignettes and even the dialogue bubbles to suit the narration best in a way you rarely see in comics or mangas from anywhere, art spiegelmam wishes he had what hagio has!!!
May 13, 2022
En cuanto he podido tener un rato para poder leer con tranquilidad me he ventilado este primer volumen de El clan de los Poe.
Me ha gustado, aunque no lo he disfrutado del todo como me ha pasado con otros mangas que me he leído.
Este tomo consta de más de 470 páginas, pero se lee fácil y rápido. Pero también tengo que decir que, en las tramas de los distintos capítulos, que son como pequeños relatos, hay algunos saltos en la trama (o eso me ha parecido a mi) en los que me ha resultado un poco difícil seguir la historia. No sé si he terminado de entender la historia de este clan.
Igualmente me ha gustado y lo he disfrutado sin saber que había vampiros que ha sido una sorpresa cuando lo he empezado a leer.
Me ha gustado, aunque no lo he disfrutado del todo como me ha pasado con otros mangas que me he leído.
Este tomo consta de más de 470 páginas, pero se lee fácil y rápido. Pero también tengo que decir que, en las tramas de los distintos capítulos, que son como pequeños relatos, hay algunos saltos en la trama (o eso me ha parecido a mi) en los que me ha resultado un poco difícil seguir la historia. No sé si he terminado de entender la historia de este clan.
Igualmente me ha gustado y lo he disfrutado sin saber que había vampiros que ha sido una sorpresa cuando lo he empezado a leer.
January 27, 2020
Wow, this blew me away.
Part Boys Love (in fact, this author was credited as one of the first BL writers), part Anne Rice/Vampire Chronicles, all melodrama.
This book carries you away and takes you on a journey of family betrayal, evil school children, sibling ties, and a dose of vampirism.
I loved it.
Part Boys Love (in fact, this author was credited as one of the first BL writers), part Anne Rice/Vampire Chronicles, all melodrama.
This book carries you away and takes you on a journey of family betrayal, evil school children, sibling ties, and a dose of vampirism.
I loved it.
June 17, 2020
I'm not sure I have the words, although I'd better find them soon, since I'm reviewing it for ANN.
This is one of those rare series where the protagonist dying at the end will be a happy ending. Hagio understands the tragedy of immortality.
This is one of those rare series where the protagonist dying at the end will be a happy ending. Hagio understands the tragedy of immortality.
January 19, 2026
One of the early 70’s very first works by the woman considered to be one of the mothers of modern shojo manga.
The Poe Clan is, in my opinion, typical of those years when shojo manga authors became predominantly women who used this form of expression to convey their ideas in line with the feminist and sexual revolution and to offer stories with new themes — science fiction, fantasy, historical manga, etc. Love stories—but not only—with deep and often tortured characters.
The Poe Clan is the story of Edgar, Marybelle, and Allan, trapped in the bodies of young teenagers. Edgar, the main protagonist, suffers from profound loneliness and is consumed by remorse—spoiler stuff—in an evanescent and ethereal Gothic atmosphere between fields of roses and violent storms. Hagio also develops a homoerotic subtext which, along with The Heart of Thomas, will also make her a pioneer of the Boys' Love genre.
In short, we are dealing with pioneering work, created in a specific context, with historical/patrimonial value. The graphic style is typical of the 1970s, which I really appreciate. It is certainly very different from contemporary standards, but it is worth discovering.
The Poe Clan is, in my opinion, typical of those years when shojo manga authors became predominantly women who used this form of expression to convey their ideas in line with the feminist and sexual revolution and to offer stories with new themes — science fiction, fantasy, historical manga, etc. Love stories—but not only—with deep and often tortured characters.
The Poe Clan is the story of Edgar, Marybelle, and Allan, trapped in the bodies of young teenagers. Edgar, the main protagonist, suffers from profound loneliness and is consumed by remorse—spoiler stuff—in an evanescent and ethereal Gothic atmosphere between fields of roses and violent storms. Hagio also develops a homoerotic subtext which, along with The Heart of Thomas, will also make her a pioneer of the Boys' Love genre.
In short, we are dealing with pioneering work, created in a specific context, with historical/patrimonial value. The graphic style is typical of the 1970s, which I really appreciate. It is certainly very different from contemporary standards, but it is worth discovering.
March 28, 2024
Super contente d'avoir découvert l'oeuvre de Moto Hagio, enfin. Je savais pas trop dans quoi je m'aventurais, mis à part que j'allais suivre une famille de Vampanellas et que cela allait être incroyable visuellement parlant.
C'était magnifique en effet mais c'était finalement bien plus que ça. J'ai adoré suivre le Clan des Poe, particulièrement Edgar et Marybelle sur des décennies. Je trouve que la mangaka fait un travail fabuleux pour retranscrire la solitude et la nostalgie du personnage principal, qui voyage de village en village en quête de compagnie. L'oeuvre est parsemée de passages lyriques (que je vois comme des chants) avec des dessins qui nous plonge dans un univers enchanteur et parallèle. J'ai bien aimé le fait qu'il n'y ai pas vraiment de temporalité précise, les histoires s'entremêlent toutes.
