Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma
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is a Japanese
historical romance Historical romance is a broad category of mass-market fiction focusing on romantic relationships in historical periods, which Lord Byron, Byron helped popularize in the early 19th century. The genre often takes the form of the novel. Varieties ...
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
by
Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...
. It was published by
Enterbrain , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on January 30, 1987, as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strate ...
in the magazine ''
Comic Beam is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Enterbrain on a monthly basis since November 1995. In 2006, it had a circulation of 25,000. ''Comic Beam'' is considered an "alternative" manga magazine in the Japanese publishing industry, whe ...
'' and collected in ten volumes. The series has been adapted as an
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series, entitled . The manga is licensed in English in North America by
Yen Press Yen Press is an American manga, graphic novel and light novel publisher co-owned by Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. It published '' Yen Plus'', a monthly comic anthology, between 2008 and 2013. In addition to translated material, ...
and the anime is licensed in English by
Nozomi Entertainment Right Stuf Inc. (formerly known as The Right Stuf International Inc.) was an American video publisher and distributor of video programming that specialized in Asian entertainment (anime and live action films). It had several divisions includin ...
. Set in
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
at the end of the 19th century, ''Emma'' is the story of a
housemaid A maid, housemaid, or maidservant is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era, domestic service was the second-largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids a ...
who falls in love with a member of the gentry. However, the young man's family disapproves of him associating with people of the
lower classes A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for example be dependent on education, w ...
.


Overview

Both the manga and anime versions of ''Emma'' are unique for being set in a setting seldom visited by either medium without some fantasy or
speculative Speculative may refer to: In arts and entertainment *Speculative art (disambiguation) *Speculative fiction, which includes elements created out of human imagination, such as the science fiction and fantasy genres ** Speculative Fiction Group, a Pe ...
element. The author and illustrator of the manga, Kaoru Mori, is a self-professed
Anglophile An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents. In some cases, Anglophilia refers to an individual's appreciation of English history and traditional English cultural ico ...
, and attempted to recreate 1895
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
with meticulous detail. The manga has a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
in Japan, even going as far as opening an ''Emma''-inspired and themed
maid café are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan and Taiwan. In these cafés, waitresses, dressed in maid costumes, act as servants, and treat customers as masters (and mistresses) as if they were in a private home, rather ...
in
Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...
. Its popularity has sparked an interest in English maid
cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...
, even going as far as having the official ''Emma'' anime website selling Emma's "costume" for ¥45,000.


