| The Poe Clan | |
 Cover of the first Japanese paperback volume, featuring Edgar (left) and Marybelle (right) | |
| ポーの一族 (Pō no Ichizoku) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Moto Hagio |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Flower Comics |
| Magazine |
|
| Original run | Initial run March 1972 – June 1976 Continued run July 2016 –present |
| Volumes | 7(List of volumes) |
| Notable adaptations | |
| |
The Poe Clan (Japanese:ポーの一族,Hepburn:Pō no Ichizoku) is a Japanesemanga series written and illustrated byMoto Hagio. It was initially serialized in themanga magazinesBessatsu Shōjo Comic andShūkan Shōjo Comic from 1972 to 1976, while a revival of the series has been serialized inFlowers since 2016.The Poe Clan is composed of a series ofnon-chronological stories set between the 18th and 21st centuries that follow the life of Edgar Portsnell, a teenagevampire.
The manga has been collected into seventankōbon volumes by the publishing houseShogakukan, and was the firstshōjo manga series to be published by the company in this format.The Poe Clan has been adapted multiple times, notably as aradio drama, a series of CD audio dramas, alive-action television drama, and aTakarazuka Revue stage play.Fantagraphics Books licensed the manga for an English-language release in North America to be published in twoomnibus volumes, the first of which was released in 2019.The Poe Clan was a critical and commercial success upon its release, winning theShogakukan Manga Award in 1975. The series significantly influencedshōjo manga, theshōnen-ai (male-male romance) genre, andvampire literature.
The Poe Clan is composed of a series ofnon-chronological stories set in Europe, primarily England and Germany, between the 18th and 21st centuries.[4] The series chronicles the life of Edgar Portsnell and his two traveling companions: his younger sister Marybelle Portsnell, and his friend Alan Twilight. All three are members of the titular Poe clan, a group of immortal "vampirnellas" (vampires)[a] who do not age and subsist on human blood.[b]
The clan maintains a strict code of only converting humans when they have reached adulthood, but by a confluence of circumstances, Edgar is made into a vampirnella at the age of fourteen. Edgar finds he is isolated from both the human world as a result of his immortality, and from the adult vampirnellas of the clan due to his eternally-teenaged body.[6] Overcome by loneliness, he converts Marybelle when she is thirteen, only to find his loneliness replaced by the remorse of having taken his sister's humanity; he vows to dedicate his life to her happiness and well-being.[7]
Several decades pass and Marybelle meets and falls in love with Alan, who at the time is a human teenager. Shortly thereafter, she and Edgar's adoptive parents are killed by humans who discover their vampirnella nature. Edgar is overwhelmed by grief; Alan, who has himself fallen into despair upon learning that he is to be wed in an arranged marriage, agrees to be converted by Edgar.[8] The two boys form a close companionship, and the series follows their exploits over the subsequent century. While the particulars of Edgar and Alan's adventures vary, the series broadly explores the concept of time from the conflicting perspectives of mortality and immortality: the former represented by the humans they encounter, to whom they represent the dream of eternal youth; and the latter represented by Edgar, who must live with "the loneliness of everlasting life."[9]
Japan has no tradition of vampires in literature and other media; the archetype was imported from works of western fiction beginning in the 1930s.[10] Science fiction criticMari Kotani has argued that in Japan, the vampire as a specifically western figure represents a hostile "other," particularly following theSecond World War and subsequentoccupation of Japan by the United States.[4] However, Kotani notes that inshōjo manga (girls' comics), the west is often depicted as idealized and utopian, typically a result of the cultural influence of Hollywood cinema, American literature, and western fashion; the figure of the vampire, as a western cultural product, is thus viewed positively in thisshōjo context.[4]
In her youth,Moto Hagio disliked stories featuring vampires, as they were depicted as "villains who attack human beings."[11] In 1962, the manga artistShotaro Ishinomori published theone-shot (single-chapter) mangaMist, Roses and Stars, a science fiction story about the tragic life of a vampire girl, in the manga magazineShōjo Club. Hagio became inspired by the manga, and began to conceive of her own "beautiful vampire story" about a vampire who "long[s] to return to a normal human existence" but is "rejected by humanity."[11]
