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"For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

I really appreciate the intent and the effort that goes into adapting classics like Shakespeare's works. The amount of research and the art engineering that are put into something like this is admirable. However, my only comment is that maybe they create an even more accessible version where the text uses modern English (a la SparkNotes), especially if the goal is to make classics like this accessible to non-English natives and/or those who aren't familiar with old English that much.

I fairly enjoyed this one because I already read it before and had a full context before jumping in.

We just finished or shakespeare unit in english soooo this was the perfect timing to read this.

Ahhh I don't even know what to say about this. the artwork was so detailed and BEAUTIFUL. How can people actually draw this good.

Obviously, the story was very good. heheh, romeo and juliet.

I would way rather read this than the play ahha.

Highly recommend these and I am extremely excited to read the other manga classics.

I’m having difficulty when it comes to rating and reviewing this book/manga, because I find myself in the position of trying to separate the play and this edition of this Manga Classic, instead of reviewing it as a whole. If I was solely reviewing the classic play of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, then my rating would be low, really low, because I’ve come to realise that I am not a fan of this particular play by Shakespeare, in fact I think this may my least favourite of all his plays. The constant miscommunication throughout was just irritating and the amount that could’ve been solved by simply talking to their family, their friends and telling people they’ve fell in love with each other regardless of their families bitter hatred and gotten married. I didn’t finish it feeling the bitter sweet tragic romance of what could’ve been if only their families got along, but a tragic story of not not communicating! Oh my god the constant miscommunication or simply not communicating at all! I don't know why I had fond memories of this play. 

Although I would’ve rated Romeo and Juliet low or possibly have DNFed itself if I was simply just reading the normal play version for myself, as I didn’t enjoy it at all and it just made me angry, this manga classics version did keep me entertained throughout. It kept me reading it and even finished this play, which is an accomplishment, because of this specific format, which is something I definitely wouldn’t have done if I wasn’t reading this edition with the beautiful illustrations throughout. It was word for word exactly the same as Shakespeare’s edition, but with the edition of it being in a manga format, it did make it more interesting, brought it to life and made it a more visual experience. As this is meant to be acted out and shown as a play, reading it as a manga, in a visual way, it was really good and got my imagination going.

This would be great for people/kids studying not just this particular play, but others as there are more in this Manga Classics series, as it may make it easier to understand what is being read while having a physical representation alongside the writing side. This took a play that I really hated to one that I found bearable and relatively enjoyable. The images made it quite easier to understand what the character is saying, thinking and feeling, which is really useful when it comes to reading Shakespeare's Plays and understanding what is happening. 

I was reading the NetGalley edition, which meant that I didn’t have a complete colour copy, which would have made this that much more beautiful. With this being a manga, there is also a different way of reading when it comes to manga, where you read from back to front. Sadly, my eBook edition started at the end and I had to scroll all the way through to the end and then scroll backwards I order to read it. This was slightly annoying. So thanks to this edition, it has actually boosted up what I would’ve originally rated Romeo and Juliet and I am now tempted to start collecting the physical versions of these Manga Classics.

Really disappointing because I couldn't read it. The file type wouldn't download. The cover looks amazing though.

A classic play that I was interested in reading as retold in manga form. I was not expecting the dialogue to be the original Shakespeare, word for word. It was wonderful. Very approachable and a joy to read.

Although I don't particularly like the original play by Shakespeare, I really did enjoy this manga edition of Romeo and Juliet. The art is incredibly detailed and grandiose, just like the characters themselves. I felt that it was able to effectively capture the plot and remain comprehensive without seeming cluttered. I'm pretty sure that this is an unabridged version of the story, as it's written in the same language, and I recognized many of the lines from the original play.

Overall, I think that this might have been a better experience than the original play itself, at least for me. I would recommend it to those who enjoyed the play or didn't, alike, because it really is an interesting way to experience one of Shakespeare's most well-known and widely-adapted stories.

the art? Fantastic
The story? Fantastic
The fact ive been dying to read this and randomly stumbled upon this on netgalley? ALSO FANTASTIC

If you know me well, you know im a sucker for Romeo and Juliet. No I am not proud of this, and no, I will not change, trust me, I tried.

The idea of a romance being sold as a tragedy because that is simply what it is hurts me but I love it.

So obviously, the minute I learned theres a manga version to this, I ran. Then saw it was 20 dollars, so I started walking.

Anyways, that review doesn’t matter, heres the actual review:

I LOVED THIS.

I loved how Romeo was portrayed as a helpless lovesick puppy, because that is what he is.

Juliet was just there as she simply always is, being perfect and lovely and dramatic.

Everything about this book just left me gasping in awe.

The details added in the art are just so sick, and so amazing.