Characters

; : :She falls in love with William Jones from the first time they meet. Originally from a poor seaside
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
village, she was kidnapped as a young girl to be sold to a London brothel. She managed to escape but became lost in London. She managed to work odd jobs for food, until she was taken under the wing of Kelly Stownar, as her housemaid. Under Mrs. Stownar, Emma was taught to read, write, and a variety of other subjects. In later chapters of the manga, it is revealed that Emma can also read a bit of French. :After the death of Mrs. Stownar, Emma leaves London, intending to go back to her village, but she ended up meeting with a maid who worked for the Mölders (Meredith in the English translation of the manga) family, German immigrants who live in a mansion in York, and Emma is hired as a servant in the Mölders' household. There, she becomes a favorite because of her fluency in English, and for this her mistress always brings Emma on distant trips, e.g. the trip to Mrs. Trollope's (Aurelia Jones') house and also the trip to London alongside a few menservants who could also speak English. She was also a well-liked maid among the staff due to her honesty and diligence in her work, as well as the children who often played with her. ; : :He is the eldest son of the "House of Jones", a very wealthy merchant
middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...
family that is attempting to rise into the gentry. As his father's heir, he is under tremendous stress to not only take over the family business but also marry a girl from another wealthy family, preferably into the
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...
. He develops feelings for Emma after their first meeting. He often intercepts her coming from
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
on
Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George IV of the United Kingdom, George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash (architect), J ...
. In the manga, William had told his father about Emma but his father had never seen Emma (different with the anime). :After Emma's departure, William changed drastically. He began to work very hard, attending social meetings and took care of his family's business. In his own perspectives, he never stopped regretting losing Emma, but he would live his life in the 'upper class side' as his father expected him to be. His change affected everyone around him, including Hakim. However, during the engagement party (the one with Eleanor Campbell), he unexpectedly meets Emma again, who is Dorothea Molders' companion at the time. Infused with this new hope, he gets conflicted with his engagement to Eleanor. But, that conflict helps strengthen his resolve to carry his family's business and his love for Emma. ; : :Emma's employer and William Jones' former
governess A governess is a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching; depending on terms of their employment, they may or ma ...
. She married at the age of 18, but lost her husband two years into the marriage, and did not have any children. Young and educated, Mrs. Stownar decided to become a governess, and tutored William and his siblings with an iron fist. Right before retiring, she met Emma, and took her in as her maid. :Kelly was the one who taught Emma to do the household chores, to read, and to write. It was also Kelly who acted as a 'bridge' between Emma and William, although she realized that the relationship between Emma and William would never work out smoothly. ; : :William Jones' best friend, who is a prince from
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, and acts as a foil for William. He and William both attended
Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
. Somewhat of a womanizer, Hakim's straightforwardness and being outgoing is a clear departure from William's reservedness and dislike for social events. Hakim usually has his servant
harem A harem is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic Domestic worker, servants, and other un ...
accompanying him and travels with a full complement of servants and elephants. Like William, Hakim was captivated with Emma the first time he saw her. :His stay in England was prolonged simply because he wanted to see how the relationship between Emma and William progressed. Once he found out that Emma was in love with William, he tried to encourage their relationship into something further, but he let go Emma when she said that she would go back to her hometown, and made no efforts to prevent her from leaving. When William finally proposed to Eleanor, Hakim finally said that he would go back home. To him, there was no more excitement seeing William surrender to the pressure of the society. : According to Mori, Hakim was originally intended to be a pure rival to William, but his role in the story changed as it progressed. ; : :The young daughter of a
viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...
who falls in love with William. Her feelings for William are often reinforced by misunderstandings from William's courtesy and accommodation. Though her family is of the peerage, her family's financial situation is deteriorating. Due to this, her father very much wants Eleanor to marry into the wealthier, but lower class, Jones family. :Eleanor is a very shy girl, yet at the same time she always tries to catch William's attention, for example by inviting him into a tea-party in her mansion, and visiting to William's mansion for 'seeing the rose blooming'. She is very shy whenever William is around, yet finally she is able to tell him her feelings when they are watching opera. She is (almost) always accompanied by her faithful servant Annie, who takes care of her since she was a child (in the 4th volume of the manga, it was shown that since Eleanor was still a child Annie has been serving her.) ; : : Housemaid of the Mölders household. Emma first met Tasha at King's Cross railway station where she was leaving for Haworth along with her mistress Dorothea Mölders. Tasha later shared the same carriage as Emma, after learning that Emma was a maid, she suggested to her to apply for employment at Mölders household in Haworth, which was short of staff. After Emma is hired there, she and Tasha shared a servant's quarter and they became close friends. ; : : Eleanor's older sister, who feels very protective of her. She doesn't like William and thinks he is not good enough for her sister. ; : : Eleanor's father, a member of the nobility with strong
classist Class discrimination, also known as classism, is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. It includes individual attitudes, behaviors, systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper class at the expense of ...
views who secretly despises all non-nobles and resents the fact that lack of money forces him to accept a commoner as husband for Eleanor. This is shown drastically when, after shaking hands with Richard Jones, he throws away the glove he was wearing. ; : :A local Jack of all Trades who knew Kelly Stownar's husband, Doug, when they were children. She often calls upon him to fix things around her house and shares her concerns about Emma with him. His relationship to Kelly is ambiguous. Most times, their banter makes them seem like siblings. ; : :A minor character and the clerk at Leyton's, a shop in London often frequented by the characters of Emma. Like Emma, Sarah has come to the attention of many a young gentleman in local society. Unlike Emma, Sarah is less reserved and often puts her foot in her mouth during her scenes. This does not, however, detract from her charm. Often, her comments serve to spur the various characters of Emma to make decisions and take action. ; : :The Jones family butler. He is often a go-between for William and his father, and his duty to the head of the house, Mr. Jones, often forces Stevens to seem uncaring of William's difficulties concerning his courtship of Emma. Several times, during the course of the series, Stevens has been at the sharp end of some gentleman's displeasure through no fault of his own, but his tact and devotion to the Jones family resolves every situation in a face saving gesture of servility. ; : :A sullen young footman in the employment of the Mölders household. His father was a wandering clockmaker who passed on his mechanical skills to his son. His taciturn behaviour may be as a result of his regretting his father's rebellious nature, which eventually led to a nomadic and impoverished lifestyle. The unstable lifestyle of his childhood leads him to appreciate the quiet security of his current profession. He respects Emma for her strong, quiet spirit and grows protective of her as and when he notices her in her vulnerable moments. ;Richard Jones : :Richard is William's father. ;Grace Jones : :Grace is the oldest of William's two sisters. ;Vivian Jones : :Vivian is William's younger sister.


