Many thanks to Yen Press for providing a review copy
About the Mangaka
Not a lot of information on So-Hee Park unfortunately, this seems to be her second work, the first being Real Purple. She’s being working on manhwa since 2000 when she won the Seoul Media’s silver medal for Best New Manhwa Creator.
About the Manga
I really wish i could say i loved this volume, but the sad fact is i couldn’t finish it. I’ve sat down three times now and barely manage to get past a page from the previous attempt.
This is the first time i’ve failed to fully read a title i was planning to review, and i find that a shame really.
The problem with the volume is neither the premise nor the story, it’s the art. I’ve yet to read a manga that can go from good/okay art, to hideous so fast, and what’s worse is that it’s clearly deliberate.
So-Hee’s art starts off as any particular manhwa, but the gimicky scenes destroy it completely. I have nothing against chibi or comic art being mixed into my art. In fact when used right it increases the enjoyment. However So-Hee fails to do this, infact her horror art tends to make my stomch turn.
I could probably have lived with this if the story had had the strength to carry the series, but it dosen’t. The story is weak and uninteresting, which again is a shame, since the basic premise is great.
How she could take a great premise and destroy it with a weak story and atrocious art.
I don’t know, maybe it’s because i haven’t read volume one, i don’t know, either way though i feel this is going to be one of those i’ll ever like. I will try again when i get volume one, which i’ll be ordering at the end of the month. Maybe if i read one and two together i’ll grow to like it.
Yen however still do their usual awesome job, the translation was smooth and consistent, and the editing for the most part was fine. There was some minor guttering problems, but nothing to big.
Sadly, for the time being this one goes on the Junk Pile (the first Yen Press title to go in the bin!!)
Where to Buy
For the Brits: Waterstones, Little Brown, and Book Depository
For the Yanks and Canadians: Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
July 30, 2008 @ 19:12.
lol. You sound so critical about it. But I get what you mean. It’s so sad, really, that it had such an awesome premise and yet falls flat. I DID get through it, even though it was pure shoujo-all-over-giddy-when-reading-but-leaves-bad-taste afterwards type of story…lol.
The normal art was a bit…er…for me, but the covers are quite nice, and I got use to it after awhile. It was used well enough, but the chibis are ugly and aren’t even used well…The funny parts fall flat.