Swan (manga)

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SWAN
Genre	Shōjo, drama
Manga
Authored by	Kyoko Ariyoshi
Publisher	Akita Shoten Shueisha CMX Manga
Serialized in	Margaret
Original run	1976 – 1981
No. of volumes	21

Maya Plisetskaya as Swan
Masumi adores. It's beginning.

Swan (SWAN in Japanese title, reading スワン) is a shōjo manga by Kyoko Ariyoshi. The shōjo magazine Margaret serialized the story in Japan during the seventies. In North America the story is published by CMX. The plot mostly follows a young girl, Masumi, as she struggles to become a ballerina.

[edit] Plot

The first volume begins with Masumi sneaking backstage after a Tokyo performance in order to express her admiration for the lead dancers, Sayoko and Kusakabe . However, when she meets the young starts, Masumi becomes tongue-tied and clumsily begins to dance. Sayoko graciously excuses her, and Masumi returns home slightly embarrassed. Later, Masumi receives an invitation to enter a nation-wide ballet competition. The competition is being held to discover the best ballet students in Japan, in order to invite them to an exclusive ballet school designed to improve the quality of Japanese ballet. Her impromptu dance for Sayoko and Kusakabe captured the attention of one of the contest's organizers, and so Masumi goes to Tokyo in order to compete.

Once there, Masumi encounters Sayoko and Kusakabe once again - this time as competitors. However, the three become friends, along with Aoi, Kusakabe's friendly rival. Out of the eight finalists, Masumi and her three new friends are all accepted. However, Masumi is obviously the weakest of the eight. She must un-learn the bad habits she picked up at her former ballet school.

Future volumes continue Masumi's entrance into the competitive world of ballet.

[edit] Characters

Japanese Team Members :

Hijiri Masumi : The heroine of the manga, Masumi is a 16-year old Japanese girl whose life changes after entering a ballet competition and winning a place at an exclusive national ballet school. She grew up in rural Japan with her widowed father. She is filled with self-doubt, but passionately loves ballet.

Kyougoku Sayoko : An accomplished young ballerina, who fears her chance at stardom will be lost to the younger Masumi. Sayoko has been interested in ballet since she was a very small girl. Although she resents Masumi for being younger and having more opportunity to grow as a dancer, Sayoko still feels sympathy for the naive Masumi. It is her performance Masumi goes to see in Tokyo.

Kusakabe Hishou: A talented young male dancer who has known Sayoko for a long time. They are normally partnered together. His rival and friend is Aoi, who jokes about wanting a chance to dance with Sayoko.

Bolshoi Ballet in the USSR :

Alexi Sergeiev : A famous dancer of Bolshoi Ballet. He became a teacher of the National Ballet School in Japan. Alexi found the talent of Masumi and trained her. Masumi's talent flowered largely and excellently. He was the former teacher of Lalisa.

Lalisa Maximova : A Russian girl ballet dancer. She was highly evaluated and considered a genius dancer. Lalisa was a rival of Masumi. At first, she looked down Masumi and for her Masumi was nothing at all. However, her former teacher Alexi trained and supported Masumi.

Liliana Maximova : A cousin of Lalisa. Liliana is a graceful, tender-hearted girl. At first, she seemed to be an attendance or an onlooker of Lalisa's ballet. Later, the true figure of Liliana would become clear.