Nineteen, Twenty-One
Title: Nineteen, Twenty-One
Type: Manhwa, Korean Webtoons
Author(s): Johann
Artist(s): Jenna
Status in Home Country: Complete (Ch 21)
Scanslation Status: Ongoing, Ch 15+
Scan Groups: Easy Going Scans
Genre(s): Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life
Summary: Yun-lee is a girl who is carrying a huge emotional scar in her heart. Due to an accident, she lost 2 precious years of her life, the time period between 19 and 21 years old. Her life is empty. She is miserable, but still attending a preparatory school in an attempt to catch up with all the time she has lost. Suddenly, one day on her way to feed some stray cats, she comes across a young man who seems to have what she has lost... the period between 19 and 21 years old.
Naver Site: http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/list.nhn?titleId=206146
Review: The artwork and coloring are really pretty. However, I hate cats, and this series is all about caring for wild tomcats in the neighborhood.
Yun-lee was in an accident and lost 2 years in dealing w/ her injuries and missed taking the test to get into college. As a result, she’s now attending a cram school to help her in taking the test. She ends up meeting a 19 year old guy who has the same ideas as her in that they like to feed the neighborhood alley cats.
To be honest, it just felt out of place to be so overly concerned about a bunch of wild cats. The resident lady had it right, the cats are a nuisance. They caterwaul all night long in mating season, they tear into people’s trashes making messes, they leave dirty paw prints everywhere, and basically they just cause messes everywhere. I can think a lot more topics than to be so concerned about cats.
The guy basically works himself to the bone supporting these stray cats, and the girl starves herself to help feed them as well. It’s one thing if this couple was a bunch of elementary kids, but the guy is 19 years old, and the girl is 21 years old. The theme of the story is about living your life to the fullest before you become an adult, but how is caring for a bunch of cats going to do that? Maybe they should think more in terms of the future, like being a veterinarian or something. Instead, they just decide on working more jobs to make more money to give free neutering to alley cats. Oh whatever, I just can’t stand cats to begin w/. Maybe if they were wolves or some sort of endangered wild animals instead of alley cats I’d feel more sympathetic.
Disregarding the topic of cats, the romance is kind of sweet and progresses in an appropriate manner. They both have a common goal, and aren’t influenced by the initial love at first sight crap that most shoujos are about.
Rate: 6/10