Distant Sky

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I don't think I will be able to do this manhwa justice in my review. I was very surprised that this manhwa didn't have any reviews yet, so I decided to review it ASAP. I will edit my review later. Anyways, here is my review!

Story: 10/10
Distant Sky has a unique premise and is well executed. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say it is never dull and always keeps me guessing. I feel horror, worry, sadness, suspense, and brief moments of hope when reading this. This story is very intense. Great plot, well written.

Art: 8/10
The art is very good. ... It evokes feelings that go with what is happening in the story. Horror, hopelessness, ect. The art can also carry symbolism. I only gave the art an 8/10 though, because sometimes it's hard to tell what I'm looking at or what's going on.

Character: 8/10
The characters grew on me. I've begun to empathize with them a lot. They are very realistic.

Enjoyment: 10/10
It feels just a little strange to say I enjoyed this series. I started reading out of curiosity and didn't put it down until I was out of chapters. The whole time I experienced a lot of despair, suspense, fear, and sadness though. I will definitely read the next chapters when they come out though!!!!

I've been wanting to write a review on this for quite some time now and it's about time I do so. Aaannndd considering there is a massive lack of reviews regarding this manhwa, so I just wanted to show my support and share my opinions about it.

First off, I would just like to say that i would 100% recommend this to literally anyone and everyone. It doesn't matter if you like the genre or not, just go ahead and give it a go cause one thing I cam promise you is that you would not regret doing so.

To add, I personally feel that this ... manhwa is extremetly underrated and deserves more recognition and attention. Yes, though it is not a japanese manga, but it is still worth reading.

The whole story and plot is fascinating.The characters themselves are really interesting and you will easily find yourself immersed into their thoughts and lives. The art style is also very similar to that of a japnese manga. All in all, this manhwa is a masterpiece and you would have no problem finding yourself reading the whole thing wihtin a day (cause that's what happened to me)

The truth is, I thought that this manhwa would be one of those hidden and underestimated gems that if or if they deserve a reading, unfortunately I was wrong, the work is too edgy and makes little sense, when I read it I simply wanted it to be over, the author did not know how to handle serious issues such as wars, canivalism, politics, etc.

The characters have some background and the work wants to surprise you with plot twists and mysteries that would be understandable if they had at least logic, but there is not, they are only plot coveniences such as that the mother ... of the protagonist girl was always alive and was someone important in Korea and was involved with the disaster that happened to the earth, there is also the time travel factor that was used to give an end to the work, a poor resource that is usually used in the narrative, that said the decision to read it is yours.

Distant Sky..

I am pulled IN by this manhwa. I haven't read much of it yet, but the chapters are considerably long. I love the art a LOT. It's very detailed, although because it is in black and white it is hard to distinguish some images or what is going on.

The manhwa, centered around a boy and a girl trapped in the aftermath of an apocalypse is very dark indeed. There are cannibals, rabid dogs and mud falling from the sky. Including maggots. Do NOT read if you are queasy to maggots and bugs.

Also, there are many translations available on Webtoon, spanning from English to ... Arabic.

Hope. Through burning pain, against the tragedy of mankind's loss of humanity, fighting against the darkness or against your own fears. Always, keep looking forwards to the next day, next hour even. This is a series which story will really make you question if it's even worth it to continue. What is it about people to keep having hope? Why would you still hope? Imagine a series where the enemy isn't just the world around you, but the opposite of Deus Ex Machina; an active “something” that makes everything worse, even if it seems impossible.

Story 9/10
I have to say, the setup feels predictable. Waking up, ... no memories of what happened, a disaster around you. It feels like it will lead to them knowing what happened, and finally finding a nice place, where hope persists, only… way off the mark. What if the story, like many Korean ones I watch, decides to “end” in the middle of the story. I'm not gonna spoil, but take in mind, this story won't ever end where you want it to, or expect it to. It becomes a persistent message about endurance.

How long can you keep going as a human being? How long does it take to break a person, or to prove that we're strong? I loved the story, the settings, the pain, the real, palpable sense of doom, and the hope that comes with it. It's an incredible story about the personal ramifications of looking ahead, even if there's nothing that makes you want to go there. The writer of your own story wants you, and everyone around you, dead, how will you persist then? It turns very philosophical by the end, and it became a combo of my two favorite manga: “Fire Punch”, and “Dragon Head”. Never give up, and search for that little something, even if it seems impossible to reach. “Look at the distant sky”.

