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Give to the Heart vol. 1&2- Wann

Give to the Heart is a korean romance manhwa drawn by Wann. It is currently being released digitally per chapter on NetComics site, and the first chapters were collected into 2 volumes and printed back in September 2014 and January 2015.


Cover of vol. 1

Cover of vol. 1



The Gist: Earth suffers a cataclysm. Three godlike beings emerge to rule over survivors. Lord Ganok controls all waters. He nourishes nations with rain or blights them with drought. Yet, despite his terrifying abilities, the Water King can’t win the heart of the woman Sooyi because the human heart contains more intense storms than even he can create. Furthermore, Sooyi seeks to fulfill a vendetta…and the power to slay the Water King.



The Review:Last time I read Wann I couldn’t finish it, and I’m afraid that’s going to be the outcome of this series as well. Don’t get me wrong, Give to the Heart has a very interesting premise, and the story seems very promising from the start. However, after the first 2 volumes I can pretty much predict the outcome of this series and don’t really care to read more about these characters.



Our main heroine Sooyi is looking for an item that will let her kill the Water King, who happens to be her husband. Nice, right? She’s furious at him for destroying her village and her people that she loved. She wants revenge. She’s a pretty strong female character and not afraid to kick a little butt, and I really liked that about her. Opposite of that is the Water King, who as a character I really despised. He’s possessive, dominating, and narcissistic. Although they’re married, he tries to force himself on Sooyi. Then there’s the guy who Sooyi encounters named Niroo who has a map she needs to find the item. He ends up accompanying her on her mission, but it turns out he’s not what he seems.



My biggest beef with this story is the behavior of the male characters. Almost every significant male character tries to rape Sooyi at some point in the story. It finally got to where I was like, “Oh look, another guy, he’s gonna try to rape her, too!” Really, Wann, that’s just sloppy storytelling. She’s a strong woman, and obviously desirable, but don’t make every guy in your story an obnoxious prick whose agenda includes screwing the MC.



If that aspect of the story was different, then I might see the plot a little differently. The idea of the journey, a treasure hunt, and revenge is a story element I rather enjoy. The story has some potential, but I think Wann ruins it with the male characters. Watching three gods try to dominate a woman using physical force just isn’t very appealing to me.




Here's a look at some fan service along with line art and paneling.

Here’s a look at some fan service along with line art and paneling.



The Art: The line art is nice. The paneling can be kind of boxy at times, but there are some more dynamic spreads. There’s plenty of fan service as well with nude shots of the Water King and a love-making scene. The cover art looks okay, but I think it’s a misrepresentation of the characters for volume 1. Our strong MC looks rather meek and docile on the front of volume one. I hated that as the subject matter. I think it’s trying to portray the Water King as protective, but our girl can take care of herself.



The Audience: Yeah, not hard to guess from my review that this should be for an older teen audience and up. If you are a previous fan of Wann then definitely pick up this series. I think it would appeal to those fans who love smutty manga as well, like Black Bird.



The Media: Give to the Heart is available in 2 volumes from NetComics publishing. It is also available to read online digitally for a price.

Heart of Manga Rating: ♥♥

Maybe the editors could tell Wann that the rape element isn’t really appealing and cut it back to “almost happening” just once in a story. There are other ways for the males to interact with the girl MC.





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2 Comments

  • I hated Black Bird so much lol and this looks just like that. Definitely passing. Thanks for reviewing it though!

    • yep! Definitely pass if you don’t like smut.

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