Eric Travis
Jun 25, 2004, 12:54 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/manga/er1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/manga/er1t.jpg" align=left alt="Evil’s Return vol. 1"></a>Reviewer: Eric Travis, saerth1@aol.com
Quick Rating: Great!
The Mother of Hell needs help!
Written By: Jong-Kyu Lee
Art: Hwan Shin
Translator: Seung-Ah Lee
English Adaptation: Anna Wenger
Editor: Luis Reyes
Note: This series is rated OT: Older Teen, Age 16+ for relatively mature content.
What do mystic warriors, horny demons, and one adolescent girl have in common? They form the core of Evil’s Return, one of the latest manwha releases from our friends at TokyoPop. No, you read that right. This is not manga. This is manwha. What is this ‘manwha’? Simply put, the term manwha refers to manga of Korean origin. Believe it or not, Japan does not have the monopoly on huge round eyes or disturbingly beautiful villains. In actual practice, the differences are subtle and often irrelevant, even to a mangaphile like myself. Think of it as Marvel and Marvel UK. You can get very similar styles, very similar stories, but with a subtle difference in tone that reflects the culture of origin. In the American market, Korean manwha sits side-by-side with Japanese manga, buoyed by the surge in the latter’s popularity. Even a couple of the more recent big hits have been manwha, and books like Ragnarok and Priest are doing very well. But this is a review about Evil’s Return, and I must say, this has the potential to become a compelling little series.
Here’s the scoop. Seo Yumi is a growing girl, making her way through high school with very few friends. Her ‘closest’ friend is a young Buddhist monk, who has been given the task of defending Yumi, and protecting the school from evil. See, Yumi is the Chosen One of the story. Unlike other Chosen One stories, she wasn’t Chosen by the forces of good and happiness. Instead, it is her fate to become, literally, the Mother of Hell. The demons are after her, eager to mate with the innocent and beautiful girl. Throw in a cocky hot-shot freshman who enjoys kicking serious butt and changing girlfriends on a regular basis, and add just a touch of the Catholic Church’s obvious interest in deterring the minions of Satan. There’s a little something for everyone here, and it is hard to put a tidy label on this type of story. Action, fantasy, mystic, romance, horror, all of those terms could apply in different parts of the story.
The writing, or rather, the English translation, is pretty tight from beginning to end. Despite the common complaints of occasionally hokey dialogue, or too much dependence on the art to convey the plot, there really isn’t that much to complain about here. The plot itself is nothing earthshaking or completely original, but as we say so often, the key is in the execution. If anything, the characters are introduced and underdeveloped in this first volume, so we can charge as quickly as possible to the action. We care about them simply because they are the main characters, and because they fall into rather predictable archetypes. Innocent helpless virgin with untapped powers. Kind-hearted monk who uses his powers only to defend the weak. Headstrong youth of questionable moral fiber trying to score with as many chicks as possible. This isn’t to say these characters don’t work well, or that there isn’t more, but in a four-volume series, I fear deeper characterization has been sacrificed for the sake of expediency. I hope the second volume proves me wrong on that score.
Let me pause a moment here, before I address the artistic merits of Evil’s Return. I have noticed a growing popularity of How To Draw Manga books. Several of my friends are amateur artists who enjoy doodling in the typical manga styles. If this is you, if you aspire to draw manga either professionally or for your own enjoyment, this is probably one of the best reference resources I could suggest.
Hwan Shin did all the art for this title, and I am more than a little bit in awe of his talent. This is truly beautiful work. Just as the story embraces a wide array of ‘genres’, the art within these pages covers an amazing range. From the handful of ‘cheesecake’ pages between chapters, to the ‘striking fullbody poses’. From the crowded classroom shot to the close-ups of a boyfriend/girlfriend moment. From the flowing looseness of a dream sequence to the tight, clean, crisp energy of the fight scenes. Every page is expertly rendered, and I found myself comparing it briefly to a sketchbook of ideas. It is obvious to me that Hwan Shin poured considerable energy and care into this project, and it shows. It cannot be easy to draw the same characters through several substantially different situations, yet even the nuances of body language and facial expression are easy and fun to follow. Most importantly, the artwork fits and flows so cleanly with the story that one might think the same person did both writing and art, as is common for manga creators.
When I finished reading this volume, I knew something was missing, and it took me a little while to figure it out. It is proof that I have been spoiled by certain other manga series and by the era of Special Edition DVDs. Sadly, there is a distinct lack of ‘bonus material’ in volume one. There really isn’t even a breakdown of chapters or a table of contents, which I am used to, if not in the habit of using. There are sound effects in the original kanji, but there is no corresponding list of translations in the back. There are no character profiles… Heck, there’s not even a creator profile. True, these count merely as the cream gravy to the book’s chicken fried steak, but a little something extra would have made this feel like a more complete experience.
Will this series ever reach the status of Ragnarok, or Gundam? It is too soon to tell, though it seems unlikely. Evil’s Return is a beautifully rendered, action-filled romp through the first part of a slightly formulaic tale. It is not designed for across-the-board appeal, but for those curious enough or adventurous enough to pick this up, it is my opinion you won’t be disappointed.