Characters 10/10
I love a good story that imposes something wrong about the whole thing. The characters all have this sense of mystery surrounding them, and there's always a good explanation to why. The main character woke up in a disaster, okay, understandable… but why is his phone charged with more battery than before he woke up? Small things like that kept me so interested in their emotions, their experience. So much character development, growth. All for the lesson the series wants you to learn. There isn't a single thing that's forgotten in the series. We always go back to the before, the after, the now, only to let you understand the characters more. It's hard to balance those aspects, and I feel like the series succeeds so well at showing how tragedy affects people. Even at the last chapters, the effects of what happened at the very beginning still weights on every person. And my god do they suffer at every, single, second. Don't doubt they'll think about ending things at many points. True strugglers.

Art 10/10
Not many horror series manage to impact as much as this one did. I read the first three seasons years ago, and reading them again to finally end it, still sends shivers down my spine. The art is… well, perfect. Not many times do I see this style in art. A purposeful sketchiness, contrasted with the use of red, orange, light. Black and white most of the time, but colored in the most intense moments of destruction. There's a purpose to every line, for as sketchy as it looks. Reminded me of “Trace”, or the titular “Chainsaw-Man Part 1” art.

Enjoyment 10/10
Many aspects of the story won't vibe with many. Every episode has a cliffhanger, people call the plot convoluted because of constant flashbacks, and the writer hiding information from the reader. However, there's a sincerity in how the story is told, drawn, and portrayed. I will forever defend this story, and how much it impacted me. It's almost perfect, save some aspects related to the scientific rules of the world.

9.8/10, almost there, just by a smidgen. Still, I loved it.

I got into this manhwa from a TikTok and boy it was a ride

Story:
Very confusing at times and honestly all over the place. I could see the author trying to make up for the story by strengthening the atmosphere part, which was partly successful—otherwise very poorly written story with no clear points. I hated how the pacing and how the story went from horror psychology to sci-fi.

Art:
I loved the first few chapters of the manhwa bc of this aspect and the dark environment however it becomes fragile later on since the lights are more available. The art supported the horror and the psychological sides ... of this story but became a major disappointment in the dramatic moments.

Characters:
Unfortunately, the manhwa has no decent characters to present. Generic characters with no emotions. We as readers do not understand the motivation behind a LOT of characters. Major turning points are created by characters that appear out of nowhere and disappear after that.

The end: (spoiler)
Disappointing and not built up for, like how tf was the whole world destroyed by a cult, how tf did everything happen by a coincidence, how tf did Huyen survive, how tf did Hanuel do allat in the end?

Despite all that it was a fun ride, i hated how i wanted this to be good, it had great potential but lost bc of poor build up.

WARNING, IT HAS SPOILERS. The review is a incomplete compilation of my thoughts about the manhwa, and it's mostly focus on season 1-2 :D

The story focuses on Korea in an apocalyptic state, where many cities were destroyed, many survivors becoming unstable with cannibalistic tendencies or if not less sadistic. The concept of people turning into cannibalistic wild animals isn’t a bad idea, but the way it was used that idea is where the complaint comes from on my part; In the manhwa, nothing has been mentioned or seen that could justify their activities, it is not as if the series gave an explanation to the ... readers to help them better understand the progress that these characters had, perhaps an exception was their cannibalistic tendencies, due to the lack of resource that had inside the hole. But it’s a "perhaps" because in season 1 and episode 7, when Heyool went in search of first-aid to treat Haneul's wound, has been shown how these cannibals continue to eat human flesh even with the presence of wild dogs/insect and of canned foods: human bones were seen surrounding the pot they use for cooking and no traces of other animals; Furthermore, when one of them entered Heyool's lair, he prioritized the attempt to kill her than the resources found in that room.

Guess those wild people before were normal and ordinary people who had a drastic change because of the hole, but neither the protagonists and some secondary characters had that drastic switch, they still remained themselves even after surviving in the hole and returning to the surface; Unlike cannibals, in addition to not having any problem killing and eating humans, they also seem to only live off by instincts as if they were wild animals, as seen with their behaviors or when the main characters were attacked by them: season 1 and episode 3, season 1 and episode 7, season 1 and episode 8, season 1 and episode 9, or season 2 and episode 2. Giving the impression of that idea being used in a not so elaborate way due to the lack of explanation that there is about the drastic changes those characters had.

