Customer Reviews

The Color of Earth

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although Dong Hwa Kim's protagonist in The Color of Earth, the first book of a nostalgic Korean manhwa trilogy,is a sweet-faced young girl, it's emphatically not for children. Behind the timeless provincialism of its rural Korean setting and the subtly allusive illustrations is a Freudian-laced tale of a young woman's coming of age and sexual awakening. So while the chapter about Ehwa's first menstruation is a common theme in children's literature, her discovery that all women have a secret "persimmon" between their legs might make even some adult readers vaguely uncomfortable.

Oddly, a short essay at the end of the volume calls this work "feminist." Alas, the essayist seems to have an impoverished notion of the word. A female protagonist alone does not make it feminist, and it seems doubtful that anyone in the West would consider, for example, a beautiful widowed mother and proprietress of a tavern who just smiles like a benevolent angel whenever her regulars make vulgar, sexist remarks about her a particularly liberating turn.

Fortunately, none of it is to be taken literally. Make no mistake: The Color of Earth is a folktale in sequential art form, resonating with the cross-cultural power of myth. This explains why Ehwa's maturation is so stereotyped, her romantic (but platonic) relationships with the young monk and later on with the rich kid seems so stilted and ritualistic. The painter's courtship of her mother is even more ritualized still, the strengthening bonds between them symbolized by the growing number of paintbrushes he leaves behind to be hung up with pride of place on Ehwa and her mother's wall. The characters are more archetypes than three-dimensional constructions and meant to be so.

This deliberate flatness goes for Kim's artwork as well. The style is at once nearly his own and evocative of the Korean peninsula's long artistic tradition, particularly in the use of simple but deliberate lines and expansive empty space when drawing panels with people as subjects, while conversely devoting tremendous effort and detail to panels with plant life or scenery. Intriguingly, some of the angles of the characters in their beautiful hanbok are strongly reminiscent of Goguryeo tomb paintings.

If there is any unequivocal criticism to level at First Second's maiden voyage into the realm of Korean manhwa, it is that, from the standpoint of production values, the publisher has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. Although the book itself is a lovely, high-quality trade paperback featuring French flaps and rough-cut pages, the monochrome image reproduction of the interior pages ranges from troublingly pixilated to unacceptably blurry. Lines ought to be totally crisp to the naked eye, the gray tones exquisite, and they are not. The degree to which these issues will bother readers will certainly vary depending upon the person, but it may be enough to discourage some graphic novel connoisseurs from purchasing altogether. Fortunately, these problems are all resolvable, and I hold out hope that First Second will soon do so for subsequent releases. In the meantime, though, I recommend giving the first installment of Kim's trilogy a chance regardless: The story itself can be magical, even if the image reproduction occasionally breaks the spell.

-- Casey Brienza

It's quite interesting that the author of this graphic novel is a man, for this is a pure girl book through and through. Apparently written in memory of his mother's experiences growing up in Korea this expresses the wonder and mystery of adolescence for women.

Kim's stunning illustrations create a timeless Eastern world where a mother and daughter live as the best of friends. The mother is a hard-working widow who does her best to guide her little daughter through pre-pubescent growing up while exploring new romance for herself. Her daughter explores the strange world of the human body and first love crushes.

It's a thought-based story that relies more on the tenderness of growing up and its characters rather than on a solid plot. The writing is thoughtful, prone to wandering poetry that may amaze some and annoy others as it compares the natural world to the female experience.

It's a sweet, likable, and rather magical tale that is easy to get lost in due to the musing dialogue and fabulous illlustrations. Very much focused on sex and love and growing up, this might strike some as too graphic. But if one can get into its focus, it's quite enjoyable.

The Color of Earth is the first in a trilogy of graphic novels about a young girl named Ehwa and her widowed mother who owns a tavern in a small Korean village. The story takes place in a time before that country was geographically split by war.

Author Kim Dong Hwa creates beautiful images that work with the narrative to tell this story of two generations of women. While the story may seem simple as it follows Ehwa from young girl to young adult, it is filled with rich symbolism that you will want to savor as you read. Flowers symbolize many things in the story, and the characters are often associating flowers with someone they love. Also, you get the sense that young Ehwa is beginning to bloom just as the flowers do.

As Ehwa grows, she is confused by the changes in her body, and the information she gets from friends about those changes only confuses her more. Mother and daughter don't talk about the changes before they occur, but Ehwa does turn to her mother to answer the questions she has. The narrative provides an interesting way to bring up topics like boys having wet dreams and girls starting their periods. The words are simple, but combined with the images they are powerful. While this book is targeted to a young adult audience and these concepts won't be new to most readers, it can be a jumping off point for further discussion.

I recommend The Color of Earth for mother-daughter book clubs with girls who are 13 or older. In addition to talking about maturing bodies, other points to discuss include first love, Buddhist monks, and life in a small village.

I've been a lifelong fan of comics from around the world and I have to say that this Korean effort is outstanding in all aspects. The first in a trilogy, this tender look a a rural girl's growing to maturity in direct parallel to the lonely existence of her mother who was widowed early unfolds at a leisurely pace, evoking the important time in a person's youth that all too soon gives way to the concerns of adulthood. The young protagonist, Ehwa, experiences the confusion of first love and the maturation of her body from child to young woman, and every page is sweetly compelling. Author Kim is to be commended for this work, which features gorgeous and lyrical illustrations and the most "human" of scripts to tell its story, and it's the script's characterization of its female characters that truly amazed me because I can't remember the last time I read female characters written by a man that seemed totally believable and identifiably realistic.

