Angel Diary, Vol. 05

Angel Diary #5

by Kara, Lee Yun-Hee (Visual Art)

With the help of the demon Se-In, Ryung plots to kidnap Dong-Young the princess of heaven. As always Bi-Wal stands in his way, but does he now have some kind of ulterior motive? What is the secret shared by Bi-Wal and Ryung? What happens to the princess when this mystery unravels?

Genres: Manga, Manhwa, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Romance, Young Adult, Humor

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2006

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

[Anthonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to this series. The runaway princess powers are no longer sealed and she remains on earth with all four guardians watching over her. More like the black turtle looking after her. He does not approve of her staying on earth but he keep s an eye on her due to circumstances that occurred when she was revealed.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for complete series



When it was decided that a wedding between Heaven's Princess and the Underworld's Emperor would be of political advantage, no one counted on the Princess's stubbornness. Unwilling to enter an arranged marriage, Chun-yoo takes on the alias of an ordinary schoolboy named Dong-young to hide on earth. Unable to use her powers without revealing her true identity, she is hunted by creatures of Heaven and the Underworld alike.

Manhwa has never been my favourite variant of Asian comics and KARA has been one of the big exceptions where I genuinely like the art. However, what really breaks my brain are the names. There's something about Korean names that just don't let my mind grasp them. Angel Diary in particular has a handful of characters - main characters no less - whose names are pretty similar and, as someone with little to no knowledge of the Korean language, it was very difficult for me to remember which name referred to which character. For most of it, I just went with the flow and guessed characters based on context. To be fair, it might have just been the particular edition I have read, as all names appear to be spelt somewhat differently depending on the edition. Alas, I don't know which are the correct names, but I do know that I was confused.

But confusing names aside, this is a fun series that doesn't take itself very seriously. I love KARA's humour and, although this is nowhere as comedy-focused as Demon Diary was, I would still say that comedy outweighs the other genres. There's romance, fantasy, politics and school life - yet comedy is present in almost each and every scene.

I have given up on wondering why otherworldly creatures always end up in Asian high schools - I suppose it appeals to the intended audience. No complaints here, I like high schools as a setting, I just need to remind myself not to expect any logical reason behind it. Chun-yoo hides out as a male high schooler and goes by the name Dong-young. Despite being the main character, I find that the first volumes focus more on setting up the stage and getting all the characters introduced. While I do see that it is necessary, it always makes the first few volumes slower to read. Once Chun-yoo's story finally starts rolling, things pick up a lot.

There are times when I wish the series would be a bit more serious, but perhaps it would lose its charm if it were so. What I really enjoy about Angel Diary is the variety of characters who are all likeable in one way or another. There is no true villain and I think I've never seen Heaven and Hell so at peace with each other than it's being demonstrated in this series. Chun-yoo is not the most bright, but she makes for an easy-to-root-for main character. She knows what she does and doesn't want and Heaven and Hell be damned if she can't have her way. Nonetheless, my favourite character is Se-in who arguably has the most serious plotline. I love his personality - he is fiercely loyal to who he considers being his only friend, showing that he has very loving and selfless sides. His loyalty won't stop at anything which makes him appear villainous towards others.

Angel Diary is a fun and somewhat silly story but wins by combining humour with likeable characters and interesting Heaven-Hell dynamics. It's neither deep nor moving, but it never pretends to be. If you're looking for something fun and light-hearted, this is a good pick, especially if you'd like a bit of Korean lore in it.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read/rated this in grade school.

[Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh yes! Se-In is the hottest villain ever. <3

[Lamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoy this series and I'm happy on reading these mangas!

[sucker4synth · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's much focus on the Black Turtle in this volume, which was nice. He's all sneaking around and spying on Bi-wal and Dong-Young. He's got feelings! This series is so lovely.