"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." –Pablo Picasso
Is life a free reality, or a fated game? What happens if you don’t fit into the mold that society wants you to fit in? Can you keep those crazy dreams and beliefs that you had as a child when you move onto adulthood? What's the different between being a child and being an adult? Is great success the most important thing in life? Can you force yourself to just not grow up? What is happiness?
This is the very first manhwa (Korean Manga) that I've ever
...
read, and I was very impressed; not like a "that was pretty good", but like a "this changed my life". Although I was reluctant to actually read something when I didn't have to, I gave Annarasumanara a try, and now I'm dying to read other manhwas. Annarasumanara makes my English class' "deep" books seem silly and pointless. The story of Annarasumanara was quite straightforward, yet had a mysterious, genius and very touching aspect to it. Although the main synopsis of the manhwa may turn you off because of the "magic", I assure you that the manhwa doesn't have any supernatural magic powers in it. Annarasumanara is truly a heartwarming story about what it means to be an adult and what must (or must not) change when growing up. It also touches on issues like bullying, social expectations, parental pressure, truly understanding yourself, what you want in life, and what you are willing to/should give up or put up with to be your own form of happy. The magic of growing up.
Background Info: There are rumors about a mysterious magician; one that can make people disappear and change people's lives forever. They say that if you go to the old carnival, you'd see a dashing young man wearing a magician's hat — a man who can perform the greatest magic, but before he does any magic, he will look you in the eye, stare at your deep soul with his grey eyes and ask, "Do you believe in magic?"
So now I ask you, do you believe in magic? If so, What kind of magic? Is magic worth believing in? Could one claim that our lives and this world that we live in are magical as well? If you had one wish, what would it be? The beauty of "magic", is that people can perceive what's truly magical in their own terms; and this "magic" can be the brightest, most happy thing in a person's life, but it can also be what horrors, and misfortunes of a person's life. Perhaps people refuse to believe in anything supernatural, but are supernatural things the only things that are considered "magical"?
The story revolves around Yoon Ai, a very smart girl in her class who struggles to feed herself and her sister everyday. She just wants to become an adult faster so that she can get a job and escape from the poverty and the reality of her current situation. That all changes when she meets the rumored magician, Lee Eul who asks her, "Do you believe in magic." The story then proceeds to show Yoon Ai's develop in behavior and attitude towards living life. Lee Eul reminds Yoon Ai of her of innocent childhood, and of her memories and dreams that she had as a child. But the harshness of reality never lets her go and the story moves forward, showing Yoon Ai's hard choices in life that decide her fate. The plot also delves into Lee's childhood past and his refusal to grow up/failure as an adult, thus creating his isolation from society. Lee Eul and Yoon Ai's perspectives of the world and their fates intertwine with one another, creating the ideal story about poverty as a child, struggle to find a place in society, making friends, and growing up while trying to find your own happiness in this unfortunate world. Whenever you think the story is trying to set a positive tone, you get heartbroken by the tragic events that follow afterwards. Whenever you think that there really is "magic", it gets crushed by reality. It's a deep, dark, emotionally gripping manhwa that has sort of made me depressed with the truth about our society today, in the end of the manhwa, it ambiguously emphasizes that there will be a "light at the end of the tunnel". The ending was absolutely perfect; it left me crying. Every aspect of this manhwa deserves a 10/10, but I'd say the plot deserves an 11/10; easily the best, most interesting and touching story I've ever read about.
The plot itself is ambiguous as well. What is the truth in life, and what is the right way to live life? What each character believes is the "truth" is never fully revealed in the manhwa, despite them choosing their own paths, if that makes sense. The themes presented in the manhwa, are pretty blatantly presented though, which I liked; better than trying to be all confusing and deep. The magic in this story is also a little ambiguous. You are never for certain if the magician really turned Ai’s holey tights into pretty polka-dotted ones (bad, harsh past -> moving on into a "better" life, nor are you for sure if the magician is really has a mailbox that sends a letter to anyone, no matter what. The magic in Annarasumanara is something that you have to believe in yourself, and that only helps send the message of "believing" even further.