Mölders family

; : : The head of the Mölders household. A German merchant who moved to England together with his family. He is shown to be fond of his children and having a wide perspectives, in which he once told his son to say 'thank you' even towards servants, "because that is what a gentleman should do". It seems that difference of class doesn't matter to him as much it does to English people at that time. He is a bit ignorant of a person, in which Dorothea always pushes him about the matter of education for their daughter Ilse. ; : : The wife of Wilhelm Mölders. Often acts as a bridge between the Mölders family and the other upper-class families, Dorothea frequently goes on parties and dinners on behalf of her husband, accompanied by a servant who takes care of her dresses and make-ups. She is shown to be careless, for she mistakes Emma as her personal assistant Tasha in
King's Cross station King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a passenger railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, on the edge of Central London. It is in the London station group, one of the List of busiest railway stations in ...
and she takes Emma to her residence in York just because 'that girl seems to get along well with Tasha.' She is a close friend of Mrs. Trollope (later revealed as Aurelia, William's mother). Kaoru Mori personally noted that the role model for Dorothea is the opera singer
Maria Callas Maria Callas (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropoulos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised ...
. ; :The first Mölders' child, shown as a boy around 6-7 ten years old. He has a pet squirrel named Theo, and it seems that he likes his pet very much seeing that it frequently accompanies him. Erich speaks no English. In his first meeting with Emma, Theo was stuck in his bedpost's canopy and Emma helped him bringing Theo down although Emma couldn't speak German. Later, Erich expressed his gratitude toward Emma by kissing her on the cheek in front of parents, which surprised them. ; :The youngest child in Mölders household. In the manga, it was stated that Ilse is 5 years old. Ilse is a shy and quiet child yet adorable, so it seems that the servants like her very much. She is shown to inherit her mother's dark hair, and she has a favorite elephant doll, which is probably given by the servants on her birthday party.


Media


Manga

Written and illustrated by
Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...
, ''Emma'' was serialized in
Enterbrain , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on January 30, 1987, as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strate ...
's manga magazine ''
Comic Beam is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Enterbrain on a monthly basis since November 1995. In 2006, it had a circulation of 25,000. ''Comic Beam'' is considered an "alternative" manga magazine in the Japanese publishing industry, whe ...
'' from the January 2002 to the May 2006 issues. Enterbrain collected its 52 chapters in seven volumes, released from August 30, 2002, to May 25, 2006. From the third volume onward, served as historical consultant to ensure the historical accuracy of the manga. Additional stories, known as , were published in ''Comic Beam'' from the September 2006 to the March 2008 issues. These chapters were collected in volumes 8–10, released from March 26, 2007, to April 25, 2008. In North America, the manga was first licensed by CMX Comics, which released ten volumes from September 20, 2006, to December 8, 2009. In October 2014,
Yen Press Yen Press is an American manga, graphic novel and light novel publisher co-owned by Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. It published '' Yen Plus'', a monthly comic anthology, between 2008 and 2013. In addition to translated material, ...
announced that they had licensed the manga, and released in five
omnibus edition An omnibus edition or omnibus is a book containing multiple creative works by the same or, more rarely, different authors. Commonly two or more of the works have been previously published as books, but a collection of shorter works, or shorter w ...
volumes from May 19, 2015, to August 23, 2016. In September 2018,
Yen Press Yen Press is an American manga, graphic novel and light novel publisher co-owned by Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. It published '' Yen Plus'', a monthly comic anthology, between 2008 and 2013. In addition to translated material, ...
announced the digital release of the manga.


