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various shoujo manhwa/manga
Jun. 27th, 2010 08:04 pmBrief-ish comments on the stack of manga I've read since returning from WisCon. (Apparently, I'm trying to make up for barely reading any for a couple months.)
Key to the Kingdom Vol 4-6 (end of series): This was a fun fantasy series with an interesting plot(Yes, I still like dragon plots. Shush.) but the latter parts weren’t as fun as the earlier parts. Probably because, while I didn’t dislike any of the characters, I never got really attached to any, either. That, and it went from being about a bunch of people on a question to being all about the young prince’s heroic journey.
Legend Vol 5-6: Or “the one that’s kinda like Fushigi Yugi, only without everyone always trying to rape people and with way less of the heroine accidentally getting people killed.” I find that I’m actually more interested in the previous incarnations of No-Ah, Eun-Gyo, and the various spirits of the sword than their current incarnations, but I think that’s normal for me with reincarnation stories. The plot doesn’t advance a lot in these volumes, but it isn’t stagnant, either, and they’re better than the fourth volume, which seemed a bit lost. This is a very fun shoujo, but not as fun as the other offerings (Angel Diary and Demon Diary) by the same manhwaga team.
Mixed Vegetables Vol 6-7: After the last volume, I was worried that the series was going to shift to being all about Hayato, but that doesn’t seem to be the case yet ( it has one more volume to switch to the overtrod path, though) and it’s still focusing on both Hayato and Hana’s goals, despite the brief threat of a love triangle. This series remains endearing fluff, though I suspect that neither the people who would read it for the lighthearted romance nor the people who would read it for the food pr0n would come away fully satisfied, unless they just wanted a dash of each.
Pig Bride Vol 2-3: Also a folklore and mythology series, but more tightly constructed around a specific folktale. I wasn’t sure about this one at first-it was one of several Yen titles that came out seemingly at once about girls chasing after boys (for a variety of reasons) who were screaming “DO NOT WANT!” (for a variety of reasons) from the rooftops-but I’ve grown pretty attached to it. I don’t find the romantic plotline overly interesting outside of the reincarnation and curse aspect, but the plot is very interesting and engaging, and I’m consistently surprised at how enjoyable the characters are despite technically not being overly likable at times.
Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol 2-3: Or volumes 3-6, if you go by the original Japanese numbering. Though Fruits Basket is obviously the stronger and more complex work, I think many parts of
V.B. Rose Vol 5-7: Still total, adorable shoujo fluff, and possibly the frilliest shoujo I’ve read. I’m kind of sad, though, that it seems to be moving away from the crafty bits, and more to the romance. Though it cracked me up when it looked like the manga was going to have the “guy kisses everyone when he’s drunk” trope that crops up a lot and then…he throws up all over the place.Ok, that was awful, technically, but it made me giggle mid-eyeroll.
Very! Very! Sweet Vol 4-5: I always forget what’s going on with the plot in this one, and yet, I do not care. I wish the manhwa got more into the cultural differences between Japan and Korea, instead of just nodding at the language barrier, but I fear paying more attention to that may distract from the fun and make the series devolve around Tsuyoshi’s no-doubt-yet-to-come angst, and I want the series to keep being about Be-Ri and Tsuyoshi’s antics as they’re caught in the middle of a kdrama. Also, I seriously love all the kdrama references and how the series basically takes all the kdrama tropes and makes them fun.
You’re So Cool Vol 4-5: This one I shouldn’t like much at all, much less as much as I do. For that matter, if I believed having a “genre/medium of shame” this would be my shoujo of shame. (Some people have Hot Gimmick or Sensual Phrase. Mine lacks rape attempts, doormat heroines, relationships centering around sexual harassment, and blackmail centric plots, which helps.) Sadly, the series is about to end, and, like must shoujo, the series is now switching to Seung-Ha and his angst and pushing Nan-Woo away. (Also, why does their angst always have to revolve around the mother who abandoned them, and how horrible she was?) Though, I don’t think most go with Nan-Woo’s reaction of setting out to track them down and drag them back. Actually, aside from the characters overall, I think the manhwa’s main saving grace is that, unlike most shoujo, it never forgets what a jerk Seung-Ha is. (Really, I’m surprised more of the “bad boy with perfect image x plucky tomboy folks aren’t reading this, though I suppose it isn’t well known.)
