Shiroi Heya no Futari
Encyclopedia
, is a yuri manga
by Ryoko Yamagishi
, one of the Year 24 Group
. It was first published by Shueisha
in Ribon
in 1971, making it one of the earliest shōjo
yuri manga, and is the story of a romance between two girls at a prestigious all-girls school in France
.
ed Resine decides, against her aunt's wishes, to attend the same boarding school
as her mother. She finds it difficult to fit herself into the life of the school. Resine must also share a room with Simone, the rebellious daughter of a famous actress. Simone does not make Resine feel welcome, and Simone takes advantage of every chance she gets to cause trouble. Simone goes out late with boys, copies Resine's homework, and teases Resine every time she cries.
In spite of everything, the two girls become closer, although Resine cannot name the feeling.
The school puts on a production of Romeo and Juliet
- Simone is quickly chosen to be Romeo, whilst Resine is chosen to be Juliet. Resine expresses some worry about having to kiss Simone, but she is told that she can pretend to kiss Simone. On stage, however, their kiss is "passionate - and real". After the play, Resine and Simone go into the woods, and kiss again. However, a girl who missed out on the role of Romeo saw them, and she begins to spread malicious gossip about the pair.
Resine tries to distance herself from Simone because of the gossip, and Simone tries to comfort her. First she tells Resine to ignore the gossip. Resine finds that impossible. Later, Simone takes Resine out on the town to find her a boyfriend. Resine throws her energies into dating her new boyfriend, and Simone becomes depressed. Simone and Resine have an argument. Resine runs away, going back to her aunt's house and becoming sick. Some months later, after recovering, Resine learns that Simone had died. She returns to the school to find out that Simone had incited one of her boyfriends to kill her. Resine swears to keep on living, forever loveless and alone.
, Riyoko Ikeda
, and Ichijo Yukari, becoming "prototypical" of a common yuri story in the 1970s and 1980s which Fujimoto dubs "Crimson Rose and Candy". Here, "Candy" is a femme
character who admires "Rose," a more butch character. "Candy" and "Rose"'s attachment becomes the subject of rumours or even blackmail, even while "Candy" and "Rose" grow to acknowledge their relationship as being romantic. Rose dies "almost without fail" in order to protect "Candy" from scandal. James Welker regards these stories to contain elements of "lesbian panic". Welker presents Frederik Schodt's view that melodramatic endings were "common" in "early shōjo manga", but presents Fujimoto's suggestion that "patriarchal forces" were responsible for the tragic ending of the "Crimson Rose and Candy" stories.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Ryoko Yamagishi
Ryoko Yamagishi
is a female Japanese manga artist. She is considered to be one of the Year 24 Group. She studied ballet as a child, which plays a part in many of her works. When she read the manga of Machiko Satonaka in 1964, she decided to pursue becoming a manga artist. Although her parents did not agree with...
, one of the Year 24 Group
Year 24 group
refers to one of two female manga artist groups which are considered to have revolutionized shōjo manga . Their works often examine "radical and philosophical issues", including sexuality and gender issues, and many of their works are now considered "classics" of shōjo manga...
. It was first published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
in Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
in 1971, making it one of the earliest shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
yuri manga, and is the story of a romance between two girls at a prestigious all-girls school in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Plot
The orphanOrphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed Resine decides, against her aunt's wishes, to attend the same boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
as her mother. She finds it difficult to fit herself into the life of the school. Resine must also share a room with Simone, the rebellious daughter of a famous actress. Simone does not make Resine feel welcome, and Simone takes advantage of every chance she gets to cause trouble. Simone goes out late with boys, copies Resine's homework, and teases Resine every time she cries.
In spite of everything, the two girls become closer, although Resine cannot name the feeling.
The school puts on a production of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
- Simone is quickly chosen to be Romeo, whilst Resine is chosen to be Juliet. Resine expresses some worry about having to kiss Simone, but she is told that she can pretend to kiss Simone. On stage, however, their kiss is "passionate - and real". After the play, Resine and Simone go into the woods, and kiss again. However, a girl who missed out on the role of Romeo saw them, and she begins to spread malicious gossip about the pair.
Resine tries to distance herself from Simone because of the gossip, and Simone tries to comfort her. First she tells Resine to ignore the gossip. Resine finds that impossible. Later, Simone takes Resine out on the town to find her a boyfriend. Resine throws her energies into dating her new boyfriend, and Simone becomes depressed. Simone and Resine have an argument. Resine runs away, going back to her aunt's house and becoming sick. Some months later, after recovering, Resine learns that Simone had died. She returns to the school to find out that Simone had incited one of her boyfriends to kill her. Resine swears to keep on living, forever loveless and alone.
Commentary
Yukari Fujimoto regards Shiori Heya no Futari to have influenced works by Machiko SatonakaMachiko Satonaka
is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She debuted in 1964 with Pia no Shouzou in Shōjo Friend, for which she received Kodansha New Faces award. She has received multiple awards, including the 1982 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for Karyūdo no Seiza and a Lifetime Works and Cultural Activities...
, Riyoko Ikeda
Riyoko Ikeda
is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She is included in the Year 24 Group. She was one of the most popular Japanese comic artists in the 1970s, being best known for The Rose of Versailles.- Biography :...
, and Ichijo Yukari, becoming "prototypical" of a common yuri story in the 1970s and 1980s which Fujimoto dubs "Crimson Rose and Candy". Here, "Candy" is a femme
Butch and femme
Butch and femme are LGBT terms describing respectively, masculine and feminine traits, behavior, style, expression, self-perception and so on. They are often used in the lesbian, bisexual and gay subcultures...
character who admires "Rose," a more butch character. "Candy" and "Rose"'s attachment becomes the subject of rumours or even blackmail, even while "Candy" and "Rose" grow to acknowledge their relationship as being romantic. Rose dies "almost without fail" in order to protect "Candy" from scandal. James Welker regards these stories to contain elements of "lesbian panic". Welker presents Frederik Schodt's view that melodramatic endings were "common" in "early shōjo manga", but presents Fujimoto's suggestion that "patriarchal forces" were responsible for the tragic ending of the "Crimson Rose and Candy" stories.