Volumes


Other books


Novelizations

The
novelisations A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative work, derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, Play (theatre), stage play, comic book, or video game. Film novelizations were particul ...
are written by Saori Kumi, and based upon the original manga. #''Volume 1'' (March 22, 2005) #''Volume 2'' (October 29, 2005)


Victorian Guide

#''Emma Victorian Guide'' by
Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...
and Rico Murakami (November 25, 2003)


Animation guides

#''Emma Animation Guide Vol. 1'' by
Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...
and Rico Murakami (November 4, 2005) #''Emma Animation Guide Vol. 2'' by
Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...
and Rico Murakami (February 10, 2006) #''Emma Animation Guide Vol. 3'' by
Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...
and Rico Murakami (June 6, 2006)


Anime

The manga was adapted into a TV
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
series, entitled , directed by
Tsuneo Kobayashi was a Japanese anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. Howe ...
, scripted by
Mamiko Ikeda is a Japanese scriptwriter for anime. She has worked on such series as '' Emma – A Victorian Romance'', ''Maid Sama!'' and numerous others. Screenwriting * series head writer denoted in bold Anime television series *'' Pokonyan!'' (1993) * '' ...
, and produced by
Studio Pierrot , previously known as until 2002, is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, previously an animator and director for Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for ...
and TBS. The first season of the anime series premiered between April 2 and June 18, 2005, across Japan on several UHF TV stations,
BS-i is a Japanese satellite broadcasting station headquartered in Akasaka Gochome, Minato, Tokyo. Its channel name is BS-TBS (formerly, BS-i). Channels *Television: BS-TBS is assigned BS161ch - 163ch. *Radio: BS-i had been assigned 461ch, 462c ...
and the CS TV network
Animax , stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.The Anime Biz' - ...
, who have also later aired the series across its respective networks worldwide, including
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, also translating and dubbing the series into
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
for its English language networks in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
and
South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
, and other regions. The Japanese title of the anime is written using a couple of
kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
from before the adoption of simplified characters after the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, which reflects the usage of kanji in the time period the story is set in. In modern Japanese 英國戀物語 (Eikoku Koi Monogatari, lit. ''English Lovestory'' or ''Lovestory in England'') would be written as 英国恋物語, the characters for
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and love being replaced by their modern variants. The series' official English title is ''Emma - A Victorian Romance''. The series' depiction of
Victorian England In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...
was accurate, with locations such as
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's
King's Cross station King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a passenger railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, on the edge of Central London. It is in the London station group, one of the List of busiest railway stations in ...
,
The Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibitors from around ...
,
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
,
Mudie's Lending Library Charles Edward Mudie (18 October 1818 – 28 October 1890), English publisher and founder of Mudie's Lending Library and Mudie's Subscription Library, was the son of a second-hand bookseller and newsagent. Mudie's efficient distribution system ...
and such vehicles and applications of the era, such as
Henson Henson may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places United States * Henson, Colorado, a ghost town * Henson, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Henson Creek (Colorado), Henson Creek, Colorado * Henson Branch, Missouri, a stream Antarctica * Mount Henson, Ro ...
's Aerial Steam Carriage, recreated in meticulous detail. The anime series was continued in a second season, , which premiered in Japan on numerous television stations from April 16, 2007. Animated by
Ajia-do Animation Works is a Japanese animation studio established on October 4, 1978. It is noted for anime series including '' Spirit of Wonder'', '' Absolute Boy'', '' Izetta: The Last Witch'', and several others, including the long-running NHK series '' Nintama Ran ...
and directed by
Tsuneo Kobayashi was a Japanese anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. Howe ...
and written by
Mamiko Ikeda is a Japanese scriptwriter for anime. She has worked on such series as '' Emma – A Victorian Romance'', ''Maid Sama!'' and numerous others. Screenwriting * series head writer denoted in bold Anime television series *'' Pokonyan!'' (1993) * '' ...
, the second season was first announced by the anime's official website in August 2006 and the September 2006 issue of manga publisher
Enterbrain , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on January 30, 1987, as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strate ...
's ''Comic Beam'' magazine, in which the original manga has been serialized. Both seasons have been licensed in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
by
Nozomi Entertainment Right Stuf Inc. (formerly known as The Right Stuf International Inc.) was an American video publisher and distributor of video programming that specialized in Asian entertainment (anime and live action films). It had several divisions includin ...
, with a box set of the first season released on June 24, 2008, in English subtitles. On September 18, 2018, Nozomi Entertainment launched a
Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign in an attempt to gather funds to produce an English dub for season 1 for $110,000, along with a $180,000 stretch goal for season 2, following their successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017 for ''Aria''; the campaign ended on October 18 of that same year, as a success, with a total of $253,834 raised; 130% over the original goal.


