#i eventually want to make a post of manhwa i actually recommend

[isekyaaa]

Reading Novel Updates spoiler forums makes me so sad bc you see how bland and boring some people are in that they only want to read novels with perfect male leads that treat the main character with 100% politically correct and Twitter feminist approved respect. Flawed men are morally reprehensible in their eyes and are deserving of judgment and death.

[lloydfrontera]

i wanna start tged but i always want to know about if og lloyd and kim suho's soul the same where the soul transmigrate to korea but went back to the original world or is it like in the fantasy world and in korea the same time like soul exchange still two different people? or something like other villainess manhwa where they died in korea and went to possess a fantasy character while the original owner of the body is gone?

it's a bit complicated and a bit of a paradox if you think about it too long and also a Very Big Spoiler but yeah sure i'll try to make it as short as possible!

oh! also! @procuder made a post explaining this very thing a bit ago actually so i recommend you check it out!

anyway long story short:

og lloyd's soul got kicked out of his body when kim suho got isekai'd, then he went on to cross the reincarnation gate and was reborn as kim suho, who presumably then grew up and eventually got isekai'd into og lloyd's body and later on [SPOILERS] also crossed the reincarnation gate, waking up in his own body back in korea.

did that make sense.

basically og lloyd was reborn as kim suho who then got isekai'd as lloyd frontera who then crossed the gate and returned to his kim suho body

they're the same soul

but. neither of them knows this. presumably neither does anyone else. for all intents and purposes they're completely different people as everyone forgets all of the memories of their previous life and starts again as a blank slate.

so. yeah asdjlkafsd

there is. a weird paradox thing going on with the chain of events concerning lloyd and suho and it's. maddening.

how does any of this work. this is some doctor who bullshit.

og lloyd crosses the reincarnation gate and is reborn as kim suho because suho accidentally kicked him out of his body.

so is this a predestined loop?? where suho kicking og lloyd out of his body ensures he's reborn as suho so he can then grow up and get isekai'd to kick him out of his body so he can be reborn??

im not certain bk moon bothered to think about any of this beyond 'it'll be poignant' and he was right It Is but it's also completely nuts and just creates more questions than it answers which is infuriating because he didn't reveal this until the very last second so there's no way for us to get any answers.

unless the sequel will explain this in the future which. i hope??? because i have so many questions?? sir please why did you introduce a form of transdimensional time travel with fixed predestined loops into your isekai novel. what was your plan.

but uh,, yeah!

[ocpdramblings]

Maybe I should start using this blog to talk about my hobbies as well so that I can associate it with things I like. I like art, I do a variety of mediums. Watercolor, charcoal, graphite, trying to get into pastels and gouache, digital, not a fan of acrylic but I can do it, really want to try oil painting but I don’t have the space for it to dry.

I like reading classics a lot. Pride and prejudice is a fave rn and I impulse purchased Jane Austen’s entire works. Read the predecessor to Dracula, Carmilla. Very good. Very gay. Way more gay than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be subtext. It was not. I also like reading trashy books as well. I really enjoy the ones that TikTok recommends that have absolutely insane plot premises. I don’t care about the writing at that point I just need to read.

I’ve recently gotten into Overwatch. Never played a FPS before. Made a couple new friends from it. Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, I really wanna get into Celeste. On the second Ace Attorney game, I love mobile and gacha games, I wanna play more otomes even tho I’m not a big fan of romance when I am implicated.

I unmask a lot with this blog and every time I reread a post I can’t help but think of how bland it is and how I’d never talk like that in real life.

My favorite game is Okami. Never met other people who like it. Very sad.

I watch anime, tho I do this thing where I’ll watch a popular anime a couple years after it comes out. And I tell myself that it’s to see if it lives up to the hype but honestly it’s bc I’ll have random moments in which I want to watch anime and then the only ones that come to mind are popular ones on social media years ago. I say my favorite is Bungou Stray Dogs but that’s actually my favorite manga not my favorite anime. My fav anime rn is probably High Card. Doesn’t have the highest budget but I like the premise so far and the characters. My favorite mangas are Bungou Stray Dogs, Kuroshitsuji, and Witch Hat Atelier (also not caught up on). I wanna start reading firefly wedding.