The constant use of going back to the past to explain certain situations helps to give context to some future situations, since there are events or topics where they cannot be explained without the use of flashbacks. An example would be the way Heyool was revived from the dead several times after being shot or killed by someone, but for the flashback focused on her, the meeting between her and Haneul on the stairs (season 2 and episode 16) could have ended more in a confusion rather than in a comforting moment; Going back to the past helps readers to better understand their high chance of survival due to the Reagent, when Haneul's father took care of her after dealing with the crazy couple in the hospital. Another example would be when it was explained how Haneul woke up "for the first time" after 2 months since the apocalyptic event, he mentioned about one of the effects of the Reagent being memory loss in season 2 and episode 16, something that has previously been seen to happen with Haneul: when he couldn’t remember who he was or what his name was (season 1 and episode 9) and then remember his name (season 1 and episode 15), same circumstance when he had temporarily forgotten about his current situation during season 2 and episode 3; explaining how Haneul woke up 2 months after the incident. Or helping to find out the reason that Haneul and Heyool were chasing Lee during his tours with his group of cannibals, giving the context in season 4 and episode 24 to help clarify the intentions behind the actions of these 2 teenagers.

In addition to solving some unanswered questions, it also gave development to the main characters: knowing more about their pasts, the before and after in the relationships with the people from their surroundings. Readers benefiting from flashbacks by helping them learn more about the characters before the current reality, for example: knowing Heyool's school lifestyle, being quite academic; the good and bad relationships with her classmates and her changes compared to the future, or showing the contrast in her way of thinking about her mother before and after the event; A similar story with Haneul, although not much of his school life has been seen, his cold demeanor with his father took a different path after the apocalypse. Although there are some flashbacks that doesn’t seem to be as relevant compared to others, visualizing the events of the past is a better option than letting the characters talk about the event; In season 2 and episode 11, it wasn’t necessary for them to teach the origin of the baby’s seizures and health problems, that could have been done in only dialogues but that wouldn’t have been so convincing without the visualizations.

There was a moment in the manhwa where it told 2 stories simultaneously, referring to when the protagonists had their respective focuses in the story: Haneul in search of Heyool, and Heyool's past. Initially it seemed that these 2 events were connected because: he saw a silhouette similar to her through the camera (season 2 and episode 8), he thought the voice he heard was hers, the shape of the panels being organized that made it seem as if the events were connected (season 2 and episode 11), or she heard someone calling her while he was calling her (season 2 and episode 12); But as the episodes went by, that connection began to be doubted and creating confusion due to the appearances of Heyool's deceased friends in season 2 and episode 11, and then readers realizing that these 2 events weren’t situated on the same timeline, also Haneul mentioned the gorilla seemed to be dead for a while and the clocks didn't match (season 2 and episode 10), along with his other mentions of Bitnara's sister and the doctor's body (season 2 and episodes 11-12). Creating confusion by the appearances of some characters, although perhaps that is the intention of the authors.

The manhwa has a setting that can attract the attention of readers, but there are some concepts that may not fit well in world building, or that seem contradictory to other concepts. In season 1 and episode 15, the officers are ordered to kill the remaining survivors of the area where the protagonists were, but then later it was mentioned the government was looking for someone with the tardigrade gene in season 3 and episode 9, giving the impression of being somewhat contradictory when establishing conflicting ideas due to how strange the setting is. In addition to that inside the hole, there were also similar situations where concepts could contradict each other: it’s not explained how there is an area with stored water located right next to the lava river, as can be seen in season 1 and episode 15; and if there is an explanation, then guess that Haneul being boiling in the water would have been part of the explanation because the water was really close to the lava; It’s also not known how Heyool managed to get Haneul out of that small crack, although it looked like somehow the crack was able to expand enough to get him out of there.

Other strange thoughts, although not necessarily a contradiction, it’s about the tigers and other wild animals roaming the areas. If those tigers were already there from the beginning based on the containers that were appearing in the flashbacks, how come the officers didn't notice them until when they were attacked? As if they were not aware of the animals roaming in those areas based on their reactions when they were attacked, although it may seem like an out of place situation since the government itself was the one who did that in the first place, perhaps that can be justified by saying only the people who asked for that order were the only ones who knew about it; initially being an event that came out of nowhere, although it did have a foreshadowing during the Heyool flashbacks (season 1 and episode 13) and Hanel’s flashback (season 3 and episode 14). Another doubt created by strange situations was during season 2 and episode 3, Haneul somehow managing to defeat a group of cannibals armed with knives with just using his fists can gives a strange sensation about the character; not too long ago he couldn't physically outmaneuver the cannibal with the chainsaw and if he couldn't do that in season 1 and episodes 3-4, how is it that he was able to defeat an entire group of them? Besides that he recently survived from a shot, perhaps he was still recovering from the shot, unless his wound has instantly regenerated like that time with the bar stuck in his torso; although perhaps that can be justified, maybe him gaining a greater strength might have been because of his superhuman abilities that he obtained due to the tardigrade gene.

