Othello is a Shoujo Manga about Japanese Music (Visual Key), love and friendship.
Everything starts on New Years Eve 2001. Yaya is hanging around with her so-called friends Seri and Moe in Shibuya and they are talking about how out of fashion Yaya is. They want to go to a New Year’s Eve party but her dad calls her on the mobile phone and tells her she should hurry up and come home. Yaya is very sad that she is again all alone on New Year’s Eve. At home she gets a letter she wrote at an exhibition several years ago, where the kids were able to write a letter to their future selves for the new Millenium. Little Yaya wrote how much she wants to become a singer and that she can’t wait to read this letter when she is 16. Yaya also finds a little can in the envelope, that little Yaya put inside. Yaya remembers the time when her mother died and when all kids called her names at school, all the year she had to live as an outsider and once more she has to realize that her life is very lonely.
Here are some information about the Manga. As of July 2003 there are 4 volumes out so far and the story still continues. Othello is running in monthly Betsufure Magazine, together with other great series like Peach Girl or Eden no Hana, I enjoy a lot. If you want to get the Manga, the ISBN information might help you:
Yaya is a 16-year old girl, who is very lonely. She doesn’t have any real friends, the only girls who pretend to like her, try to make her life as hard as possible. All they do is telling her how silly and boring Yaya is and they take every opportunity to make Yaya feel bad and embarrassed.
However, Yaya’s life has always been lonely. She never had close friends, in elementary school kids called her a show-off and in Jr. High her classmates thought she is strange because she was always by herself and looking depressed. Yaya’s mother, whom she loved a lot passed away when Yaya was still very young and now she has to live with her father who doesn’t allow her very much and who is very strict. With the time, the only person who could make Yaya’s life brighter is Moriyama-kun, a boy from her class, who is somehow caring about Yaya, who he likes a lot. Okay, now more about the story of Othello:
The only thing Yaya really loves is the former Visual Key Band Juliet, their front singer Shohei and cosplaying on Sundays with other Juleit fans in Harajuku. Here she can be her real self. Through her love for music she gets to know Moriyama-kun better, who is also playing in a little band and who lends her some music of Led Zeppelin.
One day Moe and Seri want Yaya to come with her to a Karaoke date with 3 other boys. Yaya doesn’t want to go but Seri and Moe say that she is boring if she doesn’t join them. The evening is not too good as expected and after Moe told the boys that Yaya is a big Juliet fan, they want her to sing one of their songs. After they find the little can inside Yaya’s bag they laugh more about her and tell her she should transform and sing. Yaya is almost crying and she remembers the times when other kids where mean to her once more. Suddenly she changes somehow and Nana, Yaya’s Alter-Ego , the strong and tough side of Yaya takes the power of Yaya’s self and surprises Seri, Moe and the boys.
Now every time Yaya is feeling depressed and looking at her little can she transforms into Nana, who can handle all the situations that make Yaya feeling bad and at the same time Yaya doesn’t remember one thing from the time she was Nana. Will Yaya get behind her secret? Will Moriyama-kun find out that Yaya and Nana are one person? Will Yaya herself get stronger?
 | Volume 1 |
 | Volume 2 |
 |
Volume 3 |
 | Volume 4 |
If you are interested now, please support the Mangaka and buy Othello. It's a great Shoujo Manga you shouldn't miss!