Manhwa Monday: Welcome, February!
Today’s featured review comes from Kate Dacey over at The Manga Critic, for Sirial’s trippy all-ages tale One Fine Day (Yen Press). Kate begins her review with the definition of “whimsical,” a word that I expect even the series’ detractors must agree best fits the bill. As Kate says, “One Fine Day is whimsical in the fullest sense of the word, at once ‘lightly fanciful’ and ’subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change.’”
As a fan of the series myself, I especially appreciate Kate’s description of its most fanciful scenes, such as one in which “No-Ah and friends throw a lavish party for his grandparents’ antique furniture, here represented as beautiful fairies and enormous woodland creatures.” If you’ve been wondering if One Fine Day is for you, I highly recommend checking out Kate’s review.
Meanwhile, out in the cold of cyberspace, ReversedMiso laments the demise of Infinity Studios, who left readers hanging with several unfinished manhwa series, including one of her favorites, Hee-eun Kim’s A Kiss For My Prince. ReversedMiso’s plea at the end of the post reads thus: “So now, fans of these beautiful manga/manhwa are just stuck, hoping that another publisher will pick up these series and finish them. (Please…I’m begging…Someone, anyone?)” Just passing it on.
Over at Stuffs of top 10, Leon Skyone posts about 10 properties that should be animated, including Bride of the Water God (Dark Horse) on the list.
Speaking of Bride of the Water God, this week’s review roundup begins with Connie’s thoughts on volume four at Slightly Biased Manga. Rob at Panel Platter reads volume one of 11th Cat (Yen Press). Snow Wildsmith talks about the first five volumes of Very! Very! Sweet (Yen Press) at the School Library Journal, and I round things out with a review of the final two volumes of 100% Perfect Girl (NETCOMICS) at PopCultureShock.
Lastly, I have a quick license request. Normally I won’t touch reviews of unlicensed manhwa (at least those that mention scans) with a 10-foot pole, but my weekly search pointed me to this post from Larry Hammer which includes description of an unlicensed manhwa series I found too enticing to ignore. The series is Mana by Vin Lee, which, according to the writer, “uses traditional Korean spirit lore the way Natsumes Book of Friends and Hyakkiyakou Shou use Japanese equivalents.” The title clearly has some fans, if this enthusiastic entry at Wikipedia can be taken as evidence, and is complete in four volumes. The manhwa-ga is also the author of Crazy Love Story, released several years ago by Tokyopop. With Time and Again currently whetting my appetite for ghost stories, I’m definitely intrigued!
That’s it for this week!
Is there something I’ve missed? Leave your manhwa-related links in comments!
February 1st, 2010 at 11:00 am
Thanks, I enjoyed Kate’s review and feel she got the gist of One Fine Day. To me there is nothing wrong with having a little whimsy in my reading.
Perhaps, though, I am one of a few who can read Jack Frost and then jump to One Fine Day, without missing a beat. :D
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Melinda Beasi Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Personally, I could use a bit *more* whimsy on a daily basis. :)
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February 1st, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Thanks for the link, Melinda, and the nice words, Judi! Mana sounds really interesting, like something that could help fill the void until Marley resumes work on Dokebi Bride again.
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Melinda Beasi Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Ooo, yes, I agree!
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