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Shina Dark is like a little curious child that is eager to try out everything in reach which might seem promising one way or another. Similarly it is unable to decide what to do or what it wants to be and never manages to finish what it started.

It all begins with the revival of the demon lord 'Exoda Zero Clow' (henceforth simply referred to as Satan) which happens every 100 years during an eclipse. According to the legends he is an evil powerful being whose thirst for blood comes second only to his lustful desire for beautiful virgins. That is why, in order to appease ... his wrath, the various nations of the world sent their most beautiful women and princesses as sacrifices to his island, Shina Dark. There's just one problem – Satan is actually a good guy who only longs for peace.

So much for the premise. Surely, it's not the first time we hear a story about a demon lord who doesn't quite meet the expectations associated with his title. And it's also not the first time our protagonist is surrounded by a bunch of beautiful women (whose only purpose is to please him). Still, it's not too bad of an outset. In fact, if it wasn't for the comedic part and the mess that it turns into later on, it could raise some interesting questions about the definition of good and evil, prejudices and inevitable conflicts.

So, what goes wrong? In order to elaborate on that, let me introduce some important characters first.

First of all there's Satan, of course. He is a pretty easy-going and lazy fellow who only wishes to savour his days in peace. On the other hand, he is good-natured, caring and willing to help others whenever they are in need of it. Somehow, he seems to have had a sad past as every now and then he indulges himself in reminiscences of a woman who apparently had a fairly big impact on his life. Unfortunately, we never learn anything about that woman or how she was related to Satan and the way he is now, at all. We can only guess.

Besides Satan, his butler and his maid (who both mostly exist for the humorous part of the manga), there are two highly important former princesses, namely Galett Fey Sowauge and Christina Rey Holden, who were sent as sacrifices to Shina Dark by their countries. Galett is a strong, righteous girl who wishes to be of use to others. Christina, on the other hand, is a shy, insecure and frail girl who only wishes for a place that she belongs to. The former abandoned by her parents, the latter abandoned by her nation. In addition to their origin from enemy nations they possess various contradictory traits which makes it difficult for them to form a lasting friendship.

In the beginning those two big-breasted beauties mainly serve to accumulate the amount of ecchi scenes and emphasize the harem-elements of the manga. (There is, however, no real romance in Shina Dark.) Later on, when the story starts to focus more on these characters, their past, their motives, what troubles and what drives them, emotional drama starts to replace the images of their bodily features (most of it at least).

Still sounds interesting? Well, yes, it is - to some extend. The real problems come with the execution. Somehow, Shina Dark just can't decide what it wants to be. It is constantly changing between various plot-elements, genres and the direction the characters are developing into.

For instance, it starts as a simple ecchi comedy harem, then gains an emphasis on the princesses' story whereby simaltanously many political as well as some economical issues arise. Tensions between opposing nations, historical events, conquests and wars and the colleteral problems that come with it; all of that is mentioned but never explained or elaborated on, much less tried to resolve. Many characters are introduced, mainly relatives of Galett and Christina, but never given any purpose.
Furthermore, monsters emerge from the depths of the world and Shina Dark turns into some kind of battle shounen (not quite though), even worse as it suddenly obtains RPG elements which really don't make any sense at all. Lastly, we get some mystery and horror components mixed in which just seem completely out of place.

Shina Dark fails to fully focus on even one of those aspects and the few solutions that it does manage to give to the huge amount of questions raised are mostly dull and implausible. Why would Satan, for instance, a good-natured helping guy, watch the population of his island fight some legendary beast which they can hardly deal with – whereby many sacrifices are given – just so that the two princesses can strengthen their resolves and their relationship to each other? And why do the people suddenly stop believing in the legends and voluntarily move to Satan's island, although he was considered an evil wrathful being which has to be slayed as fast as possible for hundreds of years (apparently, he proved them wrong – in no time at all, with no effort at all)?

Shina Dark uses too many plot devices with no real structure or concept behind it and thereby only manages to be average at most things. It did have its potential. And if it didn't leave everything unanswered or with unsatisfying dull solutions it would have been a much more interesting read.

Still, it's not as bad as my score might indicate. It has its good aspects. The art is one of them. It is clean and lucid. The character design is typical for an ecchi manga and said characters are drawn rather well. There is nothing to complain about here. It should meet the requirements of most readers – including myself; at least if you aren't turned down by some bare skin.

Perhaps if this troubled child were given a future, that is to say a sequel which further elaborates on the many questions raised and solves the numerous problems that emerged in Shina Dark, then it could turn into a fairly interesting being that, hopefully, won't leave a messy trail of the things it played with behind. So let's hope it gets that future, along with the ability to eradicate its flaws.

"Who is right, who is wrong, it cannot be concluded. But when you choose a different road than the road the majority chooses, most people consider that as the wrong choice. And due to the attention and intervention given by the majority of people, the ones who choose the road less taken are easily overwhelmed into uncertainty."

On the surface Song of the Cloud might seem like another ordinary music-themed story about a group of people coming together to form a band and achieve their dreams of being great musicians. However, that is only the common thread of a much more sophisticated story about various individuals ... struggling against an achievement-oriented society where straying from the path layed out for everyone equals the downfall of one's own future. That is the world we live in. A world full of contradictions, a world where money is power, where the degree of education defines one's future, where grades are more important than friends, where knowing the right people determines your financial success. A world where dreaming is not permitted.

And that is the world of Ga Yeon, Jae Hee, Dong Woo, Min Seo and Hyuk. During the time in life when they are struck by self-doubts, during the process of growing up, they all are shaken and plagued by uncertainty. "What is it that I want to do?" "Which path should I walk on?" These are the questions going through their minds. Song of the Cloud raises these questions individually for every character and discusses them by delving into psychological depths few other stories manage to display.