And if you are, well, at least you know what ‘manwha’ means.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tphalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpnone.jpg
Visit TokyoPop.com to buy this and other titles online! (http://www.tokyopop.com/)
Quick Rating: Great!
The Mother of Hell needs help!
Written By: Jong-Kyu Lee
Art: Hwan Shin
Translator: Seung-Ah Lee
English Adaptation: Anna Wenger
Editor: Luis Reyes
Note: This series is rated OT: Older Teen, Age 16+ for relatively mature content.
What do mystic warriors, horny demons, and one adolescent girl have in common? They form the core of Evil’s Return, one of the latest manwha releases from our friends at TokyoPop. No, you read that right. This is not manga. This is manwha. What is this ‘manwha’? Simply put, the term manwha refers to manga of Korean origin. Believe it or not, Japan does not have the monopoly on huge round eyes or disturbingly beautiful villains. In actual practice, the differences are subtle and often irrelevant, even to a mangaphile like myself. Think of it as Marvel and Marvel UK. You can get very similar styles, very similar stories, but with a subtle difference in tone that reflects the culture of origin. In the American market, Korean manwha sits side-by-side with Japanese manga, buoyed by the surge in the latter’s popularity. Even a couple of the more recent big hits have been manwha, and books like Ragnarok and Priest are doing very well. But this is a review about Evil’s Return, and I must say, this has the potential to become a compelling little series.
Here’s the scoop. Seo Yumi is a growing girl, making her way through high school with very few friends. Her ‘closest’ friend is a young Buddhist monk, who has been given the task of defending Yumi, and protecting the school from evil. See, Yumi is the Chosen One of the story. Unlike other Chosen One stories, she wasn’t Chosen by the forces of good and happiness. Instead, it is her fate to become, literally, the Mother of Hell. The demons are after her, eager to mate with the innocent and beautiful girl. Throw in a cocky hot-shot freshman who enjoys kicking serious butt and changing girlfriends on a regular basis, and add just a touch of the Catholic Church’s obvious interest in deterring the minions of Satan. There’s a little something for everyone here, and it is hard to put a tidy label on this type of story. Action, fantasy, mystic, romance, horror, all of those terms could apply in different parts of the story.
The writing, or rather, the English translation, is pretty tight from beginning to end. Despite the common complaints of occasionally hokey dialogue, or too much dependence on the art to convey the plot, there really isn’t that much to complain about here. The plot itself is nothing earthshaking or completely original, but as we say so often, the key is in the execution. If anything, the characters are introduced and underdeveloped in this first volume, so we can charge as quickly as possible to the action. We care about them simply because they are the main characters, and because they fall into rather predictable archetypes. Innocent helpless virgin with untapped powers. Kind-hearted monk who uses his powers only to defend the weak. Headstrong youth of questionable moral fiber trying to score with as many chicks as possible. This isn’t to say these characters don’t work well, or that there isn’t more, but in a four-volume series, I fear deeper characterization has been sacrificed for the sake of expediency. I hope the second volume proves me wrong on that score.
Let me pause a moment here, before I address the artistic merits of Evil’s Return. I have noticed a growing popularity of How To Draw Manga books. Several of my friends are amateur artists who enjoy doodling in the typical manga styles. If this is you, if you aspire to draw manga either professionally or for your own enjoyment, this is probably one of the best reference resources I could suggest.
Hwan Shin did all the art for this title, and I am more than a little bit in awe of his talent. This is truly beautiful work. Just as the story embraces a wide array of ‘genres’, the art within these pages covers an amazing range. From the handful of ‘cheesecake’ pages between chapters, to the ‘striking fullbody poses’. From the crowded classroom shot to the close-ups of a boyfriend/girlfriend moment. From the flowing looseness of a dream sequence to the tight, clean, crisp energy of the fight scenes. Every page is expertly rendered, and I found myself comparing it briefly to a sketchbook of ideas. It is obvious to me that Hwan Shin poured considerable energy and care into this project, and it shows. It cannot be easy to draw the same characters through several substantially different situations, yet even the nuances of body language and facial expression are easy and fun to follow. Most importantly, the artwork fits and flows so cleanly with the story that one might think the same person did both writing and art, as is common for manga creators.
When I finished reading this volume, I knew something was missing, and it took me a little while to figure it out. It is proof that I have been spoiled by certain other manga series and by the era of Special Edition DVDs. Sadly, there is a distinct lack of ‘bonus material’ in volume one. There really isn’t even a breakdown of chapters or a table of contents, which I am used to, if not in the habit of using. There are sound effects in the original kanji, but there is no corresponding list of translations in the back. There are no character profiles… Heck, there’s not even a creator profile. True, these count merely as the cream gravy to the book’s chicken fried steak, but a little something extra would have made this feel like a more complete experience.
Will this series ever reach the status of Ragnarok, or Gundam? It is too soon to tell, though it seems unlikely. Evil’s Return is a beautifully rendered, action-filled romp through the first part of a slightly formulaic tale. It is not designed for across-the-board appeal, but for those curious enough or adventurous enough to pick this up, it is my opinion you won’t be disappointed.
And if you are, well, at least you know what ‘manwha’ means.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tphalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tpnone.jpg
Visit TokyoPop.com to buy this and other titles online! (http://www.tokyopop.com/)