A Bride's Story, Vol. 1

Espero completar todos os volumes, ainda me faltam metade. Não os tenho em ordem, estou adquirindo de forma aleatória, pois depende da oferta de preços e um deles, infelizmente, sequer esta disponível. Uma pena, pois se trata de um mangá adorável. Decididamente o recomendo. Qualidade em todos os sentidos. Felizmente, este também chegou em excelente estado, nenhum dano sequer. Aguardando os próximos estarem a preço mais acessível.

Awesome introduction to the Silk Road Cultures.A beautiful rendition of 19th century Silk Road and the various cultures across it.Many wonderful and strong woman and male characters with equally brilliant narrative on the society functions of men and women of that time. It doesn't shy away from male characters who see women as objects to be traded away either. However, it tries to protray a more balanced, stable, and pragmatic way that the cultures handled marriage, family life, engagement, etc with a British Anthropologist being the reason we meet so many interesting characters.It also goes into how Russia was pushing their borders and how some people on the silk road turned traitor to extended family to have access to Russian cannons and rifles. It also tries to protray the need for a guide to help against robbery on the road.It is beautifully illustrated by Kaoru Mori who is a brilliant artist and detailed enough to perfectly put ink to paper to draw realistic animals in motion.All the characters are charming in their own manner and it isn't hard to follow their individual stories and struggles across the Manga Series.I originally read it in my library before deciding to purchase all of the currently available books and hopefully the remaining as well as this series it still on going.Sincerely,Katherine, Canada

Kaoru Mori es una excelente mangaka con un arte realmente hermoso y detallado, la conocí con su serie llamada Victorian Romance Emma y me enamore de su estilo. En A Bride's Story este manga saca a relucir todos los detalles que mete en sus ilustraciones. Y la historia es realmente bonita e interesante, te encariñas facilmente con los personajes.La edición es muy bonita, ser un libro de pasta gruesa y la calidad de la impresión de los paneles es excelente. El guardapolvo con la ilustración de la portada lo hace lucir mucho, aunque lo malo es que se puede maltratar fácilmente.Realmente muy recomendable.

It has some spectacular illustrations. It is instant eye catching when you see it. Has a real story to complement the illustrations.

Otoyome Gatari (its romanized Japanese title) is the latest work by Mori Kaoru, one of the most highly regarded manga authors in Japan. She's the creator of "Emma" and "Shirley", two works about turn-of-the-century England that are renowned for the quality of their art and (in the case of Emma particularly) their historical accuracy.Mori's craftsmanship is amazing. Her work abounds in detail, each panel lovingly crafted. She outdoes her previous work on "Emma" in "Bride's Story". I can't recall any other manga with such glorious attention to form, costuming, and backgrounds. This Yen Press edition does full justice to the quality of her work. Unlike a lot of Manga releases, this is hardcover and in a somewhat larger size, which allows more visible detail. Even though the paper is a little pulpy, the quality of the reproduction is as good as any I've seen.The story is set in central Asia not too far from the Caspian Sea (possibly in Turkey since the Turkish language is mentioned) in the mid 19th century. The story is a slice-of-life tale about the odd-couple marriage of a 12-year-old town boy to a 20-year-old daughter of a nomadic family. This is not played up in any perverse manner like the age difference might suggest; the boy is wise for his age, and the woman is dedicated, cheerful, and a model wife, content to wait for him to mature. She fits into his extended family quite well, though she's maybe a bit too eager to please. Her steppe upbringing has given her some talents a bit alien to the family's town habitat, though; she's a superb horsewoman, archer, hunter, and wild game cook.This is a scenario that's not unheard-of in the culture in which it is placed, and Mori handles the story with delicacy and tact. The characters are likeable and mostly respectable. The family structure is not contemporary, but can easily be understood and sympathized with. The story is mostly slow-moving slice-of-life stuff, but it has its moments of conflict and excitement, especially in the conflict between her new and old families. There is a small amount of nudity, but it's reasonable within the context of the story and is not pandering.The loving care lavished on detail in the drawings of clothing and other handicrafts is stunning. Far fans of great art, the women's clothing itself is worth the purchase price. Ms. Mori is a fanatic for thorough research, and it shows in every page.This is an excellent story and a true work of art. If you liked "Emma", and if you love history, beautifully detailed artwork, and quirky characterizations, this book is for you. This was licensed by Yen Press quite a while ago, and it certainly was worth the wait. It'll be several months before the volume two release, and I'm expecting more of the same.