J'ai envie d'acheter des roses et d'en mettre partout dans ma chambre.
Maintenant je regrette de ne pas avoir vu sa masterclass au festival d'Angoulême cette année.
Gros coeur sur la traductrice aussi <3 (Je sens que cette lecture va me remettre dans ma folie manga)
C'était magnifique en effet mais c'était finalement bien plus que ça. J'ai adoré suivre le Clan des Poe, particulièrement Edgar et Marybelle sur des décennies. Je trouve que la mangaka fait un travail fabuleux pour retranscrire la solitude et la nostalgie du personnage principal, qui voyage de village en village en quête de compagnie. L'oeuvre est parsemée de passages lyriques (que je vois comme des chants) avec des dessins qui nous plonge dans un univers enchanteur et parallèle. J'ai bien aimé le fait qu'il n'y ai pas vraiment de temporalité précise, les histoires s'entremêlent toutes.
J'ai envie d'acheter des roses et d'en mettre partout dans ma chambre.
Maintenant je regrette de ne pas avoir vu sa masterclass au festival d'Angoulême cette année.
Gros coeur sur la traductrice aussi <3 (Je sens que cette lecture va me remettre dans ma folie manga)
December 5, 2025
El dibujo es precioso y se hace súper fácil de leer, aunque es un pelín largo (lo subestimé).
Un poco caótico a veces e increíblemente dramático, menuDO CHISMAZO. Se nota que es antiguo por los detalles circenses que tiene, pero la verdad es que lo disfruté mucho.
Also, la nota final de la traductora me encantó y me ayudo a entender muchas cosas, menuda reina.
Vuelvo a recalcar, QUÉ BONITO DE LEER.
Un poco caótico a veces e increíblemente dramático, menuDO CHISMAZO. Se nota que es antiguo por los detalles circenses que tiene, pero la verdad es que lo disfruté mucho.
Also, la nota final de la traductora me encantó y me ayudo a entender muchas cosas, menuda reina.
Vuelvo a recalcar, QUÉ BONITO DE LEER.
September 21, 2024
Kiedy Anne Rice myślała o Wywiadzie z wampirem, Moto Hagio stworzyła Klan Poe. Momentami chaotyczne, ale trafne i piękne są historie Hagio. Must read dla wszystkich fanów gotyckich wampirów. 🖤
October 1, 2023
Un des mangas les plus somptueux qu'il m'ait été donné de lire, ce n'est pas étonnant qu'il est considéré comme ayant influencé le genre du shōjo pour les décennies à suivre.
À travers plusieurs histoires dessinées tournant autour du personnage d'Edgar (et parfois, de Marybelle sa sœur et du clan des Poe, sa famille adoptive) présentée dans un désordre chronologique (ce qui n'est pas mauvais ici) et dans une Europe un peu romantisée, on découvre peu à peu l'univers des familles de vampanella (des vampires) qui doivent constamment changer de lieu et se retrouvent souvent isolés et seuls dans leurs incessants déplacement et désir de survie.
Plusieurs des personnages sont très queer, sans jamais être nommée comme tel, mais c'est vraiment pas du sous-texte, c'est assez explicite et on ne peut pas s'empêcher de penser que Le Clan des Poe est un héritier spirituel à Carmilla et explore beaucoup plus l'idée des passions, du désir, des incessants voyages, etc. que sont prédécesseurs. Ce qui fait le charme de ce manga, ce sont les dessins absolument époustouflant souvent remplis de fleurs, de chevelure, qui tombe parfois dans l'onirisme quand les scènes le demande avec juste un petit soupçon d'horreur (avec de nombreux clair obscur) quand le scénario demande d'être un peu plus sombre.
J'apprécie aussi les récits de durée très varié et dont les sujets le sont tout autant, cela permet de multiplier les points de vue narratifs, donner de la place à différents personnages pour qu'ils soient beaucoup plus sujets que personnages secondaires et comprendre un peu mieux l'articulation des liens et leurs psychologie.
Il existe peu de manga parfait, mais celui-là en est un, aucune fausse note, dessin et narration incroyable, j'attends avec impatience la suite de ces histoires.
À travers plusieurs histoires dessinées tournant autour du personnage d'Edgar (et parfois, de Marybelle sa sœur et du clan des Poe, sa famille adoptive) présentée dans un désordre chronologique (ce qui n'est pas mauvais ici) et dans une Europe un peu romantisée, on découvre peu à peu l'univers des familles de vampanella (des vampires) qui doivent constamment changer de lieu et se retrouvent souvent isolés et seuls dans leurs incessants déplacement et désir de survie.
