Review copy kindly provided by Yen Press
About the Mangaka
Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything on KwangHyun Seo, who wrote the story, nor on JinHo Ko who did the art. If anyone has any info please drop me a line through the contact me page.
About the Manga
This is the first series from Yen Press that has left me with a feeling of disgust. Totally pathetic series that has left me feeling like I want to go back to the store and demand my money back.
Disclaimer: This post may get a bit ranty, and will contain spoilers of the previous volumes.
I’m a fairly easy guy to please, doesn’t take much in my manga to make me happy. However it takes a hell of a lot to make me hate a series so much I want to set fire to it. This series is now one of the few to get there.
Art wise, I will compliment it, JinHo really pulled himself together in the last two volumes and pulled some really amazing looking art. Da-il and Chan-Bee both have moments that they look totally awesome. Also have to admit that the fight scenes look sweet, if a bit weird.
I was also impressed by the use of both historic and fantasy characters in the last two volumes. Both of which would have been really awesome reads. Chan-Bee looks amazing in this volume, there’s no other word for it. She looks HOT!!, especially at the end.
Unfortunately where this (and the previous volume) fail epically and thus ruin the entire series, is the story. Everything they built up in the first four volumes is thrown out the window and an entire new story is given. Though there are elements of the original story.
What really made me cringe was Chan-Bee. I think they realised having two uber bodyguards for Da-il would be over kill, so they removed one. And when I say removed, I do mean removed. There’s no real explanation give for his disappearance, he’s just gone. Chan-Bee also gets some power ups which again aren’t handled in the best way.
I wouldn’t mind it so much, but it was just so badly handled that it ends up being senseless.
What really annoyed me however was the ending. If you guys remember my reviews of Chiwoo you’ll remember I said it just ends, right in the middle of a good thing. Well, this is the same. We’re having an epic battle, and then it’s over. No resolution, hell no nothing. What’s more Da-il is grievously wounded with heavily scared hands with no explanation as to how he got them in the real world. And finally we have another story change.
Way back in the first volume it’s revealed that the events that Da-il see’s and does are passed to Ho-Go who then uses them to create a new Manhwa. But at the end of this volume they change that and suddenly it’s Da-il’s desire to make the Croquis Pop manhwa.
/me sighs dejectedly
I can’t fault Yen Press however, they did do their usually high quality job, no guttering as such, and a good translation. My only grievance, and this is something I’ve had with the other volumes, is the changing manhwa to comics. IMO that’s as bad as calling manga, comics. It’s something you just done do. Overall though I have no real complaints about Yen’s work.
Sadly though, this series goes onto my Junk Pile. I can’t even recommend it as a ‘filler’ title because it’s splattered all over. I got the impression that they (JinHo and KwangHyun) just got fed up with the series and gave up half way with a rushed ending
This is definitely one to give a miss.
Where to Buy
October 27, 2009 @ 18:18.
What a shame. The art is really nice.
This series became another one entirely with volume 3 and now it’s changed again? I’ve only got through volume 4 and I was liking where it was going. I don’t think it would have been to everyone’s liking, but it was clever in spots. It certainly wouldn’t have interested the age griup for which it was intended.
I think I’ll read 5 and 6 together to assess the damage.
Thanks for the review.