I read a lot of romance manhwas, mainly with female leads but I have a couple with male leads that I adore. I haven’t watched any tv shows in a while but I’ve been telling myself that I’m either going to watch Hannibal or Dexter. I’ve been wanting to consume more queer material involving women since I’ve found that despite being sapphic, very few women media shows up recommended to me. Favorite movie of last year was Bottoms. I watched it several times. I want to get into cdramas. The next film I see will either be The Handmaiden or Maja Ma. Or one of the Saw movies. Been on a Saw movie binge with friends. I find the themes inconsistent. An unforgivable crime.

There’s no actors I’m particularly into. Never got into anything Marvel aside from Spider Man. I plan on reading the comics soon bc a friend of mine really likes Spider man and I want him to know I care about his interests.

I’ve found a new enjoyment for figure skating. I have a couple of male skaters that I quite enjoy, but I’d like to watch more and eventually get into some female and ice dancing pairs as well.

I crochet. Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. I graduate with my bachelors in the spring. I plan on doing my masters in IO psychology. My favorite color is blue and pink. I’ve been dying my hair for I think two years now. Maybe six months away from two. My friends say that I am surprisingly progressive in regards to my political views. I don’t know what that is supposed to mean.

I have a new car cause I recently got into a car crash. I’m very privileged. I don’t have to worry about money. I do regardless. I somehow have this personality disorder, and I have had one of the best life’s a child could have. Though every time I say that my friends say that’s weird considering the amount of trauma I’ve gone through. I think I have turned out well despite my circumstances. I like caring about other people. I’d like to make it my life’s goal to improve the life of somebody I don’t know yet.

Feel free to reach out to this blog anytime. It’s a side blog so I’m likely not gonna end up following anybody but I like talking.

[teababe27]

Notes From the 2019 Myanimelist.net Challenges - Part 2: Manga

This post will be talking about the Manga Reading Challenge. As with Part 1, this post will be talking about some of my favorite manga I read for this challenge, as well as some others I had thoughts about.

Let’s do this.

Honorable Mentions/Other Notables:

My Girlfriend’s a Geek - completed for the task “Read a comedy or Slice of Life manga”

College student Taiga mainly wants two things: money and a hot older girlfriend. When Taiga applies for a part-time job, he falls right away for his senpai, Yuiko. They eventually get to know each other. When Taiga asks Yuiko to be his girlfriend, she has a confession: she’s a fujoshi. Not knowing what that means, Taiga says he doesn’t care what she is and they get into a relationship.

I thought this was heartwarming and funny at times (reminded me of when I had to tell my mom what yaoi meant - don’t ask), but I feel like the premise kinda wore thin after a while and some of the jokes fell flat near the end.

If I had to pick, this would be the Worst of the Challenge this year.

Arisa - completed for the task “Read a manga with less than 10,000 completed members”

Tsubasa and Arisa are twin sisters who haven’t seen each other in a while. Tsubasa has a reputation of being a fighter and has mainly guy friends. Arisa is more of a girly girl and is the popular girl in her class. Tsubasa just wants to be more like Arisa. When they reconnect one day, Arisa suggests, for fun, that Tsubasa take her place at school for one day. Tsubasa later learns some dark serets about Arisa’s school life and plans to get to the bottom of things.

This may look shoujo-y, but is more of a psychological mystery/thriller, which I like. Generic at times, but fun. I feel like the ending had some problems, though.

Othello - completed for the task “Read a manga ranked below #1000 in the database”

Yaya is shy, naive, trusting, and afraid to speak up for herself, which makes her an easy target. Her “friends” are huge dicks, call her names like “Yaya the cry-ya”, and take advantage of her and play pranks on her. She has a crush on a classmate, she dreams of being a singer, she cosplays occasionally; pretty average things.

