“C” is for…
Cappuccino, written and illustrated by Wataru (Ultra Maniac, Marmalade Boy) Yoshizumi, serialized in Shueisha’s Chorus, one volume. One of my favorite shôjo creators tells the tale of an unmarried, cohabitating couple trying to make their relationship work. Another Yoshizumi josei title is Cherish, also from Chorus, also one volume. Update: Cherish has been published in French by Glénat and in German by Tokyopop. Cappuccino has been published in German by Tokyopop.
Clover, written an illustrated by Toriko Chiya, serialized in Shueisha’s Bouquet, then in Cookie, then in Chorus, 24 volumes. It’s about an office lady with a complicated love life. It would have to be complicated to need two dozen volumes, wouldn’t it?
The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese, written and illustrated by Setona (After School Nightmare, X-Day) Mizushiro, serialized in Shogakukan’s Judy, one volume, published in French by Asuka. Described by some as Mizushiro’s masterwork, it’s about a sexy relationship that begins with blackmail. Update: There’s a second part to this story, The Carp on the Chopping Block Jumps Twice, also serialized in Judy and published as the second volume of Cornered Mouse by Asuka. Both are available in Italian courtesy of Kappa Edizioni and in German courtesy of Carlsen Verlag.
Corseltel no Ryuujitsushi, written and illustrated by Ayuma Isurugi, serialized in Ichijinsha’s Comic Zero-Sum, 4 volumes. This charming-looking fantasy series is about magicians who can use the powers of dragons in return for caring for those powerful creatures.
Crash, written and illustrated by Erica Sakurazawa, serialized in Shodensha’s Feel Young, two volumes, published in French by Kaze. This one takes a frank look at the entertainment industry and the ways it can dehumanize its promising stars.
A Cruel God Reigns, written and illustrated by Moto (A Drunken Dream and Other Stories) Hagio, serialized in Shogakukan’s Petit Flower, 17 volumes. This sprawling, emotionally brutal story explores the horrible and lasting consequences of sexual abuse.
Magazines:
- Chorus, published by Shueisha.
- Comic Amour, published by Dream Maker.
- Comic Zero-Sum, published by Ichijinsha.
- Cutie Comic, published by Takarajimasha, defunct.
What starts with “C” in your josei alphabet?
Reader recommendations and reminders:
Sean (A Case Suitable for Treatment) Gaffney brought up an interesting question on Twitter. What are we to make of Shueisha’s Cookie? I believe it’s technically shôjo, though it seems to have been launched by the staff of Shueisha’s defunct josei magazine, Bouquet, and it feeds a fair number of series into Shueisha’s Chorus. Cookie is the home publication of Ai Yazawa’s NANA (Viz), just to confuse things further.