There are basically only 3 (main) characters in the entire manhwa. First, Yoon Ai, whose development through her encounter with the mysterious yet childish magician is the entire story. Yoon Ai's past is filled with hardship. Her mom is dead, her father ran away from home,causing her to have to work on part time jobs & deal with the debt collectors who are looking for her dad while looking after her younger sister and keeping her in school. Then there's the magician, Lee Eul whose character is unveiled gradually in an artistic fashion. And finally, Na Il-Deong, Yoon Ai's classmate who seems to have everything, yet there's something important missing in his life. Il-Deong's interactions with Yoon Ai and Lee Eul, open him up into a "new world" in which he finds the missing piece of his life. No other character's were developed in depth, but it really wasn't necessary either, since the entire plot worked perfectly with just these 3 characters; an impressive feat. The characters were very realistic in their own sense. All 3 of them has had a different childhood, from poverty to average to rich, yet all of them are related in a way. The readers can easily connect to each one of the characters. As a child, what did we want to become? When we grow up, did it stay the same? What kind of hardships did you have to go through to go from a child to an adult? Looking back on your past, do you regret the choices you made?
The art was stunningly magnificent. The manhwa has pages without words which still manage to say a lot of things through the beauty of the art. The facial expressions portrayed by the characters express their emotions exquisitely. Furthermore the background is also very detailed and has the unique ability to draw attention to the stunning bits of details. Visually Mesmerizing!
Annarasumanara was needless to say, absolutely enjoyable. There's nothing to not like about the manhwa: the plot was touching, creative, genius and well executed; the characters were interesting, thoroughly developed, and relatable. As a growing teenager myself, I often scoff at and enjoy my present, reminisce about my past, and dream about my future. The art in the manhwa was so beautiful, how can people be so artistic?! And do I believe in magic? I don't believe in the magic powers, but I believe in magical things: family, friends, miracles, and memorable moments that I cherish or immensely regret. I recommend this manhwa to everyone, and I can promise you that none of you will be left disappointed. Perhaps the greatest piece of writing I've ever read. Thank you Ha, Il-Kwon for creating Annarasumanara, for allowing me the chance to read such an excellent piece of writing, and changing my life forever. Truly a magical story.
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: The Sound of Magic Japanese: 안나라수마나라 More titlesInformationType: Manhwa
Volumes: 3
Chapters: 27
Status: Finished
Published: Jul 2, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Naver Webtoon Authors:
Ha, Il-Kwon (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #3232 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #232
Members: 70,491
Favorites: 2,783 Available AtResources | Reviews
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Sep 27, 2014
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." –Pablo Picasso
Is life a free reality, or a fated game? What happens if you don’t fit into the mold that society wants you to fit in? Can you keep those crazy dreams and beliefs that you had as a child when you move onto adulthood? What's the different between being a child and being an adult? Is great success the most important thing in life? Can you force yourself to just not grow up? What is happiness? This is the very first manhwa (Korean Manga) that I've ever ... 
Jun 26, 2012
What would happen if you turned away from society? What would happen if you stopped on the road of life? What would happen if instead of moving forward, you planted your feet squarely on the ground and refused to lose your childish purity? What if you never grew up?
These are all questions which Annarasumanara asks the reader. I'd say that thematically, it is similar to the likes of Peter Pan, but that would be doing this manwha an incredible injustice. For a story all about rejecting adult life, this story is a lot more mature than the average. The story is of course, based ... 
Oct 11, 2011
This is an amazing work of art unlike many of the stories you see out there. I love the author's unique art style. There is very little color, but when it's used, it really pops and adds to the story.
Also, the story itself has a depth to it that's not seen in many of the works out there. I would most likely have rated the story and characters higher, but I haven't finished the series yet. (as a note, don't start if you want to finish quickly. I believe that nobody is currently translating the last few chapters) 
Nov 14, 2013
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;" Have you ever sat by yourself and thought of the road you're taking? Was everything you abandoned worth chasing what you yearned for? As children, we lived in delusional fantasies: one would dream to grow up as an astronomer, a prince or princess, an honorary idol, or a magician that people traveld for. You were a child that believed in dreams and hopes, you had naive goals that were truly your inspiration. ... 