Little does anyone - including Yaya herself - know, she has a split personality who is Yaya’s opposite in every way. Nana is loud, bold, brash, fashionable, and not afraid to speak up and dispense justice against Yaya’s “friends.”

This manga was actually pretty fun. I was worried it would be kinda repetitive from the first volume or two (Yaya gets tricked --> Nana comes out and dispenses justice --> Yaya’s crush is curious, etc.), but it got a little deeper into some of Yaya’s psyche. Seeing Nana dispense justice was also pretty fun, even though it could be a little unrealistic at times.

Hana and Hina After School - completed for the task “Read a manga with a cast consisting of mostly one gender”

Hana and Hina are two girls working a part-time job at a toy store. Hana is small and shy. Hina is tall, fashionable, and secretly a model on the side. They get off on the wrong foot at first, but they eventually become friends. Since their school doesn’t allow part-time jobs, they help each other keep their secret and their feelings eventually grow past friendship.

This manga was ADORABLE!!!

I find it good to read yuri/shoujo ai written by a woman rather than a man. The progression of their relationship, while seeming a little fast, was so nice to see. So pure, cinnamon rolls too good for this world. Especially when the manga shows each girl laying in bed thinking about how cute the other one is. A heartwarming ending as well.

Beach Stars - completed for the task “Read a Sports or Games manga”

Nanase Iruka is a short tomboy who loves volleyball. When her school’s volleyball club is shut down, Iruka is pretty upset. When her club-mates try to cheer her up, Iruka discovers beach volleyball. She forms a beach volleyball club at her school with a goal of winning against the local volleyball champion.

A bit fanservice-y at times, but I had fun with this one. It was fun to see Iruka and her friends compete and succeed. I also liked the growing friendship of a couple freshmen who come into the story several chapters in.

Favorites from the Challenge:

Koi Dano Ai Dano - completed for the task “Read a prequel/sequel to a manga that you’ve already read”

The cast from The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko is back, and now they’re in high school!

Kanoko and Tsubaki are now attending the same high school. They end up getting recruited into their school’s newspaper club by one of their senpais. Kanoko becomes the Chief Strategist and helps the club out in their rivalry against other clubs, including the Broadcasting Club. Also, Kanoko is oblivious to Tsubaki’s growing crush on her.

Pretty much everything I liked about Lady Kanoko makes an appearance here. I still love Kanoko. She has a good head on her shoulders. These characters are not typical shoujo characters. I also love Tsubaki and Kanoko’s chemistry together. Comedy, romance, and a little suspense. Good mix.

The Embalmer - completed for the task “Read a manga serialized in a josei magazine”

Mamiya is an embalmer, a profession treated with disdain in Japan. He seems okay with being an outcast, though. Throughout the manga, we learn why he chose his career, what goes through his mind, and stories from his job.

This manga really made me think. I did not know until now that embalming wasn’t really appreciated everywhere as it is in the US. I honestly did not expect this (pretty sad at times) meditation on love, loss, and grief, but I appreciate it all the same.

Annarasumanara - completed for the task “Read a manhua or manhwa”

There are rumors in town of a magician at a tent in the abandoned theme park. He always starts his show by asking “Do you believe in magic?”

Yoon Ah-ee, a student who is living in poverty, has a chance encounter with this magician that changes her life forever.

The art in this one is pretty unique and cool. The plot was very interesting and the characters had some depth. This is another manga from the challenge that made me think. Thumbs up.

Alice 19th - completed for the task “Read a manga by a female author/artist”

Alice has always been jealous of her older sister, Mayura. Mayura is good at everything she does and is popular at school. Alice is bullied at school and is afraid to stand up for herself. She also has a crush on Kyo, who starts dating Mayura.

One day, Alice encounters a bunny, who turns out to be a magical girl named Nyozeka. Nyozeka tells Alice that she is destined to learn the Lotis Words and become a Lotis Master. When Mayura disappears during an argument with Alice, Alice becomes determined to learn the Lotis Words and get her sister back.

