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Posts Tagged Yen Press

Review: Goong (Vol. 03)


Manhwa-ga: Park SoHee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: November 2008

Synopsis: “ChaeKyung and Shin return to their separate quarters at the palace, but the crown princess can’t shake the feelings aroused by her new husband. Try as she might, there’s no denying it — she’s completely fallen for him! When ChaeKyung lets a confession slips, she braces herself for the prince’s rejection. Instead, he doesn’t even acknowledge her! Though the suspense is killing ChaeKyung, does she really want to know what Shin has to say?”

Shin the man-beast is still at it, working his royal charms, if only to drive Chae Kyung crazy! The more something makes her happy, the more he wants to ruin it for her. He seems to have some kind of insane complex where if he can’t have something, he doesn’t want anyone else to have it, even if it’s something as simple as happiness. He’s still growing as a man, and being subjected to a girl like Chae is definitely changing the way he looks at things.

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Review: Higurashi When They Cry (Vol. 01)


Author: Ryukishi07
Manga-ka: Karin Suzuragi
Publisher: Yen
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: November 2008

Synopsis: “Keiichi has just moved to a seemingly peaceful new town. He’s making friends and enjoying his life until one day he learns of a grisly murder that took place in the little village. His friends won’t give him any details which only adds to Keiichi’s uneasiness. After learning at the town’s annual festival that a death has occurred on that night every year for the past four years, Keiichi is drawn into a web of intrigue…”

This is probably one of the more interesting series that I’ve happened across. I’ve had this volume in my possession for a while but I just haven’t known how to approach writing a review for it. It isn’t a result of not enjoying the series. Quite the contrary! I actually am very fond of Higurashi. It’s another of those series where I had seen pictures of it before I ever knew it existed. I wasn’t really sure what to think until I actually got the opportunity to read it.

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Review: Hissing (Vol. 05)


Manhwa-ga: Kang EunYoung
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: November 2008

Synopsis: “Weighed down by the connection between his family and Da-Eh’s, Sun-Nam plans to get the truth out into the open. When Da-Eh and Da-Hwa show up to meet their boyfriend and half-brother respectively, they’re both shocked to find they’re waiting for the same person! Already frustrated with matters of the heart, Da-Eh blames her younger brother for complicating things further. But her anger quickly dissolves into sorrow when an unthinkable tragedy occurs.”

The love triangle is relentlessly trying to shed one of its corners in this fifth volume of Hissing, but it just can’t seem to shake either of the heartthrobs off. Everytime one of them starts to move further away from Da-Eh, they get pulled right back in by her smack-talking, sentimental attitude. Being boys with lovely faces, I guess it’s their destiny to be attracted to the only girl who doesn’t appear to care about how they look. With all this going on, one can’t help but wonder how on earth she’s going to meet the deadline for that manhwa contest!

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Review: The Antique Gift Shop (Vol. 06)


Manhwa-ga: Lee Eun
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: December 2008

Synopsis: “Donning a disguise complete with a pair of antique galsses for an impending (and potentially embarrassing) doctor’s appointment, Bun-Nyuh never expected to find true love in the waiting love! But when the handsome young physician seems equally floored by her, a romantic escapade might just be around the corner. However, love at first sight is not all it seems… especially when you’re looking at the world through someone else’s glasses…”

Some womanly concerns send Bun-Nyuh to a doctor but embarrassment over the possibilities leave her bundled under a disguise. But one look at the doctor and it was love at first sight! And maybe the same from him…?

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Review: Cynical Orange (Vol. 05)


Manhwa-ga: Yun JiUn
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: October 2008

Synopsis: “The gaiety of the school festival takes an unexpected turn when Ma-Ha is accosted by a group of his former girlfriends! Unabashed, Ma-Ha introduces them all to a shocked Hye-Min: How can they all stay friends with him when he’s such a player? But with Hye-Min’s popularity at an all-time low, she is surprised to find such good friends among Ma-Ha’s slighted exes. Hye-Min finds herself in a group of companions, forcing her to look closely at the cold, isolated person she’s always been.”

It’s a new beginning for Hye-Min, as the life of being girlfriend to the famous playboy, Ma-Ha, takes her down new roads. Her past has been full of elegant silence, but there’s no way Ma-Ha will let her get away with sitting on the sidelines anymore. Dragging her into his world by the wrist, she is forced to find out that other people aren’t so bad, and there is life beyond the walls of Piper.