It gets kind of repetitive about Haneul and Heyool having multiple fake kills in such a short time. In just the entire 15 episodes of the first season, Hanuel "died" about 2 times: when he was nailed by the tube (episode 6), and the supposed fall in the lava (episode 12); while Heyool having 1 "death": when Haneul believed she died upon seeing a corpse wearing the same uniform as her; then in the second season, the fake deaths became less frequent but they were still there: Haneul being shot in the torso of her (episode 15), and Heyool also being shot in the same episode. Making their future deaths or them being in dangerous situations not causing as much impact as in the beginning of the first season due to the constant use of that idea, in addition to also including the protagonists’ manifestations of their superhuman abilities during seasons 1 and 2.

Another curiosity is: in season 2 and episode 4, how is it that Bitnara wasn’t attacked by the gorilla but then she was attacked when she was reunited with Heyool? In season 2 and episode 8 demonstrated the animal’s aggressive behavior, where it tries to destroy anything it detects in it’s sight but that did not happen during its first appearance, although that can be explained by saying the cause was because Bitnara was speaking, as seen when she and Heyool were attacked by the animal after talking; But the gorilla should have still attacked Bitnara during its first appearance, the animal was right behind her when she was using the cell phone’s flashlight, and not only because of that but the gorilla seemed to be able to see in the dark because it could locate Heyool like in season 2 and episode 9. In season 2 and episode 12, it was somewhat rare that Bitnara developed a mentality similar to those doctors seeking a heart for their baby, she also wanted to seek a heart after her sister died, but she should already know at that age that her younger sister couldn’t be revived just by replacing her heart with someone else's. Or in season 1 and episode 10, how come the tiger survived in that place for 2 months? The area where it was locked up didn’t seem to have any type of food that would have helped the tiger survive those months, in addition to the fact that the door was locked and could not be opened without the code as it was shown in that same episode, and the only path that seemed to connect with the gate was the destroyed bridge, which may explain how the tiger got to that place by saying that it jumped off the bridge and onto the steep slope, but it doesn’t explain how the tiger handled the sulfur.

——- “Distant Sky” LOOK AT THE SKY AT A DISTANCE ——-
Ive been reading this manhwa since the beginning always have had a love hate relationship with this masterpiece. It’s been a long journey from start to finish and I’ve had moments in which I’ve cried. I rarely cry when reading manga or watching anime. That’s why I’m going to write a review for “Distant Sky” but simply put this manhwa had me on edge and I was always wanting more.

—— Spoilers Ahead ——

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—

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... Unfortunately for me it’s been stated that’s chapter 118 or Season 5 episode 36 is the SERIES FINALE. Very sad.


Story :
10/10
I enjoyed the way In-Wan Yoon articulated and perfectly planes out the story. I makes perfect sence start to finish and on rereads every builds up perfectly. As if the whole story is a constant loop in which Heyool and Hanuel suffer together and separately only to rejoice for very little time. They have moments of happiness in which only lasts for such a brief time. They both deserve better and a happy life together. It’s as if there bounded together but only after going trough hell and pushing their body’s to the limit (literally). I love the parts were Mr Yoon (author) uses time skips to create a more immersive story, in which creates a illustration of what’s going to happen down the line. Take the time to think about how the story is going to go and you might be write some of the times, but most of the time it has a strange twist many don’t see coming. Overall 23/19 5star story


Characters:
10/10
In a apocalyptic word in which a cult has planned the death of the human race for years, it’s inevitable that everyone in this words is out for each other blood. Many of the side characters perfectly portray how most of the population would react in a world that’s is unforgiving and dark. Heyool and Hanuel are the perfect example of how pushing yourself to survive and being lucky in the word of “Distant Sky” can give you an opportunity down the line to save the entirety of our planet earth. The experimentation that the doctor of the second city conduct on refugees, goes to show that they will take advantage of a crisis in order to “inhance” and/or “document findings” on Innocent people. Not all the doctors Have I’ll intentions as shown by Hanuels dad, who saved Heyool out of the goodness of his heart. The more and more they explore the more blood thirsty the animals and people of “Distant Sky” get. The deer will take advantage of their speed and agility to attack our protagonists, and the people who just want to see people suffer (Heyools mom) stalk them in the shadows for entertainment.


