The Color of Water

Color Trilogy #2

by Kim Dong Hwa, Lauren Na (Translator)

When Ehwa goes to the town festival, she meets a handsome young wrestler named Duksam who's eager to catch her eye. After he wins the festival wrestling championship, he and Ehwa begin to meet, sneaking spare moments to be together. But a shadow falls on their romance when Master Cho sends Duksam away and asks for Ehwa's hand in marriage himself It is then that Ehwa discovers the pain of heartbreak - and that love is always complicated.

In the tradition of My Antonia and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, from the pen of the renowned Korean manwha creator Kim Dong Hwa, comes a trilogy about a girl coming of age, set in the vibrant, beautiful landscape of pastoral Korea.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Manga, Young Adult, Romance, Comics, Historical Fiction, Fiction

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Name (in native language): 김동화

Kim Dong-Hwa is a widely revered Korean comic artist. Since his debut (with My Sky, serialized in the Daily Hanguk, one of the most prestigious Korean newspapers) in 1975, he has become a mainstay of the Korean manhwa (comics) landscape. He is best known for his tender stories and uncanny ability to write from a profoundly feminine perspective.

The three books that make up The Color Trilogy – The Color of Earth, The Color of Water, and The Color of Heaven – are his first manhwa to be translated into English and published in the United States.

“Since I was very young, I’ve been interested in writing and drawing stories about girls growing up, both mentally and physically. I think that the process of a girl becoming a woman is one of the biggest mysteries and wonders of life. And when my mother was sleeping in her sickbed, I looked down her wrinkled face and suddenly realized that she must had been young and beautiful once. Then I started imagining her childhood. What would she have looked like in her 60s, 50s, 40s, and so on? Ehwa, the protagonist of The Color Trilogy, is the result of my tracing back to my mother’s youth.”

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am realizing I am going to have to go on an impossible quest to find the last volume of this series, but seriously SO GOOD.

[Lauren]

I read this uncomfortable graphic novel so you don't have to.
Skip.

[Vishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Color of Water' is the second volume of Kim Dong Hwa's Colors trilogy. The story continues from where it left off in 'The Color of Earth'. We follow the lives of Ehwa and her mother as little things keep happening in their everyday lives, interspersed with the occasional big thing. Ehwa keeps growing as a person and discovers new things about herself and the world. Her friend Bongsoon is her partner-in-crime in many of these adventures.

My favourite parts of the book are the ones in which Ehwa and her mother have long conversations. During these conversations, Ehwa asks questions to her mother and learns new things from her, sometimes they share things about their lives, and at other times they do things together. It is such a beautiful depiction of a mother-daughter relationship. Sometimes we forget that they are mother and daughter and we imagine that they are best friends, till Ehwa makes fun of her mother on something, and Ehwa's mother responds, "Is that the way to talk to your mother?" That scene always makes me smile 😁

There are interesting depictions of traditional Korean culture in the book, some of it fascinating, and others that we find hard to accept if we read it with 21st century sensibilities. Many of the conversations in the story have allusions to images and metaphors from classical poetry, which are fascinating to read. 'The Color of Water' ends in an interesting way, and I can't wait to find to find out what happens to one of the characters in the third part.

Have you read 'The Color of Water'? What do you think about it?

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

AUGH. This series infuriates me now. It's so stereotypically written by an older man. I was drawn to the premise that he wrote this series in response to gazing upon his dying mother's face and realizing that she too must've had a youth... must've had her own desires and sexual awakening. He decided to write what he imagined to be her story. I thought that this would be a feminist portrayal of a Korean young woman's growth for some naive reason.

Having now read two of the three graphic novels, I am frustrated -- at times irate. The story revolves around a widow mother and her daughter in a village. The mother runs a tavern that attracts vulgar guests who make passes at her in vaguely metaphorical terms and constantly talk about sex and their dissatisfying marriages. They're rendered as pathetic and foolish. Flat. Fine. I can work with that because they're minor caricatures. The mother falls in love with a traveling salesman who drops by sporadically on his journeys and sleeps with her before leaving the next morning. He leaves behind a brush each time. The mother pines after him, looking at the entrance with such obvious longing in her eyes that her daughter cannot help but notice it. To make matters worse, the mother's primary conversation topics with her daughter is about how much she loves her and thus wants her to find a husband. There are no other ambitions for her. The language drips with maudlin metaphors about girls being like flowers that attract butterflies -- attractive men (as opposed to moths), etc. I find it ridiculous and a bit embarrassing. Perhaps this portrayal of women is true to the context of the story... sigh... even so, women are much more complicated and interesting than that, regardless of the time period, so the utter flatness and shallowness of their hearts makes me sad and angry.

