Annarasumanara

I have to say, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading Annarasumanara. But it didn't take long to be captivated by the art, and fall in love with the plot.

The art style is very noire, the characters having a pencil sketch look and backgrounds heavily saturated in grey. Color is superimposed on certain objects and backgrounds to create a brilliant contrast. It provides a dark and weighty backdrop for the story.

The characters themselves feel real. They're flawed, imperfect, trying to survive and become respectable adults in the process. Throughout the story, you see each Ildeung and Ai grow as their very beliefs are challenged. It's a genuinely moving journey, and it's hard to walk away from this story without lingering on the issues it presents.

I can't say much more about the finer points of the story without spoiling too much, but you will not expect the emotional and psychological journey Annarasumanara will take you on. At what point is magic real? Is it real because it is an actual force that affects the world around it, or is it real because your belief in it shapes the way you view the world? I have nothing but the highest praise and recommendation for this story.

Ah, the one which I can't get out of my mind. Here comes the magician who'll make you believe he's got true magic, and then make you see he's fake, and then make you believe again. The characters (especially R) are developed in an unexpected way, they'll ruin the image of them which you've built in your mind. The main character R will make you a skeptic, just like how you'll doubt his magic. This is a piece worth reading. After discovering Annarasumanara, I rushed myself to see who the author is and tried his other works to hopefully feel again the magnificence I felt in this. Lastly, this series fall in the psychological genre- my favorite one- so it's a big check for people like me. Most people have already read this manhwa but for you who still haven't, go read this piece and you won't regret. Au revoir.

Maybe ıt aint a top class point of literary arts. But still got a solid dialogues and quotes. And very strong main theme about "The transpassing between youth and adulthood"in other words Annarasumara is about crisis of identity that garnished with magic.

Very cool and unique usage of images and characters. Its really a circus shows but also tangled with serious real life issues. The conclusion over 3 different characters from 3 different economic grade/social status its also very strong and satisfying.

And once again reminder us that to become an efficient adult we dont need to abandon the joy of youth or our dreams.

Story -> 8.5

Theme -> 9.5

Art -> 10

Characterization -> 9.0

Well I am speechless after reading such an amazing manwha ... I wish I could give it more than 10 . Story revolves around how our society forces us to become adults (well it is more than that).
The plot given in this story is just incredible. This is definitely very different from normal plots so I just cant compare it with other plots.. But if you want to read something different JUST GO FOR IT!!!!
After reading this You must ask yourself whether YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC??? (trust me this manwha can change your way of thinking)

Annarasumanara is a crazy ride. One thing that you should really appreciate about it is the art. It's kind of odd at times (like that sausage photo out of nowhere) and sometimes really, really beautiful. But overall, very aesthetic to the point! The story is interesting, kind of sad, with a nice romance (at least I liked it) and mysterious characters that most of them get major developments. In any case, those who read manhwa know that they tend to get a tragedy, poor hero turn from times to times. But that's what I think is the best about them. Anyway, this story has a tricky ending and I do wish there was more (another chapter maybe...) as I was confused in the end whether I believed in magic or not.

An Na Ra Su Ma Na Ra. I'm not even sure what this means, probably the author's own spin on the ol' "abracadabra" but it grew on me after its repeated use in each chapter. The story of a girl struggling to survive amidst poverty is not an original plot for a manga or manhwa. However, with the introduction of the magician, the story becomes surreal. I wasn't even sure what to believe or even what was going on until the last chapters of the series. Overall very short but incredibly thought-provoking and though I did not cry, the feeling was definitely there. It was almost personal for me as I have had parallel thoughts to both what L and Ai believed: the conflict between securing social and financial security or pursuing your passion.

The art in this tiny 27 chapter series is stunning. The art style is very sketchy (in the sense of rough-draft and not suspicious) and the use of thin lines gives the whole story this delicate aura; most characters (Ai and L) are beautiful. Evidently, there is a dark, monotonous palette that lends the eerie vibe of some indie horror game or dystopian wasteland occasionally contrasted with a splash of color. The use of color in a gray background really does wonders for emphasis and the author's use of real life images, backgrounds, as well as some homestyle paper animation made me feel like the entire series was some sort of art piece. You can tell from the variety of art mediums and detail of drawing the amount of work and effort that was put into making this series. Each and every component has purpose and meaning.

