Bambi

by Park Young Ha

Synopsis
A beautiful story of Courage, Friendship, Betrayal, and Love....

Review
The synopsis tells you almost nothing about this story, unfortunately. The author explains that she got the idea for the story from the fairy tale, "The Swan Prince," which I think we in the English-speaking world know as "The Six Swans." In it, six boys are turned into swans, with only their sister who toils to be able to return them to human form. In the end, they become human again, except for one, whose left arm remains as a wing. It's not important to the story to know the fairy tale, but it does help to understand how she used it.

Anyway, it begins with a girl who after the first few panels, loses her memory. Yeah, a little cliche, but it works for this story. She's rescued by a young man whose right arm is a wing. The first couple of chapters are goofy, as the girl tries to regain her memory, while living with the young man and his master.

Soon, the main events in the story begin revealing themselves, and the girl, Bambi, begins regaining her memory, and we see who was actually behind her memory loss, and how her friend has a wing for an arm. It's actually a very cute, sweet, story, which I think improves once the author gets into the main plot, and doesn't focus so much on goofy humor. I can see how she used the fairy tale, yet also how she changed it to suit her story idea. The result is a western fairy tale with a lot of asian uniqueness. I wish I could talk about more, but I don't want to spoil it, especially since it's only one volume.

Final thought: Worth reading, perhaps even owning as it's only one book.

Dokebi Bride: Vol. 6

by Marley

Synopsis
Alone and abandoned, Sunbi flees Seoul for the coast in an attempt to reconnect with her past. When she accidentally leaves the train at the wrong stop, she finds herself stranded in a tiny rural village where she encounters a woman full of resentment toward her elderly and decrepit mother. Still plagued by vague, haunting memories of her own mother, Sunbi must find a way to free the woman from the past that torments her -- and, in doing so, comes face-to-face with her own demons? Meanwhile, Sunbi's dokebi "husband" Gwangsoo searches for his beloved everywhere, so desperate that he even agrees to join forces with a mysterious stranger who also claims to be Sunbi's groom! Their hunt culminates in a supernatural reunion that raises even more questions about our heroine and her fateful destiny.

Review
I still don't know where this is going. Apparently Sunbi has some sort of destiny, which might explain why she can see supernatural spirits, and has been tormented by them her whole life. But then comes this interloper. I'm sure the author doesn't see him that way, but I sure do. He was introduced in the last volume, and now has some sort of connection with Sunbi. I don't know what to make of him, as he feels like he was "deus ex machina-ed" in, since there's been no previous mention of him, especially if he's supposed to be important. I call him an interloper because I see him getting in the way of Sunbi and Gwangsoo's relationship (call me strange, but I prefer him). I don't really have enough information right now, so I guess we'll see where this goes.

The rest of the volume contains the story of the troubled woman and her mute, hunchbacked mother. It's an interesting story, and pretty sad, but I don't know what it had to do with Sunbi as she was just a bystander.

Final thought: I'll keep reading.

Dokebi Bride: Vol. 5

by Marley

Synopsis
As the fifth installment of this gritty supernatural fantasy opens, the misunderstandings between Sunbi and her family reach a breaking point, and she takes to the streets. All alone in the big city for the first time, Sunbi finds what just might be a new home among a community of fellow runaways. But evil can assume many forms, and soon the young girl is up against an all-too-human monster who's as scary as the dokebis she knows from the spirit world -- AND the terrifying ghost of his sister! A fantastic foray into a very real darkness, the latest Dokebi Bride is the most powerful chapter yet in a series unlike any other.

Review
I honestly have no idea where this series is going. I thought I knew, at the end of the third book. I assumed Sunbi was going to have her dokebi friend Gwangsoo help her become a Shaman, and she could work through many things that bothered her. But it seems not to be. Sunbi is still a bitch to everyone around her, and I'm starting to get very tired of it. She has no appreciation, no kindness, nothing, for anyone. She never even smiles. If she's going to grow out of it, I wish she would just do it already. It seems like she's had enough impetus to do so, but no, she remains immature and selfish.