(Also mercutio is the best character, you cant fight me on this, you will lose).

All in all, here are my thoughts:

If you didnt like the classic? Give this a try
Liked the classic? Give this a try
Dont even know what Romeo and Juliet it is? Come out from under the rock and give this a try
Have a gaping empty black hole where you desperately desire a romance? Maybe dont give this a try

This manga classics is an adaption of William Shakespeare's famous play, Romeo and Juliet. Manga is a very interesting media form to adapt a play with— seeing it live is usually best, but you can miss puns and metaphors based on the speed of the actors. When reading it, you miss the immersion and stage directions that bring it to life. This is a perfect balance of both. I love how this played up the metaphors, using the manga form and motion of the characters to convey metaphors modern young readers might not understand. It felt as if I were really in Verona, and it read very quickly. This is a wonderful adaptation, very engaging and helpful.

I especially love that this adaptation played up the dramatic antics of Romeo as a character. The pacing of his monologues and the panels with him drove home how wonderfully melodramatic he is. As a lover of the play, this will be perfect for students who want to read Shakespeare but are intimidated by the language.

I love Romeo and Juliet! But who doesn't?! I love seeing the characters brought to life, with this beautiful art!

Die Geschichte ist der Klassiker der Liebesgeschichten schlechthin und das - wie wohl jedem bekannt ist - ganz ohne Happy End.
Shakespeare ist ja nun eine Klasse für sich und mich hat einfach sehr interessiert, wie genau sein Sprachgenie in die Bildform eines Mangas umgesetzt wurde.
Meiner Meinung nach, ist das den Autoren in diesem Fall sehr gut gelungen. Die Geschichte konnte sehr gut übertragen werden und auch auf diese Weise leidet man mit den beiden jungen Menschen mit, deren Liebe auf keinem guten Stern steht und, wie man bald merkt, auch keine Zukunft hat.
Tragisch und schön... das Lesen hat Spaß gemacht, denn die Bilder zur Story haben mir sehr gut gefallen.
Ich mag die Reihe Manga Classics sehr und freue mich immer, auf diese Art wieder mal einen Klassiker für mich zu entdecken.

I was so happy to see that Shakespeare's play was being made into manga! To see these characters come to life and the plot play out in manga form is just as entertaining as a movie--maybe better. I loved the interpretation of the original and I thought it was done well. From what I remember, none of the important parts are missing and it holds true to the play. I loved that the dialogue is also Shakespearean--I'm not sure if they are the exact lines, but they are in the same way as if they were. This is a classic I could read again and again and would highly recommend to those who love Romeo and Juliet!

I really love this manga, it was fascinating and the characters were fun to read. I loved the heroine so much that I related myself to her. I hope I can read the future more manga. It was fun and exciting

Manga seems to lend itself well to stories with extreme emotional reactions, lots of drama. So, the story of Romeo and Juliet's passionate love fits very well in this format. Lots of action, shock and emotion of various kinds.

3.75/5

Back at reading Manga Classics, and this time, I picked up Romeo and Juliet!

We all know the story of the young couple who fell in love but couldn't be together because of a feud between their families, and instead of living apart, and because of some other unfortunate events they chose to die.

Of course, I already knew what the story was about, as I have watched and read some of its adaptations and retellings.

I will admit, the story didn't grip me from the start like Manga Classics: Macbeth did since it took me a while to get into it. And similar to Manga Classics: Macbeth, there were some moments in the middle where the plot slowed down which wasn't ideal. But the ending, and most of the story really, were very enticing.

The artworks were great, and generally speaking, I think the whole manga adaptation was a success, even with the use of Shakespearean English which sometimes I have difficulties understanding (only sometimes.)

Also, here's a thought I had while reading this: Yeah, Romeo and Juliet are very young, they instantly fall in love and do stuff without thinking too much about it (they also spend more time apart rather than in the company of each other) but they are honestly so much better than the 'logical' adults - besides maybe Friar Lawrence who's a whole different story with his own set of flaws- at least they loved with passion, whereas their parents hated with passion.

I could elaborate more on that, but I won't. Or maybe I will when I read the actual play, we'll see.

If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care :) :) :)

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy classics being brought to the attention of a younger generation. I can appreciate when art, be it manga or comic is used to capture the attention of those who would, generally, not be interested in classic literature. I, myself, am a bit of a book enthusiast but sometimes find myself disinterested in reading something older than my grandparents. So thank you NetGalley, for the opportunity to try this book out!

The book stays fairly close to the original source material (obviously it won't be 100 percent authentic). But the real star of the show is the art- it's clean and holds your attention.

I would recommend this book!

An adaptation of the 1597 Classic by Stacy King, Crystal S. Chan, and Julien Choy

NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.