In 1971 Hagio publishedThe November Gymnasium, a one-shot about an all-boys school written as an early adaptation of her later seriesThe Heart of Thomas. The story made Hagio realize that she preferred writing stories about male protagonists, and she thus decided to have the protagonist of her vampire story be a boy.[11] She created the term "vampirnella" after misreading a word while searching for terms that could be used as a substitute for "vampire"; attracted to the vaguely Italian sound of her invention, she adopted it for the series.[12] At the same time, Hagio had developed an interest incostumes; she began to writeThe Poe Clan after becoming inspired by the idea of a story about an immortal protagonist who wears the attire of different historical periods throughout their life.[13]
Hagio made her debut as a manga artist in 1969; by 1972 she was still considered as a novice, and thus was only permitted by her editorJunya Yamamoto [ja] to publish short one-shots.[14] Hagio originally conceived ofThe Poe Clan as a trilogy, with each part consisting of roughly one hundred pages and set respectively in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.[15] In order to publish the story under these editorial constraints, Hagio adopted two strategies: first, she began writingThe Poe Clan as a series of one-shots that functioned as standalone stories, but which featured serial-like interrelated narratives and recurring characters. Second, she focused early chapters ofThe Poe Clan on Marybelle and other female characters, asshōjo manga stories featuring male protagonists were less readily accepted in this era.[14]
In the February 1972 issue ofBessatsu Shōjo Comic, Hagio announced that she would begin publishing a story in the magazine on vampirism; the announcement took the form of an illustrated poem depicting Edgar and Marybelle entwined.[16]Limpid Locks of Silver, the first chapter of what would becomeThe Poe Clan, was published in the subsequent March 1972 issue. Hagio wrote several other unrelated manga one-shots in the next several issues of the magazine before publishing the second chapter ofThe Poe Clan in July 1972. Upon the publication of the third chapter in August 1972, Yamamoto realized that Hagio was creating a serialization; faced with thisfait accompli, he allowedThe Poe Clan to continue as an official serial, permitting Hagio to freely publish her originally planned trilogy.[14]
Hagio concluded her original trilogy in July 1973, but began conceiving of new chapters for the series during its serialization; she spent the next year developing new ideas forThe Poe Clan before launching her next serialization,The Heart of Thomas, in May 1974.[17] In June 1974, Shogakukan launched itsliterary imprint Flower Comics, which publishestankōbon (collected volume) editions ofshōjo manga serialized in the company's magazines;The Poe Clan was the first manga series to be released under the imprint. Thetankōbon edition ofThe Poe Clan sold out its initial print run of 30,000 copies in three days, an unprecedented sales volume at the time for ashōjo manga series that had not been adapted into ananime.[18] Shogakukan encouraged Hagio to conclude the then-unpopularThe Heart of Thomas to focus onThe Poe Clan, though Hagio insisted on continuing the series.[18]
Hagio completedThe Heart of Thomas in December 1974; in that same issue,Bessatsu Shōjo Comic published a new illustrated poem by Hagio announcing the publication of nine new chapters ofThe Poe Clan.[19] The series resumed publication in January 1975, with eight chapters published inBessatsu Shōjo Comic and one chapter inShūkan Shōjo Comic, with the final chapter of the series published in June 1976.[20]
Following the conclusion ofThe Poe Clan in 1976, Hagio repeatedly declined requests to create new chapters of the series.[21] Upon turning 60 years old in 2009, Hagio began to fear that she would no longer be able to write manga due to declining health, and was convinced by her friend and science fiction writerBaku Yumemakura to createPoe no Ichizoku: Haru no Yume (春の夢;lit. "The Poe Clan: Spring's Dream"), a one-shot sequel toThe Poe Clan.[22]Haru no Yume was published on May 28, 2016, in the July issue of Shogakukan's manga magazineFlowers, marking the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the original series.[23] Shogakukan printed 50,000 copies of the issue, an increase from the magazine's normal circulation of 33,000; the issue sold out in one day regardless, prompting a second printing of 15,000 issues.[23] Hagio subsequently wrote an additional chapter ofHaru no Yume, which was published in the May 2017 issue ofFlowers; both chapters were compiled as a collected volume published in July 2017.[24]
