From Eroica with Love (エロイカより愛をこめて, Eroica Yori Ai o Komete) is a long-running shōjo manga by Yasuko Aoike which originally began publication in 1976 by Akita Shoten. The series ran irregularly in the Japanese anthology magazine Viva Princess from December 1976 to April 1979, then moved to the sister publication Princess beginning in September 1979.[1] It was featured regularly in Princess, with several later side stories appearing in Viva Princess, until August 1989. It went on hiatus for several years, then reappeared in Princess in May 1995 and ran irregularly through December 2007. As of January 2009, it is once again regularly featured in Princess Gold. The English translation by CMX began publication in 2004. It has also been translated to Chinese, as Romantic Hero, with 21 volumes; as well as to Thai, with 20 volumes.
The series is driven by frequent inadvertent encounters between Dorian and Klaus, with Dorian often disrupting Klaus's missions. Dorian has developed a fondness for and flirts incessantly with Klaus, who typically reacts with extreme disgust. Other reoccurring characters include Dorian and Klaus's respective subordinates and Klaus's enemies from the Russian KGB.
The series is generally comedic, although it involves violence, theft, and bizarre international incidents. Much of the series spoofs spy stories, as indicated by the title, a play on the James Bond novel From Russia, with Love.
Three teenagers with supernatural powers meet Dorian, at an art lover's, Lady Devlin's, house, during an exhibition. Dorian becomes infatuated with Caesar. He performs a series of heists, among them he steals a painting which strongly resembles Caesar. The trio of teenagers are suspected by detective Tarao Bannai, of INTERPOL, since Caesar had expressed a liking for the painting despite just having claimed it a fake. In self-defense, the trio starts investigating the matter themselves. Future parts contains very little supernatural content and the trio only appears in Iron Klaus and a minor part of Achillies' Last Stand again, after which they are never seen.
In trying to capture the Earl's interest Sugar Plum and Leopard Solid makes a statue of the Archangel Gabriel (looking very much like Caesar) and hides it in Westminster Abbey, intending for Dorian to steal it. Dorian, knowing it is a trap, uses Westminster Abbey as a bluff, then proceeds to rob the British Museum, only to, when the police heads over to the museum, take the Gabriel statue too - and Caesar.
The first part gets its name from a poem Catullus, which Dorian thinks of while kissing Caesar.
Special guest stars of this episode: characters from Sons of Eve, another of Yasuko Aoike's series, when Caesar, Leopard and Sugar flees Tarao Bannai into a club where Sons of Eve play.
The second part takes place about half a year later. The title character is Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach. Klaus works for NATO, the intelligence division, Bonn, West Germany. "The other side calls him 'Iron Klaus' out of respect and fear.[2]"
Klaus's mission is to evaluate Professor Caesar Gabriel, to see if he is telepathic. In order to find out, he sets Caesar to evaluate the Eberbach Collection, owned by Klaus's family. Klaus and the title character of the manga, Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria, meets up for the first time when Dorian comes to view the collection. Later Dorian steals some of the paintings, earning Klaus's wrath. Meanwhile, though, Klaus has Caesar. Dorian still wants the professor. First he attempts to blackmail Klaus for him, then steals him too.
At first Dorian does not like Klaus at all, calling him a philistine. Eventually Dorian realizes that Klaus does appreciate beauty, though, albeit one of steel. He even starts seeing what Klaus sees in it - and promptly steals something very dear to Klaus ... Caesar's friends, Sugar Plum and Leopard Solid are only in the story briefly, as they are on vacation in Scotland.
A statue of Achilles was discovered at St. Martin's College, Oxford. Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria wants it. However, the ministry of security is after NATO information regarding the eastern block military. A NATO agent hides this information (on a microfilm) on Achilles, so Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach also needs to get to the statue. St. Martin's college hands the safety over to the British Museum. Dorian steals the statue and has it shipped to Portugal on the Michaelangelo, a cruise ship going from Southampton to the Mediterranian. However, a gang of kidnappers rigs the ship with explosives and attempts to extort the Italian government for 10 billion liras. For Countess Boulanger they want another 50 million francs.
