Danica Davidson
April 19, 2023 
Kaoru Mori, the mangaka behind Emma, A Bride’s Story, Shirley, and the currently running Shirley Madison manga, has been dealing with a number of health issues. Because of this, the next chapter of Shirley Madison will be published in Japan with some pages just consisting of sketches instead of finished works.
She recently had surgery to take out uterine fibroids, but her health issues go beyond that. She’s also been dealing with allergic dermatitis and calcific arthritis, and all of this is making it difficult for her to draw because her fingers hurt. She’s also been diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction and this has been giving her headaches. This additionally led to her being hospitalized.
Mori thinks that stress and fatigue have a lot to do with her health problems. She assured fans she was mostly getting eight hours of sleep a night (except right before a deadline) and that she was exercising and eating well.
She did share that she’s in a good mental state, thankfully, and she is working on recovering. She wants to get back to drawing with her normal skill.
Mori might be best known for her manga Emma, which has also been made into an anime. Yen Press publishes Emma in English and gave this description for the first volume:
“Calling upon his former governess, William Jones, gentleman, is startled when his knock is answered by an uncommonly beautiful servant, the soft-spoken Emma. Throughout his visit, William’s eyes drift to the maid whenever she enters the room, and he contrives to meet Emma socially as she goes about her errands. But London society is a web of strict codes and divisions. For the son of a wealthy merchant, seeking out a working-class girl is simply not done! William’s father plans for his son to marry into the peerage and elevate the Jones family to greater heights, but although William says and does what is expected of him, he longs only for Emma’s company…”
We wish Mori the best in her recovery!
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