Ai's character really clicked with me. Not unlike other manga heroines, Ai is smart, hard-working, and responsible, having had to pull up the remnants of her family by the bootstraps. But I find she's also a lot more realistically portrayed and three-dimensional than your typical shoujo lead, something the author does fantastically well with the other characters as well. She struggles, she feels resentment, she is flawed (though if I'm honest, not by much. Most of her faults lie in her family's state of poverty.) L, the star of the show, is also another amazing character. Something about him, so whimsical, random, mysterious, immediately draws you into the story. I was quite confused about his character initially, wasn't even sure if he existed or not in the beginning, but he gets his own explanation towards the end. I do wish that his character consisted of more than just the dude who does magic throughout the story; it seemed as if we didn't see his entire personality until the conclusion. And then Il-Deung. What was up with his head, right? I think the author did a great job with his character development especially in the short amount of content she had, I turned out to really like his character in the end. For the other characters--rather typical; they fit quite neatly into those character tropes you always see in manga. Clearly, the MCs were given the most attention.

Ultimately, it boils down to this: I wanted a quick read and chose this relatively short series that exceeded expectations. Annarasumanara, though not perfect, is definitely one of those obscure manga that deserves higher praise and more coverage. Surreal is the word I would use to describe it and I honestly regret not giving this series the full attention it deserves (if I had, there would've been tears I'm sure). Read this if you want something different, something kinda sad, or something that makes you think!

My love for this manga(/webtoon?) has no end.
Yoon-ahe (Translated-child) is high school student that is fairly poor and wants to grow up quickly, her father has shown her what is like to have childish dreams, you end up in debt and her mother has died. She lives with her sister and goes to school enter Na Il-Deung the smartest boy in school and handsome (?). And the third character, R, a magician whom lives in an abandoned theme park. As the story progresses the bonds between Na Il-Deung and R become romantic and therefore moves the story forward. The art in my opinion is beautiful the subdued hints of color are in great contrast to the black and white. If this where made in to an anime they should keep it in black and white as the manga had done because that is one of the great things in this story. The characters have substantial reasons for their actions, especially due to the fact that this is a slice of life manga.

Every child must be an adult whom everyone envies respect and acknowledges if he want to live in this world ,our magician Ryu Min Hyuk has another opinion about how to live and adulthood problems.
One day i wanted to read a (Manhwa ) because i was curious which is the best( manga) or (Manhwa) ?i read several Manhwa but just to make sure so i pick up( Annarasumanara).
Story:
A psychological,Slice of life story a magician lives in amusement park all alone with his Parrot and one day a girl destiny drove her there then with a beautiful shining face Ryu Min Hyuk ask: do you believe in magic ? and the story begins .
Interesting story i found it not excellent but it deserves 8/10 . growing up issues is shown with a nice beautiful way mixed with an incredible art work but author only showed the issues he wanted to talk a bout without any solutions .So it is 8/10 for the story .
Art:
I have never seen an art work like this before grey drawing with a little touch of colors makes a fantastic Compound.
Evey single detail is well drawn and there is almost no flaw in it .So it is 10/10 .
Character:
A realistic characters fit perfectly in the story ,and because of this i find them some kind boring.
7/10.
Enjoyment:
frankly i did enjoy but not much when i was reading this i was convincing my self to read every time because of what i mentioned be before about the realistic thing.
7/10.
Overall:
Finally after reading the whole thing i came to a conclusion if i had a choice between manga VS Manhwa for sure i will chose the manga .
overall : 8/10

Annarasumanara was a masterpiece. One might even say it was...Magical.



The story was sweet. It was mysterious. It was inspiring. Why walk on the cold asphalt road when you could stand in a field of flowers? Just because an adult has done something before you does not mean you have to follow in their footsteps.



Ah-ee was a sad main character. She was also relatable, with her struggle to feed not only herself but her sister. I liked her, and her struggle to decide what she should do in the future.

Il-Deung was an interesting character. While I disliked him in the beginning, he grew on me towards the end. His struggle was moving as well. No one wants to disappoint their parents.

R was mysterious until the end. Was he a real magician? Maybe we, and Ah-ee, will never know. The rest of the cast was written well too.



The art was stunning, with real life photos merging seamlessly with the authors lovely artwork. It could easily be in an modern art museum.



The end was both wistful and happy, and how you view it will depend on how you answer this question. Do you believe in magic?

This is a wonderful manga with a mystery and a message: don't give up on your dreams. The central mystery about the magician R will keep your attention while you feel concern for the main character who is struggling to support herself and her sister.

If there's a downside it's that the art is sometimes unusual. I like when select elements are coloured even though the art is primarily black and white when these elements are magical, but sometimes it's just a random object, like a fan for instance and it kind of takes me out of the story a bit.

Honestly, it's great.

I'm sad to see that a lot of people haven't been reading this manga recently because it's wonderful.