The story, especially as described in the synopsis is mostly what this volume is about. It's not that exciting; honestly, it feels like filler to me. The most interesting part -- the confrontation between Gwangsoo and some houseguest who moved in after Sunbi left, is barely given a few pages, and I most certainly wanted to know more about whatever was going on there. Oh, and of course, she left without telling Gwangsoo where she was going, and she left her ring behind. I shouldn't be surprised, but really, how thoughtless. It's her typical behavior, though. I really don't like to see her hurt people. It makes me like her less as a character.

I'm holding out hope that it gets better and actually goes somewhere. It seems like it has a lot of potential.

Final thought: I'll read the next book.

Dokebi Bride: Vol. 4

by Marley

Synopsis
Trouble comes at Sunbi from the spirit world and the human world alike! The jealous Gwangsoo is driving Sunbi crazy, visiting her at all hours and calling her his "bride"-- but whenever more evil spirits begin to cling to her, there's no one else to turn to.... So-called real life, meanwhile, is just as complicated. A chance meeting may offer some unexpected help -- and then a mysterious girl tries to claim Sunbi's armory as her own. Is the newcomer friend or foe? Find out in the latest volume of this mind-boggling thriller!

Review
Personally, I think Gwangsoo makes this series. He has so much character that he's delightful to watch, and he steals the show everytime he makes an appearance. What I find really cute is he is just "pleased as punch" to have Sunbi as his "bride." Of course, in such a relationship, he wants more that Sunbi is unwilling to give. Actually her treatment of him is quite awful, and I find myself getting mad at her for constantly pushing him away and saying rude things to him. Can't she understand how genuine his feelings are for her? Sure, he's not the most attractive being ever, but compared to some of his comrades, he's really not that bad. It must be my integrity, that I think that someone who's willing to help you, for no reward, and treats you nicely and thoughtfully, is someone that deserves respect. I hope she learns this. I respected her assertiveness at first, but now I see it as a flaw, as she is assertively rude to everyone, not just people who deserve it. I'm beginning to understand why her family is worried about her.

As for the rest of the story, she unwillingly helps an old woman (but I won't spoil that), and someone has come by her house looking for her, or more specifically, her grandmother's objects. I'm suspicious already.

Final thought: I'm loving this series!

Bride of the Water God: Vol. 2

by Mi-Kyung Yun

Synopsis
Habaek, the mysterious Water God, is cursed to live in the form of a little boy during the day -- while he turns back to his true adult self at night. His new human bride, Soah, thinks that she's been married to a child and has no idea that the attractive "Mui" is actually the indecisive adult Habaek. Surrounded by a cast of colorful elemental gods and their servants, Soah is tempted by flirtations from both "Mui" and the rascal Huye. Things get even more complicated after Tae-eul-jin-in spills a surprising secret, and Soah audaciously plots to uncover the truth for herself. She has to be careful, though, so she doesn't anger the moody gods -- including her powerful and unpredictable husband!

Review
I felt ... empty after I read this book. It's so slow and dreamy, and hard to follow. I'm wondering why I'm supposed to care about these characters. More and more, it's starting to feel like the whole "secret" about Habaek is some kind of contrivance to keep interesting things from happening. I guess I'm supposed to think that Soah being confused about Habaek and Mui is supposed to be interesting, but since I already know that they're the same person, I'm just sitting here waiting for her to catch up! I mean, the story hints several times that they're the same person, but what, is Soah too stupid to figure it out?

I still don't know Habaek's motivations for anything, nor do I even know why I should care at this point. The author's narrative is so loose, I feel like the story just wanders without really ever going anywhere. There's not much development, there's not much in the way of conflict, so what is supposed to keep me interested? I don't know if it's going to get better. I might give the next book another chance (if it ever comes out).

Final thought: Not much hope, but will read the next book.