Dec 25, 2014
We are brought into a world where the main characters each have their own problem. Problems that are serious yet common around the world. There will be at least one point in the story, where you feel as if the story is about you. Instead of trying to create completely unique and fresh back-stories, they made relatable ones. Ones that made you think about your own life and what you want.
The story really is a journey of self-discovery for us and the characters. What is that YOU want? As the chapters progress, over and over, we are taught that it is okay to be ... 
Aug 15, 2021
I'm not seeing where all the hype is coming from on this one. To me, this was a forgettable manwha.
Story [6/10] - I like the atmosphere of the fairground, and the main theme of holding on to childhood dreams. That's about it. Everything else was kinda cliche and forgettable. Art [4/10] - This is my least favorite part. I don't think the art is inherently bad. There were plenty of moments where the art was great, especially the flashback in chapter 25. However, during 95% of the story, we are treated with the depiction of the main character, who is drawn like a doll and has ... 
Feb 26, 2013
Webtoon, a type of manhwa that are drawn with the aid of computer graphical tools and are published online, is an amazing type of "manga" that is less well-known among the readers. Particularly, Annarasumanara is scanlated by Easy Going Scans. This scan group translated many excellent works - A Fairytale of Demon Lord, Gepetto, and Paladin - to name but a few.
There are also many praises about Annarasumanara. MAL reviewers typically describe this work as "a story of miracles coming true", “moving”, and “out of the box tale”, etc. In my opinion, though, the so-called ... 
Oct 25, 2014
I'm going to requote a friend by the end of the manga you'll feel like you've gone a journey, although you're uncertain where you've gone. It takes a while to get used to the art, and the mangaka's unique style but it adds to the mystery of the story's plot. It took me a while to get used to it, but the simplicity of the manga's message, and the feeling you're left with will make you think what have I just read, I think i just finished something pretty amazing. For me this manga was relatively short, so took me about 2 hours to finish
...
Feb 4, 2012
this is truly one of the most moving manga i've ever had the pleasure to experience and also one of the saddest - amazing the way it captures the absolute preciousness of keeping one's dream alive and what happens if we let it go.........also the difficulty of living in this world of "adults" as an eternal wide-eyed believer of magic and dreams, something i've dealt with all of my adult years as a dreamer and a freak - people say people like me, people like the magician are: "crazy", "losers", "lost", etc, but all the few of us eternal children left in the world want
...
Nov 2, 2012
“When I wear this cape and do a spell, it suddenly starts to snow. Snow that falls in the summer. But you know what's surprising? It's not snowing outside. It only snows inside this magic tent. And when the snowflakes touch the ground, they disappear without a trace. It's a little sad...”
We are all bounded by endless responsibilities, expectations, insecurities and uncertainties. Being practical and working our socks off is the way to accomplish something in life that can bring money into our pockets, we are told; building castles in the air is not. Somewhere along the way of growing up, trying to live ... 
Dec 28, 2011 Story- Basically, 'Annara' tells the story of a young teenager which mother died and father abandoned who lives with her sister in the constant downward spiral that is life. With a lot of struggle, she must ensure money, good grades and a decent reputation all at the same time to finally find herself in a repetitious routine with no fantasy or whatsoever. From here, it's quit simplistic and we could almost think that the protagonist is, in fact, an endless Maru-sue. Yet, what makes the story (very) appreciable is for sure its incessant 'tempest of events' who are, to my past surprise, quite realistic ... 
Dec 28, 2011
(I've never written a review before but I just loved this webtoon so much I felt that I needed to.)
Story- Although the plot itself isn't incredibly interesting or original, the execution really brings the story together. It has a slice of life/school life vibe thats integrated into a alice in wonderland-type of fantasy. There's also a lot of symbolism (which I love!) that adds another layer to the story. Art- Breathtaking. Seriously. Most of the images are in black and white (which is rare for a webtoon) but there are occasional parts with color. The art is always spot on. The backgrounds always have interesting angles ... 
