 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | HARLEQUIN | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | ESU CHIHARA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 126 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 13+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 12/01/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 12/19/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Harlequin Books enters the world of Original English Language Manga (OEL) with eight manga books based on romance novels. All eight manga can be found as new additions on www.emanga.com and represents a bridging attempt between contemporary American romances and Asian style graphic novels. Honor’s Promise is one of the eight manga to be found on Digital Manga Publishing’s www.emanga.com site. It features many of the hallmarks of Western romances. A young woman is waylaid by misfortune and a mysterious man enters the picture. In this case the woman is the orphaned Honor. She’s a girl from a poor family. Having been raised by a single mother, she is grieving after her mother’s death but continues to work at the restaurant in Texas where she grew up. One day a handsome stranger walks in. Trace Logan is sophisticated, handsome and everything that can dazzle a young woman’s eyes. He quickly becomes involved in her life and they date, getting closer very quickly. However when he reveals his real reason for coming to her restaurant on that fateful day, it could break the young Honor’s heart. She learns she is the heir to the great Colorado Malone family. Scarcely able to believe it, she flies there to learn the truth about her mother and the family that suddenly is laying claim to her. Many shocks are in store for Honor as she enters the jet set society of big business and bigger money. She doesn’t take well to it. Harboring ill will is a nasty aunt with a snake-mean fiancé that could spell deadly trouble for the sudden heiress. The manga comes to a close in high dramatic fashion involving a murder attempt, a criminal at large, a hideaway to a remote cabin and a suspenseful showdown between one man that wants to kill Honor, and the other that wants to love her. The story is a nicely encapsulated version of the typical Western romance genre. The only criticism of the stand alone tale is the art. Unfortunately although it visibly strives towards the soft shoujo look, it never manages to achieve it. Manga connoisseurs may be disappointed by the art, although the ending scenes had some lovely illustrative panels, yet the story itself holds up as a fun romance to have as an afternoon escape.
IN SUMMARY:
Honor’s Promise promises to be a brief romantic escape. |
