In Magic From The Margins, Latonya “Penn” Pennington explores sci-fi fantasy webtoons and Tapas comics by marginalized creators. For the eighteenth entry, they’re checking out Honey and The Moon.
Honey and the Moon
Creator: Meadowdough
Artist: Meadowdough
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: Teen
Platform: WEBTOON Canvas
When it comes to magical girls, the anime subgenre is usually associated with happy-go-lucky girls such as Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. However, what if a depressed, unconfident girl was chosen instead? What if she tried her hardest to resist her potential, until a happy-go-lucky girl befriends her? This is the premise of Meadowdough’s webcomic Honey and the Moon.
One of the best aspects of the comic is the artstyle, which features a whimsical color palette that looks soft and bright. For Anusha, the loner chosen to be a magical girl, her colors are a mix of purple, white and gray. On the other hand, Elle, the happy-go-lucky girl, her colors are green, pink and white. These colors give each girl a unique character design that enhances their personality.
Speaking of the characters, they are intriguing and fun. Starting with Anusha, her lack of self confidence belies a spunky side that is seen from the prologue when she resists Mallow, the sheep magical girl mascot. Despite her rejecting Mallow’s decision to choose her as a magical girl, she clearly has untapped potential. I also like how she is shown to be trying to be better and failing miserably: at school tests, as a sibling and at getting out of bed on time. There is also a flashback in chapter one that shows Anusha as a confident guitarist at one point. This plus the context clues shown in the present day imply that Anusha had something traumatic happen to her that shook her self-confidence. While the reason for this is yet to be revealed, Anusha will be relatable to some readers.
Meanwhile, Elle is upbeat with undercurrents of anxiety. This is shown when she eagerly gets out of bed, gets ready and puts on headphones when getting on a loud school bus full of students. She is friendly, but tries a bit too hard to socialize with people sometimes. As a result, she ends up trying to befriend people who don’t truly like her. This makes Elle’s budding friendship (and implied crush) with Anusha heartwarming. While Anusha doesn’t know what to make of Elle at first, Elle’s genuine kindness causes Anusha to open up a bit.
Last but not least, there is the magical mascot Mallow. Beneath Mallow’s cuteness lies a starry-eyed and somewhat blunt personality. Mallow really wants Anusha to be a magical girl, but soon realizes that Anusha is a bit rough around the edges. Not much about Mallow has been revealed yet, but most of Anusha’s interactions with Mallow are hilarious.
While this comic is still in its early chapters, it certainly has big potential. Not only are the characters compelling, but the artwork is gorgeous and makes you want to keep reading on. If you are in the mood for a new magical girl comic, give Honey and the Moon a try.
Honey and the Moon is currently available to read on WEBTOON.
Keep up with every entry in K-Comics Beat’s Magic From The Margins column by clicking here.
