Geungsi is an action thriller graphic novel series, written and illustrated by Singaporean artist Sean Lam. The story currently consists of two main volumes (check out our review of Volume 1 here) and 2 spin-off volumes, Gangsta, a prequel to the first volume, and Kawaii, a side story set in Taiwan. Sean is best known for his two-part graphic novel adaption of New York Times bestselling Larry Niven’s sci-fi novel Ringworld, and Pope Benedict manga.
Shaun still continues to tread the thin line of his dual alliance with the Geungsi slayer, Meng, and the woman responsible for his monstrous transformation, Alice Wong. However, if he is to return to his normal salary-man life, he will have to make numerous arduous decisions along the way as reality and nightmares begin to intertwine.
Continuing directly from the cliffhanger ending of the first volume, Geungsi Vol. 2 certainly wastes no time in picking up where it left off—offering the same gratuitous action featured previously. Feeling more condensed in scale compared to the initial volume, the pacing feels elevated and moves at a faster velocity than before. Taking place within just two scenes rather than spread out over multiple locations, the story certainly focuses on a considerably action-packed, gripping progression of the narrative as well as character dynamics.
Further developing a grandiose narrative, the manga proceeds to explore the familiar yet exotic style of bloodsucking freak with the instigation of a new element of Chinese folklore, the Xieshi. Crazed monsters who mutate from Geungsi after drinking the blood of their own kind and are a formidable foe to both Geungsi and humans alike. This element proceeds to muddy the water of the different factions at play with the introduction of “Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?”, introducing new compelling arguments for total allegiance to each side and complicating the choice between them.
Delivering in a similar regard to before, the art style of Geungsi Vol. 2 is both simple and meticulously detailed throughout. Whilst utilizing a simplistic character design of more traditional manga such as Kazuo Umezu’s Drifting Classroom, for example, the work’s heavy line art for characters and juxtaposition between the fine-lined monochrome shading provide some incredible depth to the environments—drenching them in shadows. However, a noticeable difference between Sean’s work and Japanese manga lies in the tiny details—with the character’s eyes notably lack any embellished detail and exist as solid white. While this aids in displaying a noticeable difference between the Guensi and the humans they hunt, the missing detail is noticeable and delivers a slight uncanny valley element to the characters.
Intuitively delivering an energetic momentum to the included fight scenes, the high-octane moments seemingly bring each page to life in an incredibly cathartic way. Whilst more static, fixed scenes can feel slightly hollow at points, this element only seems to emphasize the stylised movement captured in a scene’s animated moments.
An engrossingly thrilling continuation of the Singaporean supernatural saga, Geungsi Vol.2 certainly offers readers another slice of monstrous mayhem delivered at break-neck speed. With the expansion of the lore surrounding these creatures, the story has continued to grow in both scale and depth and is sure to continue to do so in the upcoming volumes. Along with Sean’s unique art style, Geungsi is undoubtedly an alluring series that manga fans are sure to enjoy.
Geungsi Vol. 2 is available to purchase from G&B Comics here or purchase directly from the artist’s Geungsi Facebook page here.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.