In the mean time, the daughter doesn't go to school -- there's no mention of any kind of education -- and wanders around the village with a foolish friend who tells her incorrect information about sex and bodies. Ehwa's naivate gets highlighted each time, and every man she runs into seems to comment on her beauty and attractiveness. Even an old man in his eighties tries to buy her off her mother because he's sexually attracted to her. This too, is likely to be grounded in some historical accuracy, and at least he is indeed illustrated as grotesque and petty, but sigh. I still hate reading it. Her sole driver in life seems to be finding a guy -- and not only because she is a teenager. I wish Kim would at least make an attempt to round out her existence by including more than just her obsessive thoughts about whomever she has a crush on at the moment and, like her mother, how much she pines for him.

Kim Dong Hwa portrays these women as incomplete without men -- as beautiful vessels that just long day by day to be loved by a man. There are no other goals or desires that fill these pages.

I will read the final book for a sense of closure, but I am upset by this trilogy and disgusted by the lack of imagination in Kim Dong Hwa's mind about what drives a woman's heart and mind.

[Gus · Rating 3 out of 5]

--- Warna Air dan Warna Langit ---
Plot: Ok.
Penokohan: Ok. Semua pandai berperibahasa /eh //bukan.
Gaya gambar: Ok.

Tertarik dengan kovernya, saya membeli Warna Air di obralan. Beberapa tahun setelahnya, saya akhirnya menemukan warna lagit di obralan juga. Buku dari obralan itu memang... nikmat disantap ya (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) seakan saya bisa memberikan rating bonus karena hal ini /eh.



Saya sudah sering membaca buku yang punya banyak perumpamaan dan penjelasan soal kehidupan. Di buku ini pun saya menikmatinya. Tapi lain ceritanya soal "penggambaran" yang kadang disajikan. Bukan gaya gambarnya lho! Maksudku... emm... saya tidak begitu suka bahasannya saat masuk ke ranah yang terlalu intim / vulgar. Saya juga tidak suka penggambarannya di bagian itu.

Andai bagian itu bisa dihilangkan, saya akan lebih menikmati buku ini. Tapi sepertinya beberapa orang malah lebih tertarik jika bagian itu ada ya? Apakah itu memang "kedewasaan" yang harus digambarkan?
Wah wah wah... ( ^ - ^ ; ).

Tapi kesampingkan itu, saya agak menikmati bagaimana refleksi kehidupan dari mata gadis-gadis jaman baheula tradisional Korea jaman dahulu nampak. Dan kadang, bagian yang mengundang tawa itu memang lucu saat gelombang humornya sama...


...Seperti yang diatas!
[7.3/10]

[Jessica-Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Colour of Water is such a seamless transition from The Colour of Earth that I feel everything I said in that review can be applied to this book as well. The messages about sex, the mother-daughter relationship, the story of Ehwa gradually maturing, and even the heavy-laden metaphors about nature are all here in full force.

Going into this series I had known that it was challenged in libraries for its discussion of sex, but I didn't know what the story would exactly entail. This series is definitely daring with what it does within its genre for young adults. Hell, sex in YA is so contested that people have created the new genre of "New Adult" just so they can write books about how teenagers do in fact have sex and allow themselves to able to describe it in all the dirty detail they want to, without having to market teen sex to adults or explain why sex is being marketed towards young adults.

That's what impresses me about this series. It's about sex, but it doesn't instantly make the jump that sex needs to be dirty. This is a very tame book. The characters are talking about butterflies and flowers most of the time and yet there is still a very honest discovery of sex and even masturbation.

However, the story does have its draw backs that showed through more in this volume then in the last. The metaphors felt more haphazard to me. In the first book there was more of a focus, more of a simple thread that tied everything together. Here we go from flowers, to wind, to storms, to rivers, to vegetables, to butterflies, to moths, to fire, to fire-butterflies. It seemed like anything in nature was able to be metaphor-ized.

Are fire-butterflies even real a thing? They're never shown. At first I thought they were butterflies with wings that look like fire, then I thought maybe it was mythic. (Fire-butterfly! The lost Pokemon!) Then the way the characters described it, it was a butterfly that is attracted to fire, which made me think "moth", but then they say it's not a moth, and moths are used to describe a negative. So I don't know. Can you tell how much this is bothering me?

