Hard Boiled Angel: Blue Angel 1
Grade 10 Up–This grittymanhwa(Korean manga equivalent) stars a beautiful, no-nonsense detective in the Hard Crimes Unit. Calculating and emotionally distant, Jiran Ha does her job well, using whatever means necessary. She works hard for the respect of her fellow cops, yet gives no indication that their mocking insults ever sink any deeper than her "hard-boiled" shell. In the first two stories, Jiran outwits a psychotic stalker who has been fulfilling perverted fantasies by watching her through her window and investigates the whereabouts of a socialite's husband. Next, the lieutenant's abilities get tested to their limits when she tries to root out the instigator of a flurry of revenge crimes. Complicating matters, one of the prime suspects is her former lover. The final installment deals with gang violence. Life and crime in the city are indeed grim, and Lee pulls no punches in his story lines or characterizations. The art is better than average, but nothing to write home about. Jiran initially seems somewhat caricatured, but her softer side is eventually revealed. At times the plot is hard to follow, and characters are difficult to distinguish from one another, but Lee keeps the action moving, which should be enough for his "hard boiled" fans.–J. M. Poole, East Rochester Public Library, NY