#cocohana

[hotwaterandmilk]

Series: Mint na Bokura Artist: Yoshizumi Wataru Publication: Cocohana #3 (01/2025) Details: ‘Yoshizumi Wataru 40th Anniversary Illustration Book’ Source: Scanned from my personal collection

[samoyed-lover]

48. Today's Josei manga with neither an official nor a fan translation into English is historical manga "Ouhi Margot" (王妃マルゴ -La Reine Margot- or Queen Margot) by the legendary Moto Hagio based on the 1845 french historical novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. This manga ran in Cocohana magazine from 2012-2019 and there was also a film adaptation of the novel in French. We do have several works of Hagio's available officially in English (Otherworld Barbara, They were 11, Drunken Dreams anthology, Lil' Leo, and The Poe Clan). She's is a pillar in the development of Shojo manga and a key member in the illustrious Year 24 group. This was her first traditionally historical novel, and it's on such an interesting story too!

This is the synopsis:

16th century France. Beautiful princess Margot dreams of marrying a handsome prince. As religious conflict intensifies, Margot's fate is at the mercy of the storm...!? Hagio Moto's first historical drama, delving into the secrets of love and marriage, begins here!

[oratokyosaigunda]

Cocohana cover 2025年8月 issue

[engshoujosei]

Pink Candy Kiss

1 volume (volume 2 releases July 1st, 2025)

Licensed by Viz Media/Shojo Beat

Can Takara find happiness with the girl she loved in middle school? Or is she 20 years too late? After 20 years apart, Takara reconnects with Ema, the girl she nearly kissed in middle school—who’s now a beautiful, married woman. Takara’s world turns upside down when her best friend from middle school reenters her life. She’s bewildered by how the shy, quiet girl she once knew has grown into a charming woman with an air of mystique. Despite Ema being married, Takara can’t help but think there’s something special about Ema’s cool, soft hands against her skin…

Status in Country of Origin:

4 Volumes (Ongoing)

Tags:

Adult Female Lead

Childhood Love

LGBT Themes

Married Couple

Reunion/s

Yuri

[hatsumishinogu]

Cocohana September 2023 Issue

[filliteapot]

Ichinichi Nikai (１日２回) by Ikuemi Ryo

[jacereviews]

Review: Kakukaku Shikajika

Manga Also known as:  Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey Consumed in English

For anyone familiar with the premise of this manga, my reading of it may seem odd. It’s an autobiographical piece for Akiko Higashimura, and mangaka of which I’ve read none of her works. However the premise of an autobiographical manga sold me enough, so here I am. From 2011 to 2015, Kakukaku Shikajika. Let’s rock.

PLOT: I’m used to talking about set ups and what not, but not used to discussing real stories. We follow highschooler Akiko Hayashi as she ends up studying at a new art class so she can follow her dreams of being a mangaka, however that’s only half of it. The story isn’t a straight following of her life, but a reflection. It’s told from the point of the contemporary Akiko Higashimura, reflecting on her life and choices of the time. However this new art class isn’t what you’d expect, as we’re introduced to the yelling, bamboo-sword wielding sensei with no softness or hesitation. How this terrifying man would forever change Akiko and inspire her to be the person she is today. I don’t know if my words do it justice, but I found myself immediately pulled into it. Maybe I just jive with Higashimura’s humor, but the silliness of the situation quickly put a smile on my face, and the underlying heart got to me. The tale of Kakukaku Shikajika is one that spans across many years, following Akiko’s battle to become the mangaka she dreamed of, and Sensei supporting her every step of the way. It feels very real because it is real, and the modern Akiko’s commentary every step of the way keeps it from ever feeling dry. As much as I found myself laughing and smiling, I also found myself going through many other emotions as the tale unfolded, and by the end I found myself heavily crying. While seeming frivolous at first, by the end you can truly understand why the story needed to be told. 

10/10, it never wasted any time and carried a lot of weight, it’s funny when it wants to be and powerful when it needs to be.

CHARACTERS: Let’s start with Akiko herself. It’s her story of growing up, going from the self-important, dreamy-eyed high school girl who was going to conquer the manga world to the quirky mangaka of today. I found her quite endearing, helped along by the ability of her modern self to critique and poke fun at the her of the past. This allowed us to get in her headspace and make her an incredibly relatable character. Frankly for me to never get annoyed at someone who makes as many stupid mistakes as real people do is quite the amazing feat. The other major character is Sensei, despite being introduced as this assaholic, loud mouthed, terrifying man we quickly grow to understand his straightforwardness and eagerness. He acts the way he does because he gives it his all and believes honestly in others to do the same. He’s kind of an idiot but he wears his heart on his sleeve in an endearing way. His ability to believe in someone 100% without doubt is something I find to be uncommon in real life people, and something I can love and respect. He’s very rough but has an incredible amount of heart, and that’s something I love. There are many other characters who show up throughout the story but the real focus is on the prior two and their relationship. The characters all being real people allows you to take some inside looks at some famous people, especially the other mangaka Akiko meets along her journey. 

10/10, I fell in love with the main two, and the supporting cast was full of interesting faces, some of which are names I’ve heard before.

ART: The art throughout the series has this rough sketchiness to it. While I wouldn’t call it particularly amazing or any level of refined, it’s very expressive. Nothing ever looks terrible, but rarely do things look great. However things do look distinct and there’s a good amount of detail where detail is due. A lot of the settings have pretty distinct designs and the characters all look unique in very realistic ways. A lot of anime gets accused of same-face, and that couldn’t be farther from the truth here. The art is also great at expressing emotion, which in this kind of story is well appreciated. At the end of the day it isn’t great, but it’s very alive.

7/10, rough but charming. 

FINAL SCORE: 9/10

This was quite the read from start to finish. It’s a very personal tale, and one with an overflowing amount of heart. Akiko Higashimura has a great personality, and that shows with every piece of this manga straight from her heart. I’m now interested in more of her stuff. Whether you’ve read her or not, I’d definitely recommend giving this series a shot, it’s a frankly beautiful piece.

[iamzeon]

Cocohana 2017 Calendar [July - December]