Now that I've finished this book I will say, fire butterflies aside, I really am interested to see how it all ends. While I was reading I was caught off guard how invested I've become in these characters and their lives. I want to know what happens next and you can bet that I'm putting out a hold for the next book right now. Seriously, right now.

[Sweetdhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remaja

Masa-masa paling menakutkan bagi orang tua kala anaknya beranjak dewasa
dan kalau teman dari si anak layaknya Bongsoon, bisa-bisa saya pasung anak saya karena ketakutan.. kekekekekekekek..

Na'aaaaaa, i won't do such thing..
Kalau saya bisa membangun komunikasi yang baik seperti Ehwa dan ibunya, saya rasa saya tidak perlu khawatir
Komunikasi yang indah
Penuh dengan filosofi dan rangkaian puisi

Ehwa, remaja yang kecewa karena dua kisah cinta monyetnya tidak ada yang berhasil
Yang membuatnya percaya tidak akan lagi ada kumbang yang tertarik dengan kelopaknya
"kali ketiga, pasti kena!"
itu yang dikatakan ibu Ehwa dan entah bagaimana, Ehwa pun bertemu Duksam

Ah, buku ini membuat saya makin penasaran
Walaupun ada beberapa bagian yang membuat saya bergidik ngeri
Tapi saya sangat menikmati hubungan Ehwa dengan ibunya
Terutama saat dengan rapuhnya sang Ibu menceritakan tentang ayahnya

Juga kisah Ehwa dan Doksam
Apakah yang ketigakali ini benar-benar akan berhasil?

Hmmm, kali ketiga saya sudah lewat belum ya?
berapa kali sudah saya jatuh cinta?
ahahahahahahahaha
*garuk-garuk kepala ngeri

But seriuosly, membaca buku ini, saya berpikir bahwa saya benar-benar perlu mencari guidance buat sex education secara syar'i
Agar komunikasi yang saya jalin dengan anak saya nanti, juga masih dalam jalanNya
Karena kemana lagi kita minta perlindungan untuk orang-orang tercinta?

[Kendal · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book novel in the Color Trilogy, Ehwa continues her journey of becoming a young woman and finding her true love. She is discovering her new body and her sexuality. If you are reading this with your child, you should know that there is a masturbation scene but it is not graphic. It is just Ehwa continuing on her path to womanhood.

This book is, also, about the relationship between a mother and daughter. Ehwa’s mother yearns for her own love while at the same time educating Ehwa on first love. Her mother is trying to teach Ehwa how to love with all your heart but without bringing shame to her. It is a very fine line. The love between a man and a woman is described so beautifully. Hwa uses the imagery of flowers and butterflies throughout the book to illustrate love in its purest form. The black and white illustrations are amazing and depict the emotions so beautifully.

There is what I call some girl drama between Ehwa and her friend Bonsoon. Their bickering and petty jealousies are typical for teenagers. It is really amazing how Hwa is able to capture the feelings of teenage girls. He really captures the heart of young girls and he understands their insecurities and curiosity.

For me, The Color Trilogy is a wonderful introduction in the graphic novel genre. I can’t wait to read more with The Color of Heaven and find more to enjoy!

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kehidupan Ehwa semasa remaja, hingga menjelang dewasa. Dimana Ehwa mulai mengenal cinta dan main rahasia-rahasiaan dengan ibunya. APakah remaja jelang dewasa gitu ya? Suka rahasia-rahasiaan?

Si kecilku masih terbuka menceritakan apa saja yang terjadi padanya; di sekolah, di rumah. Tapi suatu hari dia akan diam seolah menyimpan sesuatu rahasia yang tak ingin dibagi-bagi ke siapapun, termasuk ibunya. Jadi, sebelum masa itu datang, kukan membuka telinga dan mata lebar-lebar untuk mendengarkan dia. Kutak ingin kehilangan momen-momen berharga ini.

Baca kisah hidup Ehwa jadi pingin merengkuh gadis kecilku dan mengajak mereka bercerita tentang apapun padaku.

[Ririenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNA AIR
Penulis : Kim Dong Hwa
Alih Bahasa : Rosi L. Simamora
Penerbit : PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Cetakan : Agustus, 2010
Tebal : 320 Halaman


Jika sekuntum bunga berada di dalam pagar,
Dapatkah kupu-kupu di luar menahan godaan untuk masuk ke dalam ?