Original soundtracks

Two pieces of
theme music Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
are used for both seasons; one opening theme and one ending theme each. The first season's opening theme is "Silhouette of a Breeze" composed and arranged by
Kunihiko Ryo Yang Bang-ean (; born January 1, 1960) is a Zainichi Korean composer, arranger, record producer, and pianist. His Japanese name is Kunihiko Ryo. Early life and beginnings Yang Bang-ean was born in Tokyo, Japan as a youngest son of five chil ...
, and the ending theme is "Menuet for EMMA" composed by
Kunihiko Ryo Yang Bang-ean (; born January 1, 1960) is a Zainichi Korean composer, arranger, record producer, and pianist. His Japanese name is Kunihiko Ryo. Early life and beginnings Yang Bang-ean was born in Tokyo, Japan as a youngest son of five chil ...
, arranged by Kenji Kaneko, and performed by the Tokyo Recorder Orchestra. The second season's opening theme is a "Celtic Version" of "Silhouette of a Breeze" and the ending theme is "Rondo of Lilybell". Both "Menuet for EMMA" and "Rondo of Lilybell," are done mostly with a
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...
. A "String Quartet Version" of "Silhouette of a Breeze" was the BGM used when introducing the show's sponsors at the beginning and end of each episode. Album: Victorian romance Emma original soundtrack album – ''Silhouette of a Breeze'' Release date: June 15, 2005 Track list: Album: Victorian romance Emma second act original soundtrack album – ''Memories'' Release date: June 20, 2007 Track list:


Reception

The manga of ''Emma'' was awarded an Excellence Prize at the 2005
Japan Media Arts Festival The Japan Media Arts Festival was an annual festival held since 1997 by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The festival begins with an open competition and culminates with the awarding of several prizes and an exhibition. Based on judging by ...
. The English translation was listed by ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' as one of the best graphic novels of 2007 and was named by the
Young Adult Library Services Association The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...
as among the 10 best
graphic novels A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics scholars and ...
for teens for 2008.


References


External links


''Emma'' anime official website


at
Studio Pierrot , previously known as until 2002, is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, previously an animator and director for Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for ...

''Emma''
at
The Right Stuf International Right Stuf Inc. (formerly known as The Right Stuf International Inc.) was an American video publisher and distributor of video programming that specialized in Asian entertainment (anime and live action, live action films). It had several divisi ...

Yen Press page
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Emma (Manga) 2007 Japanese television series endings 2006 manga Ajiado Animax original programming Anime and manga set in London Anime series based on manga CMX (comics) titles Comics set in London Enterbrain manga Kadokawa Corporation franchises Famitsu Bunko Fictional maids Historical anime and manga Pierrot (company) Romance anime and manga Seinen manga Television series set in the 19th century Tokyo MX original programming Victorian era in popular culture Yen Press titles