Reviews   Shirahime-syo by CLAMP     Shirahime-syo is a collection of five short tragedies, all connected with the metaphor of snow. The running theme throughout this manga is the image of the snow princess - when it is snowing, it is said that the snow is her tears, falling from the sky. The tone of this manga is philosophical and very different from CLAMP's usual subject matter. The stories deal with love, death, the pain of rejection, and the pain that can be caused when people don't think about the results of their actions. They are very like 'cautionary tales' - telling the sad stories of individuals who have learned these lessons the hard way. The artwork is by far the best feature of this manga - I personally bought it because I thought it was breathtaking. CLAMP have used soft watercolours and the delicate use of shades and elegant lines to convey these beautiful, yet tragic tales. If they set out to make a manga which was more a show of their talent than the ongoing storylines of their previous releases... then they definitely succeeded. This manga is a lovely example of Japanese storytelling and expertly draws on ancient techniques, presented in CLAMP's unique style, to produce a true masterpiece.   Information and ratings   Publisher: Tokyopop Price: £12.99 GBP/ $19.99 USD No. of volumes: 1 Quality of artwork Absolutely exquisite, even for CLAMP's high standards. Some pages are even in colour - a real treat. Storyline Charming and mystical, and would appeal to fans of ancient Japanese culture. Value for money This is very expensive for its size, but not bad considering the quality of the artwork. Overall A sophisticated and beautiful offering from one of the best manga companies out there. Who should buy this manga? Serious fans of CLAMP, and the manga genre in general, who prefer beautiful artwork over price.