This manga was great. I feel like this should get an anime adaptation. The art is great. The story is pretty cool, with magic focusing on words being something I hadn’t read before, or at least in a while. It’s pretty shoujo-y, but not too cliche.

Kasane - completed for the task “Read a manga that started serialization before 2015″

Kasane Fuchi has inherited her actress mother’s talent, but not her good looks. No one will give her a chance because she is so ugly. Fortunately for her, she has something her mother left her: a lipstick that allows her to swap faces with whoever she kisses for 12 hours.

One day, a talent agent who knew her mother ropes her into being the body double for Nina Tanazawa, a struggling actress. Things go downhill from there.

This wins Best of the Challenge this year on the manga side for me. This manga blew my mind a few times while I was reading it. The story is interesting and unpredictable with plenty of twists and turns. Everyone basically crosses the Moral Event Horizon at some point. An interesting psychological manga. Highly recommended.

[saotome-michi]

Top 10 Manhwa of 2016-17

I used to rarely read manhwa, maybe just one or two a year, but then I discovered Lezhin and Spottoon - online platforms that host Korean webcomics with English translations available. The first few chapters are usually free but after that you have to pay to read, which actually appeals to me because I like being able to support writers and artists. And even if you find the prices unaffordable, reading the free chapters still helps because you’re increasing the view count and their popularity. The only complaint I have is that the quality of the translations can differ greatly between series, especially on Spottoon. Sometimes it’s pretty good and sometimes it’s really bad. 

Anyway, I’ve read so many manhwa this past year that I thought it’d be nice to make a manhwa rec list! Except for a few exceptions, I tried to only recommend series that have a good number of chapters out or that are already completed. These are my personal top 10. Enjoy!

10. Reversi (양극의 소년) by Eun Song

In the year 2016, a never before seen virus decimates 20% of the world population. Moreover, survivors of this virus either transform into man-eating creatures called “worms” or into super-humans with tremendous physical abilities called “heteros”. Over the years, heteros start the ISO, an agency that protects people from worms. Haru, our protagonist, is a young hetero who wants to join the ISO, but it may not be that easy or straightforward…

Once in a while I find a scifi-action comic that manages to capture my interest, despite me being rather tired of the genre as a whole. This manhwa is on this list more for its potential than anything else- there are only 37 chapters out and the story’s still in its beginning stages, but I think there’s a lot of good material that, in the right hands, can make for a really interesting and entertaining story.

Despite the impression the synopsis may give you, the story starts out in a peaceful privileged high school setting and you don’t get to the nerve-wracking parts until around chapter 25. But the beginning achieves its purpose. It sets the scene with its conflicts: the segregation of those infected with the virus and those uninfected, the mixed treatment of heteros, and the still-existing class privilege. It also sets up the main characters; impulsive but sincere Haru and his best friend, level-headed and determined Leo; the other heteros in their school year; and members of the ISO. We don’t know much about them, but again they’re intriguing and the rest can come later. It’ll probably take another 30 chapters or so before we can see whether this manhwa fulfills its potential or not, but take this as a heads up - this one just might be a winner. At the very least, the beginning’s pretty engaging. And with clean art that’s easy on the eyes, it’s definitely no chore to scroll through.

Warning: Blood, death, murder, violence, body horror 

Available on: Lezhin (first 24 chapters are free). Not on scanlation sites yet. 

9. The House Cat (상상고양이) by Kim Kyoung 

(Also known as: The Imaginary Cat, Cat’s Imagination) 

Cat lovers rejoice! Here’s another comic for you to read for your daily dose of cat shenanigans. “The House Cat” looks at Webcomic Artist Jong Hyun and his cat Bok-Gil (Jill in the english translation) - or as Jill would tell you, Cat Jil and her human who she allows to live with her. Like so, the comic presents their different viewpoints of their life together, with Hyun’s viewpoint on the left in red and Jill’s viewpoint on the right in green. The intersection between their viewpoints is cleverly done and will often leave you smiling one way or another. Cat owners will probably find many of their interactions familiar. On the other hand if you’re like me, you’ll start realizing that you are basically Jill and should’ve been born as a house cat instead of as a human. All in all, “The House Cat” is a pleasure to read and certainly not a bad way to pass the time. 

