Manga Les Bijoux

[Dagger]

Well, allow me to start off by stating that this manwha completely defies description. I have no idea how to properly summarize its plot, but you can be assured that I'll try my best. ^_^;

Les Bijoux, the product of a collaboration between Park Sang-Sun and Jo Eun-Ha, was released by Tokyopop earlier this month. Since it's not technically manga, it reads from left to right. Simply by glancing at the cover of its first volume, I got the sense that Tokyopop invested a lot of money in this title. It's going to look great sitting on my bookshelf.

Plot-wise, Les Bijoux is like a mixture of Demon Diary, X/1999 and Ramna 1/2. Those three series, of course, are [i]completely[/i] different. >_> While its main male character occasionally turns into a girl, Les Bijoux is a serious, epic manwha. Its shonen-ai vibes and infrequent bouts of quirky humor bring Demon Diary to mind. However, its dramatic, gory action sequences (not to mention its emphasis on destiny) remind me of X/1999.

This manwha is set in a fantasy world where ordinary people (peasants, if you will) are called spars, and are ruled by a oppressive regime known as the Habit. Lapis Lazuli, the son of a female hunchback and a male dwarf, inadvertently wins the emnity of Diamond, a proud, aristocratic Habit. Part of Les Bijoux's complicated storyline revolves around their love/hate relationship.

The artwork is typically manwha-esque--by which I mean that it's astoundingly good, far better than that of most ordinary manga. I attached an image of the first volume's cover, which should give you a pretty good idea of how lush and detailed Park Sang-Sun's work is.

~Dagger~

[oshi]

Oh, I want this one. I've been drooling over it in the advertisements in the backs of my other manga, and keeping track of it on Tokyopop.com. I like two out of the three stories that you used to describe it--not X, though, because I've only seen the movie (blech); the only question I have is how the offspring of a hunchback and a dwarf seems to have come out so . . . pretty?

[Cyriel]

Les Bijoux is very impressive. I've recently read the first one, and I think the artwork is astounding!!! As for the relationship between Diamond and Lapis Lazuli, I think it's one of the most interesting out there. I can't wait to find out how it turns out! But I also want Diamond to die, so I can't wait for that either. Did I mention that those are some of the most beautiful characters I have ever seen? Yeah, I was drooling while I read it at Barnes & Noble. ;) Talk about plot!!! This is not lacking at all, like some manwhas do. This one is completely submerged in plot twists and spellbinding undertones!!! Can't wait for the second one!!