I guess your enjoyment could be up to whether or not you find the idea of magic kind of stupid. This manga draws a fine line between reality and imaginary and manages to blend it in the end into one beautiful story.

The deep metaphor behind the idea of magic in this manga is really well executed. Some of the dialogue is a play on words and entail more than whats on the surface. The use of color is beautiful and extremely well placed. The art style is unlike one I have seen before.

There is a lot of character development, the ideas the show tries to tackle are definitely something a lot of people would need to hear and could relate or empathize with.

I could say A LOT more but I just want you to stop reading this review and go enjoy this manga, it's worth it ;)

Endearing and absolutely bewitching.

I've never been so enchanted by any manga or manhwa, like this before. Annarasumanara is truly a masterpiece. Although the story revolves around cliche themes of "The Misfits" and "The ominous standardisation of society; wealth, social class, social status" , it distinctly challenges the readers views on "reality" and brings a refreshing perspective on the concept of "magic".

<< Do you believe in magic ? >>

The Manhwa is an obvious criticism towards social conformism. However one cannot help but feel dazzled by the enthralling art. The modern surrealism enraptures you in a state of self-reflection and amplifies the delight of the reading. (Hands down to the artist; one of the best art pieces i've witnessed in a while. )

"I am not strange, I am just not normal"-Salvador Dali

Character-wise I have not much to say. Yet rest assure there are no unnecessary, annoying characters who often bring nothing to the plot.

Overall: Strongly recommend for those in search of a spellbinding read. Its not as heavy and oppressing as most psychological written pieces are. A magical novel which shall definitely leave an impression on you, hence the perfect score given.

[NB: I NEVER write a review *this is my first written review*, thus for me to do so already shows to what extent Annarasumanara is worth your time.] Enjoy!

“I looked about me. Luminous points glowed in the darkness. Cigarettes punctuated the humble meditations of worn old clerks. I heard them talking to one another in murmurs and whispers. They talked about illness, money, shabby domestic cares. And suddenly I had a vision of the face of destiny. Old bureaucrat, my comrade, it is not you who are to blame. No one ever helped you to escape. You, like a termite, built your peace by blocking up with cement every chink and cranny through which the light might pierce. You rolled yourself up into a ball in your genteel security, in routine, in the stifling conventions of provincial life, raising a modest rampart against the winds and the tides and the stars. You have chosen not to be perturbed by great problems, having trouble enough to forget your own fate as a man. You are not the dweller upon an errant planet and do not ask yourself questions to which there are no answers. Nobody grasped you by the shoulder while there was still time. Now the clay of which you were shaped has dried and hardened, and naught in you will ever awaken the sleeping musician, the poet, the astronomer that possibly inhabited you in the beginning.”
- Wind Sand and Stars, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Wow, a work about holding on to the inner child inside you and never entering the dirty adult world. Where have we seen that before?

Despite the fact that everything Saint-Exupery has written, and especially the Little Prince, is probably better crafted, and despite the fact that Inio Asano writes better, in Solanin or Umibe no Onnanoko for example, about the sheer brutality of trying to live in a bubble-world despite having no backing of real-life pragmatism, and despite the fact that Aku no Hana has a better portrayal of the darkness of the screw-all attitude towards life, and despite the fact that the works of Salinger has better crafted witty and endearing characters (such as the Glass Family members), and despite the fact that, even in its pessimism, a work like Kyoko Okazaki’s Pink is simultaneously more optimistic and more poisonous in its depiction of how to get through the crap life…

Well, I guess Annarasumanara is a very good illusion.

That is, it is technically brilliant and perfectly paced enough to create the sheer oomph of an effect. Like any great Magician’s trick, you know the whole deal is a lot of smoke, mirrors, and flourishes, and yet you still buy yourself into the moment (and hey, that’s even the main theme of the story). You know that everytime something bad happens to the token archetype poor-girl, the mysterious bishounen white-haired Magician will step in and bedazzle. But even when you know this it still does not kill the thrill of how it’s done, mainly because the manhwa artist has synthesized this style that’s like Studio Shaft translated onto comic-book format. The effect, of watching the whole black-and-white world change to colour (which, by the way, is so obviously a ploy done by way too many people… even The Wizard of Oz) is still so magnificent that you’re sucked in. Oyasumi Punpun probably has a better communication of the Fantastic to the Real, even without colour, and yet we can’t expect all artists out there to be as well versed in psychological shorthand as Inio Asano… right?

All sarcasm aside, I think the work is quite endearing, and maybe if it was marketed as a children’s book instead, and created with more focus on the Magic and Metaphor and less of the supposedly ‘real life’ stuff, it may have supplanted the Little Prince as the next big amazing children’s book. But then again it still probably wouldn’t really beat Steven Universe.

