Cantarella (manga)

Japanese manga series by You Higuri

Cantarella

Cover of the first Japanese volume of Cantarella, as published by Akita Shoten

カンタレラ
(Kantarera)
Genre|

* Dark fantasy[1]
* Historical fiction[2]

Manga
Written by| You Higuri
Published by| Akita Shoten
English publisher|

* NA: Go! Comi

(expired)
Imprint| Princess Comics
Magazine| Princess Gold
Demographic| Shōjo
Original run| 2000 – 2010
Volumes| 12 (List of volumes)

Cantarella (Japanese: カンタレラ, Hepburn: Kantarera) is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by You Higuri. Set during the Italian Renaissance, it follows the life of Cesare Borgia, whose soul is damned in a pact made with the Devil. The manga was serialized in Akita Shoten's Princess Gold magazine from 2000 to 2010, with its chapters collected into 12 bound volumes. It was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Go! Comi, who published 10 volumes before going out of business in 2010.

## Synopsis

[edit]

Cesare Borgia was an Italian aristocrat, politician, and condottiero (mercenary leader) during the Renaissance. In the manga, Cesare's father Rodrigo Borgia, a Cardinal, sells his infant son's soul to the Devil as part of a deal that will one day make him Pope Alexander VI. Cesare is consequently shunned by his father, who is unable to see him as anything but an agent of darkness and reminder of his sin. Increasingly alienated, Cesare eventually comes to rely on the dark powers within himself. He becomes obsessed with the idea of conquest and is aided in his political machinations by the assassin Don Michelotto.

## Publication

[edit]

Cantarella was written and illustrated by You Higuri. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's shōjo (girls') manga magazine Princess Gold, starting in 2000.[3] It went on hiatus for four years and two weeks in June 2005, resuming serialization in Princess Gold's September 2009 issue on August 17, 2009.[4] The manga concluded in 2010.[5] Akita Shoten collected the individual chapters into 12 tankōbon (bound volumes) published under the Princess Comics imprint from March 8, 2001, to June 16, 2010.[6][7]

Go! Comi licensed the manga for an English-language release in North America;[1] they published 10 volumes before going out of business in 2010.[8][9] Cantarella has also been translated into Traditional Chinese by Ever Glory Publishing, French by Asuka, German by Carlsen Comics, Russian by Palma Press, and Italian by Free Books.[citation needed]

### Volume list

[edit]

No. | Original release date  | Original ISBN  | English release date  | English ISBN

|
|
|
|

1|  March 8, 2001[10]| 978-4-253-19095-4| October 19, 2005[11]| 0-9768957-0-6
2|  September 13, 2001[12]| 978-4-253-19096-1| February 2006[13]| 0-9768957-4-9
3|  March 20, 2002[14]| 978-4-253-19097-8| May 2006[15]| 0-9768957-8-1
4|  September 19, 2002[16]| 978-4-253-19098-5| August 2006[17]| 1-933617-02-0
5|  March 27, 2003[18]| 978-4-253-19099-2| December 2006[19]| 1-933617-08-X
6|  August 28, 2003[20]| 978-4-253-19100-5| March 2007[21]| 978-1-933617-09-1
7|  December 25, 2003[22]| 978-4-253-19208-8| June 2007[23]| 978-1-933617-26-8
8|  May 27, 2004[24]| 978-4-253-19209-5| September 2007[25]| 978-1-933617-30-5
9|  December 22, 2004[26]| 978-4-253-19210-1| December 2007[27]| 978-1-933617-39-8
10|  June 16, 2005[28]| 978-4-253-19268-2| March 2008[29]| 978-1-933617-40-4
11|  December 16, 2009[30]| 978-4-253-19269-9| —| —
12|  June 16, 2010[31]| 978-4-253-19270-5| —| —

## Reception

[edit]

In 2007, Cantarella was listed as one of the Young Adult Library Services Association's Great Graphic Novels for Teens.[32]

## See also

[edit]

* Cesare – another manga series about Cesare Borgia's early life

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "New Manga Publisher Blasts Off In October" (Press release). Anime News Network. May 14, 2005. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
2. ^ "Cantarella". Manga News (in French). Retrieved November 10, 2020.
3. ^ Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide (Kindle ed.). New York: Del Rey Books. p. 43\. ISBN 978-0-345-53944-1. "Cantarella • You Higuri • Go! Comi (2005–ongoing) • Akita Shoten (Princess Gold, 2000–ongoing) ..."
4. ^ Loo, Egan (August 17, 2009). "You Higuri Resumes Cantarella Manga After 4-Year Break". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
5. ^ カンタレラ 12. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved November 10, 2020. Text: 「初出：『プリンセスGOLD』2010 001～005」 Translation: "First appearance [of the chapters included in volume 12]: Princess Gold 2010 001~005."
6. ^ カンタレラ. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Retrieved November 10, 2020.
7. ^ "Index". You Higuri's Official Website (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2020. Text: 「発売中!『カンタレラ』12巻完結!」 Translation: "Now on sale! Cantarella, 12 volumes, complete!"
8. ^ "You Higuri to End Gakuen Heaven: Double Scramble Boys-Love Manga". Anime News Network. February 8, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2020. "Go! Comi published the first 10 volumes of Higuri's Cantarella series in North America ..."
9. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 11, 2010). "Go! Comi Lets Its Website Expire". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
10. ^ カンタレラ 第1巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
11. ^ Macdonald, Christopher (July 17, 2005). "Go Comi Releases". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
12. ^ カンタレラ 第2巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
13. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 2". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on August 13, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
14. ^ カンタレラ 第3巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
15. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 3". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on August 13, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
16. ^ カンタレラ 第4巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
17. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 4". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
18. ^ カンタレラ 第5巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
19. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 5". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
20. ^ カンタレラ 第6巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
21. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 6". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
22. ^ カンタレラ 第7巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
23. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 7". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
24. ^ カンタレラ 第8巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
25. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 8". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
26. ^ カンタレラ 第9巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
27. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 9". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
28. ^ カンタレラ 第10巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
29. ^ "Cantarella: Volume 10". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
30. ^ カンタレラ 第11巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
31. ^ カンタレラ 第12巻. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
32. ^ "Go! Comi Releases Aimee Major Steinberger's Japan Ai, Along With Unique Web Content" (Press release). Anime News Network. December 16, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2020. "... Cantarella, recently named one of the Young Adult Library Services Association's 'Great Graphic Novels for Teens' of 2007."

## Further reading

[edit]

* "Cantarella Vol. 1 Review". IGN. October 21, 2005. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
* Alverson, Brigid. "Cantarella v1". Manga Life. Archived from the original on February 4, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
* Dacey, Katherine (January 23, 2008). "Weekly Recon, 1/23/08". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012.
* King, Patrick (December 2005). "Cantarella Vol. 1". Animefringe. Vol. 6, no. 12\. p. 37. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
* Rosato, Julie (December 8, 2005). "Cantarella Vol. #01". Mania. Demand Media. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012.
* Sizemore, Ed (April 28, 2008). "Cantarella Book 1". Manga Worth Reading. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010.

## External links

[edit]

* Cantarella at Go! Comi (defunct; link via the Wayback Machine)
* Cantarella (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

*[No.]: Number