Manhwa Ares by Ryu Kum Chel

[weixiaobao]

Review written by [user]zelllogan[/user]

Title: Ares
Genres: Epic, adventure
Author: RYU Geum Chel
Artist: RYU Geum Chel
Start Date: 2001
End Date: 2007
Number of chapters at review: 109
Number of chapters read by reviewer: 109

Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)

Art: 8.5
It's a manhwa, the art is already a little different because of that. The design and the overall style is atypical. It's clean, not overcharged by details, it's easy to figure out what's going out during a fight. It's dynamic and fluid. We can also clearly see the different emotions on characters face. I join an image: the three heroes: baroona, ares and mickael (from left to right).
img149.imageshack.us/img149/3664/aresv02c10001002za5.jpg

Plot: 8
It's an epic manhwa. So, there is war, betrayal, dramatic twists, ... It's kind of a light "berserk". The story is about three abnormaly talented boys who can easily destroy 30 soldiers by themselves. Each of them have an intersting past. Even if it's a shounen, death is very present and everyone can die at every moment. The story becomes darker and darker volume after volume.

Characters: 8
The story is about three characters. But the main character is an odd young boy named Ares. He's incredibly skilled and look carefree even if he have a dramatic past. He's the kind of guy who attract others around him. He enjoy fighting (even killing) but he is not emotionless. He look frail and no one can expect him to be this strong. He doesn't seem very reliable either. He is not dumb or smart.

Michael is the second of the three talented young boys. Michael is much more secret and don't talk a lot. He is very proud and he is probably one of the smartest guy in the manhwa. Michael have a dark side and is emotionless most of the time.

The third character Baroona is less important than the two first ones. But it's possible that he becomes more important later.

There are a lot of secondary characters in the manga.

Themes: 7
Everything turns around war, friendship, betrayal, revenge, ... It's about what you expect from an epic manhwa

Originality: 6
The originality comes from the design. The story is not original but it's still very well done. Originality could have been a 10 if there wasn't a manga called "BERSERK".

Overall: 9
One of my favorite manga/manhwa and it's almost unknown (probably because it's Korean). It's problably one of the top5 manhwa ever done. In my personal "top 10 best manga ever", i have two manhwa: shin angyo onshi and ares.

If you like berserk or claymore, if you like epic mangas with war, you need to read this one.

Spoiler: Manga's images taken from earlier chapters to avoid spoiler, generally the art improves

Feel like discussing Ares further? Go here:
http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5121​

 

[XeroxedEchidna]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

A great series, I would have given it 8.5 overall. One interesting point is that though the series has a shonen feel to it, the characters treat death and killing as an everyday thing. Its rather unique with regards to the serious themes, but light, shonen feel. It really makes you want to keep reading.

 

[weixiaobao]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

A great series, I would have given it 8.5 overall. One interesting point is that though the series has a shonen feel to it, the characters treat death and killing as an everyday thing. Its rather unique with regards to the serious themes, but light, shonen feel. It really makes you want to keep reading.

yeah, I agree but the art kinda chase people away .. one thing i really like is that some characters I thought going to stay alive just die..

 

[Obito]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

I highly recommend this manhwa. I think the way it deals with war and its characters are interesting and atypical to most shounen mangas. It has a darker element similar to a seinen manga and the plot is well held together. The art is not gonna impress you in the way that a manga like Vagabond does but the emphasis of this manhwa is mainly on the plot.
Overall i'd agree with XeroxedEchidna 8.5 is a fair score.

 

[zelllogan]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

Sorry, I created a review without seeing this one.

Title: Ares
Genres: Epic, adventure
End Date: On Going
Number of chapters at review: 109
Number of chapters read by reviewer: 109

art: 8.5
it's a manhwa, the art is already a little different because of that. The design and the overall style is atypical. It's clean, not overcharged by details, it's easy to figure out what's going out during a fight. It's dynamic and fluid. We can also clearly see the different emotions on characters face. I join an image: the three heroes: baroona, ares and mickael (from left to right).