Plusieurs des personnages sont très queer, sans jamais être nommée comme tel, mais c'est vraiment pas du sous-texte, c'est assez explicite et on ne peut pas s'empêcher de penser que Le Clan des Poe est un héritier spirituel à Carmilla et explore beaucoup plus l'idée des passions, du désir, des incessants voyages, etc. que sont prédécesseurs. Ce qui fait le charme de ce manga, ce sont les dessins absolument époustouflant souvent remplis de fleurs, de chevelure, qui tombe parfois dans l'onirisme quand les scènes le demande avec juste un petit soupçon d'horreur (avec de nombreux clair obscur) quand le scénario demande d'être un peu plus sombre.
J'apprécie aussi les récits de durée très varié et dont les sujets le sont tout autant, cela permet de multiplier les points de vue narratifs, donner de la place à différents personnages pour qu'ils soient beaucoup plus sujets que personnages secondaires et comprendre un peu mieux l'articulation des liens et leurs psychologie.
Il existe peu de manga parfait, mais celui-là en est un, aucune fausse note, dessin et narration incroyable, j'attends avec impatience la suite de ces histoires.
January 17, 2021
Debo empezar esta reseña admitiendo que me quise comprar este manga por la portada, me parece una maravilla y la edición es preciosa. Sin embargo cuando leía la sipnosis me llamó aún más la atención porque se trata de vampiros en el siglo 18/19.
El dibujo de Moto Hagio, si ya me parecía precioso en ¨Catarsis.¨ o en ¨¿Quién es el 11 pasajero?¨ ahora me resulta MARAVILLOSO. Es clásico y hay personajes que son iguales pero la forma de narrar que tiene la autora te hace saber diferenciarlos.
En cuanto la trama...cuando acabé la primera historia, El clan de los Poe, pensé que lo demás serían historias cortas y me decepcioné pues pensé que todo el tomo tenía que ver con los personajes. En efecto, así es. Todas las historias están conectadas, presentándonos el pasado de los Poe y por último la continuación de la primera historia. La forma en la que todo está conectado me ha gustado muchísimo.
Está claro que este es sin lugar a dudas mi manga favorito y estoy impaciente porque salga el segundo, y último tomo, de este manga.
El dibujo de Moto Hagio, si ya me parecía precioso en ¨Catarsis.¨ o en ¨¿Quién es el 11 pasajero?¨ ahora me resulta MARAVILLOSO. Es clásico y hay personajes que son iguales pero la forma de narrar que tiene la autora te hace saber diferenciarlos.
En cuanto la trama...cuando acabé la primera historia, El clan de los Poe, pensé que lo demás serían historias cortas y me decepcioné pues pensé que todo el tomo tenía que ver con los personajes. En efecto, así es. Todas las historias están conectadas, presentándonos el pasado de los Poe y por último la continuación de la primera historia. La forma en la que todo está conectado me ha gustado muchísimo.
Está claro que este es sin lugar a dudas mi manga favorito y estoy impaciente porque salga el segundo, y último tomo, de este manga.
May 29, 2020
The Poe family saga has developed over the centuries, placing the always fascinating figure of the vampire in a romantic perspective full of human drama.
The Poe clan doesn't age. However, the world around them continues to change, to progress and to offer continuous opportunities for meetings and exchanging relationships with human beings.
Hagio's narrative is engaging and dynamic and she alternates relaxed and peaceful moments with others that are more disturbing and full of tension. From my point of view the narrative capacity of Moto Hagio is tremendous, and the involvement of the reader in the events is inevitable.
The Poe clan tells the story of loneliness and sadness; of fleeting moments of love and of constant struggles to affirm their existence despite everything. The gift of immortality is actually a condemnation that brings pain and suffering without ever being able to stop.
The Poe clan doesn't age. However, the world around them continues to change, to progress and to offer continuous opportunities for meetings and exchanging relationships with human beings.
Hagio's narrative is engaging and dynamic and she alternates relaxed and peaceful moments with others that are more disturbing and full of tension. From my point of view the narrative capacity of Moto Hagio is tremendous, and the involvement of the reader in the events is inevitable.
The Poe clan tells the story of loneliness and sadness; of fleeting moments of love and of constant struggles to affirm their existence despite everything. The gift of immortality is actually a condemnation that brings pain and suffering without ever being able to stop.
October 3, 2019
Beautiful release — but the melodrama is so thick that it strangles a lot of the suspense out of the story. Edgar’s existence is the most tragic to me out of these characters’ eventual paths. Hagio is obviously a forerunner to the Vampire Knights and Twilights of the world; it is a shame she doesn’t seem to have have the same notoriety in the world as a whole as she does in Japan. Classics are classics for a reason!
February 9, 2021
Intento no pensar mucho en la sexualización de la infancia (que sí, que las niñas se casaban a tal edad, que muy bien) porque amo el clan de los Poe con todo mi corazón.
Aquí me quedo, esperando el segundo tomo con muchas ganas.
Reseña completa en: https://gorgonas.com/2021/02/04/resen...
Aquí me quedo, esperando el segundo tomo con muchas ganas.
Reseña completa en: https://gorgonas.com/2021/02/04/resen...
July 24, 2020
Spooky and melodramatic and gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.
April 12, 2022
Una verdadera obra de arte.