Dokebi Bride: Vol. 3

by Marley

Synopsis
Understood by no one, and still coming to terms with her ability to interact with the spirit world, Sunbi ventures deeper into darkness. In a rainy forest, she tries to lure out the impish dokebis, hoping to enlist their aid. Knowing they cannot clean themselves, she throws pain on one decidedly earthy spirit and offers to wash him in exchange for his help. The dokebi agrees to Sunbi's deal -- but will this roguish imp be able to help her defeat the powerful forces threatening her body? Meanwhile, back in so-called real life, Sunbi's classmate Taehoon continues to have feelings for her... and her human family decides she needs psychiatric care! It all comes to a head in Volume 3 of this hair-raising, mind-expanding thriller!

Review
Finally Sunbi finds someone who may be able to help her, a dokebi, a spirit who is neither good nor bad, but who can be helpful. However, while luring the dokebis out was a chore in and of itself, getting one to help her is far from easy. The one she picks wants to kill her for putting paint on him, and then ... he finds out she's a she. He flips out after that, saying how cute she is, and tries to force himself on her. Fortunately, she stops him (I don't quite know how), and he becomes more cowed towards her. Soon after that, they come to an understanding, and he gives her a ring that she can summon him with (by licking it!). I get the feeling that he is enthralled by her, and he brags to his friends how cute she is. It's actually kind of cute to watch them together, as he's quite a lech, and she's always strong and in control. I laughed out loud at his antics several times, and I think things are going to get better for Sunbi.

The only dark shadow that I didn't like was the paranormal stuff. I don't believe in anything like that, but of course, I can suspend my disbelief for a story. The people in the book talk callously about "skeptics" because they think we have closed minds. I think a lot of that is misunderstand skeptics and science, but I also do recognize that this is a story, so perhaps they're only referring to skeptics in their world.

Where's it going to go from here?

Final thought: I'll keep collecting this series.

100% Perfect Girl: Vol. 2

by Wann

Synopsis
Who can resist a king's proposal? Not even headstrong Jay Jin, try as she might. So after High School, it's off to the Kingdom of Roinne with her fiance, Jarte. But will she survive life as Queen-in-waiting? Can she persue her art studies or make friends from behind a wall of bodyguards? How will she deal with Jarte's tragic past, and the jealousy of every girl in the kingdom? And how long will Jarte wait for her love to bloom before he takes what he wants by force? Beware, Jay Jin, is that sudden flash from the camera of some reporter, or the pistol of an assassin?

Review
Well, I think this story gets more and more foolish as time goes on. I can forgive a lot of strange things, like how obsessive Jarte is, or how rude he is under the guise of caring about her safety. These kinds of things are typical for romance stories. But what really gets me -- and I should know better -- is that there is always some sort of contrived interruption in the characters' relationship. I mean, things are going along well enough, and then at the end, something awful has to happen (we actually find out what in the next volume). In this case, it's kidnapping. Not that I don't doubt it could happen, but geez, how cliche. Gotta find some reason to stop the relationship, because otherwise, they'll get close enough to have sex, and then we'll lose all the sexual tension! Oh no!

As far as other parts of it go, it's ok. Jay tries to figure out her life as royalty, and finds out how suffocating that can be. At least Jarte's reluctance to fall in love is explained (his mother was kidnapped and killed), and it seems pretty reasonable. Jay is still boring and uninteresting, so I still don't know what he sees in her. The two are getting closer to each other, and it's fun to watch. What's not fun is how Jay keeps pushing Jarte away physically. They joke and laugh about it, and play it down, but it doesn't seem realistic to me at all. Don't women have a sexual drive, too? She always seems to be able to keep a cool head, and not let him get too close. That only seems like it would be that easy if you had no sexual desire at all. Well, whatever, keep up the stereotype that men are animals, and women are frigid.

I don't know why I read the next volume. I guess blind hope that it would get better. Well, you'll see my opinion of that later.

Final thought: I read more, but I'd stop here if I knew what was good for me.

