Golden Japaesque manga

Started this one recently. So far, there are only 2 volumes available. I’ve read both, and liked it fairly well.

It’s a historical romance, set in Japan, roughly 1900. I think it’s also about the same time as Rurouni Kenshin is set, if you’re more familiar with that story. It’s a time when the west is influence Japanese culture quite a lot.

The main character is a young woman named Maria, whose mother is Japanese but whose father was from the west, as yet not much has been explained about him. Maria has some very western physical characteristics, blond hair and blue eyes, but in the culture of that time, these have only brought her ridicule from other children as she was growing up. Her mother has tried to disguise her appearance, by for example darkening her hair.

It’s a romance, so there’s the boy who starts showing an interest in her, and helps her begin to get over her hang-ups.

Not much action or fighting, though there is a brief fight when a couple of thugs try to corner Maria and carry her away. Yes, there’s more going on then just making the romance work out in the end.

Like I said at the first, I’ve enjoyed this so far, and I look forward to the rest. It raises some interesting questions: What will happen to Maria and her family now that she’d not hiding her western appearance so much? What opportunities and conflicts will that cause? What about her father, as there seems to be a hint or two that he may be someone of importance?