Many thanks to Yen Press for providing a review copy.
About the Author
Nothing available on SangEun Lee, hit the contact me button if you have any info.
About the Manga
FEAKING AWESOME!!! To be honest when I initially picked this up I was expecting a typical dull and monotonous love story. What we get however is the usual generic love story, but with several twists that really make it awesome.
Art wise this has nothing special about it, it’s a typical Korean love story. Truth be told there’s nothing to really separate it from any other Korean lovey dovey story out there.
In a way it’s weird, it’s like they all graduated from the same drawing school and draw the same style. While it’s not a style, I would like to see some variety in the styles, just for them to say “this is my style” once in a while.
Character designs are pretty generic, but nothing spectacular. Though I do have a minor niggle, Won-Jung gets kind of weird mid way, and it’s hard to see who he really is.
I do however love the story, adding in magical elements and weird talking plants adds a new element to the realms.
What starts off as your a typical shojo series takes on a strange twist when it’s revealed that the leads have some sort of magical ability, and even weirder twist with a talking plant.
I do like the characters as well, I was initially unimpressed with them, however over the volume they really developed a good set of personalities. Hee-So is pretty generic, and as a lead I was unimpressed.. However I found her fanaticism about not having to find another boyfriend really funny. And the hints that she’s really something more really have piqued my interest and desire to read the next volume.
I am also intrigued by the relationship between between Whie-Young and Won-Jun. Again I initially thought they were your usual generic close friends, with eyes on the same girl. However as the story progressed a deeper, more sinister relationship seems to be there.
Sae-bom is another really interesting character, and a little on the creepy/sinister side. Something about the way she acts in this volume has me wondering as to what she really is, given the other revelations of the volume.
For me though, the real star of the volume had to be Beatrice. I mean adding a talking walking plant, and a cactus of all things, into a modern day shojo story is the best thing I’ve ever seen. And his personality hehe, damn he is totally insane, and bloody funny. To be honest I found his humour and scenarios to be more natural that the rest of them.
Yen Press once again produced an amazing volume for us, with great translation and fluid and consistent adaptation. Though,I wonder if any of my Korean readers could tell me what the hell are Boong-au-BBang. They kinda resemble those japanese cake things (can never remember the name hehe. Usually Yen include a glossary for terms like this, but not this time.
Also got to love the colour pages in this volume as well. The first one alone is really amazing.
I’m really tempted to add it to my Essential Read list, but I think I’ll wait another volume or two before adding it. However it continues to be as amazing as this one was it’ll easily be on my list.
Where to Buy
I had literally just finished my 5th run through of the volume when i started to write it, so their names were still fresh in my memory. And yeah, Beatrice s just totally mind blowingly funny, he’s almost the lead in a lot of ways hehe.
June 17, 2009 @ 14:58.
But there IS a translation notes page at the end of this volume…and “Boong-au-BBang” is the first note? Does your copy not have one? O_o;;