SYNOPIS
Othello is a manga drawn and written by Ikezawa Satomi, and tells the story of two completely opposite girls, Yaya and Nana.

A timid and often naive teenager, Yaya has trouble sticking up for herself against those that take advantage of her, and lives for Sundays, when she can hang out with her friends in cosplay at Harajuku and chat about their favourite band, Juliet.

Nana is loud, brash, in-your-face, and is never lacking any self-confidence in herself. When Yaya just can't take it anymore, Nana comes in and rights the wrongs done to Yaya (and herself). Unlike Yaya, Nana's dream of rock and roll stardom had never left, and is still being faithfully pursued.

Perhaps the only thing Nana and Yaya have in common besides their dreams is that they are, in fact, the same person. All it takes is one frustrated look in the mirror, and Nana replaces Yaya to ensure that "Justice is done!"

ETCETERA
One of the main (and best, in my opinion) parts of Othello is the many references to the visual-kei industry. Visual-kei, or "visual style", was inspired by popular bands during the punk fad in Western culture, such as Kiss or Marilyn Manson, although in my opinion, visual-kei bands dress up much more creatively than they ever did.

Visual-kei is used to describe bands that put especial care into their appearances, often choosing to dress in gothic or violent attire. Cross-dressing is also a main part to visual-kei, but, if done properly, can often be very effective in enhancing both the band's image and their songs. Though Juliet does not cross-dress (at least, not in Yaya's poster ^^;;), they are a good example of vk.

Harajuku is a popular hangout for cosplayers (short for "costume players") in Japan. The costumes worn by the youths there are often reflected from popular vk bands. Gothic lolitas, a costume Yaya often wears throughout Othello, is an especially popular attire.