My wife picked up a manga at the cultural center’s bazar from an artist that she remembers liking when she was younger: Kyôko Ariyoshi (有吉京子).

She was born in Kumamoto in 1950 and started trying to get stories published when she was a teenager in junior high school. After graduation, having received letters of encouragement from magazine editors, she moved to Tokyo to become a shōjo mangaka. In 1971, she was selected as a finalist in the 9th Margaret Manga Research Student competition and published her first story, “仔ネコと少女” [zi Neko To Shōjo / lit. “Kitten and Girl”], in Weekly Margaret summer supplement. It was quickly followed in #32 of Weekly Margaret by the ballet story “白鳥の歌をきいて！” [Hakuchō no uta o kīte! / “Listen to the swan song!“]. 

For five years, she had to comply with her editor’s instruction to draw school manga, but in 1976 she finally got the permission to draw the ballet story she always wanted to do and for which she is now mostly known. And thus, Swan began its serialization in issue 47 of Weekly Margaret and lasted for six years (1976-1981, compiled in 21 volumes !). It was followed by many sequels (白鳥の祈り [Hakuchō no inori / “The Swan’s Prayer”] and Swan Act II) and other ballet stories (アプローズ -喝采- [Apurōzu – kassai – / “Applause”], ニジンスキー寓話 [Nijinsukī gūwa / “Nijinsky Fables”], etc.). Swan is her only work to have been translated in English, but unfortunately publication stopped after volume 15 (2005-2010, CMX Comics). For more information you can check: Manga Update [author • title] and Wikipedia [JP / EN / FR].

Introduction to the Saviour [救世主入門 / Kyūseishu nyūmon] is a minor work. It was serialized in Bessatsu Princess magazine from 1993 No. 10 to 1994 No. 17 and was compiled in two volumes in 1994 by Akita Shoten’s Princess Comics (Vol. 1: 1994-01-21, 183 pages, 978-4-253-07556-5; Vol. 2: 1994-12-16, 211 pages, 978-4-253-07565-7). The back cover description simply says: 庭師にして、元救世主…それは誰!?　心優しく不思議な青年・ジョーが示す奇跡とは…!? [A gardener and a former savior… who is that!? What kind of miracle will Joe, a kind-hearted and mysterious young man, show…!?].

Basically, it’s the story of Jesus being reincarnated into a young gardener and trying to make good and helping people around him… The art is relatively simple, but quite nice. As for the storytelling, well, I wish my Japanese was better so I could tell you more about the story. I just thought this was an interesting find worth talking about. Unfortunately, there are so many nice old shōjo manga that were published in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s that only a fraction of them can by translated and we’ll never know most of them…

Here’s a few sample pages:

And a rough translation: 

Page 6:
It feels like ages ago, a very long time ago, the Savior Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of the Chronicles.
Jesus Christ, the Savior who saved all people and was crucified for all people.

Page 7:
Ah, Christ, Yo
Is there anything else you’d like to say before we part ways?
…
Yeah?
The crowd’s shouting is so loud I can’t hear properly.
Savior, Please save us from this suffering.
Food! A better home!
I want to run away from my parents who only ever complain!
Fix the water!
Me too, I can’t choose
Please grant our wish! I can no longer be chosen by him.
Please! Before you die! While you’re still alive!
Your Majesty!
Ah… Now I can finally quit my job.
I’m just so fed up with listening to nothing but complaints and grievances…
Uh?!

Page 8:
Hmm? … A strange dream.
It was Christ, right? I felt like it was very different from Jesus Christ in the Bible.  
Well…it’s just a dream.
What about your dream?
Look, look! It’s the American continent! It’s visible beneath the clouds! !

Page 9:
Maya! Maya! We’ll be in Los Angeles soon! Yo!
Awesome
Ah! Because I slept in the airplane
I wonder if I had such a strange dream…
Look. Look.
Everyone, At the airport, you’ll have to greet to your host family, so make sure you read the reports carefully while you’re still in school.
Once you arrive, you’ll be speaking English from that moment on!
Alright everyone! It’s breakfast time!
What did you say?
Ah! It looks delicious. It’s an omelet, isn’t it?
An omelet, I love it!
My mom said, “In America, they eat bread every morning, so make sure you eat a proper meal…” I was only eating miso soup before.
But! If you were so fed up with it, you should have just quit already, right?
Let’s eat!
That’s right. Wow.

Page 112:
Oh my, Maya? Where Am I going?
What about breakfast? Maya!

Page 113:
Look!
Joe
It’s Joe!
Hi. Maya, Matthew
I had a feeling I’d be able to see you guys today.

Page 114:
And then – Another person
Come out from behind the tree. It seems like it’s time for you to remember too.
Oh! It’s Chris!
Matthew, Do you know him?
Yeah, In the next class But why That guy…
Joe! What on earth is going on?! We had a strange dream, but…
I don’t really understand why I thought I could meet Joe if I came here.
You guys, In a past life, we shared a certain bond.

Page 115:
And now, The time has come to fulfill that “bundle”.
To remember that, I’ve had a lot of dreams over the past two or three days.
Of course. But you can always choose again
Once again, John, Decide by your own will Whether or not to actually carry out that “promise”
Joe! Hey! What’s a “bundle”? I don’t know what it is, but it’s exciting!
I feel like I’ve been waiting for something like this for a long time.
What about Maya?
Hmm… …But I’m going back to Japan soon.
Actually, I’d be happy if I could stay here and play with Joe and Matthew more.