A collection of short stories taking place before, during and after the events of the seven volume run. Two-thirds of this specific volume focus on two familiar characters from Emma, Kelly Stowner and Elleanor Campbell, telling where they've come from and are going, respectively. Subdued actions still carry as much weight as the dialogue, and Kaoru Mori's art only continues to shine as she shows off her skills drafting the Crystal Palace.
The strength of those stories makes the other two limp in comparison. The third is a series of snapshots of various people in London throughout their day, and the fourth is a return to the story of the exuberent maid, Tasha. Neither provide anything revelatory or substantial, the latter repeating the same message in different situations to emphasize Tasha's apparent inadequacy during her visit home. Still, it's the small details, like the ironing of newspaper, that bring a sort of life and authenticity that is exceptionally rare among historical manga (however authentic they attempt to be).
And Kaoru Mori still has the greatest afterwords in the history of publishing.
Gotta love Mori's afterwords. Always fucking hilarious.
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