Aya Shouoto is, by far, my favorite reverse harem mangaka. Her men ooze sex appeal. Her female leads, unlike the milquetoast waifs featured in most anime and video games, can and do hold their own. Her character designs are not only lovely to look at, but reflect a style greatly influenced by the classic European architecture often incorporated into her stories.

This shikishi was one of a handful of original artwork prizes awarded during Aria's first anniversary celebration. Aria is a tankobon that Kodansha releases monthly, and is aimed towards older teenage and adult women.

I had heard about legendary "fujoshi" battles, but I had never experienced one until I found this item. What originally started as a reasonable price for a shikishi ended up going for three times the starting price, and boiled down to a bidding war between I and another Japanese Yahoo Japan user. I'm really happy that I ended up winning it in the end as this is the first original item I've seen of hers for sale.

The auction originally stated that the shikishi would come with its congratulatory letter, but that seemed to have disappeared while in transit. I included the auction picture with said note, as well as the original scan featured on the Aria Homepage.


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