Mar 29, 2011
“Have you heard the story about the Sun and the Wind?”
There’s a girl who wears a mask to hide herself from everyone. She is devoted to finding a person who has aesthetic eyes that see you for who you really are. Growing up in a world where everyone judges you based on appearance will do that to you...
It starts of as most stories do, with a lonely girl. From the beginning the story has potential to go any route it desires. Sun Jong had a rough childhood and only has her grandmother. On she is allowed to see her without her mask.
...
In school she is excluded out of everything because of her mask plus her inability to speak to her classmates. I want to say that everyone is just “hating” on the girl that’s different but Sun isn’t making an effort to fit in at all. Her days pass on in a monotonous blur of going to school and coming home, where she could finally be herself. Meanwhile her grandmother is worried about her and meeting a boy at a restaurant who is an orphan and inviting him to stay with her seems like a way to help. Room on board has a condition, for him to become Sun Jong’s friend. That moment is what set the wheels in motion for the heroine and the mysterious boy who is to help her shed her mask.
I was thinking about what to write in the review that wouldn’t include spoilers, that thought brought a weird laugh out of me and that’s when I realized that spoilers would be sort of impossible since “I don’t know anything worth spoiling!” There’s nothing I know that you can’t guess. Which that alone makes my eye twitch from what I suppose is the beginning of either anger issues or stress…
The story:
The story progresses quickly at first and slowly after the first three volumes. We get to experience with Sun Jong everything for the first time. The ups and downs of having friends and having enemies (though she has yet to realize it). All the characters are a mystery except for Jong because we barely get to know anything about them. Even the “antagonist” comes out as hateful, manipulative hag but we all know they too have feelings…right?? I am still at loss for words to describe this story or why I kept reading for that matter.
As the story progresses the characters change, whether for good or bad that is one life’s many roller-coasters. Most of them seem to have an ulterior motive for wanting something. Those same people manipulate others and make them do what they want, rather easily too. It amazes me how simple it is and how “good” people will do bad things to save themselves or other loved ones.
The characters:
Sun Jong is peculiar and I had this urge to grab her and shake her in some pages to see if her brain rattled and something clicked. Something about her past made her wary borderline cynical about human beings and their intentions towards each other. She isn’t wrong, but it has to be noted that I enjoy my share of wounded many manga leads that have character enough to care. Her being a victim to societies spitefulness is a given, she has the requirements for it; she’s different. She is distrustful and doesn’t open up herself, making her an outcast everywhere. Is it her or is it the world? That just depends on where you’re standing, I suppose. What is note worthy about her character is that for someone who is so distrustful about people she ends up trusting them rather easily. Her character has some flaws, like how she’s so weak to protect herself but yet is so indignant on standing out. I get her reasons but it seemed counter productive.
The mysterious boy named Moo Kae is a mystery for a good while, and he even takes a white knight role in Jong’s life. Just when she is being bullied or criticized he pops up and saves the day, reminding me of almost every Sailor Moon episode, oh Tuxedo Mask how I miss thee. His purpose is to tear down the walls she so masterfully built herself, which means it‘ll take a couple more volumes. He is the one person who doesn’t ask about her mask, because he simply doesn’t care at first. He gives nothing about himself, and seven volumes in and we still aren’t sure of he’s actual age. I’m all up for mystery but there’s a line between mystery and one page away from not really existing.
The art:
To me wasn’t as appealing as the cover make it to be. To start of the mask she wears doesn’t really make me see what the other kids see as so disgusting it “makes them want to throw up.” The characters are all unique in style but they are rather plain. There are no beautiful art moments or ones that make them look like they’re about to step out of the pages. It is very average.
I am more than halfway through, right where the scanlations are at the eighth volume, and even though Sun Jong has come out of her shell more I hope the next volumes will be better than the first, in detangling this mess and figuring out who’s who. All that has been made clear by reading this and Love in the Mask is that I have no remorse over yelling out at my computer…
Rating is based on the first 8 volumes :)
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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