***
Aku ingin menjadi bara api yang menarik kupu-kupu api,
dan ketika mati aku ingin mati sambil saling berpelukan.
Aku ingin menemukan laki-laki seperti itu

***

Warna Air adalah sekuel kedua dari Trilogi Warna karya Kim Dong Hwa. Sekuel kedua ini didominasi oleh cinta, bunga dan wanita. Air merupakan sumber kehidupan yang yang dapat membangkitkan, menyuburkan dan menyegarkan cinta, bunga serta wanita. Bunga sangat identik dengan wanita karena wanita itu jelita dan harum seperti bunga. Dan dengan kekuatan air bunga akan selalu berganti, segar, indah dan harum.

Perlahan tetapi pasti Ehwa kini beranjak dewasa. Ia bukan lagi kuncup bunga karena kini kelopaknya sedikit demi sedikit merekah dan siap menebar pesona dan keharuman bagi siapa saja yang memandangnya, tidak terkecuali bagi ibunya sendiri. Kekaguman ibu Ehwa akan pertumbuhan putri lambat laun menimbulkan kekhawatiran. Hal tersebut merupakan sesuatu yang sangat wajar dialami oleh setiap orang tua karena orang tua manapun tidak ingin harta nya yang sangat berharga itu cacat atau hilang. Ibu Ehwa berhati-hati sekali dalam membimbing putrinya agar menjadi wanita sempurna. Hal ini bisa diketahui ketika Ehwa dimarahi ibunya karena menyukai aroma Bunga Kastanye. Karena menurut adat di Korea aroma Bunga Kastanye seperti aroma cairan sperma laki-laki.

Selain bertambah dewasa secara fisik, Ehwa sekarang mulai mengerti arti cinta sebenarnya. Jika di sekuel pertama dia hanya sekedar naksir atau hasrat sesaat saja tetapi sekarang Ehwa belajar cinta yang sesungguhnya melalui Duk Sam, seorang pegulat muda. Sementara itu hubungan Ibu Ehwa dengan si Tukang Gambar juga semakin serius. Dan hal itu ditandai dari jumlah pena si Tukang Gambar yang menghiasi dinding rumah tempat tinggal Ehwa dan Ibunya.

Hubungan keseharian Ehwa dengan ibunya juga harmonis, mereka sering bertukar pikiran dan berbagi tentang banyak hal terutama yang berhubungan dengan masalah perempuan dan cinta. Meski terlihat flat tetapi sesungguhnya ada sedikit riak diantara mereka. Ehwa sedikit menyembunyikan hatinya dari sang ibu karena sekarang ada Duk Sam dihatinya dan ia kurang yakin dengan pilihannya itu. Ibu Ehwa terkadang kurang mengerti arah pikiran Ehwa apalagi ketika anaknya itu dengan terang-terangan mengejek kekasihnya, si Tukang Gambar. Tingkah Ibu Ehwa yang seperti anak perawan baru mengenal cinta itu membuatnya sedikit kehilangan perhatian atas perubahan pada diri Ehwa. Tetapi hal itu tak menjadi masalah karena komunikasi mereka sangat baik. Dan Ibu Ehwa senang sekali ketika anaknya menghadiahkan kekasihnya sebuah ikat pinggang. Dan hal itu membuat Ibu Ehwa dan Tukang Gambar memikirkan masa depan mereka.

Meskipun pemikiran Ehwa sering bertolak belakang dengan Bong Soon tetapi mereka masih bersahabat. Boong selalu menilai Ehwa sebagai gadis kecil yang lugu padahal agresifitas seks-nya yang dilakukan dengan Dong Chul sangatlah tidak bertanggung jawab. Dan Ehwa tidak ingin mendapatkan cinta seperti yang dilakukan Bong Soon dan Dong Chul. Sepertinya Ehwa tidak ingin proses pendewasaan dirinya seperti kebayakan teman sebayanya. Ia menginginkan ingin yang terbaik.