December 31, 2022
I will say it outright. I don't care for vampires but I like this story. Hagio Moto is a master storyteller and illustrator.
June 5, 2025
Moto Hagio regina assoluta del fumetto, del disegno e della narrazione, capace di passare dal romantico struggente al frivolo drama settecentesco e poi di ripiombare nel tragico, nel decadente e sognante romantico, tutto con naturalezza, e poi che vampiri strepitosi, che inquietudini e sentimenti riesce a mettere in scena, intere vite intrecciate con la storia, le speranze, i sogni…
January 31, 2026
I apologize to my dearest friend, René, who's problem I made my obsession over this book at every hour of the day and ungodly hour of the night. This book was written in the mid Seventies but it's like Moto Hagio made it just for me. All my favorite tropes:
- Immortal children
- Desperate love
- Toxic obsession
- Bound together by loneliness
- The most beautiful gosh darn art you've ever seen
So this manga is a collection of serials from the Seventies, written and illustrated by Moto Hagio who is considered the mother of the shōjo genre. Looking at the art, it's clear to see the influence she had. The illustrations are fantastical, full of soft movement and artistic rendering through simplicity to convey emotional, introspective moments. I really loved their character designs. Edgar was meant to be this beautiful child with eyes that have seen a hundred years, and I think that was extremely well executed. He stood out so well in every scene. I loved how his face and hair had so much detail compared to a lot of the people around him. I love Marybelle and how she is just so pretty. I was consistently impressed that Edgar and Marybelle remained the most beautiful characters and the artist never accidentally made anyone prettier, even of the "pretty characters."
I'm a HUGE fan of this 70s fantasy art style akin to Belladonna of Sadness or The Last Unicorn.
We follow the Portnell family and how their immortal beauty effects everyone around them, not only in the present but their touch lingering on the family line for generations to come.
Chapter 1: Limpid Locks of Silver
This is such a solid introduction to these characters. This chapter is told from the POV of one of the many people to cross paths with the Portnells, falling quickly for the beautiful Marybelle. We get to know Edgar as the overprotective brother, meet their "parents," see how fleeting their time with these people are and then how that obsession will haunt them for the rest of their lives as Charles goes on to live a full happy life with a happy wife, but never stopped thinking of Marybelle, his first love. I loved how poetic this chapter was.
Chapter 2: The Village of Poe
Glensmith has wandered into an unfamiliar wood while hunting and accidentally shoots Marybelle! I loved how this chapter introduces this beautiful perfect village of roses trapped in time that is their home. We get introduced to some of the family's powers/traits like quick healing, not necessarily drinking blood, rose tea, and how one becomes a vampirnella. I enjoy this peak at the Poe clan, once again from a third party perspective. I love that we are Perceiving these titular characters. I love that we get a taste of how Edgar is just so self-assured and uses his errant disregard for the "rules" to defend and provide for Marybelle. He's such a little turd. I love him.
Chapter 3: Glensmith's Diary
After his experience with the Poe Clan, Glensmith never got over the timeless village and recorded in his journal and searched his whole life for this immortality. (I love that we get a peak of Alan Twilight at the beginning of this chapter. A little hint at the Portnell family's fate.) I absolutely loved following the generations of this family not only as just a beautiful human story, but also as a segue timelapse showing how time passes for these vampirnellas.
I got genuinely emotional following these mothers and the children as children die, get married, have grandchildren, pass the journal through the generations. I really love stories that span generations like this. And then the great grandson meeting Edgar at school and having heard these stories so prevalently that he can immediately recognize him as being like the boy in the story with his sister Marybelle? Love that.
Chapter 4: The Poe Clan
Alan. Twilight. I DIED. Everytime they call him by his full name hahahaa I love you Alan Twilight you emotional drama king. I should have known how important he would be when their meet cute was getting hit by his horse a la Anthony Bridgerton ahahaah I love how this chapter starts with Edgar criticizing his "parents" but then he is like, "I'm about to risk it all for the boy who almost killed me in the woods." and goes to school again to try to steal him. I love how mean Alan Twilight is and how he is just immediately humbled by Edgar but still tries to fight back. I love that Edgar is never mean to him, but is definitely spitting shade. These boys are a disaster. I love the shots of Alan being unable to get them out of his head, just in shadows.
I love the doctor becoming more and more skeptical as he gets to know them. He is a smart guy, which I appreciated. I love that when Edgar does eventually drink from Alan Twilight, it feels more like he fell to his own temptation rather than some orchestrated thing. And here we get more lore as Alan catches on. We learn that they are afraid of faith, but that symbols like crucifixes really aren't anything if they don't put the power into them themself.
Oh my gosh. When the storm comes and the mother is trying to snap her own trap on the doctor, but he IMMEDIATELY is like "where is your pulse woman?!" I loved how clever he was. Then the way he didn't hesitate to slay her :( And then the DRAMA of her crawling home and Edgar PANICKING and running to save Marybelle :( :( :( :( Ooooooof. The whole catastrophic failure of watching both of these boys feel like they've lost everything and Alan finally giving in and allowing himself to be Peter Pan'd away into never growing up, but being beyond time with his rival who he can't get out of his head???? I love those panels where they just look like fairies.