Art :
10/10
The art of “Distant Sky” is rough and sketch like. Just how the environment of “Distant Sky” is as well. Everything is out to get you, therefore the rough lines, use of marker for shadows and scribbles around the edges shows not everything is visible in the world of “Distant Sky”. It perfectly encapsulates the uncertainty of what lies ahead, and the roughy conditions that must be conquered. Only at the end of the story is everything clean and pristine, showing that both Heyool and Hanuel have overcome the unthinkable, finally being at peace to only restart once again.
—-Amazing art by Sunhee Kim—-

Enjoyment :
10/10
Highly recommend giving this manhwa a read. Its truly a masterpiece that one must analyze every step of the way. I had moments in which I cried including writing this review. I’ve been putting off writing this review due to how much I feel I could leave out. In the end, it doesn’t really matter….. (Linkin Park) Heyool and Hanuel deserve a happy life and the ending allows for anyone to interpret how it should end for the two. It’s on purposely a cliffhanger in order for us the reader to create our own perception of how Heyool and Hanuel should live out their lives.

P.S. Heyool Best girl and don’t forget
“LOOK AT THE SKY AT A DISTANCE”
-Quote by In-Wan Yoon
-Review by whitenessyz

No Spoilers

Distant Sky is like Murphy's law, when it can get worse it will(for the characters). Overall it's kinda shit, half of what happens doesn't really make sense. The ending was really stupid. Still, it was really good at keeping tension throughout most of the story. The art is a little messy, but there is a lot of time and effort put into it. The story is kinda messy, but there is a lot of time and effort put into it. The characters are kinda messy, but you see where I'm going. Where it lacks in ingenuity it makes up for in pure effort. It ... deviates from any normal book, by a lot due to this, and is certifiably a new experience. The reason I have it rated so high is due to that feeling if by chance I had maybe felt that it was so original or wild of a ride. It would fall really far for me, but if you are not too familiar with this type of comic, I would definitely recommend it.

The start is great. A girl who lost everything while enduring in a hellish version of Korea meets another survivor. It's dark, creepy, depressing, simple but powerful. I liked the character developent of the girl, who managed to survive for so long with no hope for the future, with the situation getting worse and worse, left alone after losing her friends. But this was just the first chapters. The more I read, the more was revealed about the plot, the worse it became. and by the end a serie of revelations on what truly happened in the beginning ruined everything that I liked about ... it. The plot is overly ambitious, trying to make plot twists and a convoluted story that connects with a multiverse or something, and it ruins the simplicity of the initial presentation of the two main characters.
Season 1 would be 8/10, but it's all downhill from here. After season 3 it's not worth to keep reading.

Unlike some other reviewers I really like the art, it's different from other manhwas and I like how the faces are drawn, especially the girl.

---------- Distant Sky compete review (until season 5) --------

The two other reviews on this manhwa only went up to chapter 3. It wasn't easy to find but I managed to get my hands on chapter 4 and 5, reading Distant Sky in it's entirety.
Before I start to review the content, I should mention the last remaining chapters are not officially released in English so it was fan translated from some Chinese versions.

Story :
4/10
I did not enjoy it much to be honest. Many korean manhwas suffer from this extreme nihilistic misery porn kind of setting. I'm no happy hippie, but I had to literally ... ENDURE the story and push through. My main problem was the story telling followed a repetitive pattern : the author relies on flashbacks so much it's become redundant. He skips a few mins or hours forward, so the reader doesn't understand what's happening. Then the author goes back to reveal the plot in the flashback.

It's ok once ot twice, but he does it all the time. There are some massive time jumps, making the plot extremely convoluted. Some time jumps are several months ahead. Then the story goes back in the past, then back to the present, skips a few hours forward, then present. It's unbelievably frustrating.

Used intelligently it could work, but not continually over 100 chapters!! It seems like he used this pattern to cover some unexplained plot holes.

Characters:
4/10
Save for a few characters, everyone is unbearably negative, aggressive, murderous. I understand the post apocalyptic setting but it's hard to have chapter after chapter of cannibals, murderers, crazy animals, etc without any positivity. Everyone screws everyone.

Also some characters later come to act in the main story line. We know NOTHING about them and will learn nothing. Why? Because they are from other manhwas! Just go read the other manhwas bro!! It really feels cheap, like the author didn't know how to sort the plot so he just ass-pulls some characters from other places without ever explain a damn thing!!

Art :
3/10, ugly. You can disagree, but compared to other works, it's just ugly.
Rough lines scribbled by a marker that's about it. The last chapters have a change of setting and the drawings become suddenly better. Too bad you have that at the very end only.

Enjoyment :
4/10.

I would NOT recommend it. Not only because of all that I've mentioned above, but also because there's no official translation so it's quite hard to find. It's very nihilistic and full of plot holes.
The ending is mildly satisfying but again with a lot of unexplained parts.