After finding out her boyfriend has been cheating with her boss, Hana loses her menial desk job of 5 years. Countless rejections later, she finally lands an interview at a small art gallery. Hana jumps at the chance to leave the drama of the past few months behind. But her high school friend (and worst enemy) Jiyeon is the gallery owner? Their most peculiar romance is about to begin* or not?!
Really good story! It's romantic comedy mixed with suspense that turns into somewhat of a murder mystery. There are so many people in this story that the plot kind of turns into a "who done it?". I gave it 4/5 stars because I feel that they MCs should have resolved everything at the end. Now, I'm going to get into the spoiler. After finding out who was responsible for Jiyeon's demise, it turns out that it was just an accident after all. Both Jiyeon and Jiho are in love with the Hana, but for some reason, Hana can't work this out with them. It is assumed that it is best for everyone involved if Hana doesn't hear the real answer from Jiyeon. So, Jiyeon leaves with Dami to go overseas for a bit while her brother, Jiho reunites lovingly with Hana at the same airport.
I don't like that Hana doesn't have a conversation with Jiyeon. At least a sober conversation to establish that they truly valued each other's friendship. Even if Jiyeon confessed to Hana, Hana already told Jiho that she chose him and not because he dressed like his sister. In my opinion, no matter what Jiyeon said, Hana would've still offered the olive branch of friendship but still continue her relationship with Jiho because they built that together. I just really wanted to see Jiyeon and Hana truly reconcile their relationship instead of Jiyeon leaving again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
One of my favorite webtoons! The art is beautiful, the character's emotions are well thought out and presented, and the progression was smooth with supporting context that justifies each character's behaviors.
Some people complain about Hana's immature anger, or Shin-ae's unreasonable actions (from shunning Hana to the choices she's made afterward) but they were high schoolers who were prone to doing regrettable things when they are faced with a situation that leaves them feeling cornered. Even as they grew into adults, it's completely reasonable to leave traumatizing things in the past instead of seeking to dig it up for closure. It's realistic. I got chills during the flashback where Hana's anger dissipated into desperation when she begged Shin-ae to not hate her, because it reveals what we all probably felt at some point in our life. You want to protect your own heart by projecting hatred onto someone that hurt you- whether it be a lover or a friend, but you're simply hiding your own weakness. It's easier to try and hate someone than admit that they've made you miserable, yet you still care for them deeply.
Another favorite scene of mine was where the author reveals the last conversation Shin-ae had with Hana before she disappeared into a coma. She asked about her family, friends, and inquired about how Hana felt towards her. It was a small exchange but touched my heart so deeply. You meet and fall out with many people in your life, and it perfectly resonated with the feeling of curiosity that you would feel for an old friend or lover. These mundane questions feel so interesting, now that you are no longer a part of their life. I can't explain how well these interactions were written.
It was a great balance of suspense, romance, comedy, and thrill. The plot was unpredictable and kept me on the edge of my seat! Just as I was almost sure that they've correctly identified the culprit, the story would take another turn. Stories that compensate for a loved character's happiness for an interesting ending have a problem with feeling ingenuine, incomplete, or sloppy. The ending to this story was gracefully done and perfectly bittersweet. My heart aches for all of the characters who felt some kind of loss, helplessness, or betrayal- but I couldn't ask for a better way to finish this series.
La protagonista de esta historia es Ko Hana, una oficinista muy seria y trabajadora que un día descubre que su prometido le ha estado poniendo los cuernos con la bruja enchufada de su jefa de departamento. Ko Hana les envía a freír espárragos a ambos, la jefa mueve hilos para que la despidan y nuestra protagonista, de pronto, se ve en el paro. La chica se pasa seis meses buscando trabajo en cualquier lugar hasta que, por fin, la llaman para realizar trabajos de administración en una pequeña galería de arte. Resulta que la directora de la galería es nada más y nada menos que Shin Jiyeon, la ex-mejor amiga de Ko Hana en el instituto, con la que discutió de forma terrible justo antes de graduarse. ¿Lo más fuerte de todo esto? Shin Jiyeon ahora... ¡es un hombre!
Está claro que lo que le pasa a Ko Hana se sale mucho de lo que consideraríamos "corriente". Desde el principio, nos encontramos con una historia incompleta cuyas piezas deberemos ir descubriendo conforme avance el manga. ¿Qué le pasó al padre de Ko Hana? ¿Por qué Ko Hana odia a Shin Jiyeon? ¿Shin Jiyeon es un hombre o una mujer? En definitiva, ¿QUIÉN DEMONIOS ES SHIN JIYEON?
Además de estas incógnitas y de los incontables momentos de humor, Pixel of life también toca temas profundos y complejos, como las enfermedades raras, el suicidio, la concepción de género, la sexualidad, el LGTBI y la violencia machista.
Para mí, es una lástima que este manga solo esté disponible en digital. Me habría encantado tenerlo en mi estantería... Además, que yo sepa, tampoco tiene una versión en español.
En definitiva, Pixel of life es una joyita poco conocida pero a la que se le debe dar una oportunidad. ¡Ojalá la adaptaran a una serie o un anime!
Great story—till you get to the end. This is a romance and a mystery all in one and it’s a fun read with some wicked twists and turns. Despite that I give this webtoon a 3 out of 5. The protagonist, Go Hana and her ex best friend Shin Jiyeon, never have their moment of truth. The build up and moment the reader is waiting for is dismissed and written like an after thought. The LGBT character Shin Jiyeon is ultimately cast off, and we never truly get to know anything about her even though the story revolves around her and her accident. Go Hana gets her happy ending while Shin Jiyeon remains a mystery and any empty character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Very very good Manwha! Absolutely love how the author kept me on my toes trying to guess who the culprit was! As well as the story was very well thought out and backstory was input at great points in the story, so sad that I finished it in a few days, but I really enjoyed it! Was rooting for Go Hana and Shin Jiho the entire time!
One of the best mangas I've read! Every day I woke up I immediately started reading and couldn't stop for hours! And before falling asleep (sometimes I even stayed up until 4a.m still reading!) Love it sooo much!
Salah satu webtoon/ webcomic terbagus yang aku baca tahun ini. Ceritanya menarik dan seru buat dibaca. Nggak cuma bahas romance tapi juga serial killer.
Kalo di Indonesia bisa baca versi legalnya di applikasi kakaopage tapi pakai koin~
I liked the plot but the ending was bittersweet. I wished Hana and Jihyeon had a good talk about their past. Instead, Jihyeon chose to bury her memories without facing it head on. Sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
At no point in this book did I ever accurately predict what would happen. Yet it still made complete sense and left you satisfied with the outcome. If you enjoyed Eden of the East you will LOVE this!