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Reviewed by Lisa Anderson Daughter of the famous Mudang Wall Mae, Chun Hyang isn’t exactly the delicate flower most would expect. Skilled in fighting and possessing a will of fire, Chun Hyang stands against a tyrannical Yang Ban, the ruler of her village. The corruption hardly ends there, leaving Chun Hyang to join forces with the traveler Mong Ryong, all in the hopes of taking down any evil leader they come across. The story doesn’t simply follow the heroes in adventurous tales of good triumphing over evil. Chun Hyang is hardly all-powerful, instead relying on her allies as much as they do her. Like many classic tales, death is a constant companion, taking members of both sides equally. At times it’s a wonder anyone can smile and enjoy life. Between tyrannical rulers and evil magicians, many of the people suffer. Change can be started with only two people though, and this story intends to prove just that. An early work of CLAMP, the Legend of Chun Hyang is considered one of their finest gems, despite being a one-shot piece. The story itself is loosely based on an ancient Korean legend, which tells the story of a star-crossed love. In the legend Chun Hyang really is a delicate flower, a beautiful woman meant to marry the nobleman Mong Ryong. While the legend has a rather sad ending, CLAMP put a far brighter spin on their version. The artwork also stands out a bit, at least in comparison to some of CLAMP’s more recent titles. Keeping to a more traditional style, the Legend of Chun Hyang will remind many readers of RG Veda. With sweeping strokes for hair and clothing, to beautiful backdrops of forest or castle - the Legend of Chun Hyang will probably remind many older CLAMP fans of that first spark that drew them in. The Legend of Chun Hyang has a few dark points as well. Written as a one-shot work, the story isn’t presented very well. Character development follows a steady pace, leaving many unanswered questions by the end of the book. By the same token the plot ends abruptly, leaving several important threads unresolved. The reader is left clueless on the relationship between Chun Hyang and Mong Ryong, as well as on their mission to end the Yang Ban corruption. At several points the story mentions a friend of Mong Ryong, someone important enough that he wants Chun Hyang to meet them. Apparently said friend isn’t important enough to ever be revealed. CLAMP does give the world of Chun Hyang a second chance. In their newest work, TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, to be exact. The second volume has the cast heading to the world of Chun Hyang, meeting both her and yet another corrupt Yang Ban. The back story for Chun Hyang is a bit different, but the reference is enough to rekindle hope for another volume of Legend of Chun Hyang in many fans. On the whole, the Legend of Chun Hyang is a wonderful classic tale of adventure. While the single volume doesn’t meet the potential behind the tale, it is still well worth reading. While I’d recommend this for any fan of CLAMP or ancient tales of magic and heroics, if you’re easily hooked into a greater plot, you may want to prepare yourself for the sudden and disappointing ending. Comment on this review of Legend of Chun Hyang on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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