Reviews for Heroes are Extinct, Volume 2

The average rating for Heroes are Extinct, Volume 2 based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-08-18 00:00:00 Mike Craig I was never much into manhwa titles when I was in high school, and I regret that now. A close friend of mine however, adored manhwa and would frequently recommend titles to me. Chocolat was one of them, but I'd long since forgotten about it until recently seeing this used copy for sale in the bargain section at the local Books & Co. I had only a vague recollection of what it was about, and given all the recent craze among USA fans for Korean boy bands, I figured I would pick this up and give it a try at last. This is an interesting little contemporary romance-in-the-works title focusing on idol culture in Korea through the eyes of a fangirl, who's perhaps more than a little confused about where exactly her loyalties lie (or at least, the series promises she will be.) Generally speaking, she would be among the lowest rank of fans for the group she actually likes, and so to try to still get a chance at exclusive access or chances to see them up close, she muscles her way into the early ranks of the fanbase for a rival group. Unfortunately her plans go awry when one of the members of the group she's faking love for finds out she's not actually their fan, and starts blackmailing her. The way this first volume opens, it feels like it's set itself up with a lot of storytelling tropes, but I don't mind. It promises to show a lot of character growth and development, and I think that's part of why I would also class Chocolat as contemporary, instead of just the "romance" genre stamped on the back cover. I believe my one major quip with this book so far is the fact that the last chunk of the book, while there is some of it dedicated to behind-the-scenes and interviews with the creators, the last chunk of the book is primarily a first-chapter preview for another series also originally released by the Ice Kunion imprint. And that...just feels a little ham-fisted. I get it; at the time Danbi and Ice Kunion first released Chocolat and a lot of other similar titles, there was probably a hope that throwing in little previews for some of the other titles in the imprint would generate interest in readers to buy those as well. But honestly, it feels so forced and a bit like a waste of paper. That shouldn't have been so much of the extra padding. Regardless, I'm looking forward to eventually continuing with this series, because I am definitely curious to see where the rest of the books go.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-06-16 00:00:00 Sarah Smith Along with most of Korea's young women, Kum-ji is in love with the band DDL, especially its lead singer, Jin. Unfortunately, Kum-ji discovered the band later than most, and finds that the official fan club is already at full capacity. Unable to bear the thought of never meeting her idol, Kum-ji comes up with a plan: she will become a club officer for rival band Yo-I! DDL and Yo-I are frequently at the same events, so surely Kum-ji will have plenty of opportunities to meet Jin. Needless to say, things don't go as smoothly as Kum-ji had hoped. The primary glitch in her plan comes in the form of E-Soh, one of Yo-I's singers. While absolutely gorgeous, he's also infuriating; he and Kum-ji immediately clash. Things only get worse when E-Soh realizes which idol Kum-ji is truely devoted to. If the truth is revealed, Kum-ji will be kicked out of Yo-I's fanclub, and blacklisted from DDL's. E-Soh promises to keep the truth to himself, with conditions: "Just one thing! You'll have to do *everything* I say. . . " "Everything" turns out to involve a lot of menial labour. As well as having to put up with E-Soh's whims, and various petty chores, Kum-ji also has to put up with put-downs and abuse from other band members and fans: "know your place. . . Who do you think you are?" Volume one has many familiar ingredients: a potential love triangle, subtext between beautiful male characters, rivalries, and plenty of obstacles for our plucky heroine to overcome. It's a solid beginning, but the story didn't really click with me. Kum-ji's experiences as a fan are so far outside my realm of experience that I simply couldn't connect with her. I've never idolized a singer or an actor, and the depth of her devotion towards a man she's never met, and doesn't actually know, was bizarre more than endearing. Perhaps this will change as Kum-ji begins to see her idols as actual people, and her love begins to show some sings of being connected to reality.