Simply put, THE COLOR OF EARTH can be heartily enjoyed by both female and male readers and it's one hell of a lot better than the vast majority of what's to be had from the glutted manga/manhwa market. This is the first in a trilogy and I can't wait for the next segment. Believe me, I've read a lot of crap, and this in no way qualifies as such. A 10 out of 10.

This wonderful book captivated me from the very first page. How lovingly drawn it was- with the young female protagonist Ehwa sitting among butterflies, gazing at the young monk. The detail in the butterflies and the trees is mesmerizing. The first page alone is a microcosm of the great work that "The Color of Earth" is. The entire work is deceptively simple, wonderfully drawn and full of emotion. The story is about young Ehwa's sexual awakening; like all great works of art, there are other layers of meaning as well. The writer explores the roles of men and women in traditional Korean (broader Asian, even global) cultures. He deals with the idea of loss, and the strong feelings of first love. At it's emotional apex he deals with unrequited love.

"The Color of Earth" soars because it accomplishes what so few works can - it appeals equally to adults and children alike. Seeing how Ehwa's mother deals with her questions and awakening in such a tender way, I can't help but admire her and wonder how she has her strength and wisdom. I look forward to the day when my own daughter is old enough to enjoy this work- most parents may want to wait until their child is in their early teens due to the content.

I have had "The Color of Earth" sitting on my "to be read" pile for far too long. When I finally picked it up, I was instantly drawn into the story of the young Korean girl Ehwa and her widowed mother, and the earthy village they live in. I didn't put it down again until the last page was read, and I found my hands itching for the next volume.

Drawn from his own mother's memories, artist Kim Dong Hwa has created what he calls "ochre-colored earth stories." They are tales from a time when people were more innocent, and in touch with the world. The stories are nostalgic, but real at the same time; like the smell of flowers mixed with dirt.

The first panels of "The Color of Earth" is a pair of elephant beetles mating. As the male mounts the female, a challenger comes crawling up to take the top position. When local men compare her mother, a widowed tavern-keeper, to the promiscuous beetle, six-year old Ehwa first learns the sting of town gossip. Ehwa also discovers that she doesn't have a "chili pepper" between her legs like the boys, and wonders if she is deformed. Both of these are six-year old Ehwa's first encounters with the mysteries of sex, and are the beginnings of a journey into adult-hood. A journey that will take her through her first and second loves, the changes of her own body, and the realization that her mother is a human being, and a woman.

The other characters of the village are just as real. Dongchul, a boy the same age as Ehwa, is a typical country blowhard, more interested in the contents of everyone's pants than anything else. Boongsoon is a tough-talking girl who matures faster than Ehwa, but regrets that she isn't as pretty. Chung-Myung is a young monk who has known nothing but the monastery, but finds that as he ages there are other flowers than the venerable lotus that draw his attention. And Ehwa's mother finds that her daughter growing up has granted her some more freedom, as she waits patiently under night-blooming gourd flowers for her lover the traveling artist to come and visit. With every visit he leaves behind a single calligraphy brush, and her hope is that when he leaves his last brush he will stay forever.

One of the wonders of "The Color of Earth" is how poetically lyrical Dong Hwa has portrayed all of these experiences. From a girl's first period, to a boy's first wet dream; Dong Hwa stays far away from treating these subjects as vulgar, and draws the frankness and reality of life with beauty. He uses the art style of simple, linear characters drawn over hyper-realistic backgrounds, giving the full impact of both impressionistic and realistic styles. When dealing with a woman's body, a single line on a blank panel gives all the detail necessary, although the next panel might be a scene of the rural Korean countryside with every flower drawn in perfectly.

"The Color of Earth" really is a tremendously good comic. I haven't read too many Korean comics (or manhwa as they are called), and the ones I have read seem like Japanese copies. "The Color of Earth" is nothing of the sort, and is authentic and beautiful in every way.

This is a really lovely book. Very beautiful art work, and the story is very ..poetic maybe. The plot is pretty simple, but its so enchanting it doesn't really matter. Its a great escape too.

Works of beauty can be found in every culture. There are masterpieces in every conceivable language, and from every time period. Our 20th (and now 21st) century, has come to re-recognize illustrated fiction as a true art form. The Egyptians, early Mesoamerican Indians, Oriental, and Asian cultures preserved their legends through continuity art. Even the medieval period cultures used artwork to capture moments in history.

In anyone`s life, the coming of age is an emotional, awkward time. In `The Color of Earth`, Kim Dong Hwa, tells the story of a mother and daughter in 20th century Korea. Young Ehwa, and her mother live in a small village peacefully until a young monk catches Ehwa`s eyes, and a painter her mother`s. The bloom of first love, and rediscovered love make this a book that is poetic and elegant. The art of Hwa is marvellous, with wide expressive panels intermingled amidst simple design. If this book were in color, it would jump off the page!

For North American readers, much of the symbolism in the book is lost. The last section of the book includes a revealing review by Hwang-Min Ho that explains the imagery, and cultural significance extremely well.

As love comes to Ehwa and her mother, we are swept away by a story that is beyond time, and beyond borders. The Color of Earth is a treasure indeed.

[...]

Tim Lasiuta

I loved loved loved this graphic novel. Everything about it was beautiful. Ehwa is a young girl who is slowly discovering what it means to be a woman and have a woman's body. Set in a timeless Korea, she lives with her widowed mother in their inn. I can't wait to read the next in the series because this was really wonderful. There are so many wonderful scenes that I could have picked to show you, but I love the melancholy nature of the drawing above.