Title: Mijeong. Author: Byung Byung Jun. Genre: Graphic Novel. Paperback: 240 pages. Publisher: NBM Publishing, Inc. (June 1, 2009). Description: In Chinese, ‘Mijeong’ means ‘pure beauty’. In the cold city, young people’s lives cross and spark for brief moments in this remarkably drawn graphic novel; Wounded characters, squashed by the daily hard realities of urban living whose destinies take sudden unannounced turns but their inner flames shine bright and wild, even for a brief time. From the girl who deals sensitively with an older man obsessed by youth to the group of friends who find their friend has committed suicide but feel they might get implicated, this engrossing collection of stories will transfix and move you deeply. My Review: Well, I am a fan of comics in general. I like whenever an author/artist deviates from the worn out plots we all see in your average Japanese manga and Korean manhwa; it is a relief. No sickly sweet romance with vapid females and emotionally distant men will be found between these pages. No cheery hero, who is constantly up-beat, even through immense trials. The stories come off as a bit melancholy, definitely. But there is a dash of humor...despite people dying and all. My favorite story was the manhwa artist one. The others were okay, but I wasn't hugely fond of them. Not sure if I would really recommend this for purchase, but feel free to get this one from the library. Rating 2.5/5.