Dokebi Bride: Vol. 2

by Marley

Synopsis
With her grandmother gone, Sunbi experiences the twin pains of loss and loneliness as she learns about the eerie world of unseen demons, gods, and spirits all alone. Subjected to frightening and unceasing attacks by wandering stray demons who find her to be an ideal host, Sunbi discovers just how much her grandmother had shielded her from this dangerous hidden world. To survive, she must confront her greatest fear and traverse its terrible depths. What is Sunbi most afraid of? Has her grandmother forsaken her? Watch as she bravely fights against the sinister dokebis in Volume 2 of her strange world!

Review
Now the meat of the story begins. Without her grandmother, Sunbi is very lost. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Not only that, her new family is not very nice: her dad secretly is afraid of her, her step-sister thinks she's stuck-up, and her mother, well ... we don't see much of her. Her classmates don't like her either, because she sees spirits in school and responds to them, to which, they think she's crazy.

Really, we see just how vulnerable she is, as one possession goes horribly wrong, and I'll admit, I was worried about her for a moment. Fortunately, a buddhist monk is passing by and helps exorcise her, and explains to her why these odd spirits are attracted to her. She decides to take her life into her own hands, and find some kind of help. She hears about a nearby mountain that is rumored to have dokebis living there....

Really, this was kind of a sad volume, as I really felt for Sunbi, and I wondered who or what could help her. All I could do was follow along though. This story is really interesting, and the main character is strong, yet vulnerable. I really can identify with her. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next!

Final thought: I'll keep collecting this series.

The Missing White Dragon

by Park Young Ha

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
Come and enter the world of Asian folk tales and Asian urban tales.... All with a romantic twist!

Review
This book has five short stories in it, some fantasy, some modern, some non-asian. I usually don't like short stories, but these were well-done and interesting. They tend to be funny and goofy, which can be annoying to me at times, but it was forgivable.

The first story, the title story, has to do with an arranged marriage between a human and a demon; the second story, Hannya, deals with a gifted doctor, who has nightmares, who has an unlikely savior who looks like her dead brother; the third story, Dispel Magic, is about two childhood friends, one of whom is practicing magic, but her friend turns her into a half-dog; the fourth, the Romance of the Crying Thunder Sword, has to do with a girl who steals the family sword, because it was going to be sold, and meets a mysterious man; and the fifth, A Magician's Proposal, is about a fairy and her magician master who seems to want to marry rich women.

Some stories are better than others. I particularly liked Romance of the Crying Thunder Sword because many of the unrelated events come to have meaning and significance at the end. I would have liked to see this turned into a longer story. All of the stories were interesting and enjoyable, and I'm glad I read this book. I think I'd like to read more of the author's work.

Final thought: Good enough to own.

The Queen's Knight: Vol. 1

by Kim Kang Won

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
During summer vacation to visit her mother in Germany, 15-year-old Yuna Lee falls off a cliff and is rescued by Rieno, an 18-year-old knight living in the magical land of Phantasma. He makes a deal with Yuna that if he saves her life, she must marry him and become his queen. Indebted to her knight in shining armor, Yuna is torn between her family and friends back home and life as Phantasma's Queen!

Review
Ugh, the synopsis is a bunch of lies. The series may be about that, but not this volume. Mostly this volume consists of a whiny girl who has trials and tribulations while going to high school. It may as well be a high-school drama, as the queen and knight thing only show up very rarely.

There's nothing to like about the heroine, in fact I found myself disliking her. She's a typical high-school girl: gets mad at the drop of a hat, punches anything that irritates her, not well-developed, has no redeeming qualities, nothing. I found myself wondering why a stupid girl like her would be chosen as a queen. Who would want her?

I couldn't stand reading this book. I was bored out of my mind. I don't care what happens next, even though it looks like the next book might actually have more of Phantasma in it.

Final thought: It's not interesting enough to continue.

100% Perfect Girl: Vol. 1

by Wann

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
Jay Jin is a headstrong teenage rebel, determined to prove she's serious about making art. J. Max is the tall debonair foreigner, in Korea on business, with more -- much more -- to his background than he lets on. On the surface, it would seem as though Jay and J. have nothing in common... until a chance encounter in a hotel lobby sparks a mysterious attraction.

