Day 25 of #MarchMangaMadness: Legend of Chun Hyang by CLAMP and published by Tokyopop.
I actually read Legend of Chun Hyang very recently because I was thinking of covering it in my CLAMP Reread Series. Ultimately, I decided against it because like CLAMP’s other one-shots, it is too much of an outlier and doesn’t fit with the CLAMP universe. A big point I make in my CLAMP reread series is how CLAMP has signature themes that are carried throughout all their series, and Chun Hyang may have some of them, but not enough to do a deep dive into it. Chun Hyang herself does appear in the CLAMP universe in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle though, but more on that when I cover TSR.
Legend of Chun Hyang is loosely based on a Korean folktale and while CLAMP adds its own spin to it, it really feels very meh. Chun Hyang is a strong will 14-year-old girl who stands up to the town’s Yangbang and essentially fees them with the help of a mysterious man. The manga ends in a way that makes it seem like there will be more to come but nothing else is ever released. CLAMP’s artwork is stunning throughout, but this story is forgettable at best.
If you’re wondering why I have two, it is because I bought them used and when the first one arrived it was an ex-library copy. I have no problem with ex-library as many of my older CLAMP titles usually are because they are unfindable, this one in particular (the one on the right) was laminated weirdly and I wouldn’t remove the stickers without damaging the entire book.
Oh, I actually really liked the Legend of Chun Hyang. The art work was super pretty and I kind of liked that the story was a bit different. Of course, I think I would have liked it better if it was tied in with other series. Like a Chun Hyang/ Magic Knight RayEarth crossover would have been awesome! Maybe you would have liked it better if the series had continued on and had more development?
So I did like it but I think that because it feels so incomplete, that’s why it is forgettable to me. It ends on a note that makes you think there are more chapters to come but nothing else ever came of it.
Lol! Yeah, Clamp is notorious for not finishing their series properly, and this is certainly an example of that.