The Legend Of Princess Sakura and Stepping On Roses Volume 5 Release

Today was the release of the mangas, The Legend of Princess Sakura and Stepping On Roses volume 5. To others, The Legend Of Princess Sakura is better known as "Sakura Hime Kaden", and Stepping On Roses, "Hadashi de Bara wo Fume". 

 

I've counted down to this day, although I didn't get them today (Julie did too!). Both of my favourite mangakas release on the same day? It's a dream come true. 


To those who've read the past blogs, you've already read the sypnosis of Stepping on Roses. You also know how deeply in love I am with it. 


The Legend of Princess Sakura is a heian era manga (another historical bonus for me!). The sypnosis is: 

"Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her...

Princess Sakura has been engaged to Prince Oura since birth. Aoba, an emissary from the court, has come to accompany her move to the capital for her upcoming nuptials. Taking a dislike to Aoba and wanting to escape a life arranged by others, Sakura runs away-and finds she's caught up to her true destiny."

I also love reading about Japanese arranged marriages, so another plus! I'm looking forward to owning these two volumes. Just like "tradition", there'll be a post up when I buy both! 

Photo rights go to Viz Media, Rinko Ueda, Arina Tanemura

Mangakas: Arina Tanemura

Arina Tanemura is one of my favourite mangakas! She wrote so many wonderful series, and I hope she continues to do so.


She was born in Aichi, Japan, and began her career in 1996 by publishing some stories in Ribon.


Tanemura has a really big worldwide fan base. She has been to San Diego, and I remember reading in her side panels that she also has been to Germany. She probably wrote about other countries she's visited in her side panels.


In my eyes, I find her to be one of the best because she always pushes herself to the limit. Her artworks are extraordinarily detailed, and her art itself is fantastic! I really like the storylines too. They're very original, and with her main series, the concept isn't typical. Throughout the years, she has kept on improving her work, both in the art sense and story sense. If she can improve what she has now, I wonder what fantastic work she'll bring to the otaku world.




Titles of her works are:

• The Style Of Second Love - 1996 (Japanese title: Nibanme no Koi Katachi) 
• Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne - 1998 
• Short Tempered Melancholic - 1998 (Japanese title: Kanshaku Dama no Yuutsu) 
• ION - 1997
• Time Stranger Kyoko - 2000 (Japanese title: Jikuu Ihōjin Kyoko) 
• Full Moon o Sagashite - 2001 (Japanese title: Furu Mun wo Sagashite) 
• The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross - 2004 (Japanese title: Shinshi Doumei Kurosu) 
• Mistress Fortune - 2008 (Japanese title: Zettai Kakusei Tencshi Misutoresu Fochun) 
• The Legend of Princess Sakura - 2011 (Japanese title: Sakura Hime Kaden)

*The years above are years of English release, if released in English at all.

If I had to pick a favourite out of her works, I would have to say "The Legend of Princess Sakura", which by the way is coming to North America really soon! I'm looking forward to buying the series! When I read this series online, after finishing each chapter, my brain screamed, "NEXT CHAPTER, NEXT CHAPTER!" There was definitely suspense there. I screamed this all the way to chapter 12, where, at the time, there were no more updated scanslations. This was last year, and since then, I haven't kept up with the updates. I don't plan to either, since I found out that it was coming in English. Reading it online would just spoil the surprise for me when I read it from an actual manga. I really do hate that. Although I hate spoilers, there is one series that I always check for updates - Hadashi de Bara wo Fume, or in English, Stepping on Roses. 

I will continue to support Tanemura sensei, and I hope that others will too!




So far, this is all I have by Tanemura-sensei:

*I should really start taking pictures with a real camera instead of cell phone (cries).

I can't wait for The Legend of Princess Sakura!