Review also avalible on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUxhsA5Jbv0&t=89s

This manga annarasumanara is a really well written and illustrated manga that touches upon a topic that many people can relate to.

So I found this manga because I am Sean the magical weeaboo (I am a weeaboo magician) And I was curious if I could find any manga about magic tricks, sleight of hand, magicians or anything along those lines. What I eventually found was this one right here. At first I was skeptical, I thought there was a possibility it might end up being really cheesy due to my past experiences with magicians in manga. I decided to give it a try however, because of both the high score, and my curiosity. I was not disappointed.

Annarasumanara is a drama series that touches upon topics many of us can personally relate to and uses magic elements to create a mysterious atmosphere to go with it. What this story tackles the best is the whole concept of people growing up and giving up on their dreams mainly because they believe their dreams are childish, and they feel like they need to move forward. If this intrigues you in any way, you must read this manga because the entire manga is basically this premise but in a extremely well developed format. The way it was put together is done in a way where you can really get inside their head. I guess the best way I can put this is the emotion felt real.

So now onto the second reason why this manga is so good. The art. This is some of the most creative and cool looking art I have ever seen used in manga. If you have ever read goodnight pun-pun, I guess you could use that as a example of what the art is similar to. Some parts look absolutely beautiful, while others look really interesting and abstract. Let's just let it be known, the visuals are absolutely amazing.

And finally, the atmosphere. If you like mysterious feeling stories, this is a manga for you to look into. I wouldn't classify this book as a mystery, but it defiantly has some of those aspects.

Overall, if you want to read a really good book about magicians with relatable emotions and insane visuals you should check this out. As a magician who has seen many fictional stories revolving around magic tricks, illusion, sleight of hand, etc, I would probably say this is the best one.

8/10

*Warning: spoilers for Annarasumanara, they was necessary to gush about it*

Annarasumanara isn’t like any manga I’ve read, and it probably will be the same for you too. I don’t mean that in the sense that it is a Manhwa, it does far more than just ‘being a manhwa’. Despite this claim, the story, or at least the setup for Annarasumanara isn’t anything particularly special, a girl living in poverty, tragedy and harsh reality. It’s a great way to make people empathize and root for a character, when it’s done well; and in this case, it is! Annarasumanara stands out not in its story and plot. The story is good and it carries a valuable message about life and society.

That isn’t why Annarasumanara is as good as it is. It’s all in the art and the visuals.

Speaking of, the visuals are simply amazing. They are so original, they blend so many styles and incorporate so many techniques that throw the ‘draw on paper and scan it’ standard out the window. It’s just breathtakingly original and different. Just scrolling down that first chapter (Manhwa format) is like the best thing since sliced bread. Collage, panorama, patterns, photos, heavy contrast, good grayscale, landscape arranged in portrait it’s just an amalgam, and It just works™. I mean the guy even used LEGOs, like excuse what, and he made it work!

Back on topic, the art isn’t the only thing compelling about this work, the characters are very interesting, in that they are used to great length by the author to explore universal ideas and challenges that people face. Each of our three main characters suffer from very bad cases of misfortune, and all three feel stuck. Yoon Ah-ee is stuck in poverty, Euh Lee is stuck in the child-like wonder of the past and Il-Deung Na is stuck on a predetermined path. All of them are great, they aren’t one-dimensional sheets with no discernible personality. I personally found myself easily having empathy and sympathy for them.

I really enjoyed reading this manga, it’s a treat on a visual level, and the story and characters are very engaging and well made. They don’t come close to the level which the art has obtained, but this is still a once in a lifetime read.

10/10. 

Reading the first chapters, I thought that this was a fantasy type manga, with the story revolving about a *real magician* and how would he make a dramatical change in a life of a very poor woman. Indeed, the story was very unique and well-thought of.

What was great about the art is that it was perfectly made that it totally blended with the story being under the *mystery* genre. I found it to be quite odd at some point but have gotten grown fonder with it somehow.

To make it totally short, it is a story about realizing your true dreams, what you would do to achieve it, and what will you do afterwards. The manga is a must-read masterpiece in its own weird way that will surely drag you in the magical world of wonders, leaving you with the one single question. . . Do you believe in magic????

Well, this story leaves a lot to the imagination so i think every individual will perceive it in their own way. But here is mine.

Why i liked this manhwa and why it is a genius.