Apa yang ditakutkan Ibu Ehwa sepertinya menjadi kenyataan karena kecantikan Ehwa telah membuat mata laki-laki terhipnotis dan menginginkan Ehwa. Hal ini diketahui dari pembicaraan di kedai minum ibunya. Apa lagi ketika datang seorang Mak Comblang yang diutus oleh Master Cho, laki-laki tua yang ingin mempersunting Ehwa. Tentu saja permintaan Mak Comblang tidak mendapat sambutan baik dari Ibu Ehwa karena ia mengiginkan yang terbaik bagi putrinya. Ibu Ehwa percaya ( hal. 213 ) “ … jika kau berhati-hati memilah semua sampah maka kau akan menemukan bongkahan emas diantaranya …“

Seperti halnya bunga perempuan selalu ingin tampil cantik dan segar supaya bisa menarik kupu-kupu. Dan hal itu dijelaskan secara puitis oleh ibu Ehwa untuk membuka kesadaran putrinya ( hal. 14 ) “… jika mereka kupu-kupu yang matanya terbuka sepenuhnya , mereka akan berbondong-bondong menghampirimu… atau mungkin mereka hanya ngengat, bukan kupu-kupu…”. Ketika sedang mengajarkan anaknya membuat api, Ibu Ehwa memberi nasihat kepada puterinya dengan menggunakan elegori kupu-kupu. Karena cintanya kepada Duk Sam sedang bersemi, secara gamblang Ehwa memilih kupu-kupu api karena kupu-kupu itu tidak langsung pergi setelah menyerap sarinya. “ Aku ingin menjadi bara api yang menarik kupu-kupu api, dan ketika mati aku ingin mati sambil saling berpelukan. Aku ingin menemukan laki-laki seperti itu “. ( hal. 292 )

Ibu Ehwa juga bercerita ketika mereka sedang mencuci bersama anaknya tentang cintanya kepada almarhum ayah Ehwa. Cinta ayah Ehwa yang begitu besar bahkan sampai meluap membuat ibunya Ehwa tidak mudah melupakan almarhum suaminya itu. Ibu Ehwa sangat bahagia ketika suaminya masih hidup. Karenanya ia menjadi sangat mabuk dan tidak siap ketika suaminya tiba-tiba dipanggil Tuhan apalagi dia harus membesarkan putrid tunggalnya seorang diri. Meskipun Ibu Ehwa sekarang merasakan cinta yang baru bukan berarti ia melupakan cinta yang pernah singgah dihatinya.

Sepertinya Warna Air tidak selezat Warna Tanah tetapi disinilah sebenarnya kekuatan ceritanya. Karena di sekuel ini kekuatan cinta Ehwa dan ibunya sama-sama sedang diuji. Hadirnya Master Cho menjadi sandungan bagi hubungan Ehwa dengan Duk sam. Sedangkan Ibu Ehwa tengah galau memikirkan pernikahan yang terbaik buat putrinya juga arah hubungannya dengan si Tukang Gambar. Secara bertahap Ehwa harus mengetahui semakin bertambahnya usia membuat hidup ini juga semakin berwarna.

Sekuel kedua ini ini juga masih diwarnai oleh pemandangan alam pedesaan Namwon yang menawan melalui goresan-goresan indah yang disajikan im Dong Hwa. Selain itu referensi kita tentang budaya Korea juga bertambah. Aku suka dengan model pakaian tradisional Korea yang disebut Hanbok, untuk wanita Hanbok-nya disebut Chima-Jeogori. Dalam bahasa korea, Chima berarti rok dan Jeogori berarti jaket. Hhmmm…. Jadi terinspirasi buat gamis muslimku selanjutnya…..hehehehe…. ^_^

ManHwa yang jelita seperti Ehwa…
Jadi gak sabar buat sekuel selanjutnya…
Tapi kok belum ada di Gramedia ya…
Mungkin dalam waktu dekat akan segara terbit….
Semoga… ^_^



~* Rienz *~

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow...this one ended on a cliffhanger! What will happen in the third and final book?

Once again this series features stunning natural landscape artwork revolving around a love story. Young Ehwa and her mother spend lots of time waiting and pining over the men they love. And then there were some unexpected developments (and problems!!) too! Ehwa often has her head up in the clouds if you ask me... Sometimes she seems a tad scatterbrained as she says she is going out to pick something but comes home empty handed! Why? Because her brain is only thinking of boys!

I cannot really relate to Ehwa (as I think some of the stuff she is doing is kind of stupid) but I do find the story fun to read. And these are quick reads as well. Although it did take me longer to read this second book than the first one...

I think one focus of this book is that a girl should be wise and careful so she can plan for a good future. This is set in historical days so they had different rules back then. And a girl's reputation was everything. Yet Ehwa is often walking around at night because she feels so restless. Not very wise at all.

