Saint Marie
Publisher
ADVmanga
Writer
Yang Yeo-Jin
Artist
Yang Yeo-Jin
Country of origin
Korea
Length
4 volumes
Year
2002
Manhwa Fans Unite! Saint Marie GN 1
By David Rasmussen
9th Aug 04  Studio - ADVManga
Age - 13+
By Yang Yeo-Jin
ADV Manga credits
Translator - Jason An
Lead Translator/Translator Supervisor - Javiar Lopez
ADV Manga Translation Staff - Trisha Eggleston & Jason An
Publishing Editor - Susan Itin
Assistant Editor - Margaret Scharold
Editorial Assistant - Varsha Bhuchar NOTE - Notice how this week it's Manhwa Fans Unite and NOT Manga Fans Unite!(?)
That's because this week's selection of reviews are Korean Manhwas titles, hence the name change. Graphic Novel 1
Quick check here. Who remembers the cult classic The Prisoner? The Patrick McGoohan series about a "retired" British secret agent who finds out that the British Government, like the mafia, has a way of pulling you back in even after you think you "left" the "family" behind. The person in question (played by Mr. McGoohan) is kidnapped and deposited in a place called "The Village" which is primarily a holding facility for retired "James Bond" types who know too much. Thus begins a war of sorts, a living chess game if you will, between the imprisoned McGoohan (Number 6) and the establishment of The Village led by the mysterious Number 1 and the ever visible Number 2. How does that tie into this review? Well, in one episode McGoohan is invited to play a living game of chess, as one of the pieces on a giant chess board. And, in a sense, that is exactly what is going on here. It's happening in Aquarian Age, and it's happening here. What is "it"? The concept of secret ageless wars that's been waged for thousands and thousands of years (give or take a few hundred years). In this case it's a war set on a battlefield of 8x8, tilted sideways meaning the symbols of "infinity", waged between the "White" and "Black" sides.... No, it's not a race war. White and Black as in the colors represented in the game of chess. But just because one side bears the White banner does that automatically make them good? And just because the other side bears the Black banner does that automatically mean they're evil? The battleground for this war is a religious private school called Saint Marie (hence the title). This is the third, and seemingly final battle.
The first battle was fought in the common era before Christ, the battleground - Asia.
The secone battle was waged during the Crusades, between the followers of Christianity and Islam.
The third battle, however, isn't as widespread or as major. It is being fought on the grounds of Saint Marie between two forces. And, for the new girl who seems to have natural born powers? She's about to find out she has a place in this war as one of eight "pawns". But what kind of future can she have as a "pawn" since pawns, in chess, often end up being sacrificed for the "Greater good"? Who is fighting this final battle, and why? And how does this girl who finds herself dragged into this strange war fit into the scheme of things? The first moves begin, and the third and final "War" of the chess pieces begin, leading to the first deaths. I don't know. As far as secret wars goes it doesn't seem that bad but still, and this is only an opinion of mine which may not reflect the circumstances of her "role" as a pawn, but if she's smart she'll rebel against the order of this school sized "Village" before it's too later for her, and her life as a "pawn" ends up being brief and soon quite finite in a bad way. And all this for a worthless prize. What? You say the prize doesn't sound worthless? Compared to your life EVERY prize is worthless. Okay. Nuff of my shallow "deep" thought. It's time for my Breakdown... No, no, the other breakdown. Saint Marie Breakdown the 1st
What's Hot? It's a strange enough concept. It's a war based on the rules and regulations of the game of chess. Where death on the "field" equals death in reality. And where the prize is great, but still not worth your life if I have anything to say about it. A page turner to be sure. What's Not? Hope you don't get too attached to the cast! Looks like before it's over quite a few are going to be punching out of this exsistence as the game progresses. Not good if you become attached to some of the characters. Another "Not" is the motivation. I can see how the first two "wars" were motivational in that they took place with lots at stake. But here, in this small space, there seems to be a "Village" style mentality where this war is fought between students with only a "prize" of great importance hanging over their heads yet not much else. The whole set-up seems rather off since the first two wars were fought on such grand scales with whole countries becoming "chess boards" to fight it out on. Like I said before, our girl had better find her way out of this "Village", or at least to "Number One" before she finds her life as a pawn (let alone as one of the living) shorter than she thought it would be. Moments to Remember - It's not as moment ridden as Sweet and Sensitive, but yet it does have it's moments here and there. What to Ignore? - Apparently the last battle of this deep long running conflict is going to be televised on some school ground... why?!? After the first two were such big shingdigs this one's so underrated! Overall? - A few things about the mechanics of this war seem abit iffy, and it's not the time to develop long term attachments to some of the characters because they may not be around for much longer, but there's potential here and I'd like to see where this title takes us when the "War" continues in Graphic Novel 2.
Hopefully there's going to be a light at the end of this seemingly meaningless deathmatch before too long.
-- David Rasmussen 9th Aug 04
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