Legend, Vol. 03

Legend #3

by Kara, SooJung Woo (Visual Art)

Even after learning No-Ah's true intentions, Eun-Gyo agrees to help him search for the Seven Blade Sword - as long as he promises to keep her safe. When the trio stumbles out of the lush forest into a barren desert, No-Ah suspects another blade of the sword is the cause. But before they have a chance to investigate, they are caught in the middle of a power struggle at the village temple. Rumors of the temple monks' magical flute sound promising, but what can No-Ah do when he's locked up in prison?

Genres: Manga, Manhwa, Romance

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

"Kara" consists of two illustrators: Yoon-Gyeong Kim and Eun-Sook Jeong.

Not to be confused with French author Philip Kara who uses the same pseudonyme.

Reviews

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series



Eun-Gyo prefers to spend her time picking fights and skipping school. There aren't many things she catches on in class, but she is sure the legendary Seven Blade Sword the teacher was describing looks more like a key than a sword. She soon finds there's a lot more to this sword; it's been broken to pieces and the stranger No-Ah takes her to the past where they need to gather the pieces before the mad wish-granting Bulkirin breaks from where he has been sealed.

Legend follows the portal fantasy formula to a T - seemingly normal girl gets brought into a fantastical world by a mysterious stranger to go on a quest. This quest mainly consists of gathering items during which they win allies and likely fall in love. The completion of the quest is also the key to coming back home which in itself becomes increasingly more difficult as she cares about her new companions. The ending shan't be spoiled here, but believe me when I say that it fits right in with many other portal fantasy conclusions.

There is very little that makes Legend different from its peers, yet it's been a dear favourite of mine since the first time I read it. Despite following the exact formula, I find it neither boring nor predictable (rereads perhaps not included). The reason why I am so fond of this particular portal fantasy is that, while it does follow all the typical steps, it just does it so well. It has the perfect balance of fantasy, mystery, romance, comedy and meaningful relationships - there are very few books that balance all these aspects so nicely.

Eun-Gyo is both tough and feminine; she is immediately attracted to No-Ah's good looks but that doesn't allow her to let down her guard, in fact, she isn't afraid to throw some punches. Her tendency to pick fights makes her a fun character but she's also sensitive and cries out of both sorrow and relief. No-Ah is a contrast to her in that he is serious and aloof, though he too can get hot-headed if it means protecting someone he cares about.

They meet and befriend other characters along the way, most notably Ho-Dong, a priest who is cursed to look like a child. He joins quite early on, making them an important trio throughout the story. He may come across as rude and arrogant but he cares for others and struggles to express that.

There is a mystery man pulling the threads behind No-Ah as well as a shamaness, both of who are villains depending on from whose side of the story you're looking at. In fact, all characters in this plot have legitimate reasons for their actions, though they all realise that stubbornness is what caused the main conflicts. It's difficult when each character is written in a way that you'd wish them all happiness, knowing that it's not possible as all their wishes get in each other's way. Despite the light-hearted and comedic aspects, there is a lot of intrigue and hurt going on in this series and I think the ending was done just right - again, it's not a new type of ending - but it was a nice and clean way to wrap things up.

Legend is my favourite work by Kara and I particularly appreciate their art here. The dresses in particular are beautifully done and you know the art is doing something right if the comedic aspect also functions without words. I'm not the biggest fan of Korean comics, but I definitely love this work.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is pretty cute! I like how they add all the legends that follow some of the stories. It's a great way to expose readers to the culture behind the manhwa!