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Fantagraphics is kicking off a new imprint called Takumigraphics that focuses on a curated lineup of East Asian comics and graphic novels. The first entry in this new line is Lovers of the Empire, a love story set against the tumultuous backdrop of Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1920s.
With Lovers of the Empire Vol. 1 in stores now, IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of this hardcover volume. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:
Lovers of the Empire is created by Yudori, the artist responsible for 2024’s Eisner-nominated Raging Clouds. Here’s the official summary of the book:
Lovers of the Empire follows two teenagers from different social strata who are thrown together. Arisa Jo, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is the most eligible bachelorette in all of Gyeongsung (the capital city). With her Western dresses, movie star hairstyle, and assertive attitude, she embodies bold “Modern” values. Jun Seomoon is her opposite, a young man from the countryside deeply rooted in tradition. When Arisa’s father tasks Jun with escorting her to the big city, their personalities clash and sparks fly. Their unlikely connection opens these teenagers’ eyes to new perspectives amidst the rapidly changing world they find themselves in. On the surface a sweet and funny “will they, won’t they” romance, this story garners depth from its depiction of Korea at a crossroads: a city occupied by Japan, molded by Western influences, and facing a modernity that stirs inner conflicts within its citizens. Rendered in gorgeous full color, this period piece portrays a fascinating city in a tumultuous time, with two winsome characters at its heart.
“Lovers of the Empire is a cute boy-meets-girl romance, set against a silent backdrop of massacres and battles,” said Yudori in a statement. “That is in a way what it feels like to exist as a Korean: keeping the façade of abundance and harmlessness, while something is always brooding deep inside, just below the point of explosion. Wars do not stop at battlefields and bomb sites, they seep into our everyday existence.”
“Fantagraphics’ mission has long been to celebrate great cartooning in all of its incarnations, from the form’s early luminaries to contemporary artists from around the globe currently forging the future of visual storytelling,” said Fantagraphics Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds. “Takumigraphics is an extension of this mission, and an acknowledgement of the key role that Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua, and other east asian comics continue to play in forging that future. As we continue to expand our roster of Asian works, it made perfect sense to bring them under one umbrella, to best showcase the great works being created in Japan, South Korea, China, and elsewhere.”
Lovers of the Empire Vol. 1 is available in bookstores now. You can order a copy on Amazon.
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