A Japanese legend painted in a traditional way and published in the form of a manga? Why not! The CLAMP group decided in this way to present us the Tales of the White Princess .
Four stories
Tales of the White Princess is a single-volume book published in Poland by Waneko. It contains four stories that connect the theme of winter and the tragedies played in them. In Up the Bad Wolf, young Fabuki tries to take revenge on the wolf responsible for her father’s death. However, it soon turns out that no one should be judged solely on the basis of rumors. The Ice Flower tells the story of a young couple who have to separate for several years and vows to meet again. However, you should always think about what you promise yourself. Loversin turn, it is a story about an archer lost in a blizzard who decides too hastily to kill a heron. In addition, we also get a prologue and epilogue, showing the White Princess and trying to combine the manga into a whole.
Heroes in the background
It’s hard to talk about the heroes depicted in the manga. All four stories are short and we do not have a chance to look at them in detail. They are certainly tragedy in common. Each of the characters has their own drama. However, the title White Princess comes to the fore here. It is modeled on the Yuki-onna, an ancient being that appears on snowy days. As in legends, in the comic we are dealing with a beautiful woman with white skin and black hair, dressed in white kimono. Contrary to the legends, however, the Princess does not push anyone over the edge, but only tells stories that she has seen, although it seems that she did not take part in them. Our heroine appears only in the prologue and epilogue, but she is mentioned by the other characters also in three further stories.
Just look
The plot contained in the Tale of the White Princessit is highly melancholic and makes the viewer reflect. The manga, however, is read very quickly due to the very small amount of text. The most important thing in the comic is the graphics. Ladies from the CLAMP group have created a real masterpiece that is amazing. Almost any frame could be framed and hung on the wall as a decoration. The line used in the manga brings to mind traditional Japanese art. Everything seems to have been created with watercolors. The backgrounds are mostly white, which is supposed to represent the ubiquitous snow – when we look at them, it immediately gets colder. The snowflakes falling on the figures also look realistic and at times it seems that they are actually moving in front of our eyes. The heroes themselves, on the other hand, were created using black, white and several shades of gray. Narrow silhouettes, long, thread-like hair, different line thickness, which is often blurred, can make you truly delight. Therefore, it is worth stopping for a few moments on each page and admiring the work of the creators.
Summary
The Tales of the White Princess is a one-volume book that is definitely worth reaching for. Although the stories contained in it are short and the entire comic can be read in several minutes, it can evoke a sad mood and make the reader reflect. The most important thing in the manga, however, is the graphics. Fantastic drawings make it difficult to take your eyes off them. With each new page, we only regret that there are fewer and fewer of them to see. So if you are looking for an interesting atmosphere and would like to watch real art, be sure to reach for this notebook.
