Color of Earth review
There’s so much to look at in and say about Color of Earth that I’m not sure where to start. The relationship between Ehwa and her mother. Young Ehwa’s blossoming mind and body. The monk’s struggle with his emerging sexuality? All of this and more is set against a gorgeous Korean countryside. It is in nature that Ehwa defines herself, often as a flower. A fickle young girl turning into a woman, the flowers she prefers, like the way the rain falls – is constantly changing.
In some ways, the book is uncomfortable. The opening scene with two beetles mating and the young boys eagerly watching is both honest and almost too private. It’s like spying on a world that most adults would rather leave alone. Hwa handles this delicate transition through art. The boys and girls are drawn sparingly, almost like one line, the pen never leaving the paper. They are undefined though lovely. Nature, on the other hand, is exquisitely detailed. Nature is in control and humanity has no choice but to grow and follow the seasons.
Ehwa and her mother live alone. Her father has died and while it must have effected Ehwa greatly, there’s no mention of how. Her mother often hints at being lonely and uses Ehwa as her confidant, delighting in Ehwa’s growth because it gives her a reason to discuss her repressed sexuality. This relationship is all the two women have and they cherish it. Ehwa trusts her mother and believes her incapable of making any mistakes. At her mother’s encouragement, Ehwa begins to pursue innocent relationships. She and her mother string flowers outside their home and giggle at the prospect of romance. Of course, there will be a time when Ehwa’s simple longing becomes more intense but in this first, sweet volume she is a girl falling in love as quickly and as fleetingly as a butterfly chooses a flower.
I wish I had two copies of this book. One to read and one to cut out pictures to paste on boxes. It is not an easy or exciting read but there is something compelling in Ehwa and her mother.
Yen Plus review
Well, I completely forgot to bring the magazine with me so I don’t have much to reference. But I did want to talk about the latest Yen Plus issue.
I (finally) got my first issue right around the time my last issue of Shojo Beat came. So I was able to compare. While I’ll be sad that SB is gone, I actually enjoy the stories in Yen Plus a lot more. There’s more variety and I appreciate the edgier tone. Will it completely replace SB – I don’t know. It does what people have been suggesting which is combine shojo with shonen and more stuff for older teens. I’m still not convinced it works completely since, as a shojo lover, I kind of ignore the “boy” titles. I would much prefer a giant magazine of only stories *I* like to read. But who gets that?
Hands down my favorite story is Pig Bride. In this issue the gang goes to camp or something (missed the last few issues). Anyway, the pig bride is assaulted and has her mask stolen. The thief then ends up hurt and scared and our hero returns the mask. I swear they have names but without the magazine here I can’t remember them. This installment shows the dark side of all the characters. The pig bride is vengeful though it maybe a result of the curse. The hero is frustrated and lets it be his excuse to torment his stalker. All in all, it’s developing into a good character driven story.
I also enjoy Nighschool which is just good old fashioned, supernatural fun. Stock characters and the artwork has them all looking like fish with eyes on either side of the head but still, lots of fun. Plus the library comes to life and is a person made out of paper!
On the manga side, Soul Eater has won me over with its humor. I don’t get too into the fighting scenes but, like Naruto, there’s enough going on that I don’t get bored.
So in the end, despite all my irritation at getting the thing to my door, I’m super glad I did. I can’t wait for next month!
Bride of the Water God – Review
When a desperate village sacrifices her to the Water God, Soah is prepared for death. Instead, she finds herself alive in Habaek’s (the God) kingdom. Though she is shocked and lonely at first, she quickly begins to adjust to her new life as his bride. The other Gods, including the Fire God, hint at danger and past wives but Soah focuses on Habaek who is a child by day and a man by night. Of course, this being a romance, Soah is completely unaware of that fact and accepts that man-Habaek is child-Habaek’s cousin.
The plot seems to loosely hinge on Soah and man-Habaek clumsly falling into each other, watching each other in intimate moments like sleeping or bathing and occasionally having an actual discussion. There’s also the matter of Habaek’s mother who’s not too fond of her new daughter-in-law. But despite the lack of a story, this is not a manhwa to let go of because it is gorgeous. Every page has something to wonder at, whether it’s the building’s in Habeak’s kingdom or the dresses Soah wears. The Gods are classic manhwa – stretched out, thin and willowy but Mi-Kyung Yun manages to add another emotional element that keeps them from looking like stock characters. You can see it in the way Habeak bends his shoulders when he’s a man or the way he tries to stand taller when he’s the powerful child or the way Soah sees her refection in the water.
The kingdom of the Water God is magical. In the words of Liz Lemon, “I want to go there.”
Yen Plus – Review
cover of Yen Plus issue 1
I picked up a copy of the new Yen Press magazine, Yen Plus, at ALA Midwinter. I kind of let it sit around as I caught up on other stuff but really, I should have picked it up immediately. I should have known that one of my favorite publishers would put out a great magazine! Twice the size of Shojo Beat (though more expensive), it offers a ton of manga PLUS manhwa and OEL (original English language). As with Shojo Beat, I didn’t like every story in there but I did enjoy almost all of them.
I especially enjoyed the manwha. I really like the pace and artwork. Manwha tends to move a bit faster than manga and the characters are all long, lanky, wispy things.
The highlights:
James Patterson’s Maximum Ride, I haven’t read the books and I really wasn’t all that excited for the OEL. However, the first installment was exciting! A family of young angels (?) live in secret on top of a hill. Their lives are isolating but they try to make each day special. Then, the Erasers find them.
Pig Bride, a manwha about a young, spoiled boy who’s tricked into marrying a girl in a pig mask. This marriage, he’s told will break a curse that leave the girl horribly mutilated – hence, the mask. He thinks it’s all a dream until his Pig Bride shows up on his 16th birthday. I can’t tell where this story is headed and that’s nice. Usually you can spot a love story a mile away but the mystery of the pig bride has me wondering…
The other stories are fairly strong though there are a few that just made me go – what?
One Fine Day follows the day to day lives of a dog, cat, mouse and their master. It’s not super interesting but when the focus is on the animals they are drawn as people in animal costumes. It’s so cute, it will make your teeth hurt. In fact the whole story just seems to be one long attempt to out cute itself.
Soul Eater can’t decide if it’s a story about a boy trying to become stronger, better than he is or a silly fanservice filled romp. Though those two things can often go hand in hand.
Needless to say, I subscribed and am searching for the issues I missed.