Oct 25, 2013
Day to day our society is becoming more realistic, more competitive & our lives are becoming more and more structured, directed toward a certain goal. To prosper in this world there is quite often no room for what one want's but almost always our path is focused towards what we need to do to be a respectable member of the community. In this modernized viewpoint there is no room for someone who does not want to grow up, children are forced to build up their life focused towards being a successful professional, whether they want to be that or not. Annarasumanara is the story of
...
Feb 28, 2013
STORY: 9
Without giving away the full plot, the theme of Annarasumanara is childhood vs. adulthood; a reality that ever child has to grow one day to face the hash cruel world of adulthood. This can be terrifying or thrilling. It is a very unique subject to tackle, but the author did an interesting job, while incorporates a touch of "magic" of his/her own. The flow and pace of the story is somewhat slow, but builds up in a poetic way. ART: 10 Art style is beautiful and distinguishable--pretty much the highlight of Annarasumanara. It is a great mix of Manga-like art and some 'coloured-cut-from-a-magazine' pictures.' Whenever ...
Feb 15, 2013
Simply... breathtaking. When I had first noticed this, I thought nothing much of it, until I actually read it. The story was really fascinating, intriguing me to read the next chapter. I enjoyed the story, encouraging even adults to have a dream, a goal, and have fun in this life. The art was absolutely beautiful, and I loved the occasional abstract arts with color input. The characters were enjoyable as well, and the author drew some with their personalities, and I had only later found of it around the end of the story. Why by the end of the manga, a few tears had fallen
...
Nov 15, 2014
So I was abducted by MAL, when saw first time this work. Then read it - online -, graphic style awsome: photo mounting plus hand drawings and handwritings, letter style bubbles sometimes, collage technics, caricature, deep greys turning suddenly to fullcolored pages, surrealism so social/gerenational criticism symbolism, and the best quality do this South Korean "yoseong" - adult female focused comic - a great piece of artwork, better: - a masterpiece.
The more we think about the more I must say like appreciation than we are mere puppets, the Globe is a hard stage, and since the first step our threads are created/teached/adoctrinated, the differece lies ... 
Oct 11, 2023
This read was, for better words, truly unexpected. A lot of people went into this like myself, intrigued, confused. There are about 50 reviews of this mahnwa on this website as of now and most of them are positive. So it begs the question, why does it have such high ratings?
Everyone talks about how this was a beautifully written mahnwa, how it changed their perspective on life, how they enjoyed the art, the implications of the ending … You should read some of the reviews cause they are beautifully written and in my opinion also inspiring. The story starts like this: “Do you believe in magic?” This is ... 
Nov 5, 2012
Guys, this is manhwa which love in himself the reader from the first Chapter. Magic story about people and their attitude to life. Be sure to read!
In the beginning I could not treat this manhwa seriously. The boy with eggplant instead of the head madly confused. The character has caused a violent hysterics. It is impossible not to smile, looking at him! :) I could only read adequately and thoughtfully this masterpiece from the second time, when I hammered on this dude-sausage. The first thing that catches your eye - it is style. Of course, drawing pleases the eye. Glommy, dark tones perfectly reflect ... 
Feb 12, 2015
Do you believe in magic? No, not the typical "magic" you'd find at a magic show or anything but actual magic? Annarasumanara tells the story of Ah-ee and how she struggles on a everyday basis to make enough money to provide for herself as well as her younger sister. In other words, she's poor as dirt. With her mom out of the picture and her dad on the run from loan sharks Ah-ee is very much alone. One day while chasing down money that was in her possession she runs into a strange man who claims to be a real magician. From there on Ah-ee's
...
May 28, 2015
Story:
"Do you believe in magic?" The catchphrase at first would seem clique and cheesy but as the story progresses, it begins to hold a deeper meaning. The plot twists were unpredictable. The ending was also done so well that it made me left wanting for more. Art: The art is really captivating. It being monochrome and only having color on those that needed emphasis sets in the mysterious mood of the story. This type of art is fitted the story well as I can feel and emphasize the emotions of the characters. Enjoyment: Annasumanara, being a short manhwa, met my expectations. The way it portrayed the problems in the ... |
