Words of a Bibliophile

Set in Tokyo in the Taisho era (I don't even know exactly when that is), this is the story of Hanamura Benio, a girl too modern for her time. Her family matchmade her with a dapper young military man with stunning good looks and really long legs, 2nd Lt. Ijuuin (I forgot his first name, but hey, she always calls him lieutenant anyway). At first they rejected the arranged marriage and despised each other, but after word came out that the lieutenant was going to be sent away to Russia, only then they realized their love for each other.

An incident in the battlefield left the lieutenant presumed dead. He actually lost his memory and was saved by a Russian lady. Much like a twist in daily sinetron, Ijuuin looks exactly like the lady's late husband, Sasha Mikhailov, who is -- oh my God, who'd have guessed! -- actually Ijuuin's brother. Then the lieutenant returns to Japan with a new identity, but what happens when she reunites with Benio?

This is one of the first manga that I read as a kid. As a sap for love story as I am, I devoured the romance between Benio and her favorite lieutenant. But above all I love the heroine, a feisty chick who, after Ijuuin's death, had to support his aging grandparents and make a living as a reporter. There are also many hilarious moments caused by Benio's love of sake. Overall, it's a good mix of comedy, romance, feminism, all-out wackiness, beautiful drawing and bits of history all rolled into six volumes of comic.

I had long since lost my original copy of the series. But I would always love to read it again. Oh, and did I mention that the lieutenant is drop dead gorgeous? Siapa juga yang nggak mau sama si letnan...