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Posts Tagged Manhwa

Review: Very! Very! Sweet (Vol. 04)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Author: JiSang Shin
Manhwa-ga: Geo
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: July 2009

Synopsis: “Tsuyoshi and Be-Ri’s charade has Grandfather convinced, but it’s just a bit too convincing for Erica and Mu-Hyuk. Forming a coalition of their own, the pair is determined to prevent Tsuyoshi and Be-Ri from becoming anything more than business partners. Meanwhile, Gyu-Ri and San-Ne are on the rocks as Gyu-Ri’s unfaithfulness becomes increasingly apparent. Be-Ri watches their relationship crumble before her eyes, her heart filled with concern for the suffering San-Ne.”

Be-Ri and Tsuyoshi’s plan to appease Tsuyoshi’s Grandfather seemed to be working smoothly but every façade needs to come to the surface eventually… and yet, not so for this pretend-couple just yet. With their childhood friends, aka other prospective love interests, bent on seeing the two separated and Tsuyoshi’s Grandfather sceptical after only a single meeting, the two have more work on their hands to be convincing. But how far will a lie go before it starts becoming true?

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Review: You’re So Cool (Vol. 04)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manhwa-ga: YoungHee Lee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: July 2009

Synopsis: “Though they’ve settled into an easygoing, playful relationship, Seung-Ha’s still far from opening up to his goofy girlfriend, Nan-Woo. But keeping his emotional cards close to his chest might not be the best idea when past tensions are once again stirred up by his family… Meanwhile, a sudden incident endangers Hyun-Ho’s life and forces Jay to examine his feelings. Will Seung-Ha and Jay be able to overcome their very different demons?”

After a rocky start, Nan-Woo and Seung-Ha are finally dating, becoming without compare the most unexpected couple in their high school. First Nan-Woo couldn’t wait to get away from the two-faced Seung-Ha but now she’ll do anything to be at his side. From cheery cell phone calls to her first visit at his home, after weeks of trying to avoid him she has a lot of catching up to do.

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Review: Goong (Vol. 04)

Reviewer: Marsha Reid


Manhwa-ga: Park SoHee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: February 2009

Synopsis: “After the king grants his late brother a posthumous coronation, the status quo shifts dramatically as his widow, Yul’s mother, gains power in the palace. And she definitely has it out for Shin and Chae-Kyung! When the newlyweds are invited to go abroad, it seems like they might be on the road to romance… but with Yul’s mammy dearest determined to make the couple miserable, will they even get off the ground?”

With drama around every turn, Shin and Chae are still finding the time to fall in love (though Shin will be hard pressed to ever admit it). His royal mood swings and possessive personality cause tension between them as he begins to suspect she’s falling for his cousin, Yul. Little does he know, she’s far to much in love with him to even consider it.

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Review: Jack Frost (Vol. 01)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Manhwa-ga: JinHo Ko
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: May 2009

Synopsis: “Any high schooler on a nerve-wracking first day at a new school is apt to lose his or her head a little, but in Noh-A’s case, she literally does! When she wakes up in one piece with a little help from a mysterious doctor, Noh-A quickly realizes that nothing is as it seems at Amityville High, where paranormal creatures battle for supremacy. Caught in the crossfire, Noh-A may have to rely on the unlikely aid of the most sinister student at Amityville… the deadly Jack Frost!”

Zombies, vampires and a school of super-powered teenagers fighting each other in a high school? Already the stuff unique stories are made of, I know. While the story takes off on a fairly interesting note, when a young girl finds herself the living victim of a beheading, what follows is a visually sharp but ultimately underwhelming first volume that fails to find substantial footing in both its plot and art.

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Review: Black God (Vol. 06)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Author: Dall-Young Lim
Manhwa-ga: Sung-Woo Park
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “Kuro opens up about her life before she came to Earth, that of a carefree princess in her family’s haven of pure tera. But factions emerged among the mototsumitama, and now the violent betrayal that destroyed her clan drives her search for the head of the Shishigami family. The mutual tragedy of their pasts draws Keita and Kuro closer together — this fight has become personal for both of them. But will their bond of trust give them the strength to take on the Kaionji Group as Kouei’s sinister plot unfolds in Okinawa?”

Most of my proverbial prayers were answered here in volume six. The previous book had left me discontent with the direction of the story, or lack there of, and I was quick to learn it’s hard to muster interest in a story that seems to be failing at even interesting itself. Thankfully the first half of this volume seeks to give the story a more solid direction as it takes readers back to Kuro’s life before she arrived in the human world.

