By Kazumi Tohno
Netcomics, 207 pp.
Rating: 13+

In this collection of short stories, the reader is taken through a variety of topics, characters, and time periods and shown something different in each one. “The Gentleman and the Lady” is a story of three friends who find themselves in a collapsing romantic triangle as they start college. “Angel Time” is about a young actress who feels betrayed by the CEO who deals with her career and has to find love elsewhere. “Dr. Urashima’s Treasure Chest” is the story of a young couple who invent a time machine and the possible political and social implications the device may have on the brink of World War III. “X” features a boy who goes undercover to a bar his girlfriend works at in the early part of the 20th century to find out why she lies about her profession. And finally, “Santa Tour” and “Marine Blue” are a pair of very short stories that feature young boys and their interactions with Santa Claus and/or Jesus.

I was shocked at how much I thoroughly enjoyed this volume, especially after disliking Tohno’s other work, cm0. This short story collection is comparable to Keiko Nishi’s Love Song or the stories you can read in Four Shojo Stories (minus the awesome “They Were 11!”). There’s just not a lot of shojo series from this time period (late ’80s-early ’90s) available in English, and it’s a rare treat to be able to read something like this. They differ drastically from contemporary short story collections in English like Matsuri Hino’s Wanted or even a comparable josei collection like Mari Okazaki’s Sweat and Honey. The only things in-print to compare them to are probably Fumi Yoshinaga’s stories, though even those have a more contemporary feel to them.

The stories themselves are quite exquisite. Three of the stories are pretty standard romance-type stories, though “Angel Time” and “X” have slightly less stereotypical settings than “The Gentleman and the Lady.” Their beauty comes with the simplicity of their stories and the rather honest and subtle way the characters deal with their problems. There is no drama or backstabbing, but the emotion is just as intense. My favorite of the bunch was the unique “Dr. Urashima’s Treasure Chest.” At first glance, a story about time travel and science seems out of place, and unwanted government interest in a time machine is kind of a given. But the reasons the government wants the time machine are less typical, and the character’s responses and decision are even more surprising. It’s an unusual story that will probably stay with me for a long time.

The stand-out couple in the volume was probably the pair featured in “X,” which was essentially about a young couple who spin a series of lies to protect each other, and you can see both of them falling deeper and deeper into the holes they dig for themselves. The characters in “The Gentleman and the Lady” are also good, but the emotion is so understated in that story that it’s sometimes hard to tell what they might be thinking. I’m fond of this technique since it shows rather than spells out the character’s feelings, but I can see how it might throw off someone who might not be used to it.

I did like the art, but that may only be because I’m fond of older shojo artwork. The character designs are a little dated, but no less lovely, and the girls and guys are all visually different from one another. Backgrounds are sparse, but some of the rather lovely artistic flourishes and linework characteristic of older shojo artwork make up for it.

I think there’s an audience for this series: people who read Fumi Yoshinaga and clamor for the release of The Song of the Wind and Trees would probably enjoy this volume. It’s easy to see how it flew under the radar since it was an internet-only release, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you are at all interested in josei or classic shojo manga.

The Gentleman and the Lady is available online at NETCOMICS.com.