“Hoping to marry despite their families' wishes, Maria sneaks out in the middle of the night to run away with Rintarou. But unbeknownst to her, Rintarou's father has suddenly fallen ill, and it's the playboy Chiaki who arrives to take her back home. Although heartbroken by Rintarou's unexplained abandonment, Maria—with some teasing encouragement from Chiaki—resolves to continue her English practice. She'll show her former fiancée that under her “catskin coat,” she's the girl he let get away!” (Yen Press)
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“Golden Japanesque” has proven to be a series that exudes the charm of the classical romance era of manga, drawing heavy influences from classic shoujo through both visual direction and narrative. The story of star-crossed lovers, set in a turbulent time in Japanese history (post-American occupation) has given Kaho Miyasaka a lot of content and inspiration to draw from. Thankfully, the mangaka has hit all these notes in stride, presenting gorgeous art/direction, along with drama reflective of the era it captures. Every volume cements this sentiment as Miyasaka continues to build on the foundation laid out in volume one while constantly moving the story in exciting ways.
This review contains heavy spoilers, so check our review of the first volume for our initial impressions.
Notably, the recent release presents a rebirth of Maria where she is forced to accept her adulthood and carve out her own destiny. Having her romance with Rintarou put on hold, it would not be surprising to see a broken down Maria struggling under the weight of her emotions. This would be an apt direction given the portrayal of a shy woman during a period where lower-class (not to mention foreign) voices were not exactly welcomed–her despair of having status then losing it could have proven to be devastating. However, a chance job at a bar that serves foreigners and has other staff of mixed backgrounds proves to be an exciting transition in Maria's story. Add the open courting of Maria by Chiaki (Rinotaro's Cousin) and the story seems to be reinventing itself and beginning a new chapter in the life of Maria.
As the series is still running, this commitment to expand on the characters and add depth makes for an exciting prospect for romance fans for the series to really blossom into something unforgettable–the groundwork is set, even if there is a way to go. Miyasaka certainly teases the audience with the opportunity to grow with her characters as they face new challenges and continue to thrive in the face of adversity. As a competent romance series should do, Golden Japanesque draws in readers with the desire to follow the troubled couple in their journey to find love (or tragedy). Ultimately, Kaho Miyasaka is doing an exemplary job of drawing her audience deeper and deeper into the rich and emotionally complex story she is weaving.
Visually, the work (still) excels, with a keen eye for fashion and facial expressions when dealing with heavy emotions. As Maria transitions into working in a lower-class establishment as a waitress, the book moves slightly away from the opulence of the grand ballroom, but the art still maintains the quality. If anything, this shift away from glamour acts to ground Maria, bringing forward some of the traits we were first introduced to in the inaugural release that made her endearing. The book still, sadly, lacks any double panels to really highlight the visual styling of Miyasaki which has been the only shortcoming during the run of the series.
“Golden Japanesque” has the potential to be one of the best modern romance series, particularly for those who lean towards period pieces and classic shoujo (which often uses a historical background). Combine this with the gorgeous art direction and the title should be a must-read. Jump in while you can as it seems like it will be a wonderfully long journey that Kaho Miyasaka is perfectly suited to bring the reader along on.