Chapter 5: Marybelle and the Silver Rose
Edgar has taken the reigns. As we left him at the end of the last chapter walking around with Alan Twilight, we get to go back to learn the story finally from their perspective. I loved seeing the joy in this foundling childhood. I loved the tragedy of him being forced into this promise to become a vampirnella at maturity only for the deal to be collected on too soon due to a series of traumatic events spiraling more and more chaotic. I love the explanation that he has this king's blood and that is why is is notably stronger both of body and of spirit than the others. What a punk. Love you. I thought it was so sad that he just loved his sister and through it all still only wanted to protect her.
So then we go find what Marybelle has been up to after being sent away. Thirteen and more beautiful than before. 22 y/o man interested in her? GROSS> I am SO glad he learned they were siblings and he IMMEDIATELY gave her up romantically hahaha I LOVED this crossroads of story. Explaining who their parents were and then introducing this love story with her father's step son. I loved Eustace and Oswald and the way they both were loving siblings but also rivals for their parents' love. I really liked Oswald (besides the whole wanting to date a 13yo thing........) I loved his impulsive reckless abandon, his boldness, his swagger. Seeing this facade of confidence over a very hurt boy :( I fear that's a "type" of mine. I was really hoping that Edgar would make him a vampire, too and they could be power brothers :( I loved that they had those same eyes, which I will say was INSTANTLY recognizable. Once again, I was so impressed that despite this book having relatively simple character designs, the characters were so effectively different. I could ALWAYS tell who was who. Oswald having Edgar's eyes was very confusing to me at first, so when it addressed the reasoning, I was like OMG YES hahaha.
I feel so bad for Edgar. He is just a little fledgling here, new to his powers, but he just kept getting caught up in bad situations and things never turned out the way he wanted. I also once again feel like this showcased his impulsivity. Some simply STUNNING shots in this story.
Chapter 6: The Birds' Nest
Okay here we are. Back to that "present." Edgar has taken Alan as a companion and these boys are tearing it up across Europe hopping from boarding school to boarding school as cousins. This was such a fun story because we get to see this different side of Edgar without Marybelle. Marybelle was his object to treasure and protect but Alan Twilight is a companion. And Alan is still as mean and anti-social as ever. I love this story <3 They are SOO toxic.
So i really enjoyed all the boys in this school. They were fun characters and I loved how close they were and how everyone got along, and then these two cousins from England come and just leave a path of destruction in their wake.
I loved the unsettling Cock Robin rhyme and the mystery. I really loved Matthias and Killian. I thought these new side characters were SO charming. Killian was another character who I was like, please turn this kid into an immortal companion hahaha. I love how Edgar has this way of making his "chosen person" into just the most important person in the world. The way he looks at them, talks with them, gives them his undivided attention.
I love that this kind of makes Alan jealous but every time it seems like Edgar may be drifting, something happens and Edgar comes swooping in proving his loyalty again. He is not "moving on" from Alan Twilight, he is just not attached at the hip. I loved when he just grabs Alan when he is just like "you wouldn't even notice if I disappeared" and just reaffirms how much he means to him and claims him again. It's horrible. These boys are so toxic, once again. Gah I love vampires.
I loved that we also get to see Alan Twilight as a predator in this one. He is as reckless as Edgar once was, but it feels more emotionally driven rather than overconfidence. I love this vibe distinction between the characters. When he jsut goes "whatever I'm going to do what I want" and becomes and absolute menace??? amazing. Poor Mathias.
I love how this chapter wrapped up. All the little details came around and we can see why they were acting kind of weird in certain parts. It also really answered "Why are we here?" I loved them being the angels for poor sweet Robin and that they were genuinely invested in him and kept coming back and were trying to wait until he was older. I am sad he didn't make it, but I guess that is a reflection of how he would have fell apart as an immortal as well. I love it ending with them just walking off arm in arm again. I love their love.
This chapter was also surprisingly open BL. I was NOT expecting BL manga from the 70s, but I'm here for it. They really went, "well, it's out that we sure aren't cousins.... time to kill people." hahahahah That scene in the greenhouse was KIND of wild though for poor Mattias to walk into! Who knew that eating roses could be so intimate bahahaa. TURNS OUT this was not only a pioneering manga for the shojo genre, but ALSO shounen-ai hahaha Thank you, Moto Hagio!
Once again, I loved Killian- this boy who fought through his own trauma by trying to genuinely be just a good friend to everyone. Edgar totally gaslit this kid saying he was a liar and a hypocrite, but Killian was just genuinely a nice, NORMAL guy <3. I REALLY liked him. I am excited to read maybe in the sequel about how his ancestors were affected by this experience, much like Glenwood.