Klaus is asked to pick up some files from a contact in the British Secret Service called "L" in a convoluted manner. Dorian plots to steal "The Man in Purple" from Klaus's hotel room, but is foiled by his wish to see Klaus naked in the bath. Klaus's plane is hijacked by terrorists, and Dorian steals a plane in pursuit of the painting. Dorian blackmails A into letting him help free the hostages, and enters the plane during the refueling in disguise as a British diplomat. Dorian drugs the passengers and pilots with a sleeping draft and flirts with Klaus. The hijackers let Klaus pilot the plane because they do not know how to, and he turns the plane around towards safety.
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As of the mid-1980s, fan translations of From Eroica with Love began to circulate through the slash fiction community,[8] creating a "tenuous link" between slash and shōnen-ai.[9]From Eroica with Love is more popular with slash fans than it has been with dōjinshi artists.[8] The series has been described as an example of a movement in shōnen-ai and yaoi to depict more masculine men, as part of the audience's increasing comfort with objectifying males.[10]
Timeline
The first story, A Thousand Kisses, starts just before Christmas.
23 December: The exhibition of Christ.
In the first sequence Caesar Gabriel asks his friends, Leopard Solid and Sugar Plum, "By the way, what are you doing for Christmas Eve Tomorrow?"
24 December: Thefts and accusations.
Series of thefts from the Metropolian, the Louvre and National Gallery appears to start at midnight between 23 December and 24 December.
Broadcasts of the news are, presumably, the same morning, 24 December.
The theft of Christ from Lady Devlin appears to have happened later the same night, as the broadcast ends with the dramatic "Who is this 'Eroica' and what can we expect from them", fading out to an image of the Earl's airplane, where someone says "Lady Devlin ought to be up in arms now."
Leopard, Sugar and Caesar are then called back to Lady Devlin's house, presumably also on the 24th of December. Afterwards (again, persumably on the same day), they discuss the matter and Sugar foretells that something will happen "10 days from now".
3 January?: the Tate Gallery.
10 days for now would make the Tate Gallery incident on the 3rd of January.
4th of January?: The Archangel Gabriel, making of.
Soon after the Tate Gallery, maybe the next day, Sugar Plum and Leopard Solid starts on their project of making a statue of the Archangel Gabriel. They estimate that this will take them a week.
11 January?: The Archangel Gabriel, burial.
If their projections of a week to make the statue holds, burial of the Archangel Gabriel statue could takes place roughly on January 11.
12 January-19 January?: The Archangel Gabriel, finding.
It is unclear if more time passes between the statue is dug down an the statue is found, as the monk who finds it only mentions a barking dog. The dog could have barked due to the statue being dug down, but could, of course, be due to something else. Caesar does comment, on seeing the statue in the newspapers that "Produce of the late Renaissance? Bah! It was made last week!" So presumably not more than a week had passed.
15 January-22 January?: The Archangel Gabriel, stealing.
On seeing the article about the Archangel Gabriel statue, Dorian decides to steal it "in three days time, at midnight".
The second story, Iron Klaus, takes place six months after the first story, so presumably around July. While it is not explicitly stated, it might take place over two days time, as only one night is shown and the other events might take place in the day before and the day after.
^Yasuko, Aoike (2004). "Iron Klaus". From Eroica With Love, volume 1 (English ed.). USA: CMX. p. 79. ISBN1-4012-0519-4. The other side calls him "Iron Klaus" out of respect and fear.{{cite book}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
^Suzuki, Kazuko. (1999) "Pornography or Therapy? Japanese Girls Creating the Yaoi Phenomenon". In Sherrie Inness, ed., Millennium Girls: Today's Girls Around the World. London: Rowman & Littlefield, p.251 ISBN 0-8476-9136-5, ISBN 0-8476-9137-3.
CMX Manga
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