Gorgeous Carat overview

[astraplain.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous Carat fandom overview

The adventures of a daring jewel thief and a penniless aristocrat in turn of the century Paris.



Gorgeous Carat by You Higuri is a 4-volume non-explicit Boys Love manga series with a 1-volume sequel (Gorgeous Carat Galaxy) and a brand new storyline being serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Spica (Gorgeous Carat La Esperanza).

This adventure/drama/historical fantasy is set in Paris at the start of the 20th century where the penniless aristocrat, Florian Rochefort is purchased by his distant relative, Ray Balzac Courland in exchange for clearing the Rochefort family's debts. Florian soon discovers that his new master is also the daring jewel thief, Noir. Noir's obsession for jewels extends to his fascination with Florian's amethyst eyes and the pair share a close, if often volatile relationship. Their adventures take them from Paris to Morocco while dealing with old friends, criminals, and a five year old boy.


Characters:


Count Ray Balzac Courland, also known as the Phantom Thief Noir, is a man of contrasts. The son of an Arabian prince and a French aristocrat, Ray was orphaned at a young age. Living alone on the streets of Morocco, Ray was taken in by Azura, an older boy who became Ray's friend and protector. When Ray's French relatives found him, he accompanied them to Paris where he graduated top of his class at the Sorbonne. 18 years old, titled and rich, Ray spends his days as a usurer and his nights as the phantom thief Noir. He has a dark edge, and wields his whip freely, but he also has a passion for beautiful things, especially Florian's amethyst eyes.

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Florian Rochefort, 20, is the last of a proud but penniless aristocratic family with ties to royalty. Desperate to spare his mother, Florian sells himself to his distant relative. At first Florian despises Ray, but a series of traumatic losses and betrayals brings him to trust and care for the younger man.

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Laila has been Ray's devoted follower for years. She is in love with Ray and is jealous of Florian because of Ray's obvious affection for the blond. She likes to cook, although those close to her know better than to eat any of her creations.

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Solomon Sugar is a detective obsessed with catching the phantom thief Noir, who he calls his "dear black cat". He's convinced that Ray is Noir and amuses himself by dropping by uninvited and annoying Ray.

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Noel Tassel, 5, is the son of a banker who got mixed up with the criminal organization, the Black Hand. Trying to escape from them, Noel encountered Florian, who resembles his dead mother. Noel never goes anywhere without his teddy bear, Betty Deux, and he's the only one who willingly eats Laila's cooking.

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Azura is an old friend of Ray's who lives in Morocco. He took care of Ray when they were younger, before Ray's French relatives found him and took him to Paris. Azura wears an eye patch to cover his damaged and scarred eye, the result of defending young Ray against a group of bullies. After young Ray left Morocco, a wealthy American adopted Azura.

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Purchasing:
Gorgeous Carat v1-4 is available in the US from Blu (rated OT for older teen)
Website includes sample pages from volume 1:
http://www.blumanga.com/series_detail.php?series=gorgeouscarat

Gorgeous Carat Galaxy is available in the US from DMP (rated T for teen 13+).
http://www.dmpbooks.com/titles?n=44&t=114


Note: Gorgeous Carat has also been licensed in Germany, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand. Gorgeous Carat Galaxy has been licensed in Germany and Taiwan.
http://www.gocomi.com/higuri/dtig/tankoubon/kakgai.htm


Gorgeous Carat La Esperanza is only available in Japanese, serialized in the magazine Spica. The magazine is available for download each month, although Gorgeous Carat is not is every issue. At this time there have been 2 chapters of this story published. The link is for the issue featuring chapter 1:
http://www.gentosha-comics.net/genzo/nbissue/2007/09/28-020000.php

Note: if anyone is interested in downloading the magazine but does not read Japanese, here are the instructions:

- Go to the site linked above, select the red button to pay by credit card (the yellow button is for webmoney)
- Either selection with have you download a small program that then allows you to download the magazine (the "D" button).
- Once downloaded, you can view a small sample of the magazine (no Gorgeous Carat) by selecting the "S" button.
- To buy the issue for 210 yen (less than $2 at today's exchange rate), select the "B" button.
- This takes you to a secure web page that will ask for (in this order):
name
email address
credit card type (pull-down menu)
credit card number
expiration date.
[note: these labels can be translated using AltaVista's Babelfish]
- Once you have entered the information and pressed the submit button at the bottom of the screen, you will see a confirmation page.
- After you verify the info is correct, press the confirm button and you will be sent to a new page that shows that the purchase is complete and gives you a license code to view the magazine.
- Copy the license code into the box on the magazine program screen and, after a few seconds the program will "register" and you will be able to view the complete magazine. (choose the pink icon)

Note: the 210 yen entitles you to Spica and 2 other magazines but they must all be downloaded separately

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GC Internet Resources:

Team Bonet's Gorgeous Carat shrine:
http://www.geocities.com/gedojudea/carat/gortop.html

Sequential Tart Review of Gorgeous Carat:
http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/oct04/art_1004_4.shtml

Mania Books' Review of Gorgeous Carat Galaxy
http://www.mania.com/53494.html

Film Noir, a Gorgeous Carat Fanlisting:
http://winter-born.net/fan/gc/

Sweet Extortion, a Florian and Noir Fanlisting:
http://winter-born.net/fan/gcfn/

Tiara: You Higuri's Official Site (English version)
http://www.youhiguri.com/

German fansite with fiction and art:
http://animexx.onlinewelten.com/serien/start.phtml?id=1793

Mina-P's translations of Gorgeous Carat:
http://www.senshigakuen.com/translations/manga/index.htm

Aethereality artbook scans:
http://gallery.aethereality.net/list/series/45/

Russian Scans
http://animanga.ru/manga.asp?id=240

FanFiction.net
http://www.fanfiction.net/l/2067/0/0/1/1/0/0/0/0/0/1/

Yahoo Group (really quiet)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GorgeousCarat/

Lj – Gorgeous Carat
http://community.livejournal.com/gorgeous_carat/

Lj – You Higuri Heaven
http://community.livejournal.com/higuriyou/

Lj - Yaoi Challenge 2007 (features some GC fic)
http://community.livejournal.com/yaoi_challenge/

Thailand's Higuri You Shrine:
http://www.geocities.com/higuri_shrine/higuri_main.htm

Story: And If I Don't: by The Queen of Blueberry Toast
http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/sywm/prefic.html

Story: The Strawberry: by The Queen of Blueberry Toast
http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/hausafrog/Kwobt/LaFraise.txt

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Please let me know if I missed something. I hope you enjoy the
stories.

Comments

[fearlessfirefly.livejournal.com]

Wow! GC fic on crack_van! Can't wait to read some recs! :D

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Yay Gorgeous Carat! Lovely overview,

[twigged.livejournal.com]

Thank you!