Tsumugu Otome to Taishou no Tsuki

*"A Reiwa student transfers to a Taisho-era girls' school?!"*

Tsumugu and Itsuki (Illustration by Chiune)

***A Drift Girl and a Noble Moon*** (紡ぐ乙女と大正の月, *Tsumugu Otome to Taishou no Tsuki*) is a Japanese four-panel historical series by Chiune.

## Plot

May 10, 2019. The tenth day of modern Reiwa-era Japan...

First-year high school student, Tsumugu Fujikawa, had vowed to put her drab, reclusive image behind her to make a glamorous new start at Sakuragawa High. Falling back on old habits, however, Tsumugu instead spends lunch alone in the school library that very day. Finding solace in books, she discovers an old album containing photographs of former graduates of Sakuragawa; girls who appear to have lived an entire century before her. A dark and dusty photograph suddenly slips out from one of the album pages, but by the time Tsumugu notices it, a massive earthquake erupts. Bookshelves quickly come crashing down towards Tsumugu, eventually taking her, and the world she always knew, with them.

Somehow, she awakens and is left unscathed by the incident, only to see everything around her completely transformed — trolley cars flood Ginza's humble cityscape devoid of skyscrapers and neon lights, while pedestrians are seen going about their business in a mix of traditional Japanese and post-Edwardian attire. Tsumugu soon discovers that she is now standing in the year 1921, the tenth year of Japan's Taisho era, and is seemingly at the forefront of the country's new "sailor outfit" fad.

## Publication

The series first appeared in the September 2019 issue of *Manga Time Kirara Carat*, where it was featured as a double-feature guest series. Its third chapter was published in the October 2019 issue, and the series would go on to be serialized in the November 2019 issue. As of December 2023, 40 chapters of the main story (plus 4 side chapters) have been published.

Tsumutsuki's English title, "A Drift Girl and a Noble Moon," was decided by Chiune and her editor, and is a reference to two of the main characters (Tsumugu and Itsuki). The word "Tsumugu" in Japanese literally means "to spin," in the same way fabric is made by the spinning and weaving of threads. It is also used in the phrase, *creating a future* or *connecting the future* (未来へ紡ぐ, *Mirai e Tsumugu*). Thus, the connotation of time and history in Tsumugu's name can be carried over in English with the word "adrift," as in a girl "drifting through time." *Noble Moon* combines Itsuki's name ("tsuki" meaning moon in Japanese) and the fact that the story is set in the Taishou era (an era of nobility, literally meaning "great righteousness").

The series was nominated for both the 2022 and 2023 *Tsugi ni Kuru* Manga Awards.

## Characters

**Main**

* Tsumugu Fujikawa
* Itsuki Suenobu
* Asahi Madenokouji
* Hatsuno Hachisuka

**Minor**

* Nanao Yoshikawa
* Yaeko Hachisuka
* Sekka Ichijou
* Chitose Koga
* Yau Izumi

## Volume List

Each *tankobon* contains about a year's worth of material. Compared to the serialized chapters, each volume contains slightly polished artwork and includes dates corresponding to the plot for each chapter.

 2 |  | 12-22
 3 |  | 23-32

## Historical References

See also: Historical References
Much of the research in the series is based on the author's expertise in history, a subject she majored in college. In addition, the student subcommittee of the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) have interviewed with the author and the editor regarding their work.

## References

1. ↑ Manga Time Kirara Carat - Nov. 2019 Back Issue
2. ↑ Author Tweet - May 28, 2020
3. ↑ Hinative Post
4. ↑ DMM Eikaiwa Post
5. ↑ Tsumugu Otome to Taishou no Tsuki Vol. 1. Pg. 119.
6. ↑ X Posting Chiune. January 15, 2024.