Warning: Alcohol mention, brief depiction of pet abuse and neglect 

Available on : Spottoon (first 4 chapters free). Was adapted into a kdrama called “The Imaginary Cat” 

8. Peak (피크) by Hong Sung-Soo and Lim Gang-Hyuk 

If “mountain rescue manhwa” stirs any interest in you, this may be the manhwa for you. “Peak” centers around Ryu Yeon-Seong, who’s been stationed on Mt. Bukhan to be a Rescue Ranger for his military service, along with four other men. The story follows his experiences as he learns what being a rescue ranger entails.

I initially didn’t have high expectations for this manhwa, but the realistic and suspenseful storytelling ended up impressing me. I always like it when manhwa go into the specifics of the particular subject they’re covering and “Peak” does that extensively - from what’s covered in training exercises to the challenges of navigating throughout the mountain in subpar weather to how to conduct oneself when administering first aid to fatal injuries. And except for a few brief respites, the pace is remarkably fast from start to finish, emulating the break-neck speed the rangers have to move to save lives. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I’m constantly sitting at the edge of my seat when reading this manhwa. The rescue missions themselves are no joke; from an accident in the middle of the pouring rain to a helicopter crash, this manhwa is constantly upping the stakes. 

Personally, the art isn’t my favorite but it excels in two areas: conveying the physical exertion of being a ranger and the harshness of the mountain landscape. And when the story is all about survival, that’s really all that matters. 

Warnings: Blood, fatal injuries, death, murder 

Available on: Spottoon (First 30 chapters are free). 92 Chapters can be found on mangago. 

7. The Sock Monster (양말도깨비) by Manmulsang

(Also known as: Socks Goblin)  

Is it too much if I said “The Sock Monster” would rock your socks off? Ehehe :P

But actually, this is possibly the cutest manhwa I’ve ever read. From the art, which resembles something you’d find in a children’s storybook with its crayon lines and oil pastel backgrounds, to the story itself, a young girl making her way in a wintery town, “The Sock Monster” radiates a quirky fairytale sort of charm. It’s slow to start but when it finds its rhythm, it strolls off, as our plucky protagonist, Park Sujin, learns the ropes at BigFoot Bank, finds the Sock Monster living in her room, and befriends Mr. Lara, her cat-man neighbor whose dream is to explore the deep ocean. Despite its lighthearted tone, the manhwa ends up covering some surprisingly heavy topics from the tension between Big Foots and Humans to animal experimentation (in a world where animals are more like humans). But it does so in a tender sort of way, never losing heart or the hint of wisdom that comes with classical storytelling. 

What the manhwa excels at especially is taking advantage of its fantasy world to sculpt all sorts of interesting plotlines for the characters. There is no limit to the creativity displayed. If children’s books and fairytales appeal to you, then you’ll probably appreciate the charm of “The Sock Monster”. Who knows, it might just become your favorite bedtime read. And you’ll probably end up cooing over how cute the sock monsters are. 

Warning: Child neglect and abuse, animal cruelty, death 

Available on: Spottoon (first 19 chapters are free) 

6. Myojin Tales (묘진전) by Jelly Bean 

A smallpox goddess steals an eye from a celestial god to help her sightless baby. A young boy wonders why his father doesn’t love him. A girl who’s lived a miserable life curses her capturer with her last breath. The celestial god, the father, the capturer - all of these titles refer to the same being: Myojin, a god who has been sentenced to forever live among humans as punishment for his crimes, forbidden to ever return to his former post as a zodiac deity. This is a compilation of the stories surrounding him and the people whose lives he’s touched. 

