Tales of the Tendo Family is solid historical fiction
from 
22 August 2024
Stories of the Tendo family is a historical manga in which an unnamed young woman pretends to be someone she is not. More specifically, she poses as the noblewoman Hojo Ran, who is engaged to a man she does not wish to marry. The unnamed woman was raised by a man who is now dead, which throws her into a crisis. She says she would die to save someone, so she becomes Ran and goes to her fiancé’s house.
The fiancé, Tendo Masato, immediately figures out that this Ran is an imposter. But until the real Ran is found, she has to pretend to be her. And the fake Ran is in quite a predicament, because there is a dispute in the Tendo family over who will be the next head. In other words, it is a power struggle, and she does not know who she is comfortable around, if anyone around her.
The reader of Stories of the Tendo familylike Ran, is put in this situation without knowing what is going on, so there is a lot of mystery there. Ran is also a very appealing character. Although the upper class might turn their noses up at her, she is well trained in martial arts and medicine. And unlike other people in the manga, she can show compassion. She also remains loyal to the man who raised her, whom she calls her grandfather. Since it is a historical manga set in a time when women had fewer rights, Ran also stands out for her education and her tenacity. Meanwhile, Masato is a bit of a mystery, as sometimes he is scary and sometimes he is protective of Ran.
Stories of the Tendo family Both the story and the illustrations flow well, and the first volume is a solid foundation to build on as we uncover the family’s secrets and see Ran grow as a character.
History & Art: Ken Saito
editor: One Peace Books
translator: Matt Schley
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestseller Manga Art for Beginners with the artist Melanie Westin, as well as the sequel, Manga art for everyoneand the first manga chalk book of its kind Chalk Art Mangaboth illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