Key to the Kingdom Vol 4-6 (end of series): This was a fun fantasy series with an interesting plot
Legend Vol 5-6: Or “the one that’s kinda like Fushigi Yugi, only without everyone always trying to rape people and with way less of the heroine accidentally getting people killed.” I find that I’m actually more interested in the previous incarnations of No-Ah, Eun-Gyo, and the various spirits of the sword than their current incarnations, but I think that’s normal for me with reincarnation stories. The plot doesn’t advance a lot in these volumes, but it isn’t stagnant, either, and they’re better than the fourth volume, which seemed a bit lost. This is a very fun shoujo, but not as fun as the other offerings (Angel Diary and Demon Diary) by the same manhwaga team.
Mixed Vegetables Vol 6-7: After the last volume, I was worried that the series was going to shift to being all about Hayato, but that doesn’t seem to be the case yet ( it has one more volume to switch to the overtrod path, though) and it’s still focusing on both Hayato and Hana’s goals, despite the brief threat of a love triangle. This series remains endearing fluff, though I suspect that neither the people who would read it for the lighthearted romance nor the people who would read it for the food pr0n would come away fully satisfied, unless they just wanted a dash of each.
Pig Bride Vol 2-3: Also a folklore and mythology series, but more tightly constructed around a specific folktale. I wasn’t sure about this one at first-it was one of several Yen titles that came out seemingly at once about girls chasing after boys (for a variety of reasons) who were screaming “DO NOT WANT!” (for a variety of reasons) from the rooftops-but I’ve grown pretty attached to it. I don’t find the romantic plotline overly interesting outside of the reincarnation and curse aspect, but the plot is very interesting and engaging, and I’m consistently surprised at how enjoyable the characters are despite technically not being overly likable at times.
Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol 2-3: Or volumes 3-6, if you go by the original Japanese numbering. Though Fruits Basket is obviously the stronger and more complex work, I think many parts of
V.B. Rose Vol 5-7: Still total, adorable shoujo fluff, and possibly the frilliest shoujo I’ve read. I’m kind of sad, though, that it seems to be moving away from the crafty bits, and more to the romance. Though it cracked me up when it looked like the manga was going to have the “guy kisses everyone when he’s drunk” trope that crops up a lot and then…he throws up all over the place.
Very! Very! Sweet Vol 4-5: I always forget what’s going on with the plot in this one, and yet, I do not care. I wish the manhwa got more into the cultural differences between Japan and Korea, instead of just nodding at the language barrier, but I fear paying more attention to that may distract from the fun and make the series devolve around Tsuyoshi’s no-doubt-yet-to-come angst, and I want the series to keep being about Be-Ri and Tsuyoshi’s antics as they’re caught in the middle of a kdrama. Also, I seriously love all the kdrama references and how the series basically takes all the kdrama tropes and makes them fun.
You’re So Cool Vol 4-5: This one I shouldn’t like much at all, much less as much as I do. For that matter, if I believed having a “genre/medium of shame” this would be my shoujo of shame. (Some people have Hot Gimmick or Sensual Phrase. Mine lacks rape attempts, doormat heroines, relationships centering around sexual harassment, and blackmail centric plots, which helps.) Sadly, the series is about to end, and, like must shoujo, the series is now switching to Seung-Ha and his angst and pushing Nan-Woo away. (Also, why does their angst always have to revolve around the mother who abandoned them, and how horrible she was?) Though, I don’t think most go with Nan-Woo’s reaction of setting out to track them down and drag them back. Actually, aside from the characters overall, I think the manhwa’s main saving grace is that, unlike most shoujo, it never forgets what a jerk Seung-Ha is. (Really, I’m surprised more of the “bad boy with perfect image x plucky tomboy folks aren’t reading this, though I suppose it isn’t well known.)