-------------
In conclusion, I really really really loved this book hahaha I might need to just buy it but I don't think this BRICK would fit on my shelf. It is the highest quality paper I've ever seen. The pages were so thick! I'm used to really low-quality manga, but this was crazy thick paper! This is one of those books you read at a table because you will sprain your wrists trying to hold it.
Oh my gosh I'm so dumb I just realized it's Edgar and Alan Poe. Sigh.
Also after some googling, I'm surprised by how similar they look to the characters from The Poem of Wind and Trees, which came after. I'll have to see how they compare.
- Immortal children
- Desperate love
- Toxic obsession
- Bound together by loneliness
- The most beautiful gosh darn art you've ever seen
So this manga is a collection of serials from the Seventies, written and illustrated by Moto Hagio who is considered the mother of the shōjo genre. Looking at the art, it's clear to see the influence she had. The illustrations are fantastical, full of soft movement and artistic rendering through simplicity to convey emotional, introspective moments. I really loved their character designs. Edgar was meant to be this beautiful child with eyes that have seen a hundred years, and I think that was extremely well executed. He stood out so well in every scene. I loved how his face and hair had so much detail compared to a lot of the people around him. I love Marybelle and how she is just so pretty. I was consistently impressed that Edgar and Marybelle remained the most beautiful characters and the artist never accidentally made anyone prettier, even of the "pretty characters."
I'm a HUGE fan of this 70s fantasy art style akin to Belladonna of Sadness or The Last Unicorn.
We follow the Portnell family and how their immortal beauty effects everyone around them, not only in the present but their touch lingering on the family line for generations to come.
Chapter 1: Limpid Locks of Silver
This is such a solid introduction to these characters. This chapter is told from the POV of one of the many people to cross paths with the Portnells, falling quickly for the beautiful Marybelle. We get to know Edgar as the overprotective brother, meet their "parents," see how fleeting their time with these people are and then how that obsession will haunt them for the rest of their lives as Charles goes on to live a full happy life with a happy wife, but never stopped thinking of Marybelle, his first love. I loved how poetic this chapter was.
Chapter 2: The Village of Poe
Glensmith has wandered into an unfamiliar wood while hunting and accidentally shoots Marybelle! I loved how this chapter introduces this beautiful perfect village of roses trapped in time that is their home. We get introduced to some of the family's powers/traits like quick healing, not necessarily drinking blood, rose tea, and how one becomes a vampirnella. I enjoy this peak at the Poe clan, once again from a third party perspective. I love that we are Perceiving these titular characters. I love that we get a taste of how Edgar is just so self-assured and uses his errant disregard for the "rules" to defend and provide for Marybelle. He's such a little turd. I love him.
Chapter 3: Glensmith's Diary
After his experience with the Poe Clan, Glensmith never got over the timeless village and recorded in his journal and searched his whole life for this immortality. (I love that we get a peak of Alan Twilight at the beginning of this chapter. A little hint at the Portnell family's fate.) I absolutely loved following the generations of this family not only as just a beautiful human story, but also as a segue timelapse showing how time passes for these vampirnellas.
I got genuinely emotional following these mothers and the children as children die, get married, have grandchildren, pass the journal through the generations. I really love stories that span generations like this. And then the great grandson meeting Edgar at school and having heard these stories so prevalently that he can immediately recognize him as being like the boy in the story with his sister Marybelle? Love that.
Chapter 4: The Poe Clan
Alan. Twilight. I DIED. Everytime they call him by his full name hahahaa I love you Alan Twilight you emotional drama king. I should have known how important he would be when their meet cute was getting hit by his horse a la Anthony Bridgerton ahahaah I love how this chapter starts with Edgar criticizing his "parents" but then he is like, "I'm about to risk it all for the boy who almost killed me in the woods." and goes to school again to try to steal him. I love how mean Alan Twilight is and how he is just immediately humbled by Edgar but still tries to fight back. I love that Edgar is never mean to him, but is definitely spitting shade. These boys are a disaster. I love the shots of Alan being unable to get them out of his head, just in shadows.
I love the doctor becoming more and more skeptical as he gets to know them. He is a smart guy, which I appreciated. I love that when Edgar does eventually drink from Alan Twilight, it feels more like he fell to his own temptation rather than some orchestrated thing. And here we get more lore as Alan catches on. We learn that they are afraid of faith, but that symbols like crucifixes really aren't anything if they don't put the power into them themself.
Oh my gosh. When the storm comes and the mother is trying to snap her own trap on the doctor, but he IMMEDIATELY is like "where is your pulse woman?!" I loved how clever he was. Then the way he didn't hesitate to slay her :( And then the DRAMA of her crawling home and Edgar PANICKING and running to save Marybelle :( :( :( :( Ooooooof. The whole catastrophic failure of watching both of these boys feel like they've lost everything and Alan finally giving in and allowing himself to be Peter Pan'd away into never growing up, but being beyond time with his rival who he can't get out of his head???? I love those panels where they just look like fairies.
