Manga Review: H2O

Shoujo: H2O
Author: Hwang Sook Ji
Genres: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, Shoujo
Rating: 8.5/10

I was perhaps three volumes in when this manga found a place within my top ten favourites list. Even after reading countless novels and mangas, I still haven't been able to determine the recipe for the perfect literary escape, but whatever it may be, H2O has hit pretty close to home. Its originality is absolutely refreshing, and the humour is both witty and at times satirical. The story is told through the interactions of numerous charactes, and provides a fascinating perspective on the tiresome hustle and bustle of student life.

Occasionally, one wonders if the subtle humour found in the dialogue can be considered as well-disguised social commentary - especially regarding some of the issues that are brought to light in the plot.

Short Summary from Baka-Updates:

Menga is simply known as the vice rep and is bullied. Hanako has moved to Korea but was robbed the first day and has nothing. Na Hong Soo is known as a troublemaker and is in constant trouble. And Eechan is the student body president, very popular and known as Bacchus. It seems they have nothing in common but all of this will change soon.

On another note, the story is both engaging and relatable. Nothing seems overly dramatic, though upon further consideration, this might be because of the realistic portrayal of human reactions to rather dramatic situations that allow for this feeling of easy relatability than a drab plotline.

To be honest, this was perhaps the first manga that had me questioning who was in fact the main character. I then realized that there were two, and that every character (both main and supporting) were so well developed that it was like a third person narrative. This is a rare phenomemon due to the fact that manga artist/authors tend portray their stories in first person, allowing for an easy relationship to form between the reader and main character. In this case, though this attempt was tremendously creative and original, I always felt that there was a sense of distance between the characters and the reader. For once, I was a bystander, and I have to admit that it's only fun for the first time.

The art, on the other hand, is close to flawless. I dislike mangas by artists who take the shortcut and draw small, shapeless features for their characters when given the chance. Example:

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- exaggerated features

- shapeless characters

- crowded spaces

- pointless frames

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 Instead, I prefer work by artists who adhere to attention and detail. Example from H2O:

- attention to detail
- accurate drawings
- realistic
- beatiful expressions
- large, simple frames







There are instances where bad artwork can be ignored - when the plotline is overwhelmingly good. (Itazura na Kiss). Other times, great artwork can substitute for a mundane or slow plotline (Bride of the Watergod). Most of the time, however, artwork and content go hand in hand. H2O is such an example.

It is definitely a manhwa to check out.

- Annie