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.”