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Review: 13th Boy (Vol. 01)


Not Currently Available

Manhwa-ga: SangEun-Lee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “It was love at first sight. The moment Hee-So’s eyes met Won-Jun’s she knew it was meant to be. Their relationship took off when Hee-So confessed her feelings on national TV, but less than a month later, Won-jun is ready to call it quits without any explanation at all. Hee-So’s had a lot of boyfriends — Won-Jun is number twelve — but being dumped is never easy. She’s not ready to move on to the thirteenth boy just yet.”

After professing her love to Won-Jun on national television, Hee-So is crushed when he breaks up with her after only a month. Stumped to the reason, she searches his wallet only to discover numerous secret images of someone else, and it’s certainly not who she expected to find! But even this won’t deter the stubborn Hee-So, who is positive that Won-Jun is her true love for whom destiny has decided for her. Girl likes boy and tries desperately to win his heart: it likely doesn’t strike any first-time bells for readers, but don’t pass this manhwa over as being just your typical shoujo-fare.

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Review: Hissing (Vol. 06)


Manhwa-ga: Eun-Young Kang
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: March 2009

Synopsis: “With Da-Hwa in the hospital, Da-Eh’s wracked by built about the way she’s treated her kind little brother all these years. Though her romance with Sun-Nam gets shelved as a result, the two are drawn closer by their affection for Da-Hwa. Does putting family first spell the end of their relationship? And is there no room enough in Da-Eh’s heart for Ta-Jun to squeeze in? Find out in this heart-tugging conclusion to EunYoung Kang’s Hissing!”

Little Da-Hwa is pulling his broken family closer and closer together by doing what he does best: being a child. His bright smiles and cheerful attitude both warm hearts and break them as the whole family watches him on his slow road to recovery. Despite the pain he’s in, Da-Hwa continues to look fondly on the face of his big sister, glad that she is showing how much she cares after all these years.

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Review: Alice on Deadlines (Vol. 04)


Manga-ka: Shirō Ihara
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “Siblings! Brainwashing! True love?! It’s Christmas Eve, but Lapan has nothing saintly in mind for Alice and company! When back-to-back battles cut his pervy party short and members of Tsurukame descend upon the scene, will Lapan finally repent his skirt-chasing ways? And as Alice tries to come to grips with a revelation about Lapan’s past, will she be able to break out of her shell (with the help of Lapan’s groping hands)?”

The first thing you do when you find out that your organization is very-possibly sending someone to kill you is have a sexy Christmas party (obviously). Forget that we all might die in less then twenty-four hours, let’s get the shopping done and whip out the too short, too tight, overly revealing festive costumes! I mean seriously you name three better ways you could spend your quite-possibly final hours.

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Review: Reading Club (Vol. 01)


Author: Cho Ju-Hee
Manhwa-ga: Suh Yun-Young
Publisher: UDON
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: December 2008

Synopsis: “After getting stuck with the job of cleaning her high school’s long-forgotten library, a 9th grade girl stumbles across a suspicious looking book. Simply opening the book causes her to see unspeakable horrors… does she dare read it? Inside, she could find something more terrifying than she ever imagined. Fear and insanity  take hold in Korea’s first horror comic for girls.”

After being asked by her crush, Kyung-Do, Eun-Sae agrees to help clean up her school’s long-since unused library. In its collection however she discovers a book that emanates evil, not to mention has a bad case of possession. However Kyung-Do, lover of literature, has begun reading that book and it turns out that it has more to do with him than Eun-Sae originally realizes.

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Review: The Color of Water


Manhwa-ga: Kim Dong Hwa
Publisher: First Second
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “When Ehwa goes to the town festival, she meets a handsome young wrestler named Duksam who’s eager to catch her eye. After he wins the festival wrestling championship, he and Ehwa begin to meet, sneaking spare moments to be together. But a shadow falls on their romance when Master Cho sends Duksam away and asks for Ehwa’s hand in marriage himself It is then that Ehwa discovers the pain of heartbreak – and that love is always complicated. In the tradition of My Antonia and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , from the pen of the renowned Korean manwha creator Kim Dong Hwa, comes a trilogy about a girl coming of age, set in the vibrant, beautiful landscape of pastoral Korea.”

Following The Color of Earth, The Color of Water resumes the story of Ehwa: a young girl coming of age in years-ago Korea, as she lives with her widowed Mother. The bulk of the story is now, more than ever,  the search for a husband to fulfill them, and with the notion being all the more focused here in the second installment, it’s beginning to feel more sexist than it is sweet.

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