Description
A young man finds and returns a lost wallet and cell phone to a beautiful young lady, thus begins the destined relationship between two strangers. Sound typical? Well then, how about making the young lady the young man’s future homeroom teacher, and give them both a twisted sense of right and wrong. And just for kicks, let’s have the young man help himself to a self proclaimed reward from the lost wallet before returning it… but of course, this scenario wouldn’t be complete unless the young lady was very unforgiving when it came to teaching one of her students a lesson on morals.
Author
IM Dal Young
Artist
Lee Soo Hyun
Year
2005
Genere
Comedy Drama Ecchi Mature Romance
Characters
The story centers around Myung Jin-Ho, a 19-year old High school Senior. A rebellious, free spirited youth, Jin-Ho prefers doing things his way. His gruff attitude and loud mouth have earned him the disdain of many of his peers, but also the undying respect and friendships of others. In addition, he believes that as a man, he has a duty to stay true to his word and see things out. This sturdy dependableness (despite his boyish stubbornness) has allowed him to create a film studies club at his school and attract the attentions of some of his female classmates…The other main character in UxU is Nah Hae-Young, Jin-Ho’s homeroom teacher. Due to unfortunate childhood consequences, she has had to grow up too early, and has lost her ability to trust men. At 25 years old, she is cold, uptight, and strict, taking her job extremely seriously. In contrast to her modest job and tight personality, Hae-Young is extremely attractive. This has lead many to wonder why she chose to become a schoolteacher instead of a model or actress. Due to a surprising mishap, Hae-Young finds herself in a multitude of compromising situations involving Jin-Ho. The two of them continue to run into each other in awkward events, as Hae-Young slowly begins to wonder if she has feelings for her spunky, upstart student…
Supporting characters in the story include Ha Ji-Soo, the bubbly class president; Lee Young-Gi, Jin-Ho’s best friend since middle school; Un Ami, a shy, enigmatic loner; Park Jae-Kyung, Jin-Ho’s upperclassman (in college now) who he apparently dated in the past; and Caroline, a mysterious foreigner who has returned to Korea to settle some unfinished business.
Plot/Story
Unbalance x Unbalance (also known as Unbalancex2) is a rather odd amalgamation of multiple romance/ecchi plots. At first glance, it seems most similar to Onegai Teacher in that it explores a romantic relationship between a high school boy and his teacher. The similarities end here, however. Whereas Onegai takes a more lighthearted, comic turn with its aliens, explosions, and absurd marriage proposals, UxU takes the progression more seriously. Characters act more realistically and rationally, while romantic elements are far more strained and conservative. From a broader perspective, UxU appears to be a classic harem story– multiple girls fall for central character, but upon closer inspection, that’s not at all the case.Readers more acquainted with writer Im Dal Young’s work (Zero, Black God), however, know that he is not the kind of author who usually writes lighthearted romances. UxU is not an exception. As the plot is more serious, it’s clear that the underlying theme is that of exploring a relationship considered “taboo” by society. Hae-Young is a teacher– Jin-Ho’s teacher, no less. For them to fall in love with one another should be wrong in all ethical and scholastic contexts. Underneath the social barriers, however, the reader begins to wonder whether that is indeed the case. Jin-Ho, who lives his rambling youth to the fullest, finds a role model and life guide in Hae-Young, due to her strong persuasions and self-sacrifice for her ideals. Hae-Young, on the other hand, discovers a second youth (a la Never Been Kissed) through her escapades with Jin-Ho, perhaps coming over her age-old fear of rejection and the close touch of others. In short, a couple, claimed to be the worst coupling by social norms, may actually be the best possible combination for each other.
Drawing Style
The drawing style seemed a bit odd to me at first since this is a Korean manhwa, not a Japanese manga. As such, character designs seemed a bit curvier and broader than I’m used to. Comparisons aside, however, one must note that Korean and Japanese comics come from completely different origins, and as such, it is only natural to see a difference in character modeling. One aspect certainly stands out, though– the curves. There are plenty of them on the female characters, and my, what curves they are =D. I’d elaborate, but let it suffice to say that the gravitational field generated by the busts of the leading characters could support a small solar system ^^. To note, the wider frames actually make the art somewhat more believable, since it avoids the “melons on a stick” style often seen in Japanese art. In addition, the landscape artwork is also well done, and key dramatic moments are certainly emphasized by appropriate city elements.
Enjoyment/ Overall
Overall, I feel that UxU appeals to most readers because it can be enjoyed on multiple levels. Most superficially, there’s some great fanservice, since the girls are all really cute and Jin-Ho occasionally runs into some hilarious ecchi scenes. In addition, there’s a soap opera-style drama that runs in the background, since multiple (many, many) love triangles develop and connect many characters (while still coming out as believable). At the bottom of it all, though, there’s a certain charm in seeing Jin-Ho slowly melt the frozen heart of the teacher. UxU evokes many emotions, and should not be missed!
Groups Scanlating
Korean Manga Translations
From
http://www.mangaupdates.com/
Other links
http://otakuism.animeblogger.net/?p=976
http://anime-sensei.blogspot.com/2006/10/unbalance-x-unbalance.htm {link da dove scaricare le scanlation}