The little footnotes in this series also teaches you stuff about Korea. I do like that. Like one page explains that the jegae is the wooden chair like item that Duksam has attached to his back. It's used for carrying items - even people! Duksam must be strong!

I am eager to read the final book in this trilogy, hopefully tomorrow! How will it end?

[Pixel Queer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart warms and breaks for this story, I love it a lot! The art is beautiful and the relationship between mother and daughter makes me wish I had this relationship with my mother.

[BookishStitcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second graphic novel in the Color Trilogy. Tells the story of what the author imagines his grandmother's life to be like when she was sixteen years old and falling in love.

[Petitpois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Todo queda inundado de una poesía que a dia de hoy empalaga y asfixia. Pero seguimos siendo espectadores de sus intimidades, y de la complicidad madre-hija.

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are a complete delight

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing all three in this graphic novel series, I have to say that I was left feeling a little let down. Color of Water was in my opinion, very boring and a rehash of book one. After reading it, I wondered if I really wanted to bother with the third, but it was just sitting there so I had to finish it. I'm glad that I did continue on with book three. It was so much better than book 2....in fact, I think the author could've just written book one and three and left it at that. Overall, it was an o.k. read and not an entire waste of a few hours.

[alana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Women sitting around pining for men...and talking about flowers...yawn. While this behavior and manner of expression may be appropriate for the time period in which the story is set, I can't honestly say I enjoy reading it. Also, I find male authors writing about young girls' sexual awakenings to be disconcerting and inauthentic. I'm working on the final book in the trilogy now, but I'm not sure it will leave me more satisfied. Perhaps readers interested in traditional, rural Korean culture from back in the day might get more out of this series.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second graphic novel, or manhwa, as they are called in Korea, in the Colors trilogy. As Ehwa grows older and becomes involved with Duksam, a wrestler she meets at a town festival, her feelings about love change and deepen. But Master Cho challenges their relationship by sending Duksam away and asking for Ehwa’s hand in marriage, and that’s when Ehwa learns about heartbreak as well. A lovely book!

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but definitely not as much as the first one. Too much waiting around. Also, I am tired of grand sweeping generalizations that start "Women are...." This book has them on nearly every page, and the fact that they are from women characters doesn't help much. I'm trying not to be too judgmental about their passivity, considering the setting and the time period. But this is a LOT of sitting around waiting for a man to show up.

[Winna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lebih suka yang pertama, mungkin karena Ehwa terlihat lebih lugu, ya..

Di sini, Ehwa kembali jatuh cinta. Seperti remaja pada umumnya, hubungannya dengan ibunya sedikit berubah (bisa dibilang berkembang), dengan rahasia, tebak-menebak, pertengkaran.. namun tetap dihiasi keakraban.

Akhirnya juga sedikit menggantung, membuat saya jadi penasaran menunggu Warna Surga keluar :)

[Miri Gifford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was so irritating compared to the first, probably because Ehwa was older. In the first place, she became such a brat, and in the second place, they talk about nothing but romance. In three hundred pages, I don't think a single character said anything that wasn't about women being flowers and men being butterflies, the wind, or a fire that must be tended. So, so boring.

[eti · Rating 4 out of 5]

#49 - 2013

selain gambar-gambar yang indah, begitu banyak kutemukan nama-nama bunga di sini, hollyhock, tiger lily, azalea, kastanye, lady lily, kamelia, apikot, persik, lonceng putih, peony, lotus, juga pohn poplar, akar tanah, cemara, pohon ek dan tentu saja pohon labu. jadi ingin menanam itu semua.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series, this book continues the subdued tale of a girl learning about what it means to be a woman. The story is a slow and reflective one. The lack of action will frustrate some, but the unusual descriptions and everday moments are beautiful captured.

[Rahmadiyanti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vulgar euy mas****i-nya :(

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best comic I've read in 2012.

[Rohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second volume of the Color Trilogy, Ehwa is a teenager now. She's learning more about her sexuality, and for the first time begins to clash with her mother on questions of romance and marriage. She begins to bathe in private, saying she doesn't need her mother to scrub her back — a family ritual that happened often in The Color of Earth. Her impulsiveness and excitement is a contrast to the mellow wisdom of her widowed mother. Along the way, her friend teaches her how to masturbate — another example of how she learns about her body from someone other than her mother — and falls in love with a wrestler from a nearby village. Ehwa's longing for the wrestler is more passionate and unrestrained than the boys she longed for in the previous book. When the wrestler's master lusts after Ehwa and attempts to bribe his mother with land and money, a cascade of events happen culminating in the wrestler destroying his master's property and telling Ehwa he's leaving the village to earn money and return to claim her hand.

