Bride of the Water God by Mi-Kyung Yun

Posted by : Deborah Takahashi Thursday, August 2, 2012

Plot Summary:
In order to save her village, Soah makes the ultimate sacrifice by becoming the wife of Habaek, the Water God. The villagers not only fear Habaek, Soah's is terrified that she will be eaten up by a monster. However, when she descends into Suguk, the water country, Soah learns that Habaek is not a monster, but a child. Relieved to know that she will not be eater, Soah is content with her reality, but, when she meets Mui, Habaek's cousin, her feelings are torn between her loyalty to her husband and this seductive stranger. What Soah doesn't realize is that Habaek and Mui are one ion the same. After failing to protect the woman he loved, Nakbin, Habaek was cursed to be a child by day and a man at night. Not knowing who, or what to believe, Soah sets out to find the truth, which not only reveals the truth behind Habaek's past, but unleashes never ending plots to tear her away from Habaek. Meanwhile, the Emperor of the Gods' has finally found his key to begin a bloody with his rivals, which include Habaek's parents and Habaek himself. However, what Habaek doesn't know is that his previous bride, Nakbin, may still be alive, which not only threatens his ties and love for Soah, but reveal that many traitors that want to destroy him. For Soah, the more she gets involved with Habaek, the more danger she is in, but, with trust and faith, she sets out on her journey to not only find a way to lift Habaek's curse, but to provide him with a reason to change his own fate.

Critical Evaluation:
When I first laid eyes on this Manwha, it was love at first sight. Mi-Kyung Yun has created a world with such exquisite detail that readers cannot but help fall in love with the story. For those who are unfamiliar with Korean mythology, like myself, not only do we get a wonderful taste of these myths, the artwork is what drives the dialogue. Although I cannot really comment on the storyline itself, I will definitely say that this is probably one of the most romantic graphic novels I have ever read. Although Habaek is cruel and unfeeling towards Soah, it's her bravery and will that makes him fall in love with. Although many characters see Soah as a replacement from his previous wife, Nakbin, Soah's love for human life is what sets her apart from Nakbin. As readers dive further into the story, we learn that Nakbin is only half-human, which explains her ability to disregard the lives others to save those she loves, but, at the same time, be selfless as well. Call it selfish, or impulsive, but Nakbin was willing to destroy the man she loves because of a deal she made with her father to save her brother. For Soah, she is a true human because despite her "weaknesses" and her "bleeding heart" she literally welcomes utter disaster because she cannot bear the thought of letting someone die when she has the power to save them. For Habaek, this quality ignites something within his soul that will not only change the course of the story, but his fate itself. What I like the most about this story is that our destiny doesn't make who we are, but we are the ones who make our destiny. Guys and girls, alike, will not only identify with this story, but they will equally enjoy the journey that these two characters take.

Information about the Author:
According to Goodreads.com:

Mi-Kyung Kun (윤미경) is a Korean comic artist; she is currently publishing the Bride of the Water God series in the Korean comics magazine Wink.

Received the Silver Medal for Seoul Media Group's "Shin-in-gong-mo-jeon" ("New Artist Debut Competition") for Na-eu Ji-gu Bang-moon-gi (The Journey of My Earth Visit) in 2003.

Received a "Shin-in-sang" ("Best New Artist") award from the Dokja-manhwa-daesang organization for Railroad in 2004.