Hagio has continued to create additional sequels toThe Poe Clan following the conclusion ofHaru no Yume:
The following is a list of chapters ofThe Poe Clan, with officially-translated English-language titles noted where applicable. The following chapters ofThe Poe Clan were originally serialized inBessatsu Shōjo Comic:[30]
The following chapter was originally serialized inShūkan Shōjo Comic:[30]
The following chapters were originally serialized inFlowers:[31]
The Poe Clan has been collected into seventankōbon volumes published byShogakukan under the Flower Comics imprint, with the first volume released on May 28, 1974, and the last volume released on August 11, 1976.[32][33]The Poe Clan was the firstshōjo manga Shogakukan ever published intrade paperback format.[11][34] Shogakukan later re-released the entire series in threebunkoban volumes on July 17, 1998,[35][36][37] and then again in twowide-ban volumes on November 26, 2007, and December 21, 2007, respectively;[38][39] and finally, in two "premium edition" volumes released on February 26, 2019.[40]
Fantagraphics Books licensed the original run of the manga for an English-language release in North America, published in twohardcoveromnibus volumes translated byRachel Thorn.[41] The first volume was released on August 20, 2019,[42] and the second on September 20, 2022.[43] Fantagraphic is slated to begin publishing an English translation of the revival of the series in 2025.[44] Internationally, the manga is licensed in Italian by Ronin Manga,[45] Spanish by Ediciones Tomodomo,[46] and Polish byJaponica Polonica Fantastica.[47]
NHK-FM produced a six-partradio drama adaptation ofThe Poe Clan that aired on the station from January 1 to January 6, 1980. The adaptation was directed by Tokio Ōtani from a script written by Jun Takada, with sound effects by Shōichi Haraguchi and Tadashi Iwai, and starredTakarazuka Revue actressesAnna Jun [ja] in various male roles andHaruka Kurara [ja] as Edgar and in various female roles.Radio Kansai produced a radio drama adaptation of the series that aired on the station on October 6, 2007; the drama starredRomi Park as Edgar andMitsuki Saiga as Alan.[48]
Shogakukan released a series of six audio drama CDs adaptingThe Poe Clan from December 2007 to May 2008. Each volume covered a different generation of the Poe family and starredRomi Park as Edgar,Mitsuki Saiga as Alan, andYuka Inokuchi as Marybelle. The first four volumes also starredKōji Ishitobi as Baron Portsnell andYōko Sasaki as Sheila Portsnell.[49]
The drama CD label E-Star released an audio drama adaptation ofThe Poe Clan on March 22, 2013. It starsYoshitsugu Matsuoka as Edgar,Takuya Eguchi as Alan,Daisuke Hirakawa as Mathias,Takaya Hashi as Aubin,Toshihiko Seki as Clifford,Kazuma Horie as Robin, andTakurou Nakakuni [ja] as a thief.[50][51]
In February 2016,TV Asahi announced they would produce atelevision drama adaptation of the manga along withProduction I.G and Atmovie. Featuring an original story scripted by Katsuhide Suzuki and directed byKatsuyuki Motohiro,Stranger ~Bakemono ga Jiken wo Abaku~ (ストレンジャー〜バケモノが事件を暴く〜;lit. "Stranger: Disclosing the Monster Incident") shares the same worldview of Hagio's manga. Its single episode was broadcast on March 27, 2016,[52] and follows Akira Misugi (Shingo Katori), aTaishō era doctor who is mutated into a vampirnella by Maria (Ayami Nakajō), a child descendant of a vampirnella, when he attempts to commit suicide because of the death of his wife and child.[53]
