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13th Boy Vol. #10 Manhwa Review

4 min read

Does the key to Whie-Young’s heart lie buried in his past- and will he live long enough to find the secret lost there?

Creative Staff
Story/Art: SangEun Lee
Translation/Adaptation: Natalie Baan

What They Say
Now that Hee-So knows how Beatrice feels about her, she’s made it her mission to not avoid him and treasure those feelings as he tries to set his heart straight. As part of his effort, Beatrice returns the precious ribbon given to his cactus self by his beloved owner. But when she manages to lose the ribbon to the wind, the desperate Hee-So turns to Whie-Young for help in getting it back, blind to the impact it will have on his body. Blacking out from the overuse of his powers, Whie-Young comes face-to-face with his childhood self and learns a secret that could set his and Hee-So’s world on its head!

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Hee-So’s head is once again in a fog as Beatrice’s confession has her spinning once again. To make matters worse it seems both her sisters are progressing with their love lives much better than she ever did and it is frustrating her and it almost seems as it fate is set to torment Hee-So. These events combine to have her out of whack to the point where she shows little interest in her appearance the next day as she walks to school.

To make matters worse she bumps into Whie-Young and the two quarrel as is their usual pattern but when Hee-So looses the precious ribbon that Beatrice had given back to her after his confession, Hee-So forces Whie-Young to help her retrieve it. Unfortunately Whie-Young is almost at his limit and this latest use of his power sends him almost immediately into a deep sleep.

While Beatrice tries to confess to Hee-So again and she gives him “tips” on how to win her heart, Whie-Young is trapped in his subconscious watching scenes from his forgotten childhood and events he shared with Hee-So. As he watches his younger self he is amazed at the acquiescing he does to the selfish little girl’s requests and he begins to wonder both why he did so as well as where the part of him that felt like being with Hee-So went.

As he watches events go from passive to active as Whie-Young finds he is not alone in his body and he gets a final proclamation- the next time he uses his powers is the final time as his body will give out. All isn’t lost though as there is a chance for him to be made whole- all he has to do is find out what happened to his missing heart. While this might be a challenge for most, Whie-Young gets a clue as to where it is- but can he take the next step as the price may break someone’s heart?

Sometimes there can actually be almost too much of a good thing. While the previous volumes have at times seemed too drag out some of the drama in the series this book acts like it wants to up the series average speed in a major way. To this end the story moves away from focusing on Hee-So’s personality issues to a good extent (though not entirely) and it also examines the roots of Whie-Young’s powers and his personality issues.

Through the use of a dream the readers get to see just how often in his youth Whie-Young used to bow to the capricious Hee-So and while watching even Whie-Young can’t remember why he did so. It is only after the appearance of a very special character who is connected to Whie-Young’s power that Whie-Young himself realizes that in some point in the past he lost his heart and now he has to get it back. He isn’t the only one who recognizes how things have changed as Hee-So comes to the realization that why she has had so many boyfriends is because of how much fun she had with Whie-Young as children but there are ominous storm clouds in the future when Whie-Young comes to realize just when he lost his heart- and where it might have gone.

In Summary
With Beatrice’s confession clouding her thinking Hee-So makes a pair of mistakes- first in treating a prized possession with less care then she should and then in asking an impossible favor that will lead to a turning point for the series. While Beatrice is trying to become the type of man who can win Hee-So’s heart Whie-Young is discovering just what secrets lay locked in his past and how they may either end his life or save it. But when Whie-Young faces his past will he discover that there are answers there that he has been avoiding and he gains the suspicion that a terrible price may be in store if he acts on what he needs to do to save his life.

Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: B

Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: January 24th, 2012
MSRP: $11.99

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