This manhwa caught my attention with its art alone. Each panel is meticulously rendered in a style resembling traditional ink paintings, fitting for a story drawn from Korean mythology. Although the style is usually semi-realistic, like the panel above, when it comes to frightening and visceral scenes it leans towards abstraction. There is one particular chapter near the beginning that I could not read with the lights turned off. However, the story itself is also fascinating and from beginning to end, it reads like a folktale told from centuries ago. 

Let’s get this out of the way - Myojin is not a likable person in any aspect really. But he, like everyone else, is both victim and perpetrator of unfair systems, and has the capability for both good and evil. Therein itself lies the core of this manhwa and “Myojin Tales” is ultimately a story of recognition and redemption, where there is no moral absolutes, but only the choices one makes in certain circumstances. If you’re a fan of mangas like Mushishi, this could be your next favorite. 

Warning: child neglect, abuse, body horror, blood, murder, death 

Available on: Spottoon. Normally only the first 10 chapters are free, but this week (March 18, 2017) the first 17 are all free! 

5. Hwaja (화자) by Hong Jac-Ga 

At 9 years old, Ryu explores “the Haunted House” in his neighborhood and meets Hwaja, a girl who looks a few years older than him. Hwaja never leaves the haunted house, except to sit on the rooftop, and spends most of her time drawing. Visitors, she says, have to bring her something, like food. Eventually, Ryu introduces his best friend Jay to Hwaja. She doesn’t seem like a ghost, but there is something is strange about her and the house… 

At 19 years old, Ryu, who moved away and hasn’t been in the neighborhood for years, is struck with the news of Jay’s death. His last text message from him reads, “Don’t ever come back.” But Ryu does come back and sees Hwaja again… 

As you can infer from the synopsis, there’s a 10 year time skip in the manhwa. Personally I didn’t find myself that interested in “Hwaja” until after the time skip (in Ch. 8), where the art style changes and things get a lot more intriguing. The art goes from crisp line-art colored in bright blues and greens to blocks of color in murky purples, browns, and blues, conveying the suspicion and suspense as Jay learns more and more about the truth behind Hwaja’s existence. The story ended up going places that I didn’t expect it to go and the ending was surprisingly heartfelt and touching. If you like ghost stories or just stories about the interaction between the supernatural and humans, give “Hwaja” a go. 

Warning: Violence, child abuse, sexual abuse, rape, murder, kidnapping, death 

Available on: Tapastic (Only the prologue is free). It can be found complete on scanlation sites on mangago. But if you end up liking it, support the author! 

4. Hongdo (홍도) by snowy owl 

In a world of shamans, gods, ghosts and other mystical creatures, the illegitimate son of a prominent general, Hong-do Lee grows up to be a powerful exorcist. When he decides to abandon his job, he becomes the target of bounty hunters and stumbles upon a plot that threatens his life and the fate of the world.

So begins Hongdo, a swashbuckling fantasy adventure that has gorgeous art and gives me Fullmetal Alchemist vibes if only because Hong-do is incredibly similar to Edward Elric, minus the insecurities about his height. That’s not to say that Hong-do is an Edward copy; he’s clearly his own unique character, but the style of humor is similar and the situations he gets into resembles the beginning of FMA, where Ed and Alphonse traveled around Amestris looking for strange happenings possibly caused by a Philosopher’s Stone- only in Hong-do’s case, he’s looking for a mysterious man named Crow. What for? Well, you have to read it to find out. 

But although elements of the story are reminiscent of FMA, the exorcist practices and the setting that make up the backbone of the story is clearly based on Ancient Korean and Chinese mythology and history. Architecture, clothing, the gods and spirits, all are richly and beautifully illustrated. I have at least a dozen screenshots saved in my phone and my current iphone lock screen is a panel from Hongdo. The worldbuilding is fascinating to say the least and the story just gets more and more interesting as you go along. In short, don’t miss this gem of a manhwa. 

Warning: Violence, murder, some body horror-ish stuff 

Available on: Spottoon (first 9 chapters are free). Chapter 1-34 are on mangapark. 

