Fox Sister

[rocketpony]

On sober self-reflection I realized I'm just a spiteful old jerk who only posts to complain about comics. But there are cool and fun comics on the internet, I feel. Consequently, I want to point y'all to Fox Sister, first page here.

I think it's a pretty nice comic! I'm a fan of how the artist does faces, especially in the last panel of the most recent update (this one, for posterity). I also like the scripting -the way that Yun Hee and Alex bounce off of each other.

The story's progressing slowly, since there's just the one update per week, but I look forward to Thursday nevertheless. Also there's not too much to the archives right now, only fifty pages. So, it's a good time to rock on through the archives and see how you feel about it!
The end.

[TheLaughingMan]

Here I was thinking it would be some random furry comic I could poke fun at.

Hoo boy was I wrong.

[Domochevsky]

Hmyes, this is not something to casually poke fun at. Oh my. :O

[Eric Tolle]

Fox Sister is a beautiful comic, made more so by being about the Korean interpretation of fox spirits as evil demons. The characters are engaging and he plot is interesting, and the art is excellent. I'm looking forward to see where it goes.

[Tavar]

Fox Sister is a beautiful comic, made more so by being about the Korean interpretation of fox spirits as evil demons. The characters are engaging and he plot is interesting, and the art is excellent. I'm looking forward to see where it goes.

This. Basically, this.

[Imgran]

It didn't manage to pull me in, but it's good work. I might check back in a few months to see how things are going.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Added!

Yes, they are depicting Korea quite well, although a bit dated. But since the story is set in 1968-1969 or so, it is to be expected.

The veterinarian's building looks quite a bit like the 121st Medical Center at Yongsan. I read a few things the author posted, she lived in Korea near Yongsan for about 9 years, in Itaewan. But I don't know when the 121 Hospital was built, so it could be one of many buildings in that area.

I watched the romantic/comedy series My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (9-Tailed Fox), so I'm quite curious how this will play out. The 9-Tailed Fox is a common enough myth in Korea, but there are always variations on a theme in any story. This one seems a bit more "traditional" than the TV series.

[Neon Knight]

My review of Fox Sister as of Chapter 2, Page 11 (4/1//2012):

I'll begin with a caveat. Obviously, it's a bit earlier to say anything definitive, as there are only 50+ pages up of comic thus far. There's plenty of time for this to all to change. Still, I felt like saying something, so....

Fox Sister is a beautifully drawn, well conveyed story that so far appears to be an effective, in conventional, plot about a scarred, emotionally distant and cold character being warmed up and taught the joy of life by an optimistic, good natured opposite, all while seeking revenge on the monster that scarred her in the first place. There's a bit of extrapolation and guessing there, as the comic has not gotten quite that far, but that does appear to be where it is headed.

The art is very good; Downright beautiful, even. There's obviously some degree of effort and craft into this, with some nice backgrounds, excellent coloring, great flow of sequences, good use of motion, and some pretty decent "effects" work. I think the facial expressions are indeed a highlight, as some others have pointed out.

In terms of character and plots, there's a bit less that can be definitively said, but I do like what is there so far. The dialogue feels effective, fairly natural, and flows pretty well. The art really helps the story; the expressiveness of the images lends impact to the words, really helping to convey things like a character's tone when speaking.

As for the plot... well, Cho Yun Hee is cold, pushing others away, probably due to the trauma of her family's murder and the demoness impersonating her sister. There are hints that she's actively hunting said demoness, such as keeping a blade, being a practitioner of the/a traditional Korean religion, and actively passing out a picture of said demoness. I've seen this sort of character before. It's very possible she's a character we've seen before, driven by revenge, and missing out on any sort of happiness as a result of her emotional scars and the single minded nature of her quest for vengeance.

Enter Alex, the cheerful, good natured American ex-serviceman (by the way, I guessed that he was an American ex-serviceman from his very first appearance. Just made sense in the context of the setting.) who makes every attempt to be friendly and continues to go out of his way to do so, despite being coldly and rudely rebuffed by our heroine. And hey, their interactions are entertaining and interesting enough, even if they seem similar to a pattern I've seen before.