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Review: Y Square Plus


Author/Artist: Judith Park
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: December 2008

Synopsis: “Yagate was happy to help his best friend Yoshitaka with his girl troubles, but it’s Yoshitaka’s turn to return the favor. Yagate’s ready to escape his female admirers and find the man of his dreams. He’s got his heart set on Ra-Myun, a handsome college student. Unfortunately, Chana has her eye on Ra-Myun too and is ready to put up a fight! Meanwhile, Ju-Jin’s long-awaited photo shoot ends in total disaster! Will Yoshitaka finally tell Ju-Jin how he feels before she turns to another?”

It looks like things may finally be going Ju-Jin’s way when she gets her first modelling gig and she drags the snarky but dependable Yoshitaka along for the ride. But where’s the fun in a smooth road? Now Ju-Jin is angry at Yoshitaka yet again and it looks like his feelings may not get through as clearly as he’d hope. On top of that, he owes his best friend, Yagate, help finding a boyfriend of his own. When it looks like Yagate’s dreams arrive in the form of Ju-Jin’s older brother, things might not be so easy when there’s a little female competition.

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Review: One Thousand and One Nights (Vol. 06)


Authour: Jeon JinSeok
Manhwa-ga: Han SeungHee
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: December 2008

Synopsis: “Socrates and Alcibiades must combat intrigue in plague-ravaged Athens when Critias conspires to tear the lovers apart… but the conspiracy does not end with Sehara’s tale. As Shahryar prepares to oust invading Crusaders, a betrayal from within diverts his attention from battle and leaves his kingdom – and Sehara – vulnerable to attack!”

There are very few new releases I await with more anticipation than those of One Thousand and One Nights and volume six is no exception. Sehara’s story continues from where it left off in the previous volume: a love story between Socrates and the beautiful Alcibiades. When war pulls Socrates out onto the battlefield, Alcibiades asks his Uncle to place him in the same group so that he can stay by his lover’s side.

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Review: Angel Diary (Vol. 07)


Author: Lee YunHee
Manhwa-ga: Kara
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: October 2008

Synopsis: “Dong-Young confronts Bi-Wal and lets slip a confession of love! But with her engagement to the King of Hell, does this budding relationship stand a chance? As the guardians argue about what to do, Queen Hong appears with an even more earth-shattering revelation!”

The time for fun and games is over and the subject on the table is peace. Keeping the peace between heaven and hell is nothing to laugh about, but the four guardians have had trouble weighing out their morals. Do they send the princess back home to marry a man she has never met, or do they keep hiding her on earth and risk losing everything? The longer they take in making their decision the more complicated the situation is becoming. Only time will tell, and who knows, maybe in this crazy world everything will work out for the better.

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Review: Moon Boy (Vol. 05)


Manhwa-ga: Lee YoungYou
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: November 2008

Synopsis: “Having survived the battle with the Soon-La renegades, Myung-Ee can’t remember anything about the fight! In her quest to know what really happened, she finds herself crossing paths with Sa-Eun more than once. Though he stays silent about the battle, he lets slip a shocking secret about himself to his rabbit adversary! Meanwhile, Yu-Da has returned safely with the help of two mysterious friends… who appear to be intent on wreaking havoc on both the Rabbit and fox tribes!”

Taking readers back to the battle that the fourth volume ended with, Myung-Ee confronts the dangerous Sa-Eun. Though he defeated those who attacked them, the bloodlust in his eyes keeps Myung-Ee a little uneasy but she maintains her faith in his actions. But when she comes too back in her own world after the fight, she realizes she can’t remember anything that happened after she appeared there in the first place.

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Review: Freak – Legend of the Nonblonds (Vol. 04)


Author: Yi DongEun
Manhwa-ga: Yu Chung
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Released: October 2008

Synopsis: “For their next mission, the Nonblods head to the seaside to locate “the tears of the mermaid.” But this mission won’t be a day at the beach… especially when an unexpected rival shows up to kick sand in their faces! But what are the tears of the mermaid and what deadly, ancient secret do they really hide? And the secret that ties Tublerun and Chroma together is illuminated in this final installment of Freak!”

Volume five of Freak marks the end of this series, a story about a group of thieves calling themselves the Nonblonds and a member in particular, Tublerun, who has mysterious powers. This final book begins with a light hearted side story before throwing itself into a darker plot that serves to explain the real origins behind the mysterious runes from volume four and the truth of Tublerun and his rival, Ecliptor’s, existence.

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