Review:
I think this is now the third format in which I've experienced this story. It follows Xie Lian, once the beloved crown prince of Xianle, now a god who has ascended three times and been banished from the heavenly realm twice.
Xie Lian's third ascension caused some damage that he is being allowed to pay for with whatever merits he earns investigating a case for the Heavenly Emperor. There have been reports of brides being snatched from their wedding processions around Mount Yujun. The culprit is being referred to as the "Ghost Groom." Xie Lian has been tasked with finding and stopping this Ghost Groom.
This volume covers the whole Ghost Groom storyline, up to the revelation about what's under Lang Ying's bandages.
I might get some hate for this, but I personally think that this manhua is the weakest version of this story. Don't get me wrong - the art is gorgeous, lush and painterly, and this lovely print edition does it justice. Unfortunately, the artwork doesn't always communicate what's happening in the story as well as it could. For example, the only reason I was able to decipher the panel in which [redacted] stepped on the skull was because I'm already very familiar with this part of the story.
Also, this adaptation condenses things a lot, to the point that Xie Lian's ability to figure out the identity of the Ghost Groom probably would come across as a huge leap in logic for a newbie to the story.
Which is why I'd really only recommend this to those who are already fans of the original story. Newbies should start with either the original novels or the animated series. For fans, however, it hardly matters that certain parts of the story are bare bones at best or difficult to follow. The artwork is a treat for the eyes, and I'm looking forward to seeing future volumes.
Extras:
A character guide, pronunciation guide, and an explanation of consonants and vowels.
No comments:
Post a Comment