Savage Garden

One of the greatest pleasures in reading Savage Garden is the eerie and mysterious ambiance it gives. Compared to the other gender benders I've read, I personally find this really unique with its darker portrayal of such genre. Artistically, I was captivated. The characters are pretty and the settings look peaceful. It was indeed the perfect combination with such an intriguing plot. Setting aside the fact that this was a shoujo fantasy, I find the story quite original. We have messed up characters who are living in an era where there's plenty of political intrigues and where most of their fates were already decided - andwith this, our heroine (Gabriel) is no exception. Since Gabriel an orphan from a fallen noble family, it was already long decided that she's to become a maid. But due to some twist of events, she ended up becoming a replacement for her friend (Jeremy) and entered an elite school for nobles. We find out later that Gabriel isn't only trying to cover up her guilt but also desired to live the illusion of being a noble. However, through Gabriel's perspective, we see that illusion crumble down. The place was nothing ideal and was actually filled with people who cared for nothing but their own greed. Personally, I like Gabriel's inner strength. There is no guarantee that she will live by doing such a risk - yet, she still managed to show her inner person: spunky, selfless and kind-hearted. Her actions against the nobles' wrong doings is really admirable and therefore, I don't question why some of the guys were interested with her. As for the romance - I think I'm part of the minority who likes the budding affection between Gabriel and Ray. Gabriel was drawn to Ray more than Euan because they're very similar. Both of them suffered a huge trauma from their past (which is for you to find out) and because of this, they can understand and sympathize with each other better. (It doesn't mean that I didn't care about Euan though. In fact, he has the best character growth out of all the protagonists. But saying anything more about him will spoil the story.) Since Gabriel and Ray were both living in the past, it makes sense that they don't have any future goals nor any motivations to work upon it. Certain factors were supposed to trigger them to change the way they live - and this, I think, is what the manhwa's originally trying to accomplish. However, we didn't get to see any of that cause we arrive to a rushed and inconclusive ending. I don't really need answers to my questions but it would be nice if I get to see what have become of their lives after all that sufferings they went through. Nevertheless, it's quite a surprise that we get a "not so tragic" ending from this artist + I really enjoyed reading this manhwa - so I'm still somewhat satisfied.

At first the manga seems deep with all the main character’s self reflections and all the mysteries and love triangles in the school, however they are never fully fleshed out. In the first few chapters, I’m left confused with the almost lightning speed pacing of the story. In particular, the MC’s actions and dialogue are all over the place and it just doesn’t seem real. The multiple men around her literally look all the same as well. The story is absolutely horrible as it’s confusing and certain actions are never explained in a logical order. The writing seems all over the place and character motivationsare not really well explained or at least I think they’re not logical enough. In the first place, it seems like such a hassle to get a girl to take Jeremy’s place. All of a sudden all the male characters also seem to be interested in the MC just because. However the art is pretty good.

It took me a long time to finish this manhwa because I was dreading the day it would be over. The art is amazing, very korean style but beautiful. I'm very particular about the artwork of the manga I read, and if I don't like the art I usually don't even bother to read the manga. So, it could be said that I was captivated by the art at first. For people like me, this manhwa is full of beautiful drawings, beautifully drawn characters and equally beautiful backgrounds. From the soft eyes of Jeremy/Gabriel, to the mere shoes she wore, it was all enchanting. Everypage made fueled my love for drawing and encouraged me to draw, draw and draw. But if you're more interested in the story don't fear. It's well told. It may be confusing sometimes but it all clears in the end and that is what makes the story so good. The characters all have their unique personalities and they stick to it to the very end. Even when they're all grown up, you can still see the younger 'them'. It's beautiful.