A Country of Maestri

A Country of Maestri is one of the most underrated stories I've had the fortune of reading. Gripping from start to finish, I binged the entire thing in two days, and I'm already looking forward to rereading it. The story is compelling and bittersweet, coupled with two very likeable mains characters and engaging side characters. There's a lot I could go on about this manhwa- the beautiful storytelling, the artist's use of colour, or the characters that evoke such complex emotions, but I'd like to draw attention to what I think is the real charm of this 200 chapter read: that it is a story, andnot a fantasy. I am not alluding to the genre, but rather, the narration. The characters are not slates to be projected on, nor are they written to be glorified and simped for. The world does not revolve around the main character, and the side characters all have their own motivation and thoughts. Characters are not purely 'good' or 'bad. The story is sometimes light, sometimes dark, but ultimately favours no single character. I enjoyed the lack of predictibility the plot offered. While it be was sometimes frustrating, sometimes painful, they also made the happy moments all the more intense. Perhaps this is just because there have been a lot of 'light' manhwa/webtoons that lack much depth (not that they are bad, but they are written with the focal intention of making the reader feel good and being easy to consume, so a different kind of media) but 'A Country of Maestri' is a breath of fresh air that makes me remember why I like reading. The chapter count initially threw me off, but I'm relieved I took the plunge. I hope this review convinces anyone tired of reading shallow, tiresome, formula-like plots to give this manhwa a chance