In Meiji-era Japan, sixteen-year-old Maria wishes she can change her appearance. If only her eyes and hair were different, maybe she wouldn’t be met with such fear, and maybe her own mother wouldn’t be so ashamed of her. But when Maria encounters a handsome yet mischievous boy named Rintarou, her understanding of beauty-and herself-begins to change. To him, Maria’s not just pretty; she’s straight out of a fairy tale! A historical romance unfolds on the streets of Yokohama...
When Rintarou asks Maria to accompany him to his family’s next party, it’s like something out of a dream. But as Maria’s feelings for him only grow stronger, she worries that Yokohama high society is no place for the daughter of a lowly Mayuzumi family helper. Can Maria overcome her self-doubt and the class divide-especially when there’s a romantic rival who’s ever so eager to remind Maria of her station?
Maria’s diligent training to become a proper lady is interrupted by Rintarou’s sudden return from abroad. Somehow, her Prince Charming is even dreamier than before-and now he’s inviting her to accompany him to a ball. But when his mother and the womanizing Chiaki attempt to redirect their affections, Maria and Rintarou’s first dance as a couple may very well be their last...!
Hoping to marry despite their families’ wishes, Maria sneaks out in the middle of the night to run away with Rintarou. But unbeknownst to her, Rintarou’s father has suddenly fallen ill, and it’s the playboy Chiaki who arrives to take her back home. Although heartbroken by Rintarou’s unexplained abandonment, Maria-with some teasing encouragement from Chiaki-resolves to continue her English practice. She’ll show her former fiancée that under her “catskin coat,” she’s the girl he let get away!
After being confessed to by both Haruma and Touya, Yoh’s heart is in turmoil. Meanwhile, Wakana, showing her true colors, reveals her plan to trap Yoh…? In an amusement park where each of their expectations clash, what will Yoh decide!? The story reaches a new stage with the conclusion of Wakana's arc!
Thanks to Rintarou, Maria now sees both herself and the world around her in a new light-and is even entertaining thoughts of a genuine courtship! But as the two seriously consider taking the next step, not everyone is eager to see it happen. Between Maria’s worried mother, stifling social mores, and a suave womanizer ready to ruin a storybook romance, can Maria and Rintarou’s love over come all obstacles ?
THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP…AND BL! Comitia is well underway, but Ichinoi is getting overheated and they have yet to sell a single thing! Urara is just about to throw in the towel when a certain someone from the publishing industry shows up at her table! Can true friendship make dreams come true? Find out in the final volume of BL Metamorphosis! The final volume!
A sweet workplace romance with a touch of magic! Misono is an office drone with his own ups and downs at work, but thankfully he has an ally–his senpai Shizuka, who happens to be a witch. Shizuka is always ready to lend a hand to those in need, but Misono thinks she should take better care of herself, since zipping around on a broomstick to run errands can be quite stressful. Is Misono’s overprotective concern for Shizuka driven by mere respect for this flustered witch, or could it be more? Let this magical romantic comedy cast its spell on you!
Pain and pleasure collide when a sophisticated underworld boss crosses paths with a naive photographer hell-bent on bringing him down! This deluxe edition includes never-before-released material as well as a double-sided color insert and special cover treatment! Photographer Akihito Takaba takes on a risky assignment trying to document the illegal activities of the Japanese underworld. When he captures its leader—the handsome, enigmatic Ryuichi Asami—in the crosshairs of his viewfinder, Takaba’s world is changed forever. Asami faces off against his greatest enemy yet, and worried for Akihito’s safety, he tells him to wait somewhere safe. But sitting idly by has never been Akihito’s thing, so he insists on staying by Asami’s side. The two know that when the big showdown begins, there will be no turning back. Will they prevail once again, or has their luck finally run out?
Named one of the best books of 2017 by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Literary Hub. Winner of the Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year Award. One of Vulture's 10 Best Thriller Books of 2017. “Already a bestseller in Japan and the U.K., this cinematic crime novel suffused with fascinating cultural details follows a police department reinvestigating a chilling kidnapping that stumped them 14 years earlier.” —Entertainment Weekly, The Must List THE NIGHTMARE NO PARENT COULD ENDURE. THE CASE NO DETECTIVE COULD SOLVE. THE TWIST NO READER COULD PREDICT. For five days, the parents of a seven-year-old Japanese schoolgirl sat and listened to the demands of their daughter’s kidnapper. They would never learn his identity. And they would never see their daughter alive again. Fourteen years later, the mystery remains unsolved. The police department’s press officer—Yoshinobu Mikami, a former detective who was involved in the original case and who is now himself the father of a missing daughter—is forced to revisit the botched investigation. The stigma of the case known as “Six Four” has never faded; the police’s failure remains a profound source of shame and an unending collective responsibility. Mikami does not aspire to solve the crime. He has worked in the department for his entire career, and while he has his own ambitions and loyalties, he is hoping simply to reach out to the victim’s family and to help finally put the notorious case to rest. But when he spots an anomaly in the files, he uncovers secrets he never could have imagined. He would never have even looked if he’d known what he would find. An award-winning phenomenon in its native Japan—more than a million copies sold, and the winner of the Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year award—and already a critically celebrated top-ten bestseller in the U.K., Hideo Yokoyama’s Six Four is an unforgettable novel by a literary master at the top of his form. It is a dark and riveting plunge into a crime, an investigation, and a culture like no other.
