Japanese Title: Cirque Arachne
Similar: Notes from the Garden of Lilies
Genre: Yuri Romance Sports
Length: 1 volume
Positives:
- Beautiful, elegant art.
- The main couple play well off each other with their personalities.
Negatives:
- Much too short.
(contains mild nudity and sex.)
Charlotte is a trapeze and aerial silk artist in the Cirque Arachne (derived from the Greek myth of Arachne from which the word ‘arachnid’ comes from). She has focus, determination, and skill in her craft, weaving art in the air as she hangs from silk threads. Enter Teti, a new recruit to the circus. When Charlotte is paired with Teti on the trapeze for an upcoming performance, Charlotte starts to feel something strange stir deep inside herself when near Teti.
I genuinely enjoyed Cirque Arachne. What I liked most about this manga was the two characters. Seeing Teti’s innocent goofiness and enthusiasm play off of Charlotte’s professionalism was a pleasure. Their interactions are sweet when they train together, flustering Charlotte more and more as her feelings blossom.
The art is gorgeous with elegant costumes to fit the artistry of a circus performance. The faces are particularly expressive, and when using chibi art, a common tool in romance manga, it still looks distinct to Cirque Arachne and not generic, as with most chibi work.
My biggest complaint is the length. Cirque Arachne is far too short with a premise that could have lasted at least a few volumes.
Art – High
Gorgeous in design and character. Backgrounds could have used the same level of attention.
Story – Medium
A sweet story between two circus performers using their strength of personality and skill to improve each other. Too short, however.
Recommendation: Read it. A premise rarely seen in manga with beautiful art and characters. Also, at just one volume long, Cirque Arachne is a good introduction to the yuri genre.
(Find out more about the manga recommendation system here.)
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