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The Horizon is a short, albeit powerful manhwa written by Jeong Ji-Hoon. It is a story that does not stray from bleak and devastating themes but rather embraces them, which functions to propel the story even more. These themes include: war, life and death, and thankfully, love, hope and moving forward.

STORY - 8/10:
The story is nothing innovative as it only takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, which has been done numerous times in the past. However, what differentiates The Horizon from many others is the way the story carries itself. It doesn't just tell you what is happening, but rather beautifully guides its readers into ... its storytelling and atmosphere. It is a concise, yet strong story that serves to deliver its themes, thus permitting us readers to invoke our own interpretations and to hopefully integrate these messages into our lives.

ART - 10/10:
The art in The Horizon is simple, yet complex. There are beautiful, minimalistic (and sometimes complex) panels that bring me to awe, but may quickly shift into dark, immersive, and heavy panels in only a few pages. The art is not of extraordinary like in many of Inoue's works (i.e., Vagabond.), yet Jeong Ji-Hoon utilizes art in a compelling manner that best suits a grim story such as The Horizon. The art accurately reflects the messages the author wishes to spill to us.

CHARACTER - 8.5/10:
There are a few notable characters in The Horizon, however, many other characters (i.e., The Strange Man, and the Man in the Suit) were not as fleshed out as the main characters: the Boy and the Girl, respectively. These characters nevertheless still present their purpose in the grand picture of The Horizon. These characters are realistic. These characters live in a post-apocalyptic war setting which only propels them to bear the thoughts and perspectives they already do. They are not perfect but that's what makes them realistic.

ENJOYMENT - 10/10:
To be completely honest, The Horizon is an amazing read and I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the small world and story Jeong Ji-Hoon's progressively unfolds. I couldn't stop reading through the chapters (if I wasn't already on the brink of my emotions) and cannot recommend it enough for others.

OVERALL - 9-9.5/10:
The Horizon is a powerful manhwa that portrays its themes and messages exceptionally. It is a breathtaking experience that I recommend you to dive into at least once (it's rather short). Although many may not find fond of such a desolate and dark story, there is still "meaning" within the "meaningless." But you'll have to read to find out why.

*This review will contain minimal spoilers for interested readers.

"Why do you think you're alive?"

Imawa no Kuni no Alice (今際の国のアリス), also known as Alice in Borderland, is a beautiful, psychological manga that primarily focuses on themes such as human nature, changing one's path, and most importantly, life. It is inherently able to provoke readers in protruding thoughts around the meaning of life and how far and willingly we can define what life is. Is life what you make it? Is life simply us being born? Questions like these is what the author attempts to evoke from us readers.

STORY - 8.5/10:
You most likely have already read the ... synopsis written for Alice in Borderland. It is about our main character who sees fireworks with his friends late at night and are randomly stuck in this post-apocalyptic world where they play games based on a card value and ranking. Hearts - Psychological; Diamonds - Intelligence; Spades - Physical; and Clubs - Balanced/Cooperation. The higher the card value, the more difficult the game is. Thus our protagonist and friends are left to find a way back to their original world and answer to why they are here, but what makes the story so charming is how pleasant everything plays out. Sure, we've already seen similar stories based on survival game-like genres but this story in particular really hooks the reader is how immersive the entire story is. It never gets boring or dull to read and manages to keep everything interesting and well-paced for a survival manga.

ART - 8.5/10:
The art is an enjoyable treat for the eyes as the manga progresses along with the author's form and art style for this particular manga. It is delicate, yet rough enough to illustrate different meanings during scenarios. Character art is excellent and the author's attention here is definitely evident. If a character is upset, you're able to really feel the intensity in their anger with every stroke in the panel. The background art surrounding characters is beautifully done and readers are able to visualize the story easily. There's enough details that any less or more would take away meaning behind what's happening during a situation.

CHARACTERS - 10/10:
In my opinion, this is where the manga truly shines and it is easily seen throughout the story. There is considerable raw development in not only our protagonist but in many characters. We're able to understand their pasts and how this world affects who they will and have become after experiencing traumatic moments. Arisu, the protagonsit, is a somewhat underachiever in life who doesn't get great grades and is always being compared to his genius, younger brother. But one game after another, we see how much he changes and the journey of him finding the answer to this world. I don't necessarily want to give out too much about the characters but most of them are great.

ENJOYMENT - 9/10:
This manga is one a kind and I really enjoyed it from start to finish. It was well-paced and always kept me reading and wanting me to know more. There are twists, psychological warfare, intense action, outstandingly wits and cleverness, and amazing teamwork all blended into one fulfilling manga.

OVERALL - 9/10:
In the end, I believe anyone reading this review should check out this manga if you came this far. It really starts to pick up the pace after a few chapters in, but if it's not exactly your tastes then that's okay because that's also what life's about.