I really shouldn't be surprised, Fantagraphics raises the bar once again. Not only is this a collection of excellent stories, but it is also presented in a way to really illustrate the kind of work that Moto Hagio does and the ways in which she relates to Manga and female creators of comics overall. A lot of intelligence and passion went into creating this collected edition and it really shows.

Talking about the stories themselves, the closest comparison I could think of (in my alibi yet limited experience) was actually to Miyazaki. Hagio's stories were similar in that, while they all take place in a contemporary setting, that doesn't stop Hagio from intertwining them with elements of magic, sometimes in big ways and sometimes in small, always in just the sort of speculative (telling the truth through fiction) that I really really love. Her stories are touching and whimsical, and they all center around female characters that feel extremely real.

All coming from the same artist, the visuals of the stories actually varied quite a bit. Overall I would say that her styles all feel a bit more classic, but her style did vary to a certain extent to best serve the tone of the story. And none of it felt particularly dated or super cheesy like some of the older manga I have read.