Emma MMF: Daily Diary, vol. 3
Emma, vol. 3
Writer & Artist: Kaoru Mori
Published by: CMX
192 (180) pages.
Original Language: Japanese
Orientation: Right to Left
Vintage: 2003. US edition Mar. 2007.
Translation & Adaptation: Sheldon Drzka
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Design: Larry Berry
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Publisher’s Rating: Teen Plus, for “Suggestive Situations”
isbn 9781401211349
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Premise: We follow our maid, Emma, and her gentleman into a wider world: It’s still a BBC/Masterpiece Theater-style historical drama, but wanders much further afield than a one-time London romance story…
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Review:
So first, let me say if all you’re doing is reading my posts and admiring the scans, you have no idea how nice it is to have CMX’s books actually to hand: these are not glossy covers but rather a matte finish, slightly textured stock that when combined with the muted palette (and of course, the historical details) makes each book not only look but feel different from all the other manga on your shelf. Kudos, CMX.
And now, into volume three.
Hm. So.
Granted, volume two was such a grinder — not an emotional rollercoaster in the way so many would interpret the term, but there was quite a bit of drama there, and reveals of character, and some (William, I’m looking at you) acting just a shade outside of character…
OK. So, William loves Emma, and was willing to put it all on the line, and actually did for all of half a page before his father shut him down. —but that was last volume.
In vol. three, we see William trying desperately to forget Emma; not only throwing himself into the family business but also, in a full reversal, accepting any and all social invitations London society sees fit to throw his way. He puts on a brave front. Fortunately, Hakim is there to call him on it:
Emma, for her part, meant to all but retire to her childhood home (…since she had nowhere else to go) but fate and circumstance instead lands her with a new employer. Now, various translators will tell you this new family is named Molders, or Mölders — and if I’d been in charge we’d have gone with Mulder — but CMX renders it “Meredith”, which isn’t exactly all that German, now is it? [*sigh*] But Meredith it is: The Meredith household, where both family and at least half the staff originate from Germany, is a shade more cosmopolitan than Mrs. Stownar’s three-story brownstone. Emma might be easily lost, but it seems Kelly Stownar taught Emma a shade more than just cooking and cleaning:
A maid who can read French (no matter how haltingly) is certain to garner some attention, and Emma’s new employer is quick to assign her to other tasks less typical of the ‘help’ — the last chapter of the book shows Emma accompaning Mrs. Meredith as personal maid while visiting the neighbors for tea. (Seems a common enough duty, but the neighbor in question, Mrs. Trollop, is… odd.)
At any rate, Emma adapts to the work quickly enough, but what is new to her is working as part of a staff. Being Kelly Stownar’s sole maid and surrogate daughter is one thing, but working as part of a household is something entirely different.
The key chapter in this volume is Chapter 19, “Night of the Full Moon”. Soon after Emma’s employment, the staff is given a night off (on the occasion of the Meredith’s youngest Elsa’s birthday) — and more to the point they are given a half-day off the following day.
Paaar-Tay! Get your Victorian Groove on!
It’s a servants’ ball, so Emma finally has a chance to socialize with others of her class — but being Emma, she… doesn’t. She’s a wallflower. She volunteers to help clean up, while the other help enjoys the rare holiday. She meets the equally stand-offish and taciturn Hans — the tall, dark, handsome & hunky Hans for those of you waiting for the next complication to the romantic storyline — and while nothing happens (this is still Emma: A Victorian Romance) the two spend quality time together, um, washing dishes. Emma also has a cup of tea… I mean Rum. It looked like tea and was served in a teacup but only because they ran out of glasses…
One cuppa of that is all it takes. That, and the chance sighting of the full moon through a window is enough to remind Emma of one magical night (also under a full moon) at the Crystal Palace…
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