Monday, December 1, 2008

Magical JxR vol. 3 by Lee Sun-Young review

Magical JxR vol. 3

Author/Artist: Lee Sun-Young

Publisher: UDON Entertainment

Rating: Teen – 13 and above

Genre: Shojo, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Grade: A

FINALLY! I was able to get my grubby mitts on a copy of Magical JxR vol. 3. I have been dying to read this title since I finished reading the second volume in June. If you are interested in my reviews of vol. one and vol. two, click on the links. I do need to make a quick amendment. In my review for the first volume I said that this was a four-volume series, but it looks like it is now a five-volume series (thanks to mangaupdates.com).

It looks like somehow the contract between Cho-Ah and her magical freeloaders Aru and Jay is invalid. Cho-Ah is beyond furious but because the class is getting ready to go on a campout there isn't much she can do about them. Jay is miserable and wants to do what he can to explain things to her and Aru wants to patch things up quickly. But a magic school assignment is waiting in the wings. It appears to Cho-Ah and Aru simultaneously. It seems that the drill sergeant owner of the training camp that Cho-Ah's class attends has a son who joined a motorcycle gang. It looks like the assignment is to reunite father and son. Can this happen even though the contract is null and void? Not only does Cho-Ah have the situation with Jay and Aru to deal with but also there might be some feelings brewing between her and Mr. S (we meet Mr. S in the second volume).

I love this series! This particular volume is a bit darker and a bit more serious that the previous two, but it is still humorous nonetheless. Most of the story focuses on the father and son that Cho-Ah, Aru and Jay, help. Things don't end on a cliffhanger like the second volume did. There is also an extra chapter that focuses on Mr. S. You can't help but feel sorry for the two wizards that get assigned to Mr. S. The art is gorgeous and definitely has that shojo feel to it even though it is a manhwa. The detail is truly stunning and I don't know how the artist had the patience to draw it all. Everyone has the most amazing hair possible. I can't wait for the next volume. I can usually figure out how stories are going to end, but in the case of Magical JxR I'm pretty clueless this time around. Does Jay have feelings for Cho-Ah? How will the relationship of Cho-Ah and Mr. S pan out? I have no idea!

According to the information provided at the end, the fourth volume should be out by now. Sadly it hasn't been released yet. I guess I'll have to keep checking the publisher's website for updates. When it comes to awesome books UDON is right up there with DMP. UDON may not use the highest quality of paper but it is still pretty good stuff. They have a larger trim size (the books are about the same size as a tome from DMP) and a full color fold out front page. Nice! With the couple titles of theirs that I've checked out I haven't been disappointed.

I totally recommend this series. It is a great introduction into the world of manhwa. Don't read it just for that reason; it really is a fun read. Prepare to strap yourself down for a wild ride full of magical excitement and Taekwondo kicks!

***Review Copy purchased through Amazon.com***

2 comments:

Narutaki said...

I am always looking for good manhwa and this sounds right up my alley. I had never even seen this title on the shelves so thanks for the heads up!

Kris said...

This is a really fun series. I love the whole fantasy-meets-real world scenario. I can't wait for the next volumes, but I don't know when they'll be coming out!