Chapter 5: Marybelle and the Silver Rose
Edgar has taken the reigns. As we left him at the end of the last chapter walking around with Alan Twilight, we get to go back to learn the story finally from their perspective. I loved seeing the joy in this foundling childhood. I loved the tragedy of him being forced into this promise to become a vampirnella at maturity only for the deal to be collected on too soon due to a series of traumatic events spiraling more and more chaotic. I love the explanation that he has this king's blood and that is why is is notably stronger both of body and of spirit than the others. What a punk. Love you. I thought it was so sad that he just loved his sister and through it all still only wanted to protect her.
So then we go find what Marybelle has been up to after being sent away. Thirteen and more beautiful than before. 22 y/o man interested in her? GROSS> I am SO glad he learned they were siblings and he IMMEDIATELY gave her up romantically hahaha I LOVED this crossroads of story. Explaining who their parents were and then introducing this love story with her father's step son. I loved Eustace and Oswald and the way they both were loving siblings but also rivals for their parents' love. I really liked Oswald (besides the whole wanting to date a 13yo thing........) I loved his impulsive reckless abandon, his boldness, his swagger. Seeing this facade of confidence over a very hurt boy :( I fear that's a "type" of mine. I was really hoping that Edgar would make him a vampire, too and they could be power brothers :( I loved that they had those same eyes, which I will say was INSTANTLY recognizable. Once again, I was so impressed that despite this book having relatively simple character designs, the characters were so effectively different. I could ALWAYS tell who was who. Oswald having Edgar's eyes was very confusing to me at first, so when it addressed the reasoning, I was like OMG YES hahaha.
I feel so bad for Edgar. He is just a little fledgling here, new to his powers, but he just kept getting caught up in bad situations and things never turned out the way he wanted. I also once again feel like this showcased his impulsivity. Some simply STUNNING shots in this story.
Chapter 6: The Birds' Nest
Okay here we are. Back to that "present." Edgar has taken Alan as a companion and these boys are tearing it up across Europe hopping from boarding school to boarding school as cousins. This was such a fun story because we get to see this different side of Edgar without Marybelle. Marybelle was his object to treasure and protect but Alan Twilight is a companion. And Alan is still as mean and anti-social as ever. I love this story <3 They are SOO toxic.
So i really enjoyed all the boys in this school. They were fun characters and I loved how close they were and how everyone got along, and then these two cousins from England come and just leave a path of destruction in their wake.
I loved the unsettling Cock Robin rhyme and the mystery. I really loved Matthias and Killian. I thought these new side characters were SO charming. Killian was another character who I was like, please turn this kid into an immortal companion hahaha. I love how Edgar has this way of making his "chosen person" into just the most important person in the world. The way he looks at them, talks with them, gives them his undivided attention.
I love that this kind of makes Alan jealous but every time it seems like Edgar may be drifting, something happens and Edgar comes swooping in proving his loyalty again. He is not "moving on" from Alan Twilight, he is just not attached at the hip. I loved when he just grabs Alan when he is just like "you wouldn't even notice if I disappeared" and just reaffirms how much he means to him and claims him again. It's horrible. These boys are so toxic, once again. Gah I love vampires.
I loved that we also get to see Alan Twilight as a predator in this one. He is as reckless as Edgar once was, but it feels more emotionally driven rather than overconfidence. I love this vibe distinction between the characters. When he jsut goes "whatever I'm going to do what I want" and becomes and absolute menace??? amazing. Poor Mathias.
I love how this chapter wrapped up. All the little details came around and we can see why they were acting kind of weird in certain parts. It also really answered "Why are we here?" I loved them being the angels for poor sweet Robin and that they were genuinely invested in him and kept coming back and were trying to wait until he was older. I am sad he didn't make it, but I guess that is a reflection of how he would have fell apart as an immortal as well. I love it ending with them just walking off arm in arm again. I love their love.
This chapter was also surprisingly open BL. I was NOT expecting BL manga from the 70s, but I'm here for it. They really went, "well, it's out that we sure aren't cousins.... time to kill people." hahahahah That scene in the greenhouse was KIND of wild though for poor Mattias to walk into! Who knew that eating roses could be so intimate bahahaa. TURNS OUT this was not only a pioneering manga for the shojo genre, but ALSO shounen-ai hahaha Thank you, Moto Hagio!
Once again, I loved Killian- this boy who fought through his own trauma by trying to genuinely be just a good friend to everyone. Edgar totally gaslit this kid saying he was a liar and a hypocrite, but Killian was just genuinely a nice, NORMAL guy <3. I REALLY liked him. I am excited to read maybe in the sequel about how his ancestors were affected by this experience, much like Glenwood.
-------------
In conclusion, I really really really loved this book hahaha I might need to just buy it but I don't think this BRICK would fit on my shelf. It is the highest quality paper I've ever seen. The pages were so thick! I'm used to really low-quality manga, but this was crazy thick paper! This is one of those books you read at a table because you will sprain your wrists trying to hold it.
Oh my gosh I'm so dumb I just realized it's Edgar and Alan Poe. Sigh.
Also after some googling, I'm surprised by how similar they look to the characters from The Poem of Wind and Trees, which came after. I'll have to see how they compare.