Will true love prove strong enough to overcome the language barrier, not to mention the thousands of miles separating two attractive people? Then there are the interventions of friends and family who think they know best... as well as a disastrous encounter with a spicy chicken kebab!

Review
It's a typical Cinderella-type story. Uber-rich, handsome, and single Prince Jarte disparages the concept of falling in love at first sight. He's never been interested enough in any woman to have a long-term relationship. Until he meets Jay. She's apparently the 100% perfect girl for him.

Except she doesn't seem to believe it. Oh, she likes him well enough, and they seem to have fun together, but she's all-too willing to let him go back to his country without her. It's not that she doesn't want to be with him, but she doesn't think she can have a hold over him or something. So he invites her to go with him, but she hesitates, even though he's willing to help her reach her lifelong goal of becoming a prominent artist.

Of course, it all turns bad when Jay starts thinking that he's paying attention to her, buying things for her, being nice to her, etc, for a "reason." I've always hated this "development," because it depends on the characters not talking to each other about their true motivations. Seriously, a five-minute conversation could clear everything up:

"Gee, are you buying me all this stuff to get in bed with me?"
"Hell, no! I'll prove it by not expecting sex from you."
"OK, great, thanks!"
Ta da!

But this isn't what happens, and after that the series takes a rather sudden turn, which I won't spoil here.

Jarte is a rather intense character; clearly he used to be devoted to his work, but after he meets Jay he's devoted to her, at the expense of everything else. I'm not really sure what he sees in Jay. She's cute and spunky, but that's about all I know about her.

The artwork is nice, and the author really likes lips. One thing I really can't stand, though, is her use of real pictures as backgrounds and settings. She tries to hide it, but I can tell, as it's quite jarring. I think it's OK to use real pictures as a reference, but please, don't just copy, paste, and touch-up.

Final Thought: I'll get the next book to see what happens.

Dokebi Bride: Vol. 1

by Marley

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
Born into a shaman family, Sunbi has inherited the power to see and communicate with spirits just like her grandmother, a notable shaman and savior of the fishing village in the South Sea. Long shielded from the reality of her power, she finally learns the secret of her mother's death, and why grandmother was never able to leave their village. Enter Sunbi's eerie world in this mind-boggling psychological thriller.



Review
This is a refreshing series. It doesn't have to have cool art or hip, unusual layouts. It's simple but interesting.

This first book gives us insight into Sunbi's life with her grandmother, and how close they were. It shows how Sunbi has similar powers to her grandmother, and as she grows older how it continues to isolate her from other villagers. But tragedy strikes, and she must move away from the village, to live with her father, whom we get the feeling that he cares about her, but is leery of her, too.

It must be difficult to live with powers like seeing dokebi (spirits) that no one else can, seeing gods, and sensing people's hidden emotions. The people in her village are extremely critical, and constantly gossip about Sunbi. As a result, we see a curious, energetic child change into a sullen, suspicious teenager. That said, though, I rather like Sunbi, as I can identify with her. She's quiet, but not afraid to speak her mind. I can understand how she would become cynical with people whispering behind her back, and not being able to make friends.

I think the true story starts in the next book, as this book is mostly an explanation of their powers, and Sunbi's background. I'm really curious to see where this series goes.

Final thought: I have to get the next book!

Land of Silver Rain: Vol. 1

by Mira Lee

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
Abandoned in a cabbage patch as a baby, Misty-Rain is saved from certain death by a witch who brings her up as her own. Far from the company of humans, she is raised as one of the Dokebi, a magical race from Korean myth. Among them she is happy and content, until one day she loses the trust of her protector, causing the enchantment that had keep the secret of her true identity to be broken. She is case out to the world of her birth and must find her place among her own kind. Land of Silver Rain is a captivating tale of love that is often regarded as a classic.