That's how I'd describe Fox Sister overall, at least thus far. There's nothing that reinvents the wheel, or will really blow your mind, or even cause you to stop and rethink things for a little while. It is however, very well executed, and there's something to be said for a conventional story that is pulled off well. Not everything has to be new, or has to try and defy conventions, or provoke amazing, deep questions. Sometimes you just want to see a pretty, sympathetic and emotionally injured girl overcome her pain, put her demons to rest, and learn to smile, with the help of an amiable, good looking friend/potential love interest. That's what Fox Sister looks like it might be heading for, and that's a pretty darn good thing to be.

And of course, there's always the possibility that there are some major curve-balls ahead and we're headed somewhere completely different. Either way, I'd say that this is a webcomic to watch. Give it a try.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Two page update since she missed one on Tax Day.

Nice full panel for the second page, delicious liver. Just what a Gumiho likes to eat!

Definitely NOT the light, romantic comedy that My Girlfriend is a Gumiho was!

I'm still a bit confused on Alex's status. If he's an ex-serviceman, he doesn't need to salute the doctor. If he's on active duty, his hair is not really within standards!

A few pages later he does say "When I was in the Army..." Maybe saluting is a habit he hasn't quite dropped. Or maybe he's a Reservist living in Korea.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Hmm... I just can't let this slide off the radar. This is a seriously good story set in South Korea during the late 60's/early 70's.

I wish it posted faster than once a week, but I wish that of all the comics I read!

[The Glyphstone]

Here I was thinking it would be some random furry comic I could poke fun at.

Hoo boy was I wrong.

I was expecting commentary on the comic Fox Trot and Paige Fox, the sister character. I'll have to take some time and see what's actually going on.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

The mystery deepens.

Also, for those who like Japanese manga, how does a Korean gumiho compare to a Japanese kitsune? I'm living in Korea so I'm a bit more familiar with Korean pop culture legends.

[Domochevsky]

Good comic, yet so slow...

But i wonder, why is he going "buwah?" in the last panel? Is the sight of her... uh blessing the place really that unusual?

[rocketpony]

Good comic, yet so slow...

But i wonder, why is he going "buwah?" in the last panel? Is the sight of her... uh blessing the place really that unusual?

He was talking earlier about Mudang like it was part of the Exotic Orient, so maybe it's just that he didn't expect to see a priestess just crack out some ritual outside of a cultural festival or a temple or somesuch.
Or maybe he's just entranced by her beauty in the fading light~

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Woot! It's back!

And there's a curious thing... Alex knows Yun Hee's sister? And he's still alive and uneaten?

[rocketpony]

Woot! It's back!

And there's a curious thing... Alex knows Yun Hee's sister? And he's still alive and uneaten?

Oh man I'd given up this week too! Nice catch.
But Alex has already been seen with the lady in question.
As for why he's uneaten - I dunno man, Dracula let Johnny Harker flap around in his castle forever without killing and eating him. Maybe it's a similar thing here, where she's hoping the American can get her out into the wider world?

[Glass Mouse]

This comic is a gem. Glad to see a thread here

[Domochevsky]

Tsk, and here i thought it hadn't updated anymore... but it turns out it's just the page 20 Next link being broken. >_>
(Things are getting heated up now. Oh my. :O )

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Uh oh!

Shaman is clever, Fox is cleverer...

[bioniceyedsnail]

I really like this. The art work is great especially the detail in the backgrounds.

[Domochevsky]

Jeez, she's going at him. Quite passionately, too. >_>

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Jeez, she's going at him. Quite passionately, too. >_>

Yes, it's called "Hot Kim-Chee Temper."

I mentioned My Girlfriend is a Gumiho in the beginning of this thread. Now I'm watching two K-Dramas that have some of the aspects in this strip:

Arang and the Magistrate
The Thousandth Man

Arang is a kuishin (ghost), trying to find out who murdered her. The Seals Yun Hee made to protect Mrs. Park are similar to the ones in Arang.

The Thousandth Man is a gumiho story closer to this one, but I think it will turn a bit softer as the story progresses. Gu Mi Jin is a gumiho who has to eat the livers of 1000 WILLING men to become human. She has 999 down, with one to go... Her mother and sister were less picky and are already humans, but Mi Jin wants to stick to the rules for some reason.

Try Googling the names if you like K-Dramas, or have an interest in this type of Korean tale. They are available with English Subtitles.