Laon
Title: Laon
Type: Manhwa
Author(s): A A-ru
Artist(s): YOU Hyun
Status in Home Country: Complete (6 Volumes)
Licensed By: Yen Press
Scanslation Status: Dropped, Ch 29+
Scan Groups: Nolja!
Genre(s): Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Gender Bender, Mystery, Sci-fi, Shounen, Supernatural
Summary: Based on a Korean fairytale/folklore about a mysterious and legendary creature named Gumiho (Nine-tailed-Fox),
Laon, a Gumiho, loses a game and loses his tails in the process. To find his tails, he began his search in Earth. In his search, he came across a man who is looking for his own girlfriend. Supposedly, the stranger claimed that he killed his girlfriend already but hear rumors she was still alive. Laon joins his search hoping he would come across any information about his tails.
Review: I’m a little sad that this series scanlation was dropped due to licensing. On the positive side, Vol 5 releases in English on April 26, this year. I like it enough that I will probably purchase Vol 5 & 6 to find out what happens to the story.
Laon, is a 998 years old 9-tailed fox who loses his tails to another god. His tails get scattered on Earth w/ their own individual traits and personalities by possessing humans. As a result, Laon, comes to earth and tries to get them back. Along the way, he meets up w/ a tabloid reporter and they strike up a quasi-bargain. In return for the reporter’s help in the tails, Laon will help the reporter w/ either his forgotten memories or to find his old missing girl friend.
You’re never clear on what gender Laon is because s/he will switch depending on the location and time. Although, s/he appears and acts like a child, Laon is actually like a vicious beast. If s/he can’t eat other demon/spirits s/he will such Tahae’s life force w/o remorse.
Up to Vol 4, I wasn’t quite clear on why his tails were scattered to earth rather than be destroyed or taken up by the other god, but I gather it might possibly due to Laon turning 1000 years old and having all 9 tails or even 10 tails. What that meant, I’m not sure. The remaining volumes should explain that. Most of the chapters are episodic and while the reporter is tracking strange ghost cases for the tabloid and looking for Laon’s tails.
I like the fact that Laon is super vicious and even sometimes comes home w/ blood all over his body from his feasts, and yet Tahae is unfazed by all the blood. They both have an uneasy alliance as Laon’s instinct is very close to the surface and will even turn on Tahae in either mischievous ways or out of hunger. Tahae’s history is also mysteriously intriguing as well. There’s definitely something supernatural about his missing memories and his girlfriend’s disappearance.
The artwork is very good, and it doesn’t matter what Laon’s gender is, s/he is kind of drawn in a sexy way despite looking like a child. The other god refers to Laon as “he” so does that make Laon kissing Tahae to suck out his energy shounen-ai?
Ch 1-29 is still available online at: http://www.mangarush.com/manga/laon/ and at MangaTraders.
Rate: 9/10