This is the second book by Manga Classics that the gracious folks over at that company were nice enough to let me peruse, with the first Being The Count of Monte Cristo. I won’t bore everyone re-treading the same pre-amble as with that review, but I will summarize that I very much enjoyed that edition, and love the idea behind the whole initiative – an attempt to get kids and younger adults to get into classic literature without throwing huge 800 page tomes their way. I felt the respect for the source material was, perhaps, one of the best things about that book – as it avoided the many pitfalls others have fallen into making “manga versions” of things when they were not, in fact, a part of the Japanese manga (comic book) scene.

"Romeo and Juliet is the classic tragedy of western literature. Created by William Shakespeare, it is tale of two very young lovers from Verona, Italy who defy the wishes of their feuding families, get married then, and tragically, end their own lives in the name of love. It is their deaths that ultimately help the rival families of the Capulet’s and Montague’s find reconciliation. Manga Classics brings an incredible new reading experience with this adaptation of Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed plays: Romeo and Juliet." -- Manga Classics product page

Going into this book, I was somewhat worried, as the Count of Monte Cristo is largely available in Modern English readily, whereas any adaptation of a Shakespeare play has a choice – keep the archaic, yet poetic language of the original play, or adapt it into modern language and perhaps lose some of the wordplay and witty dialogue. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the dialogue was largely left intact from the source material, albeit cleaned up a tad. While this could make it hard to read for some folks, this would make it a great source to help one’s understanding of the language in the actual book – I recall occasionally using a supplementary Cliff notes book in high school whenever doing a Shakespearean assignment (I was big on British Lit back then) – honestly this would have been way better.

The art style is clean, well done, and consistent with many shoujo comics of the near past without losing itself to modern clichés. I personally love the manga style from the middle to late 90’s, so I especially liked this one. I will say that, of the two, I preferred the Count of Monte Cristo a bit more, but that could be that I’ve read Romeo and Juliet so many times that it does not hold the same “oomph” as it once dead, whereas I’ve never fully read The Count. All-in-all, still a solid read and a great addition to anyone’s manga or classical literature library. As I said in my previous review – Schools and libraries should really look into getting a ton of these, you’d probably be surprised how popular they’d be.

I was given a review copy through NetGalley.

I was intrigued with the idea of classics told in manga format. I am a huge fan of mangas and it felt like a great way to enjoy classics. I wasn't entirely a fan of the art style but having art is a big help in keeping who is talking straight.

This is pretty much a direct adaptation from the original play almost word for word which is what I expected. Romeo and Juliet isn't my favorite of the works of Shakespeare (I much prefer his comedies) I can see the appeal.

Don't go into this thinking it will be far easier than the play however because the text is almost exact and if you aren't used to Shakeperan style English and references it will take you longer to get into.

I do however think this is a good alternative to seeing a production which not everyone may have access to. Shakespeare's works were meant to be plays and therefore were always meant to have a visual aspect which manga as a medium helps.

The score is more or less because Romeo and Juliet just isn't my thing.

* Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for providing an advance copy for review purposes *

This Manga Classics adaptation of Romeo and Juliet makes brilliant use of the manga medium to bring to life one of Shakespeare's most famous works. The adaptation sticks to the original as much as possible, and while the language is not fully accessible (as expected), the visuals help a lot to convey not just the story, but subtleties in the interactions between characters. Stylized character depictions help convey the banter between characters - it was surprising to me to see how much comedy is part of this tragedy. And without having to cast older actors to play teenagers, we can see that Romeo and Juliet are indeed teenagers and behave as such. Just like Macbeth's Manga Classics adaptation, metaphors are depicted literally, however, this works here because that mechanism is frequently used in shoujo manga, a great fit for this story. I am a bit puzzled why Macbeth felt so awkward to me, while Romeo and Juliet fit naturally with the manga format - I think that Romeo and Juliet relies mostly on dialogue between characters, and includes enough levity that the visual depiction really helps visualize what is going on, whereas Macbeth is filled with soliloquys and had way more sections where I was utterly lost on what was going on. .

Thank you to Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love classic novels but sometimes I have a problem to pick them up. However I didn't have this kind of problem with manga classic novel! Udon Entertainment uses the original text of a novel which they are adapting which is absolutely brilliant! It's a bit shame that I have started this Manga collection with Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare because Shakespeare is very difficult to read and as I mentioned before - original text is used only. Hence it was difficult to read for me but the pictures helped me to flow with the story. I will definitely try some more books from this collection! My rating of Romeo and Juliet Manga Classics is 3 stars.

This manga was very true to the original text and had beautiful illustrations. Sometimes I would stumble in reading it, because I am not used to reading mangas, but I was still able to understand what was happening in the story.