Ga Yeon, for instance, has always dreamt of becoming a singer. Her parents, however, want her to become an excellent student; to go down the same road everyone else does. For that reason she tried hard to meet those expectations, neglecting her own dream. But it never made her happy. Good grades, renowned schools, prestigious education, a predestined future. It all means nothing to her. She dreams of a microphone, her standing on a stage, a crowd in front of her, all cheering and listening to her voice. That is what she really wants to do. And she struggles against herself, torn between her dream and the confining reality.

Likewise, Jae Hee is a talented and already recognized pianist, but he is a troubled young man. His schizophrenia makes him see illusions. Distinguishing between what is real and what is not, is difficult for him. A childhood trauma prevents him from living freely, from being happy, sometimes making him wish to be an illusion himself. 'Silent anger' dwells within him. An emotion that accompanied him for all his life.

All of the band members have similar conflicts. They all struggle against the rules of society. They all long for freedom. For the freedom to do what they want to do. Trying to not be pulled down by other's expectations, by what they are supposed to do, and instead travelling the unknown path of their own choice; going against all odds.

If you have never read a webtoon before you might be reluctant at first, as one chapter only consists of one large picture where you just scroll down through the panels. The art, however, is where this manhwa really shines. The visual story telling is gorgeous. There are not many manga or manhwa that manage to convey such a poignant story only through artistic depiction. Of course, the reader is not only carried away by the visual appeal, but also by its heavy dialogues, and even more so by the sweeping monologues, which are beautifully accompanied by artistic symbols and metaphores. The perfect mixture and variety of verbal and visual story telling make this story truly stand out as something magnificent and peerless.

All in all, Song of the Cloud tells the moving story of young people torn between inner conflicts of self-doubts, uncertainty and the restrictions put upon them by their family, friends, society, the industry or even themselves. Yet they are all driven by a common dream. Performing on a stage as musicians. Stunning art and beautiful story telling, along with deep psychological profiles of the characters make for a great story for everyone knowing the feeling of being alone, of being forced into a life they didn't choose and of clinging to a flicker of hope, however dim it may be.


"I looked at the sky as I came out of the convenience store and thought – how nice would it be for those clouds that get to fly freely in that sky."

Yellow. A color with many meanings. Commonly associated with the sun, it is said to be a color of warmth. A color of hope. A color of life. The color of eternity. Yet, that is not the only connotation it evokes. Since man has always desired to stand as high and be as bright as that luminary; envy, jealousy and greed are also part of its widespread semantic spectrum.

Just like the color yellow, Nakamura Asumiko's "Perfect World" tells a multifaceted story about life, death and love.

A mysterious and beautiful, yet fatal disease called "Flowerblossomitis": Once infected yellow flowers start to sprout all over the ... victim's body. Quickly increasing in numbers the initially peculiar blossoms soon spread in all directions, eventually leading to their host's death. So far neither cause nor cure has been found. One day, in the otherwise ordinary life of a loving couple, a flower pops out of an index finger...

"Yellow" is not only Perfect World's theme, but its ink color as well. Yes, this One Shot is yellow. Black, white and various nuances of yellow – just like the ambiguous story of that couple. Although the basic artwort is rather minimalist, the aforementioned symbolism of the color is beautifully conveyed by its diversified utilization as an artistic means of expression. The reader will likely 'feel and understand the yellow'; that is to say the color itself tells part of the story.

For the most part the nameless protagonists appear surprisingly apathetic, albeit they do express their emotions at times. However, all of that constitutes art. It is calm and silent. It does not force any meanings or interpretations. It is up to the spectator and what he is willing to see in it - the meaning of the color. Which might even be the true protagonist of this story. Life, love, eternity, envy, greed. Everything is part of yellow. And everything is part of that "Perfect World".

It might be a plain little story and it is certainly not the most original out there. Often times, however, beauty can be found in the most miniscule things. For instance in a One Shot, which is as miniscule as life itself.

How much hate would you endure for the one you love?

Smargs won't Sing tells the poignant story of two sisters, Iria and Chloe, who escaped death some three years ago when their village was destroyed by a Smarg in the shape of a dragon. Smargs are powerful mythical beings, unmatched and feared by humans. It is said, however, that one can make a contract with these creatures, whereby, if you abide by the rules, one is granted a single request.
By cleverly alternating between present and past the reader slowly comes to understand the complicated relationship between the sisters, how they managed to survive and why ... each of them seems to be entirely unlike the other.

Set during winter, the snowy environment contributes to the overall frigid atmosphere. The artwork, whereas not outstanding, is well done. Although occasionally minimalist, the characters appear vivid and consistent throughout the whole chapter. Often scenery and backgrounds, albeit eye-catching at times, would be left out. However, since, most of the time, one will be occupied with finding out more about Iria and Chloe, blank backgrounds and missing scenery won't stand out at all.

That is to say said characters, the loyal and caring Chloe as well as the rude and cruel Iria, are doing a good job at keeping the reader interested and willing to learn more about their distinctive behavior and reasons, as one has to wonder how they turned out to be that way. In addition to the sisters there is a third seemingly important character, a nameless and mysterious boy, who witnesses the relationship between the two girls while he is passing through the village.

Overall Smargs won't Sing is a well made One Shot, telling a moving story of the special bond between loving people, and both, the weaknesses and strengths of being human. Yet, as a One Shot, it does has its flaws, as it occasionally seems rushed, and some of the characters' actions could have needed better, thoroughly explained motives. One can also soon imagine how the tale is going to end, which slightly takes away from its suspense. Despite that, it still is a nice manga with a nice little story and I recommend it to everyone enjoying poignant, life-embracing short stories.