Is life a free reality, or a fated game? What happens if you don’t fit into the mold that society wants you to fit in? Can you keep those crazy dreams and beliefs that you had as a child when you move onto adulthood? What's the different between being a child and being an adult? Is great success the most important thing in life? Can you force yourself to just not grow up? What is happiness?
This is the very first manhwa (Korean Manga) that I've ever read, and I was very impressed; not like a "that was pretty good", but like a "this changed my life". Although I was reluctant to actually read something when I didn't have to, I gave Annarasumanara a try, and now I'm dying to read other manhwas. Annarasumanara makes my English class' "deep" books seem silly and pointless. The story of Annarasumanara was quite straightforward, yet had a mysterious, genius and very touching aspect to it. Although the main synopsis of the manhwa may turn you off because of the "magic", I assure you that the manhwa doesn't have any supernatural magic powers in it. Annarasumanara is truly a heartwarming story about what it means to be an adult and what must (or must not) change when growing up. It also touches on issues like bullying, social expectations, parental pressure, truly understanding yourself, what you want in life, and what you are willing to/should give up or put up with to be your own form of happy. The magic of growing up.
Background Info: There are rumors about a mysterious magician; one that can make people disappear and change people's lives forever. They say that if you go to the old carnival, you'd see a dashing young man wearing a magician's hat — a man who can perform the greatest magic, but before he does any magic, he will look you in the eye, stare at your deep soul with his grey eyes and ask, "Do you believe in magic?"
So now I ask you, do you believe in magic? If so, What kind of magic? Is magic worth believing in? Could one claim that our lives and this world that we live in are magical as well? If you had one wish, what would it be? The beauty of "magic", is that people can perceive what's truly magical in their own terms; and this "magic" can be the brightest, most happy thing in a person's life, but it can also be what horrors, and misfortunes of a person's life. Perhaps people refuse to believe in anything supernatural, but are supernatural things the only things that are considered "magical"?
The story revolves around Yoon Ai, a very smart girl in her class who struggles to feed herself and her sister everyday. She just wants to become an adult faster so that she can get a job and escape from the poverty and the reality of her current situation. That all changes when she meets the rumored magician, Lee Eul who asks her, "Do you believe in magic." The story then proceeds to show Yoon Ai's develop in behavior and attitude towards living life. Lee Eul reminds Yoon Ai of her of innocent childhood, and of her memories and dreams that she had as a child. But the harshness of reality never lets her go and the story moves forward, showing Yoon Ai's hard choices in life that decide her fate. The plot also delves into Lee's childhood past and his refusal to grow up/failure as an adult, thus creating his isolation from society. Lee Eul and Yoon Ai's perspectives of the world and their fates intertwine with one another, creating the ideal story about poverty as a child, struggle to find a place in society, making friends, and growing up while trying to find your own happiness in this unfortunate world. Whenever you think the story is trying to set a positive tone, you get heartbroken by the tragic events that follow afterwards. Whenever you think that there really is "magic", it gets crushed by reality. It's a deep, dark, emotionally gripping manhwa that has sort of made me depressed with the truth about our society today, in the end of the manhwa, it ambiguously emphasizes that there will be a "light at the end of the tunnel". The ending was absolutely perfect; it left me crying. Every aspect of this manhwa deserves a 10/10, but I'd say the plot deserves an 11/10; easily the best, most interesting and touching story I've ever read about.
The plot itself is ambiguous as well. What is the truth in life, and what is the right way to live life? What each character believes is the "truth" is never fully revealed in the manhwa, despite them choosing their own paths, if that makes sense. The themes presented in the manhwa, are pretty blatantly presented though, which I liked; better than trying to be all confusing and deep. The magic in this story is also a little ambiguous. You are never for certain if the magician really turned Ai’s holey tights into pretty polka-dotted ones (bad, harsh past -> moving on into a "better" life, nor are you for sure if the magician is really has a mailbox that sends a letter to anyone, no matter what. The magic in Annarasumanara is something that you have to believe in yourself, and that only helps send the message of "believing" even further.
There are basically only 3 (main) characters in the entire manhwa. First, Yoon Ai, whose development through her encounter with the mysterious yet childish magician is the entire story. Yoon Ai's past is filled with hardship. Her mom is dead, her father ran away from home,causing her to have to work on part time jobs & deal with the debt collectors who are looking for her dad while looking after her younger sister and keeping her in school. Then there's the magician, Lee Eul whose character is unveiled gradually in an artistic fashion. And finally, Na Il-Deong, Yoon Ai's classmate who seems to have everything, yet there's something important missing in his life. Il-Deong's interactions with Yoon Ai and Lee Eul, open him up into a "new world" in which he finds the missing piece of his life. No other character's were developed in depth, but it really wasn't necessary either, since the entire plot worked perfectly with just these 3 characters; an impressive feat. The characters were very realistic in their own sense. All 3 of them has had a different childhood, from poverty to average to rich, yet all of them are related in a way. The readers can easily connect to each one of the characters. As a child, what did we want to become? When we grow up, did it stay the same? What kind of hardships did you have to go through to go from a child to an adult? Looking back on your past, do you regret the choices you made?
The art was stunningly magnificent. The manhwa has pages without words which still manage to say a lot of things through the beauty of the art. The facial expressions portrayed by the characters express their emotions exquisitely. Furthermore the background is also very detailed and has the unique ability to draw attention to the stunning bits of details. Visually Mesmerizing!
Annarasumanara was needless to say, absolutely enjoyable. There's nothing to not like about the manhwa: the plot was touching, creative, genius and well executed; the characters were interesting, thoroughly developed, and relatable. As a growing teenager myself, I often scoff at and enjoy my present, reminisce about my past, and dream about my future. The art in the manhwa was so beautiful, how can people be so artistic?! And do I believe in magic? I don't believe in the magic powers, but I believe in magical things: family, friends, miracles, and memorable moments that I cherish or immensely regret. I recommend this manhwa to everyone, and I can promise you that none of you will be left disappointed. Perhaps the greatest piece of writing I've ever read. Thank you Ha, Il-Kwon for creating Annarasumanara, for allowing me the chance to read such an excellent piece of writing, and changing my life forever. Truly a magical story.
