Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze

Winner of the Excellence Award in Manga at the 2014 Japan Media Arts Festival, this deeply researched political drama from the creator of Blade of the Immortal transports us to the frigid fringes of the nascent Soviet Union of the 1930s. Rich with the nuanced story and art for which Samura is famous, Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze's subtle adult drama and Russian setting are a breath of fresh air in the sometimes cookie cutter manga world. LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION... Bielka (“Squirrel”), a beautiful young woman in a wheelchair, and her taciturn companion Shchenok (“Puppy”) must hide the truth of their identities as they navigate the fraught political climate and harsh landscape of the Soviet Union of the 1930s on a highly secret and terribly personal mission. Rich with intrigue and history, this erotic political drama weaves famous—and infamous—historical figures into the fabric of Hiroaki Samura’s brilliantly imagined fiction. Winner of the Excellence Award in Manga at the 2014 Japan Media Arts Festival, this thoroughly researched tale from the legendary creator of Blade of the Immortal transports us to a fascinating and compelling world rarely seen in the pages of manga.