The Rear Palace maybe a beautiful place, but it lacks sources of entertainment. Given it’s purpose, it’s not surprising the gossip mill is constantly buzzing. In fact, this gets Mao Mao into trouble. Not that she seeks it out, her adorable friend Xiaolan always keeps Mao Mao in the know. Who is Xiaolan? She’s a sweet extrovert that works in the laundry section of the rear palace. If you didn’t know, she’s got her own manga in the works.
What’s So Special About Xiaolan’s Memories?
Although anime fans have heard/seen side character perspectives, these were taken from the Original Manga or the Light Novels. This is what makes Xiaolan Memories stand apart from the others. Aside from the ice incident in Season 2 Part 2, we don’t get to see much from Xiaolan’s perspective. We know Mao Mao grows to see her as a cute little sister she never had. We can assume she was sold to the year palace, but we don’t know why. Despite her appetite for gossip, Xiaolan is not as care free as she may seem.
Where Can I Read It?
Since Xiaolan Memories is still in its infancy, manga chapters aren’t available in English yet. If you can read and comprehend Japanese, Chapters 1 thru 3 are available at MangaUp!. This is not the English MangaUp! that I mentioned a few months ago. Not to say, sites aren’t providing scanlations of the original content. After all, strictly English readers aren’t the primary audience for this medium. In general, translations come second. It’s a hard truth that most regular consumers are aware of. This is why western audiences opinion doesn’t hold as much weight as the intended audience.
Given Xiaolan Memories was announced back in March, I’m not surprised we’re only a few chapters in. Given how other platforms handle translations releases, English readers may not see official translations till Late Summer. A Manga’s popularity can impact how fast that happens, but simultaneous chapter releases are very rare.
Final Thoughts
That said, I still plan to support Xiaolan’s Memories. From Mao Mao’s perspective, Xiaolan is an outgoing person. Although Mao Mao’s status has changed a few times in the series, she’s still willing to be friends. Not to say Xiaolan lacks self awareness. It’s more that she doesn’t let her circumstances heavily impact how she presents herself to the world.
By the way scanlations are the product of individuals or groups that translate digital comics and place the desired language where the original was. I mentioned this term earlier, but didn’t allaborate. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!
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