Emma is a shojo manga written by Kaoru Mori which was adapted into an anime. I personally would suggest the anime over the manga because its end is more coherent.
Set in Victorian London at the end of the 19th century, Emma is the story of a maid who falls in love with a member of the gentry. However, the young man's family disapproves of him associating with people of the lower classes.
They meet each other in windowed governess Kelly Stowner's house where Emma works as a maid. William was a former pupil of Kelly and visits her after a long time. In her house, he meets Emma and feels that she is special. But he is the eldest son of the "House of Jones", a very wealthy merchant middle class family that is attempting to rise into the gentry. As his father's heir, he is under tremendous stress to not only take over the family business but also marry a girl from another wealthy family, preferably into the peerage.
Through a series of encounters that follow, he falls in love with Emma. Their romance develops very well but William's father wants him to marry Eleanor- a girl from a noble class. In the end (last episode) William protests against his father's decision, but Emma leaves the city to go to her Uncle's village, not wanting to cause any problems to William. William bids her goodbye at the railway station. The first season ends here.
I will also review the second season in the same post. The second season continues where the first season left off. When Emma reaches her Uncle's village, she finds it deserted. From there, she is found by another employer and moves into a new household. This place is in another city. However, one day, William's mother, who is also a friend of Emma's employer arrives and asks Emma to escort her to her son's engagement announcement party (at this point, Emma doesn't know she is William's mother).
William, on the other hand, tried to look for Emma after she left, but couldn't find her. He agrees to marry Eleanor and they are about to be engaged.
At the party, Emma meets and recognized William and old flames are rekindled. William tries to convince her to marry him but she keeps on refusing. He cancels his engagement to Eleanor. When this news spreads, all the nobility and gentry looks down on him and withdraw their investment from his father's business. But William takes it in his hand to seek a solution. A new railway track (or station. I don't exactly remember what it is) seems very profitable but he needs funds and partners. No one agrees to be his partner because of his love affair with a maid. He also gives Emma an ultimatum that of she doesn't meet him in the glass palace by .....(I don't remember the time and day) then he will acccept her refusal to marry him.
In the end, everything turns out well however. A mysterious man agrees to give William the money and become his partner and Emma arrives at the glass palace. They are happily married.
The prologue shows Emma with her kids and William as she writes a letter to William's mother.
Now my views. Emma was a very touching and pure love story. You are sure to cry at the tender moments of this story. The emotion that is evoked while watching this anime is great. The characters are very realistically potrayed and the setting is drawn with careful detail. The graphic aspect of the anime is very well handled.
An anime surely worth watching. It is an awesome love story that will move your heart and bring tears to your eyes (Romeo X Juilet is tear-jerking too. But I will review it some other day)
Pros
Excellent graphics
Moving story
Realistic characters
Character development happens
Cons
There are just too many obstacles on their way!!
The romance seems superficial at first. Only with times does it grow to be deep.
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