3. Dark Heaven (다크 헤븐) by JUNS 

In the US, same-sex marriage has been legalized but racist and homophobic hate crimes still regularly occur. Connor is Korean-American, and together with his friend and lover Simon, they have a band called “Dark Heaven”. But things can’t stay this good forever. Fast-forward to the future and the band has split up. Simon is pursuing a solo career and Connor’s working as a writer in a news agency. What went wrong and can they be together again? 

This manhwa pushes all of my buttons, so it’s no surprise that it’s on this list even though I’m only 15 chapters in. I mean, come on, a Korean-American protagonist? Check. Angsty Band Premise? Check. True love between two boys who care about each other so much, they find life lonely without having the other by their side? Check. And to top all of that, really good art? Check. Check. Check.

I think what’s so refreshing about this manhwa is that it looks at racism and homophobia and actually does a good job going about it. When Connor finds himself in love with Simon, he not only faces opposition from the outside, but also from the inside. Internalized racism and homophobia can be a bitch and the author does a good job depicting that with Connor’s struggles. And the love that Connor and Simon have for each other is just so touching, you can only fervently hope that they find their way back to each other again.  

Warning: Homophobia, racism, racist and homophobic slurs, hate crimes, prostitution, child abuse, violence 

Available on: Lezhin (first chapter is free). Scanlation sites only have up to chapter 5-6 I think. 

2. Annarasumanara (안나라수마나라) by Ha Il-Kwon

Yoon Ah-ee struggles to keep her and her little sister fed, clothed, and sheltered, but that’s easier said than done, especially with her father’s debts weighing down on her shoulders. Her only hope is to keep her grades up so that she can go to a good college and then get a good job and become a good adult. But when she meets a mysterious magician in the abandoned amusement park, she’s reminded of her childhood dream to learn magic… 

This has been on my “to read” list for years, but I’ve finally read it and I can only hit myself on the head for not reading it sooner. Annarasumanara is a story for those who have had that moment when, verging at the brink of adulthood, you’ve wondered “what is happiness”? Will going on this road that everyone has predetermined for me, “study hard, go to a good college, get a good job,” make me happy? 

What happens if that’s not what I want? 

The art here is unique to say the least. The author goes for a mixed media approach of combining drawings with photographs, which is not uncommon in Korean webcomics. What is uncommon is for it to be done well, creating stark, unforgettable imagery that, at times, blurs the lines between reality and construed reality. Which is exactly what this manhwa needs; after all it’s a story about finding real magic in what seems like a miserable reality. 

Warning: Suicide Attempt, Violence, Sexual Harassment, Blood

Available on: Line Webtoon (All chapters are free!)

 1. Vengeance (벤전스) by Aji

Have you ever really wanted a noir mystery about a female police detective trying to solve the case of her girlfriend’s murder? I did, I just didn’t know that I did until I started reading this and then I thanked the gods above for delivering my unconscious wishes.  

Hyun Seol-ah is an experienced police officer who’s known for her cool head and rational approach in dangerous situations - but all that cool headedness goes flying out the window when she arrives at a murder scene and realizes that the victim is her girlfriend, Hwan Hara. From then on, she is focused on only one thing: finding the monster who killed her and then exacting revenge.

I know what you’re thinking… another sad lesbian story? Yes, it’s sad, but the relationship between Seol-ah and Hara is depicted so profoundly, you can feel how much Seol-ah loved Hara and how much Hara loved her in return. As Seol-ah chases down the murderer, we see flashback after flashback of their relationships, from the fights to the cuddles to the declarations of love. What makes this even more heartbreaking is that their relationship was a secret, and so Seol-ah must solve Hara’s murder while hiding that they were lovers.

But also, the art is fantastic. I could go on and on about it, but I think the panel above speaks for itself. Solid blocks of color used to great dramatic effect that mimics the atmosphere of noir films. Seriously, do not let this pass you by.

Warning: Murder, blood, body horror, homophobia

Available at: Lezhin (first chapter is free). You can also read the whole thing on mangago and then buy some chapters later on Lezhin to support the author.