By Mira Lee (NetComics)
ISBN: 978-1-60009-231-2
Sooha Jung is sixteen and has just failed the High School Admissions Exam. In achievement-oriented, socially conservative South Korea it’s bad enough to be a tomboy who prefers to fight rather than preen or primp or date boys, but now she can add mediocre student to her list of failings. But then the ethereally beautiful and androgynous Ganesha literally bumps into her.
Sooha is unsure if the lovely but weird foreigner is a boy or a girl, but soon decides that’s not as relevant as the fact that he’s completely crazy, claiming to come from another dimension, the Para Empire, where men are slaves and sex objects dominated by sadistic, domineering women. Disbelieving yet inspired by the thought of a world where women are in charge she agrees to “return†with Ganesha. Unfortunately, the story was true and she’s soon trapped on a very alien world. Moreover Ganesha believes she’s the perfect man to lead the downtrodden males of Para to freedom!
Embroiled in a civil war in a fantastical primitive place, Sooha bolts, but soon realises the genuine need of the oppressed in a truly savage society. She also discovers that Ganesha has a secret. As the most beautiful man in the worlds he’s not only a secret freedom fighter but also the cherished, pampered plaything of the truly diabolical Supreme Ruler: a woman known as The Emperor…
Malevolent schemers, Court intrigues, broad humour and a weird take on gender issues elevate this old, old plot and the healthy doses of supernatural conflict countered by Sooha’s Bull-in-a-China-shop temperament makes this tale an unexpected treat. Its nice to see a less-than-deferential, plain girl as lead character for a change and the cliffhanger this first volume concludes on ensures that I’ll be back to see what happens next. Give it a go and perhaps you’ll feel the same way too…
© 2001 Mira Lee. All Rights Reserved. English text © 2007 NetComics.