Ranked #662

The Legend of Maian (Manhwa)

The main premise of the story is that Felicia Rand Philistine intends to return to her former glory after being released from her seal after 1000 years. She was sealed by the main character's ancestor who was regarded as a hero for doing so. However, she is unable to draw out her full power without receiving a kiss from Felix Maian. So whether Felix likes it or not he is going to be dragged around by Felicia. The story is actually a lot better than I make it sound. This is not just another "hero story" or rom-com. There are people planning to use Felicia, there is a war brewing, and then Felicia has plans of her own. So there is a lot of depth to the story.

The art is done by Jeong, Soo Cheol but it still looks similar to the art you see in Freezing, Onihime VS and most other Im Dal Young manhwas. The backgrounds are all well drawn as are all the characters and monsters. The ecchi consists mostly of revealing clothes and over-sized breasts. It isn't just random panty shots like a lot of ecchi stuff out there.

Felicia Rand Philistine is selfish, cruel and a very powerful Zewst(sorceress). She doesn't like being told what to do and she doesn't like it when people don't do as she says. She often forgets that her power is sealed and continues to act as if she is strong. So she can be funny as well as badass.
Felix Maian doesn't start out as the most likable character. He wholeheartedly dislikes having to be with Felicia. While his opposition to his situation can come off as funny, sometimes I think it can be just as annoying. He is 18 and very immature. I know that will turn off a few readers but his character is set up to mature throughout the story so I think it is just a temporary annoyance.

Action scenes consist of mostly magic, or madra as it's called in the story, and not as much of sword fighting. I would say that adventure is the major tag for this storyline, it is very much like you are following an RPG. There is going to be a lot of action but with so much going on in the story it wouldn't surprise me if we go quite a few chapters at a time without a fight. Romance isn't listed as a tag for this but I think it is fairly obvious that something is going to develop. I mean, he has to kiss her to release her power. This is probably my second favorite Im Dal Young Manhwa, UxU is my favorite. You can tell after just a few chapters that this is going to develop into an amazing story. read more

Yes one more sword and sorcery manhwa,why is this genre so popular in Korea?They have much more titles of this kind than Japan or other country.Is this necessarily a bad thing?No.Cause this is one of my favorite genres I’m very happy with this kind of manhwa/manga,and even more if this one is made by manhwa máster Im Dal Young author of Unbalance x2,Kurokami,Freezing and other popular works.Also it’s very common for a work of this kind have a title starting with “Legend”,it’s almost a clichê of that genre.The manga seens like a genderflip version of Bastard!! And Rebirth(the Lee Kang Woo manhwa,unrelated to the Im Dal Young work of similar name),it starts the same way,but with a weak boy releasing a powerful sorceress that people trought was trying to take over the world many years ago,sealed by his own ancestor.It ends that Felicia now have to kiss the boy that released her everytime she has to use madra(the manhwa term for magic)becoming dependent of Felix the boy.Of course there’s the empire of Pennsylvania(yes it’s that name) trying to take over the world here,it suddently learned new spells lost long ago and developing new ones with the power of dark gods.At first the two main characters don’t like each other,but like in other Im Dal Young works they become closer and closer after some dificulties together.Felicia is wanting to reassemble her old followers,the 11 Regis Knights.There’s an arc for each of them 4 times,they don’t assemble all,it happens something that Felix is taken far and they seen to be dissapehered so Felix will have to assemble a new party for his adventures.

Story 7

The story is nothing new,and the plot don’t make many surprises,you will always have na idea of what’s going to happen but that doen’t means that it doen’t hook you in.The author tries to show a backgtound for almost every character,like na almost volume long flashback about Uraeshi Soun and an important development to Lyna Mia Delta just a bit after she enters the story.Felix also becomes less useless and dependent of Felicia in more recent volumes both psicollogically and as a fighter.The reason of the war of Felicia and Maian the Brave 1000 years ago is explained,but not the reason for Pennsylvania is wanting to take over the world or why Diha Sion sided with them,at least not very deeply.At least the story passes well with not many unnecesairy arcs and chapters,they have always a good pace between them,and don’t make you bored.There isn’t too much fight or too many unnecessary dialogue.And it doesn’t take many volumes to small personality changes in the characters in each of them.Most of the enemies until now(with the exception of Diha Sion)were mooks and not even close for a treat,they were stomped real fast by Felicia and the Regis Knights,but it’s still intersting how they overpower them.

Art 9

The art in Legend of Maian is simple and well made,with not too many details.Things like the beasts,castles,summons,spells and landscape are very well made.Felicia and Lyna have the same body,they have diferent faces,hair and eyes.Seens like Im Dal Young prefer buxom ladies,even if he didn’t draws any of his series.Expect more women like that to show up it’s his author apeheal.Some spells are amazing,even if just a pillar of lightning it’s very well made,nuclear explosions,a ray of light falling from the sky,a giant phoenix,a minotaur and fire elemental summons.Art was more poligonal and squared at first but after some chapters things start to become more round.Another thing drawed well is the character clothes,or the lack of them for some characters or the Ma Jin clothes and scarf,or Maian the Brave’s armor for example.I don’t seen any blatant errors in the manhwa art if ever was one it wasn’t important.There isn’t that much fluidity of moviment in the work,but they aren’t static also.Scenary is rarelly missing or unseen like let’s say Togashi’s manga who most of the times don’t have even movement lines.Poses aren’t reused unlike mangaka that can’t do more than a few poses.

Character 7

Characters have distinct personalities from each other and they stay true to themselves besides the developments doesn’t uncaracterizating them.Most main character evolve their peronalities during the manga,with rare excepitions like Ma Jin who is too quiet,or Anna Maize that just flatters Felicia and don’t have a background besides she was a Regis Knight in the past.All of them futfill archetypes ans stereotypes of this kind of manga but it’s still well played on them and they aren’t bidimensional.What I don’t like is the lack of explanation about of Diha Sion change of character,even knowing it will probally explained later,volume 10 was unsuficient for knowing more about him and al lhe said was clichê and undeveloped Im Dal Young can do much better twists than that.Most character development is about Felix and Felicia’s relationship,and he seens a loser in beginning just to it be more convincing when he slowly becomes an badass on par with Maian the Brave this is shown on later volumes.He becomes more corageous and self-dependent as time passes,but still is inexperienced and can’t use his abilities well.Uraeshi Soun is the one who had the biggest change in just the tournament arc,and he had the biggest flashback,and also had an 180 degree change.

Enjoyment 9

The enjoyment is very preasent,they aren’t much boring chapters and they end soon.The battles are one sided but the action don’t decepcionate you.If you are a fan of Sword and Sorcery you will already feel at home from the beginning of the story and indentificate the tropes of the genre.It’s not hard to undertand the script,no big problem in it.The feel in it is a fun and is a relaxed reading for a Im Dal Young work.He really know how do diferent types of works.

Overall 8

Overall it’s a very good series,it’s not Im Dal Young best work it’s far from worse either.It’s like an more serious Slayers with less comedy parts and more focus on the main plot.It’s an averlage work but it’s still more enjoyable than oher work of the same type.The biggest problem is the lack of development and objectives of the antagonists that takes away points from the story.And it need magic fights like that of Negima that manga have the best fights one title of this genre can have so comparing it Maian isn’t that fair.Maian also has good action too,but the result of the fights is always obvious.It have a great variety of spells even if many of them are other element version of already existing spells.It’s a good manga to fans of medieval fantasy,RPG books and videogames,LOTR or other things like that.
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