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/3664/aresv02c10001002za5.jpg

plot:8
It's an epic manhwa. So, there is war, betrayal, dramatic twists, ... It's kind of a light "berserk". The story is about three abnormaly talented boys who can easily destroy 30 soldiers by themselves. Each of them have an intersting past. Even if it's a shounen, death is very present and everyone can die at every moment. The story becomes darker and darker volume after volume.

characters: 8
The story is about three characters. But the main character is an odd young boy named Ares. He's incredibly skilled and look carefree even if he have a dramatic past. He's the kind of guy who attract others around him. He enjoy fighting (even killing) but he is not emotionless. He look frail and no one can expect him to be this strong. He doesn't seem very reliable either. He is not dumb or smart.

Michael is the second of the three talented young boys. Michael is much more secret and don't talk a lot. He is very proud and he is probably one of the smartest guy in the manhwa. Michael have a dark side and is emotionless most of the time.

The third character Baroona is less important than the two first ones. But it's possible that he becomes more important later.

There are a lot of secondary characters in the manga.

themes: 7
Everything turns around war, friendship, betrayal, revenge, ... It's about what you expect from an epic manhwa

originality: 6
The originality comes from the design. The story is not original but it's still very well done. Originality could have been a 10 if there wasn't a manga called "BERSERK".

overall: 9

One of my favorite manga/manhwa and it's almost unknown (probably because it's Korean). It's problably one of the top5 manhwa ever done. In my personal "top 10 best manga ever", i have two manhwa: shin angyo onshi and ares.

If you like berserk or claymore, if you like epic mangas with war, you need to read this one.

[Luckas]Review pasted in the first post by weixiaobao.[/Luckas]

 

[weixiaobao]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

zelllogan- I like your review so i gonna replaced my review (which not really helpful anyhow) .. in the first post..
though the link is not working..

 

[zelllogan]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

Thanks,

the link is probably too long (img149.imageshack.us/img149/3664/aresv02c10001002za5.jpg)

Anyway, I never found someone to tell me that this manwha was bad. It's a shame that Korean work doesn't get more attention.

 

[weixiaobao]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

agree, this manga is one of the best for me in characters .. they all likable..
same with chinese work too, they just don't get as much attention as manga..

 

[belo]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

yeah, this manga is good. although its korean but it can match some japanese ones. Has any one finished this series ? i think its only up to 153.
Does anyone know where to get downloads in volumes for this series ?

Have also been reading his other project called Nephilim John, which is also good.

 

[Jammin]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

I just did a read through of "Ares" and i agree that it's a good series unfortunately there is one aspect of the current reviews i just can't agree with.....

Art: In my opinion 3-4 out of 10 is closer to what people should expect.

The art is just not good. Manwha artists are just as capable of producing quality art as their japanese counterparts(see "Veritas" or "shin angyo onshi" for proof of that). Ares is a serious military manga yet features art that would be considered substandard in most gag manga. Character's facial expressions are not very emotionally expressive. Overall detail is low. Very few character even have signature looks. Backgrounds are extremely bland. The basic art style seems more like a doodle to go along with the story than any real attempt at conveying the story through imagery.

Rather than helping convey the emotions and events of the story sometimes you just get the feeling the Art is only getting in the way.

If someone is looking for a well written military story Ares is a good choice, unfortunately to be able to enjoy the great aspects of the series you will have to be able to look past some of the poorest artwork outside of Hunter X Hunter.

 

[zelllogan]

Re: Ares by Ryu Kum Chel (Manhwa)

Hum, I still think the art is great ... at the beginning (cfr the link I put in the first post) but it's getting worse with the time. There are more and more characters but the design is completely uninspiring. Normally, art is getting better with time ... it was not what happened here.

The overal quality dropped at some point ... and it's not just the art. It's still a good read but nowhere near as good as some times ago

Now, comparing it with Hxh is going too far. Hxh is drawn by a sick artist & it's shown on every page.

What I liked with Ares'art is that the art was fluid ... I didn't had to check a picture thirty times to figure out what's happening. And the art is atypical, has its own personality.

When you read ares, you recognize the style in two seconds ...Too many mangas looks exactly the same