I love the story. It's soooo vanilla and so sweet!!! But, the characters are all look the same. It makes me dizzy by looking at how similar they are, some characters look different but it's because they have special traits like Hakim who has dark skin, Emma with eyeglasses, etc. Other than that, I can't tell any different one from another.

Also, I reread it again, it feels Emma is so boring. Now I remember, it took me a month to finish this 10 volumes manga because I get bored. I get it, Kaoru Mori wanted to make Emma has upper class lady's feeling, but seriously, she doesn't has any character development. All she does is: "Thank you." or "I'm sorry." I can't help but to feel Emma is a Mary Sue.

What makes me love this manga is because of other characters, such as those 2 German couple. Ho man! Their love story is better than Emma and William's. And Doug and Kelly's left sweet pain for me during their story. Other character are really better than Emma and WIlliam's.

I didn't hate Emma or William, well, maybe I dislike William a bit because of he did to Eleanor, but these two are very typical main characters for such manga. And of course, you need someone like Vivi (whom I hate so much) to make this manga longer (and getting boring). I don't hate the slow pace manga, but I can't help to feel the ending is so rush. Kaoru Mori could develop Vivi and Emma's relationship since Vivi dislike Emma in the beginning. Also, I after I reread it again for the second time, what about that old viscount?? I read that he actually bankrupt?? And he has lots of affair, yet in the manga, that vicount and the wife are just gone. Poof! No more scandalous viscount.

... Last updated on April 20th, 2019, 8:55am

I fell in love with this manga.
Haha, I just loved everything about it.

Well, except for how easily things seemed to work out at times.
Still, it was a beautiful read. I agree with the comment where it's basically the "Jane Austen story of manga."

... Last updated on February 26th, 2016, 7:56pm

First, the artwork. Like Mori's other works, the background art is fabulous with great details. You can really immerse with the world because of the background art. However, by today's standards, the character design and facial expressions are somewhat lacking.

Now, for the story. The story is very slow. Its purpose is to allow the readers to slowly dream inside its world, accompanied by the detailed background artwork. If you're a person that likes to read about slice of life moments and focus the story on side characters as much as the protagonists, then it'll be great for you.

For the romance aspect, it's lackluster. The romance between the main characters came very sudden without much build up. Because the author likes to build upon slice of life moments for side characters, the story tends to go on a BIG TANGENT, which really disrupts the flow of the main plot. Often, there'll be a chapter that ends in a cliffhanger drama and you'll be anxious to read what happens next to resolve the problem but then the entire next volume will focus on side characters' daily lives... This type of tangent happens quite a lot. So much so that about 70% of the series seems like fillers or oneshots. So for people who's looking for strong romance and developments, you'll be somewhat disappointed.

Overall, it'll have been perfect if the author didn't go tangent with her stories but that's how she is for her other series too. However, after reading this series, you really do feel like the world she built was alive because of the art, the historical details and of the amount of attention she spent on sol moments for the side characters.

... Last updated on August 8th, 2015, 2:43am

I absolutely loved it! Went through the whole series in one sitting. I can see that a lot of you found that your expectations of the manga did live up considering that the author's current work Otoyomegatari was/is an artistic masterpiece, but do note that Emma was an earlier work of the mangaka's and would have been substanstially different from her latter works.

Nonetheless, the story was moving, well-thought out and the mangaka really knows how to put emotions into her characters.

Again, brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

    As with anything, if one uses a different set of standards than are intended, the work does not hold up. Otoyomegatari is Otoyomegartari; Emma is Emma. The artwork comes off as simpler because what is being drawn is simpler. The relationships seen in this manga function differently because the setting is completely different. The plot is more dramatic because the focus is on a plot, not a culture. Etc. (For me personally, it helps that I read Emma before Otoyomegatari: I read the latter as a completely different animal.)
    I know that this manga is tagged as "Love at First Sight," but neither of the protagonists are examples (sure, he's immediately interested in her, but that's rather a different thing). The romance is not annoying, and the social customs and background seem just as important. Emma both reads well and shows a fair bit of realism without attempting to be normal (because the situation obviously isn't). In short, Emma is believable and delightful (from the characters, to the art, to the plot, to the pacing). As always Mori-sensei is incredibly detailed and uses her medium superbly. Either ending (volume eight or ten) works well, without being too laborious, although all the tying of ends and insight into characters was a superb touch.
    As with all her other works, Emma is also a good example of "Mono no Aware," even in a Western setting (it isn't as though the sentiment is completely foreign). Fans of the "long century" (the Victorian Period in England, "la belle époque" in France, the "Meiji" and "Taishou" in Japan, etc.) would enjoy this, as would those who enjoy works which have a focus on social observation along with the plot (such as Jane Austen).

... Last updated on April 25th, 2021, 4:46pm

I like this manga because im a sucker for historical love. I recomend reading this to almost everyone who love romance but to be honest, i like the side couple (uhmm i dont remember name but they are so cute: wife is sexy and all that while the husband is quiet but kinda freaky too).

I know the title is silly, but this was my reaction the whole time reading Emma. I don't know where to start with this series. The characters? The plot? The accurate display of Victorian England? The love between the protagonists? The art? The drama? Seriously though, I could say a lot regarding this series, but I won't. I'll keep it short though: READ IT!

it's wonderfully subtle and I can tell a lot of research went into this whole thing. The romance is not annoying and main girl is relatable.

it's wonderfulllll

It really is a good read. A satisfying ending with a good start. However, near the end we never really see how Emma debuts into society or how she managed to obtain William's family acceptance and what not. The side stories near the end overwhelms the reader and sometimes I don't even know who is who with the introduction of so many side characters.

The art is wonderful and really sets the mood for this type of story. The details in the story proves that the author puts much hard work in researching.

Emma and William's love story is cute and sweet.
Wholesomely illustrated,sure it was a good ending and circumstances.

That German couple's story is very appealing too..sweet and cunning.