Be Still My Heart · review
Do you know Ha Il Kwon? He is a Korean mangaka(I don’t know if manhwaka is a word, lol). He has worked with Naver webtoons and created beautiful stories like: Annarasumanara(most famous), God of bath, Taste of illness, Sambong barbershop. I have read 3 of these and I can find the common denominator here.....these stories have a light premise, are fast paced, short(always less then 30 ch), and give a beautiful experience. Here we have MY HEART IS BEATING. An amazing, criminally underrated, hidden gem. It is about Bae Sugu, a model student who loves swimsuits. Why does he love swimsuits and not the girls? Why does he study hardwhen he doesn’t enjoy it?
Can’t he be a normal guy? Somehow he’s cross dressing and playing water polo.
And what’s up with his strict stuck up dad.
Story. 8/10
I liked the plot. There is a sense of fun and happiness throughout the story. There is also the desire to see our MC live a happy life. It is as cool as it can get without becoming unrealistic.
Art. 8/10
Clean, coloured art. Expressive and simple. I saw Water Cube, a manga adaptation of this story.....and it seemed off. This manhwa here, has good art.
Characters. 9/10
I loved the characters. Within 30ch they got the depth they deserved. Even though the main protagonist is our focus, we never feel for a moment that the others are just extras. They have their own lives, their own struggles and victories.
Nobody is black or white. They are grey.
Enjoyment. 8/10
I loved the story, read it really fast. Re read the emotional parts. The ending is cathartic. You’ll love it.
This is a coming of age, dramatic slice of life story. Features high school comedy, romance, friendship and teamwork. It touched upon parent-child relationship and the relationship you have with yourself. And still remains a light and fun read.
Highly recommended.
Not recommended if you are looking for action, adventure, power upgrading shonen.
Thank you for reading!