Angel Diary, Vol. 04

Angel Diary #4

by Kara, Lee Yun-Hee

Mi-Hyang - Bi-Wol's fiancee who has a serious crush on him - also comes to the human world determined to get rid of the angel princess. Assuming Ah-Hin is the princess, she tracks her down, only to capture Dong-Young by coincidence. But who knew that Dong-Young was the real princess?! With her secret identity revealed, will Dong-Young be able to escape from this pinch?!

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

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 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 manga series in this book. I enjoying reading it

[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.

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zum Inhalt:
Langsam beginnt Mihyang zu merken, dass es ein paar mehr Schüler an der Schule gibt, die nicht auf ihren Zauber reagieren. Sie beschließt als erste ihre vermeintliche Rivalin Ahin aus dem Weg zu räumen, hätte jedoch nie damit gerechnet, dass ihr Angriff einen Bann löst, und die Himmelprinzessin in Schwierigkeiten bringt.

Nachdem Mihyang Ahin durch einen Hinterhalt mächtig beigemischt hat, erkundigt sich diese bei Dongyeong nach ihr, da sie noch immer denkt, dass Ahin die Himmelsprinzessin ist. Während Mihyang sich einerseits in Dohyeon verguckt, will sie aber Biwol ganz für sich allein haben. Währenddessen wird Dongyeong immer wieder von Albträumen heimgesucht, welche sie schlimme Dinge ahnen lassen.
Die Vermutung bewahrheitet sich bald, als Mihyang mit Hilfe eines uralten Dämons einen Bannkreis errichten lässt und die Wächter durch Dämonen weiter aufmischen lässt. Als Ahin und Dongyeong auf dem Nachhauseweg von der Schule in den Bannkreis tappen wird die Tarnung Dongyeongs durch den Bannkreis aufgehoben und ihre versiegelte Macht aufgebrochen...

In dem vierten Teil zu Angel Diary ist weiterhin lustig anzusehen, wie Uhyeon unter der Tatsache zu leiden hat, dass Ahin nun ignoriert, da er sie als Kind immer beleidigt und geärgert hat. Erst mit der durchaus spannenden Enttarnung der Himmelsprinzessin scheint sich für Uhyeon das Blatt zu wenden. Er und Dohyeon wollen die Himmelsprinzessin wieder zurück bringen, so wie sie es beauftragt bekommen haben. Jedoch scheint Ahin ganz genau zu wissen, welche Knöpfe sie bei Uhyeon drücken muss, damit er ihr zu Füßen liegt und sich auf die Seite der Himmelsprinzessin stellt. So hat Dongyeong ein bisschen Aufschub, doch das scheint nicht lang zu halten, denn Mihyang scheint durch das Auftauchen eines Höheren der Unterwelt nun in Zugzwang zu geraten. Sie soll ihrem Vorgesetzten die Himmelsprinzessin ausliefern. Es verspricht also spannend zu bleiben, auch wenn die vielen Charaktere und gleichen Namen noch immer verwirren. Trotzdem gibt es hier eine Leseempfehlung von mir, wenn man sich tapfer durchbeißen möchte.

3 von 5 Sterne

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books in the entire series!If you're intrested in them,please do not read the previous books only after this one. #4 is pretty important,so i don't recommend it.
The whole book was amazing,and really suprised me.I'm not going to put any spoilers here,because it would just not be fair.
Sidenote-Doh-Hyun is an amazing character!uwu

[Starbubbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm really sad that this is where my library's selection ends. i might have to just buy the rest.

i was wondering how long she was going to be able to pull off staying hidden with all four guardians around her. still, super good. can't wait to see how long bi-wal can remain under the guardians radar.

[sucker4synth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The forces of hell are closing in on the princess, or at least who they believe to be the princess... Secrets are revealed on both sides! Love the artwork on this book. The four guardians are amusing and work well together as characters. The tomboyish Dong-Young is adorable, and shows a bit of her feminine side in this book. Looking forward to more.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read/rated in grade school.

[Lamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these mangas!