In 2018, the all-femaleTakarazuka Revue's Flower Troupe adapted a chapter ofThe Poe Clan into a stage musical titledMusical Gothic: The Poe Clan (ミュージカル・ゴシック『ポーの一族』,Myūjikaru Goshikku: Pō no Ichizoku).[54] It was written and directed by Shūichirō Koike, who originally approached Hagio about creating a musical in 1985,[55] and starredRio Asumi as Edgar Portsnell, Rei Yuzuka as Alan Twilight, andAyase Senna [ja] as Baroness Sheila Portsnell.[56] The musical ran at theTakarazuka Grand Theater from January 1 to February 5, 2018, and then at theTokyo Takarazuka Theater from February 16 to March 25, 2018.[54] Its final performance was broadcast live to movie theaters in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.[57] A performance filmed in January at the Takarazuka Grand Theater was released on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan on March 20, 2018.[58][59] The Takarazuka version deemphasizes the sexual themes in the manga version and instead highlights the idea that unrelated individuals can become a clan-like family.[60]
In 2021, Shūichirō Koike directed a revival ofMusical Gothic: The Poe Clan, this time with a cast composed of both men and women.[61] Rio Asumi returned to reprise her role as Edgar Portsnell in her first musical performance since she left the Takarazuka Revue.[61][62] New cast members includedAiri Kisaki [ja] as Marybelle Portsnell, Yudai Chiba as Alan Twilight, andNene Yumesaki [ja] as Baroness Sheila Portsnell, among others.[63] The musical ran at theUmeda Arts Theater inOsaka from January 11 to January 26, 2021; then at theTokyo International Forum from February 3 to February 17, 2021; and finally, at theMisono-za inNagoya from February 23 to February 28, 2021.[63][64][65] Several performances werestreamed online aspay-per-view events on February 7, February 13, and February 28, 2021.[64] The musical's final performance was broadcast live to movie theaters in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan; it was also streamed online in Hong Kong and Taiwan.[62][64] A filmed performance was released on DVD in Japan on July 9, 2021.[66]
ReviewingThe Poe Clan forThe Comics Journal, Helen Chazan writes that while the series is "not so consistent and refined as in [Hagio's] later comics," she praises its narrative that gradually "grows from a low-stakes short story into a complex serial" and "that in the hands of a less talented writer would be forgettable genre fare."[67]Shaenon K. Garrity concurs inOtaku USA that while early chapters ofThe Poe Clan are "uneven and sometimes hard to follow," she praises the series' "mastery of composition, emotion, and visual storytelling," describing it as a "classic of modern Gothic horror."[2] Rebecca Silverman similarly praises the artwork and story of the series in her review forAnime News Network, comparing it toMy Platonic Sweetheart byMark Twain and the Japanese concept ofmono no aware.[68]
By 2016, collected editions ofThe Poe Clan have collectively sold 3.5 million copies.[69] The series won the 21stShogakukan Manga Award in 1975, alongside Hagio'sThey Were Eleven andGolgo 13 bySaito Takao.[70]Haru no Yume ranked second on the top 20 list of manga for female readers in the 2018 edition ofTakarajimasha'sKono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook,[71] whileUnicorn ranked sixth on the same list in the 2020 edition of the guidebook.[72]Unicorn also ranked nineteenth on the 2019 "Book of the Year" list inKadokawa Media Factory'sDa Vinci magazine.[73] In 2019,The Poe Clan was featured in the manga exhibition at theBritish Museum in London;[74] the museum called the series "representative [ofshōjo manga] of the period".[75] In 2020, the English-language translation ofThe Poe Clan was nominated for theEisner Award forBest U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia[76] and theHarvey Award for Best Manga.[77] In 2021,TV Asahi announced the results of a poll ranking the top 100 manga of all time, decided by 150,000 voters across Japan;The Poe Clan ranked 34th on the list.[78]
Along withThe Rose of Versailles byRiyoko Ikeda,The Poe Clan was among the first works ofshōjo manga to be lauded and regarded seriously by manga critics.[79]Shōjo manga was typically perceived as frivolous and of low quality, an attitude that changed as a result of works by theYear 24 Group, a grouping of femaleshōjo artists who emerged in the 1970s of which Hagio was a prominent member.[79] The series particularly influencedvampire literature as one of the earliest works to depict vampires as romantic and tragic rather than predatory,[80][81][82] and theshōnen-ai (male-male romance) genre in its rendering of the ambiguouslyhomoerotic relationship between Edgar and Alan.[6][83] Its critical and commercial success attracted the attention of a male readership that did not typically readshōjo manga, notably by science fiction writersBaku Yumemakura andAzusa Noa, whose works are influenced byThe Poe Clan through their rendering of homoeroticism andbishōnen.[84]