By: Fariha Karim
Genres: Mystery, Drama, Romance, School, Psychological, Seinen
Annarasumanara is a very unusual webtoon that is hailed by many as a masterpiece. It is a whimsical and some-what depressing story about self-discovery in a society that is designed to encourage you to be anything but what you truly want to be.
Characters:
Yoon Ah-ee: The webtoon’s main character Yoon Ah-ee, is a broke and guardian-less high school student who struggles to support both herself and her sister. Due to her unconventional upbringing, she is obsessed with the notion of growing up into a “proper adult”. That is, until, she encounters a notorious magician in an abandoned theme park, who reignites her childhood dreams of becoming a magician.
Magician: The magician is depicted as a surreal and unpredictable character who is forever shrouded in mystery. There are rumours circulating the town that he is violent and crazy. As the story progresses and his encounters with Yoon Ah become more and more frequent, the mysteries surrounding him slowly unravel.
Art Style:
The webtoon’s art style itself is unique and downright gorgeous. Splashes of colors are only used to highlight important moments and turning points. The overall black and white tones used depict the main character’s feelings of gloom and depression and just give the piece a dreary feeling overall. There is a lot of symbolism created through the artwork, such as by accentuating a character’s physical features or making a few select objects look more realistic than the others. This method of symbolism is found in the webtoon artist’s other works as well.
Final Thoughts:
Although Annarasumanara starts out as a simple and enjoyable story, it is anything but, especially towards the end. The characters experience many twists and turns and breached trusts which leave them confused, sad, and crushed. The webtoon carries deep and serious themes of psychological illnesses and addresses struggles within life itself, whether it be chasing your dreams, grappling with expectations, or rediscovering oneself.
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