Jane Eyre's Daughter likes manga

Two very different samples of the presence of the Brontës in popular culture:

1. In poetry.
The recent chapbook The Bird Artists by Laurie Byro contains a poem devoted to Jane Eyre. On Peony Moon we can read the complete poem: Jane Eyre's Daughter.

I kept thinking I was Jane Eyre’s daughter.
I suspected my mother really wanted a son.

Fascinated with attics I foraged through chests
with breakable locks filled with baptism gowns,

sniffed among moth-balls for matchboxes
from exotic pool halls, hints of adoption papers. (Read more)

2. In an Japanese anime:

Aoi Hana (青い花) is a Japanese anime (adapted by Kenichi Kasai and J.C. Staff) based on the yuri manga series of the same name (aka Sweet Blue Flowers) written and illustrated by Takako Shimura. The second episode (aired last July, 9) contained several Wuthering Heights explicit references:

Aoi Hana (Episode 2)
Spring Storm
"Haru no Arashi" (春の嵐)

(...)Later on, however, Yasuko takes Fumi, and Fumi's trio of Drama-addled classmates, over to Fujigaya's Drama Club. The reason why soon becomes apparent, as the head of the Drama Club at Fujigaya wants Yasuko to play the part of Heathcliff in their upcoming stage version of Wuthering Heights. Yasuko's reason for bringing Fumi, a source of puzzlement for the head of the Fujigaya Drama Club at first, becomes clear when Yasuko suggests that Fumi play the role instead (a suggestion quickly shot down). (G.B. Smith on Mania)

EDIT: (24 July) Also Chapter 4: Youth is a Lovely Thing

The major twist, already somewhat hinted at earlier, comes when Yasuko takes her regular "retinue" over to Fujigaya as they are preparing for script readings of the Drama Club play, "Wuthering Heights." (G.B. Smith on Mania)

EDIT: (31 July) Also Chapter 5: Wuthering Heights – (Part One)

The posters for the school play are going up, and Yasuko is looking rather dramatic as Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. Kyoko, of course, has the expected blush response to the poster while placing one up. It seems most of the girls at Fujigaya are all abuzz over Yasuko. And that makes Fumi slightly jealous. And jealousy has a way of eating out one's heart. Fumi turns to Akira for some advice and emotional support. (G.B. Smith on Mania)

EDIT: (6 August) Also Chapter 6: Wuthering Heights - (Part Two).

Aoi Hana as usual does this very subtly and full of emotions. In this episode, we see the play Wuthering Heights being performed by Yasuko and the others. (...)
There’s also this scene in which Yasuko claims that she dislikes the character of Catherine in Wuthering Heights. Well, I don’t know the full details of the Wuthering Heights novel, but Catherine seemed to be a passionate, wild and mischievous girl, who lead both her and Heathcliff to their doom. It’s interesting how in the same way, Kyouko actually looks up to her due to her strong will. They both have totally different ways in which they relate to her character, and it also signified the distance between the two of them, since Kyouko doesn’t know what happened in Yasuko’s past with her teacher. (Star Crossed Anime Blog)

The time for the high school theater club’s performance of “Wuthering Heights“ has finally arrived and all the spectators are soon wooed by the spectacle, especially Yasuko’s portrayal of Heathcliff proves popular. (...)
A nice episode, loved the smaller comedy bits with Akira and her family. Lots of time was spent focusing on the play, and can’t help wonder if the choice of “Wuthering Heights“ may hold some hidden meaning referencing to the main characters’ stories. (Blue Blue Wave)

Finally, we come to the main performance, "Wuthering Heights." While it is amusing to see a Takarazuka Revue (a famous all-female performing troupe in Japan) version of Wuthering Heights, it did remind me of how much I hated reading the actual novel in high school. (G.B.Smith on Mania)

Categories: Books, Movies-DVD-TV, Poetry, References, Wuthering Heights