Manga Review: The Heiress and the Chauffeur, Volume 1, by Keiko Ishihara

Rating (Out of 5): ~4
Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Volumes: 2.
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.
Volume: 2.
Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

At an all-girls school during the Taisho era in Japan, rumors swirl that heiress Sayaka Yoshimura is having a forbidden love affair with her chauffeur, Shinobu Narutaki! Sayaka scoffs at the rumors, but could a romance between master and servant actually be brewing?

Sayaka wears a crimson ribbon that signals she is at the top of her class, and her classmates all revere her. So when Narutaki ignores decorum and breaks school rules to protect Sayaka, will she stand by him or dismiss him as the school demands?

Review: 

This is a historic series, and while I’m not usually a historic reader, I don’t mind it here. Though the setting isn’t given a lot of depth, and might not even be fully accurate. That’s not a big deal to me. Mostly we get the clothes, little technology and modern ideals, and more modesty in society. It is very pretty, too.

Sayaka goes to an all-girls school, and spends a lot of time with her chauffeur Shinobu, making people think indecent things. Even when Sayaka is being bullied and unsure of things, she still stays strong, though. Even when everyone around her scolds them for her chauffeur going where he shouldn’t, and questioning whether they have an intimate relationship, she doesn’t back down. She stays strong and defends him and herself. I do admit that Shinobu saves her more than he should, but I kind of think it’s a fault on him and his protective instinct, not because she can’t defend herself.

I particularly admire that when Shinobu is forced to be punished, she even takes that on herself so no one else can do it, in a way to protect him. Her inner strength and smarts is nice to see. I’m really looking forward to picking up the next and final volume and seeing how it ends.

There’s also a one-shot at the end of the volume, and it’s a cute story about siblings forced to repay a debt and trying to get out of it. It had a relatively surprise ending that I appreciated.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!