December 28, 2020
The Poe Clan didn't appeal at all from the artwork but it is striking from the first page, both in its style and narrative. Moto Hagio demonstrates the versatility and variety of Japanese comic book art. Given this was first written in the 1970s, The Poe Clan is also striking in the way it deals with gender and sexuality. Ostensibly a vampire story, Hagio takes the sexually subversive nature of the vampire myth and puts her own, very original take on a tradition stemming from Vlad the Impaler. Hard to refresh the genre. Many have tried and (to my mind) failed in the last 10-20 years. Yet vampires remain in and it is no doubt down to innovative storytellers like Hagio who continue to give the mythology a fresh look. The story takes place in a romanticised Europe and spans various centuries, dealing with, as it does, an immortal clan of "vampanellas" and the unfortunate events that lead to the induction of young Edgar and his sister. The Poe Clan attempts to keep itself hidden and has a strict protocol on feeding (sucking blood) from humans but Edgar discovers their secret too early and the siblings become vampires before they come of age, doomed to remain in their childish bodies for eternity.
The first stories are a delight of Gothic romanticism. While the artwork I found initially over flowery, the style grows on you. It fits very well to the storytelling and Hagio is a very good writer. She manages, despite all the potential to do so, to make her story avoid stereotypes. Edgar is a vicious nihilist of a lead character and Marybell the doomed Gothic princess. Hagio captures the spirit of each century very well and draws scenes from history with skill, an element of realism that counters and compliments the decorative elements of her often crowded frames. When Alan enters the story - a human boy in love with Marybell - the narrative really takes off. It is dramatic, tense and bloodthirsty. The artwork is sometimes deliberately vague but it works - Marybell's fate is a masterful piece of comic book action. The influences are bare - The Poe Clan, Edgar and Alan combine to form Hagio tribute to the great horror writer - but this is a book that wears its influences proudly and calmly while creating its own unique identity.
That's not to say the book is flawless. The final third, Alan and Edgar's adventures in a private school for boys in German, is overlong and confusing. My personal gripe was that the characters in the school all looked too similar and it took me too long to distinguish them all. It was also the weakest of the narratives, albeit informed by the tragic absence of Marybell. Here Hagio infuses the story with a vampiric eroticism. The boys are drawn gender neutral and their is a very obvious sexual tension between Alan and Edgar that boils over into jealousy and violence as the murderous plot spirals towards a dangerous conclusion. It feels like the difficult middle part of a big epic - overlong and lacking the structure of a beginning and an end - and part 2 would probably give it the balance and context needed. I would certainly continue the story. It's an intriguingly different comic book experience with a very clear aesthetic mission and a very effective and clear storytelling style. The sense of the otherworldly lends Edgar an untouchable, inhuman element, making it hard for us to relate. At times his story drifts into the vague realms where only nightmares exist. But Hot Hagio teases out his character slowly and gives him the more human, yet also malevolent, Alan as his competition and his foil. The story is set up interestingly and I would look forward to seeing how Hagio completes the tale. 6
The first stories are a delight of Gothic romanticism. While the artwork I found initially over flowery, the style grows on you. It fits very well to the storytelling and Hagio is a very good writer. She manages, despite all the potential to do so, to make her story avoid stereotypes. Edgar is a vicious nihilist of a lead character and Marybell the doomed Gothic princess. Hagio captures the spirit of each century very well and draws scenes from history with skill, an element of realism that counters and compliments the decorative elements of her often crowded frames. When Alan enters the story - a human boy in love with Marybell - the narrative really takes off. It is dramatic, tense and bloodthirsty. The artwork is sometimes deliberately vague but it works - Marybell's fate is a masterful piece of comic book action. The influences are bare - The Poe Clan, Edgar and Alan combine to form Hagio tribute to the great horror writer - but this is a book that wears its influences proudly and calmly while creating its own unique identity.
That's not to say the book is flawless. The final third, Alan and Edgar's adventures in a private school for boys in German, is overlong and confusing. My personal gripe was that the characters in the school all looked too similar and it took me too long to distinguish them all. It was also the weakest of the narratives, albeit informed by the tragic absence of Marybell. Here Hagio infuses the story with a vampiric eroticism. The boys are drawn gender neutral and their is a very obvious sexual tension between Alan and Edgar that boils over into jealousy and violence as the murderous plot spirals towards a dangerous conclusion. It feels like the difficult middle part of a big epic - overlong and lacking the structure of a beginning and an end - and part 2 would probably give it the balance and context needed. I would certainly continue the story. It's an intriguingly different comic book experience with a very clear aesthetic mission and a very effective and clear storytelling style. The sense of the otherworldly lends Edgar an untouchable, inhuman element, making it hard for us to relate. At times his story drifts into the vague realms where only nightmares exist. But Hot Hagio teases out his character slowly and gives him the more human, yet also malevolent, Alan as his competition and his foil. The story is set up interestingly and I would look forward to seeing how Hagio completes the tale. 6
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