"A Servant And A Master" - Emma: A Victorian Romance (manga) - 9/10 Sugar Cubes

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

Genre: Romance/ Historical/ Drama

Review Status: Full (7 Volumes/ 7 Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: Very good. The details on the hair and clothing are wonderful. The characters all look very good. It looks very clean.

Summary: Emma has spent most of her life as house maid to an old lady. Now her employer receives a visit from a young man, William Jones, to whom she was once governess. The meeting between William and Emma is the beginning of a romance that crosses all social boundaries. (ANN.com)

Review: Yes, this is the manga version of the anime Emma: A Victorian Romance. There's not a whole lot I can say aboutit that hasn't been said about the anime- it's sweet and to the point, dealing with the issues that keep Emma and William apart in that day and age.

Wait- there is stuff I can say about it. Like how it deviates from the anime around the third volume. Which is okay! Sometimes, things that are in mangas are not animation-friendly. There's different events, even some events that are in here that you never see in the anime, including several instances of (not meant for fanservice) bathing, where you get to see (both literally and figuratively) deeper into the work and love lives of the maids. The love triangle that was in the anime never happens, though Hans' crush is made obvious- and the ending to the whole anime is quite different than the manga.

Even so, this stands on it's own merits. You see clearly the lifestyles of the servants and the upper class. There's still plenty of romantic drama to go around, which should be a big draw, but there's also many sweet, tender moments between William and Emma. I still love the characters- you get to see them from a different point of view, and sometimes a bit more intimately, in this manga. And I love this for it.

Overall, this is a good manga. It's short and sweet, and leaves you with a smile. Maybe a bit too short for the story, but in the end, it works out fine.

Recommended: Sure. Just keep it out of the hands of anyone who would be bothered by the nudie-bits. 14 and over, if mature enough to handle that.

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Early and Fairy (anime)
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The Place Promised In Our Early Days (anime)
Emma: A Victorian Romance (anime)
5 Centimeters Per Second (anime)