The story is very straightforward and simple yet touches deep.
And what i find really genius about this manhwa is how it has nothing related with supernatural.
At the beginning of the story, i was skeptical. Thinking "magic does not exist, it is just a trick" drawing a fine line between reality and magic. Yet, the story just blurs that line. No matter how realistic you may be, you will find yourself wanting to believe in this magic.
The magic makes your hearth flutter. It is colorful, it is bright. It almost makes you believe that it is real.

And what i absolutely love about this story is, it makes you believe in magic but then it hits you in the gut with harsh reality.

The reality is "inescapable". You struggle to survive, it is full of hardships, and sometimes it overwhelms. Some chooses the magic as a scapegoat. But this story tells you to embrace the hardships, cope with it, and move on. And it also tells "Magic is real. You just need to believe". Yeah, "how convenient" i know. But if you really think about it, isn't it simple? As long as you believe, it will never cease to exist. It might ask you to blindly believe in it, such thing, only possible for an innocent mind.

Finally the story comes to the conclusion, where it asks you if you believe in magic. And you can guess what my answer was.

Annarasumanara is a stunning manhwa that deals with themes such as growing up and social expectation.

First and foremost, the art is phenomenal. The simple colouring in this manhwa is used perfectly to convey emotion without being over-bearing. Also, the art style itself can only be described as unique. Throughout the manhwa, strange imagery is used, but it portrays the message very well.

Plot-wise, this manhwa is not fast-paced whatsoever. The story unfolds leisurely, but it's not done so in a way that is irritating or boring. However, if you're looking for something full of action, this may not be for you. Instead, Annarasumanara uses intrigue as it's main plot-device, keeping the reader interested throughout, but revealing the story and characters slowly.

If you're looking for a quick read with beautiful art that truly makes you think, then Annarasumanara would definitely be worth your time.

There is a dreamer in everyone. As kids, we would often harbor pure and naive desires to want to be like those in the fantasies but through the vicissitudes of growing up, inevitably sealed those elusive thoughts away. As we matured, we rationalized that certain things are simply unachievable and unrealistic. We couldn't fly and save people like Superman; we couldn't be like Peter Pan who will never grow up, nor was there any Neverland in our world. We didn't have powers.

And that magic is not real.

Some point in our life we became adults and started prioritizing more earthly, materialistic wants. In order to conform to society's expectations, in order to 'live'; gone were those innocent wishes of the past. But what about those who couldn't abandon them and still clings onto the hope to be something they couldn't possibly become? What about those who are conflicted in-between? In this manhwa titled Annarasumanara, we get a glimpse into said characters with those struggles in all of its unforced candor. A thought-provoking and touching story told earnestly and devoid of unnecessary contrived plot devices. A truly wonderful read.

As it'll be a shame to spoil anything for future readers, I will not discuss about the story or its cast. Instead, I want to divert your attention to the visuals. Just take a look at the first few pages.

It's hardly surprising how this manhwa has the ability to grip its reader from the onset. Any decent writer can tackle a story about magic and life but are they able to embellish it with jaw-dropping illustrations? This aesthetic aspect is what I feel makes Annarasumanara so mesmerizing and a cut above the rest. After all, humans are naturally attracted to beautiful things. Annarasumanara does not only tugs our heartstrings with its beautifully-woven tale but also possesses the gorgeous arts to complement with its mystical atmosphere, making for a truly immersive and surreal experience.

It is no wonder how easily us readers could be so captivated in the fanciful flights of this manhwa when you have such enchanting visuals graced upon you.

"Do you believe in magic?"

You know, there is a dreamer in us all. A purity deep down that wants to believe that magical things do exist. Just like our characters in the story.

I wish I could better express how special Annarasumanara is but the right words just don't seem to flow through from my incompetent self. It saddens me how such a beautiful manhwa isn't that particularly well-known and there's nothing much I could about it. If there's even anyone reading this so-called review, do yourself a favor and give this manhwa a try. I sincerely believe that you'll like it :)

This is one of the most artistic series I've read and also one of the most meaningful. Anyone who thinks comics do not count as real literature should think twice after reading this. The story is throughly impactful and there is a very clear overall message as well as many symbolisms.
The artstyle is very simplistic yet detailed, much like how many modern comics are drawn. Usually I read webtoons for the color but the minimalistic usage of color in this manga really makes what is important pop. I love how Il and his parents are drawn in that certain way and then much later is Il finally drawn "normally". I believe it symbolizes the prideful, confident, and superior feeling they get for being top tier and model adults, like a sort of proud with a long face, not in a sad way (but maybe so actually), more in a way like political cartoons.
Speaking of him lets get into the characters, i dont feel that the main girl developed as much as i would have liked and the magician was trippy character however there definitely was develope,ent within the two. You could see Il and Ai changing but the real impact made for them and the magician was the very end.