This arc makes it clear that while Ehwa is maturing sexually, she is mentally very much undeveloped. She childishly compares the wrestler boy she's attracted to to the travelling pictographer who visits her mother sporadically, noting how infrequently he visits and that he's older and probably less strong than the wrestler. She tells her mother she wants a passionate, fiery romance, much to her mother's dismay. And she behaves much more impulsively than she ever did before, lying to her mother in the process and disregarding her advice about how she should wait for her man to come to her, not seek him out.

This last point is a reminder that the overarching story is set in a time and place rife with strict gender roles and patriarchy. For example, a plot thread concerning another girl in the village involves her being married off to a 9 year-old boy. While Ehwa's mother in many ways acts as a foil to these modes of thought, she reinforces some of them in more subtle ways via the life advice she gives her daughter. Women must be demure, feminine, beautiful, and reserved. And so on. The story's focus on earlier forms of feminist thought as opposed to looking critically at gender roles themselves isn't necessarily a bad thing — these are things that need to be talked about, always — but it's worth noting nevertheless.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Color of Water is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Kim Dong Hwa and translated by Lauren Na. Manhwa master Kim releases the second in a trilogy of graphic novels that trace the coming of age of a young girl in pastoral Korea.

Kim continues his exploration of a teenage village girl's sexual and emotional awakening and the pastoral landscape that nurtures it. Ehwa, in the throes of adolescent hormones, has seen two childhood crushes evaporate with age and distance. However, an unexpected encounter with a handsome stranger at the summer festival changes everything. The older, muscular Duksam not only wins the wrestling contest but Ehwa's attentions as well, which sets off an adolescent frenzy of lust and longing that Kim captures in grinding detail.

The Color of Water is written and constructed rather well. Ehwa spends too much time moisturizing her skin and trading stale nature metaphors with her mother, prolonging the book's lagging narrative. The masterful landscapes take a backseat to human activity. The narrative does manage to convey the relentless tedium of waiting for life to happen.

All in all, The Color of Water wonderfully continues the coming of age of a young girl in pastoral Korea going through adolescence.

[Adam Duclos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! I misinterpreted the back cover... I thought it was a three books in one deal, but it was the middle book of a trilogy. I didn't feel like I missed out on the first book because having some details be mentioned without explanation made it seem more dreamlike, and closer to the forward that said something about these stories being based on stories from the author's mother. Or grandmother? It seems like this was all a really long time ago, but also after trains existed. So, when the Picture Man shows up, it was a bit confusing, but his presence was pretty clear in context. It's mentioned at the end of the book that the girl's mother runs a tavern though, and that made me investigate further. Still, the book ends at a good spot, so I don't feel like I have to read the third book either.

But yes! Interesting coming of age story of a young Korean girl. It's genderist in some spots, but if you read it as a true story - relaying what happened as opposed to a proposed view of the author - it could be worse.

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I don't know what has prevented me from continuing with this series. I loved the first volume and was really excited for the next volume, but I just couldn't bring myself to read it, despite the fact it has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of weeks now.
This second volume was just as beautiful as the first, and I love the way it is written, a mix of speech, prose and verse.
I do have mixed feelings about the eyes of the characters, I don't feel they are as expressive as they could be, but that is the only fault I really see in this series.
The story feels so powerful and strong, and the characters growth is well paced, their relationships also are strong and relatable.
I do not think it is a series for everyone, but for the right audience I would definitely recommend it (I just can't quite peg what the correct audience would be, it's more an instinct I would get knowing a person and talking to them).

[Athaya Irfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ehwa is growing up. She looks so beauty and brighter than any girl in her village. She met a boy that make her falling in love. Her mother knows it, because Ehwa is her child. She knows Ehwa will married some day. In the same time she couldn't keep her forever.

This book telling about Ehwa and her mother that live alone. Since her father passed away, Ehwa just live with her mother. They lovely and carrying each other. Ehwa knew that her mother fall in love with other man. They spend a night together and it such lovely things that happend.

For a romantic book, I enjoy this book so much. The story is cute, the characters grew up so fast and make a great story. I still read it altought is has slow pace. But I was felt with the ilustration, read it again, again and again.

I really love this one.