We think we have been pretty upfront and evident about our love for Suji Kim’s Under the Oak Tree. Namu and artist P adapted the story for Manta Comics in January 2021. From there, it went on to become one of the biggest series on the platform, netting Kim a Remance Webnovel Award for her work. Over the years, we have binged the series on Manta Comics but have always told ourselves we would eventually read the novel.
And we finally have. Inklore and Manta Comics recently collaborated to release Under the Oak Tree Volume 1, which covers chapters 1-76 of the webcomic series through Kim’s words. It is, without a doubt, a beautiful book. The cover features Maxi, beautiful painted edges, and some fun extras inside. But did the written novel live up to our love of the webcomic?
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A Story Told Through Many Forms
What we loved the most about reading the novel version of Under the Oak Tree was that it felt like a warm hug. The love story between Maxi and Riftan hasn’t changed. We still get to watch how they find their footing after being apart for so many years and learn to find love within each other. It shows how the two grow together and on their own through the trials of their relationship.
The novel’s form relies heavily on painting a picture of what we are unable to see visually, and it doesn’t miss a beat. Even if we didn’t know what the characters, world or scenes looked like, the descriptions do a fantastic job of helping to build it. It also helps to balance out the flow of the writing style. The character dialogue, scene settings and descriptions never feel clunky or heavy. It’s a dance that some books either master or fail, and Under the Oak Tree masters it.
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Fairy Tale Love and Max’s Growth
In previous reviews for Under the Oak Tree, we’ve shared how much we love the connection between the main characters, Maxi and Riftan. Their marriage starts as an arranged marriage, which is pretty common in fairy tales. It’s a rough start that leaves quite a lot for the two to overcome as the story progresses. It does a well enough job not to erase the struggles with fluffy happy moments. Maxi continues to deal with her struggles, and while she and Riftan grow together, it’s her growth on her own that we love most.
One thing that we felt changed from the webcomic to the novelization is Riftan himself. He isn’t as likable this time around as he has been in the webseries. It can be hard to write a grumpy, stern type of character without everything they say or do feel like it’s coming from anger. Where in the comic version, we can visually see a softer side because it can be drawn that way. With this just being the first 76 chapters of the series, we hope the second volume finds him more redeeming.
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Online? Physical Webcomic? Or Novelization?
With so many ways to enjoy Under the Oak Tree, where should one start? If you are a longtime webcomic reader, we suggest checking out the series on Manta Comics. It’s worth picking up if you would love a physical copy. And if you find that you enjoy reading your romance and fantasy through words over comics, this novelization is a great place to start. We do suggest checking out the trigger warnings before beginning. We found, for us, that the webseries does a better job of handling the darker tones within the story than the novel.
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
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