Review
I really wanted to like this book. It has an interesting premise and some of the characters are really likable. Unfortunately the main character, Misty-Rain, is incredibly annoying. She's mean, bitchy, selfish, and thoughtless. She can be sweet when everything goes well for her, but when they don't (which is often, and will be more often later in the series), she is horrid. She takes revenge on others without thinking about the consequences, she lies instead of telling the truth at a prudent time, and she has a short fuse, and gets ridiculously angry over the littlest things. Even after she has lost the trust of her protector, Sirius (prince of the unicorn dokebi), the only person who'll be friendly to her, is constantly rebuffed, yelled at and has things thrown at him. I don't get why he keeps coming back. Probably something to do with the "fates" that he ran into. Blah.

I must say the artwork is extremely beautiful, and I just love to look at it. I wish it hadn't been marred by weird, goofy, cartoony faces (at funny moments). In fact, I wish this story had been a lot more serious, like the synopsis makes it sound. As it is, with the main character hard to identify with, and harder to like, I'm not sure it's worth it. I'm curious what happens, but afraid that Misty-Rain won't be any more likable, and that Sirius will keep doting on her, even though she doesn't deserve it.

Maybe my real problem is that I feel lied to. I went in expecting one thing, and got something completely different. Like I said, the synopsis is interesting, and cover is so beautiful, I just thought it was going to be something deep and wonderful. I'm disappointed.

One good thing about this book is that the publisher left a few pages in color. For translated graphic novels, that is extremely rare. I have to say that I really appreciate that, and I wish other publishers would do the same. Colored pages turned black-and-white usually doesn't look good at all. I know it's expensive, though.

Final thought: Maybe I'll get more, if I can get a deal.

Bride of the Water God: Vol. 1

by Mi-Kyung Yun

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
When Soah's impoverished, desperate village decides to sacrifice her to the Water God Habaek to end a long drought, they believe that drowning one beautiful girl will save their entire community and bring much-needed rain. Not only is Soah surprised to be rescued by the Water God -- instead of killed -- she never imagined she'd be a welcomed guest in Habaek's magical kingdom, where an exciting new life awaits her! Most surprising, however, is the Water God himself ... and how very different he is from the monster Soah imagined.

Review
I picked this up because I love stories like this. However, it's not how I would have done it.

It begins with Soah being sacrificed, and yet she shows little emotion. It's clear what she thinks of the other villagers, but as for herself, she doesn't seem too worried. When she comes to Suguk (where Habaek lives) and meets the god and others who live there, she is likewise emotionless. In fact this girl has so few emotions, I really have no idea what she thinks about anything.

The water god has a huge secret -- he's a child by day, but an adult by night. Soah, unfortunately doesn't know this. He gives no reason for why he keeps this from her. He's pretty cold and stand-offish, and not much screentime is given to him, to develop his character. He's got another secret too -- this is not the first human bride he's been given, and no one knows where the others are. I expect some revelation about this, and probably his motivations too, but for now, the author wishes to keep it a secret. It probably won't be nearly as interesting as it's built up to be, though.

I don't really know what to think here. The artwork is gorgeous (though I have some quibbles with it, but that's not really my place to talk about it.), but for some reason, she decides to make the characters Super Deformed at times, and I think it really clashes with the seriousness of the story. The pacing has a quite languid, almost dreamy quality. Unfortunately, this leads to a confusing quality, as I'm not always sure who's talking, or what exactly is going on at what time, and I find myself stopping and re-reading just to make sure.

Personally, I don't like mysteries, but if they are used well, I can like the suspense they give a story. But mysteries for no reason, especially when the main character can just come straight out and demand answers? I hate that. Sure, that's not "in her character" to do that. The problem with that defense is I think that most people wouldn't just sit around and not wonder about: the god they've been married to, who this weird guy who shows up at night is, why nothing is explained to her, and why he treats her so callously. I don't think they would tolerate that kind of treatment without explanation. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they would. Maybe we're supposed to identify with Soah by being just as confused as she is. Okay, I can buy that, except, I have questions that she's not asking. And that bothers me.

It's not bad, despite what I've said. I really am curious about what's going to happen. Maybe things will get resolved and questions will be answered. If that's true, this series has some potential. If not, it fails.

Final thought: I'll pick up the next book to see what happens.