éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart is here. Well, ok, the anthology will be up tomorrow. However, it won’t be too long before manga readers can read stories from authors like Canno, Nio Nakatani, and maybe discover new authors to like! So let’s learn a bit more about the anthology from the one assigned to it, Kristiina Korpus:
TheOASG: Since this is a collection of yuri short stories, how would you ultimately summarize the theme of éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart?
Kristiina Korpus (Assistant Editor): Ultimately, every story in éclair shares the theme of discovering what love feels like – that fluttering butterfly feeling and pounding heart that a sweet (or spicy) crush inspires.
What was some of the challenges of working on this anthology?
Since éclair is an anthology, every story has limited pages, so sometimes it’s hard to get the full backstory that makes it easier to understand what’s going on. Add to that, you have to quickly step out of each world and jump right into another which can be really tough especially when the theme is lingering love.
Was there a particular surprise or two regarding any of the stories you worked on?
I was really surprised by the story titled “Game Over”! I don’t want to spoil it for readers, so I won’t elaborate too much, but it was very clever, I thought.
Since not too many manga anthologies get published in English, has working on this made you think the market can handle a few more or it’s too early to say?
Anthologies are a really refreshing way to read and introduce yourself to stories and authors you maybe wouldn’t have known otherwise. They can be a really great option for people looking for a shorter read, rather than diving into a long series.
Finally, what should readers expect when they check out éclair?
éclair is a really fun read. I hope readers are prepared for their hearts to race, just like the characters’ do!