Pine Kiss: Vol. 1
© Net Comics
Pine Kiss: Vol. 1
By: Janet HouckReview Date: Saturday, October 28, 2006
I like trying out newer and smaller manga and manwha (Korean manga) publishers, although I try not to be too optimistic about the books. It takes a lot of money, connections and experienced manpower to create a shiny, pretty title with spotless translation and English adaptation, and not too many small presses have those. They also have to contend with having rights to titles that hardly anyone outside of the country of origin have heard of. I picked up PINE KISS on a whim, drawn in by the greenish-blue cover and elegant artwork, and Netcomics has a winner with this title.
The story follows the typical “cute teacher romance” route: Orion is gorgeous, and the new math teacher at the local high school. Only naturally, all the girls love him, in particular, the beautiful daughter of a rich gangster, “Princess” Sebin, and Dali Nam, the stereotypical top-of-the-class girl who believes that Orion is her first love, come back to her in the usual shoujo romance fashion. However, Orion’s required mysterious past is actually quite dark, centered around the death of his parents and his beloved elder sister. From the plot alone, this should be a boring manwha, blending in on the bookshelf, but somehow, it’s not. Immediately after finishing the first volume, I berated myself for not picking up the second one while I was at the bookstore, and believe me, tempted by the cover alone, I really wanted to. So many books, so little money.
The artwork varies from caricature to smooth classical poses, but the eyes are where Lee’s strength lies. They convey emotion quite effectively, adding to the admittedly weak plot. You feel for the characters, as they struggle to find love and themselves at a school that punishes individuality. The gangsters with afros and Caribbean accents might send you for a loop, but they bring a refreshing change to the standard yakuza gunmen. The translation of sound effects is a little iffy if you’re used to reading just manga (i.e. this book is set in Korean culture, not Japanese), but I would certainly not allow this to deter you picking up this title.
Net Comics has done a fine job with PINE KISS, with an invocative cover and eight pages of soft watercolor illustrations early in the manga, giving the chapter a dream-like feel. For $9.99, I feel this was a great bargain! I will be picking up the second volume during my next book-shopping trip, and this book has definitely sold me on trying another one of Net Comics’ titles.
More From Mania
Shinshoku Kiss Vol.#01
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
(Friday, January 19, 2007)
Geneon Talks Paradise Kiss
(Friday, July 28, 2006)
KISS KISS, BANG BANG
(Friday, October 21, 2005)
KISS KISS for Corbin
(Tuesday, March 9, 2004)
Getting a free KISS KISS from CrossGen
(Tuesday, December 30, 2003)
CrossGen spies high with KISS KISS BANG BANG
(Wednesday, October 15, 2003)
See more related content
