Manga Review: Miriam

Name: Miriam
Author & Artist: HIKAWA Kyouko
Chapters: 28 approx.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Shoujo

Plot:

This is a cowboy shoujo manga set in the Wild West. Miriam is an orphan. Her father was a drunken gambler; she only had one dress and they moved from place to place, until one day her father died and Grace took her in. The series follows Miriam's life, growing up, and falling in love with her life-long friend, the skillful sharpshooter Douglas.

Review:

Sorry this was a draft for ages but I forgot to queue it since I've been swamped by finals and my likelihood of failure is still 50/50. Anyway, from the same author as Kanata Kara, it's another adventure story with a cowboy twist. I thoroughly enjoyed read it despite it being a western set shoujo.


One of the most interesting things about this is it was publsihed in the early 1980s, a period of time when shoujo was transitioning out of the galaxy eyes but still experimenting with stories set outside in Japan. Miriam is a great example of 80s art that even readers today can appreciate.

It's more or less a crime solving western with enough developed romance that doesn't leave things with an open ending. It has elements of adventure and action to boot so it doesn't leave you bored at all.

Another thing I love is the main character, Miriam, who is smart, strong, agile on her feet and never gets bogged down by her circumstances. She plays an active role in this story which compliments the other main lead, Douglas. Douglas is your typical guy who tries to be bad but has an inherently kind nature. There's back-stories for both of them but it does lack some background some of the other side characters

Some people might find a 10 year age gap to be a bit much. Considering the time and how it develops, it doesn't weird you out at all. The story does start with Miriam at 8 and Douglas as an 18 year old, the romance doesn't begin until Miriam is 18.

All in all, would highly recommend this as a taste of 80s shoujo and a manga with some substance and well rounded characters.