Friday, October 7, 2016

October Manga of the Month (MOTM)

Well, well, well.. I guess this month will have to be the red hair heroine month! LOL I seriously didn't plan this, I just happened to read two manga that I've been wanting to read for a while and they just happened to be the ones I liked enough to talk about loll. I read other new manga but they weren't very interesting so you know~ Red hair month ftw~ Hahaha! Oh, another red hair heroine manga I would recommend is of course Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, this and Akatsuki no Yona are probably the classic red hair shoujo heroine that you'd think of nowadays. In the past, I'd think of Youko from Juuni Kokki, dang, I feel so old whenever I mention that one haha, but that's a good anime if you're looking for one, a bit of a slow start but really good classic.

Anywho~ I'd say these are quite shoujo in my perspective (yes, I know it's a demographic) but they are manga that do not survive on the mere element of romance but instead rely on their fantastical story and setting that garners interest from readers. But of course, there are romance elements to keep the shippers happy, I'm proudly one of them hahaha.

Image result for akatsuki no yona
Akatsuki no Yona by Kusanagi Mizuho
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo
Status: Ongoing, 128 chapters scanlated

I didn't expect to like this manga that much since I watched the first episode of the anime and thought it seemed rather cliche. I can't say anything else about the anime but the manga is definitely well worth a read. It's similar to Akagami no Shirayukihime in terms of having good romance parts but also relevant parts for our heroine to grow independently as a person, so I think you would like it if you like Shirayukihime.  I've gotta give props to this for being a pretty good shoujo. Art is pretty nice too, loads of pretty boys hahaha!

 It follows the story of our naive princess Yona who is betrayed by the one she loves and ends up having to run for her life away from the castle with her closest friend and bodyguard Hak. It's a story about her journey as she gathers companions and notices how different the world inside the castle was compared to the outside and how she wants to protect the people of her country in her own way even if she isn't' a princess anymore. I like that resolve of hers and I love her character very much since she's very much a little girl but also a headstrong woman. The romance is also very adorable.

It's like an adventure with her bishounen harem gang! Lmao. Although not exactly lighthearted all the time, Akatsuki no Yona has a great balance of comedy and seriousness in its story. The comedy is very funny as well, I love our pretty boy Yoon being the mother for them all hahaha. What Kusanagi Mizuho does well in this manga though would be the characters, their development and their stories. She really knows how to play with your heartstrings in terms of the relationship between Soo-Won, Hak and Yona as all being childhood friends that love each other, but all that was ruined when Soo-Won murdered Yona's father and took the throne. Considering how the story is going though, Soo-Won is most likely not supposed to be an evil character and I really hope so because I really like him. He's definitely trash for what he has done towards Hak and Yona since they trusted him so much, but as the story goes on, you start to understand that he probably did it because the country was not faring well under Yona's father's rule, but who knows?

All the characters are very likeable and they all have distinct personalities that balance out when they are all brought together. I'm really glad that Yona has a girl friend her age which is Lili and dangg she's got good taste for liking Geun-Tae, I love him too. But basically, one this manga excels at would be the characters and their relationships and feelings which are portrayed very well. So far, the story is also decent considering that their main goal is to make this country better for its people, which is a wonderful goal that we'd all love to see. As a shoujo, it's got better battle scenes than most, but don't expect anything too much besides Hak slashing everyone in half, but they are emphasised really well emotionally. I cried when Soo-Won and Hak understood each other so well and combined their efforts to save Lili. It was so heartbreaking and sweet at the same time. 

Definitely recommended! It's a bit linear in the beginning when they find the four dragon warriors but it gets much better when their party stabilises and they have a proper goal besides looking for companions. I read everything in one go and I can't help but love Soo-Won and Hak the best. I'd totally cheer for their relationship if I was into that lmao. I just really love how much they trusted and cared for each other. If only Hak's wish of Soo-Won and Yona getting married being king and queen and him guarding them for the rest of their lives came true... But I guess this way, Hak can be with Yona though haha.

Image result for Mahou Tsukai no Yome
Mahou Tsukai no Yome by Yamazaki Kore
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Status: Ongoing, 32 chapters scanlated

This one definitely surprised me in a different way. I've been seeing this as a popular series on Batoto for a while but never touched it until now and now I'm wondering why I never did. It definitely is interesting in a different way from the usual manga. It tells of the story of Chise who is passed on from relative to relative until she finds her place in an auction to be bid on. She gets bought by the boneheaded monster (if you want to call him that lol) Elias and they start living together as a teacher and apprentice, oh and as a bride too.

The story mostly revolves around two as they learn to open their hearts to each other and find company with each other's existences even though in the beginning, the two of them never expected much from the other at their first meeting. In turn, Elias teaches Chise magic and Chise teaches him and makes him understand and experience human emotions that he has probably always wanted to experience. Elias is really cute when he doesn't understand these emotions. However, along with the cute moments are the fantasy adventure sort of elements with Chise's exposure to different mythological beings such as dragons, different types of fae and the antagonist (I assume) that likes to toy with people for his experiments with magic. It's a very interesting story that exposes you to a lot of different mythical beings and the myths surrounding them, as well as a solid character growth with the characters emotionally and magic-wise. The side characters are also very endearing with their own stories that touch the heart and drive the story along.

I think this one's a well balanced solid story. It's informative with different mythological beings, there are intellectual and physical fights involving magic and the mythological beings, there's some romance but not OTT and it has a sprinkle of humour here and there that just can't help but amuse readers. It's a great read and the main characters are very likeable in that it is easy to empathise with them and grow with them. The side character stories that they encounter (like the mythical being they'll help today!) are also very touching but realistic situations (not the monster part, of course) that you can understand their dilemmas and problems. A very engaging and interesting story. Too bad it's a monthly serialisation, so it's easy to forget what happens, it's quite a tight-knit story as well so I guess it might need some re-reading every now and then haha. On another note, the art is beautifully drawn, especially the mythical beings, they can be so beautiful and menacing at the same time. And cute another time hahaha.

No comments:

Post a Comment