Last time, I reviewed Girls of the Wild’s and Super Secret. This time, I cover Siren’s Lament and Blood Stain.
Siren’s Lament
Siren’s Lament cover art by instantmiso
Siren’s Lament introduces the world of sirens, broken-hearted humans kissed by a siren (mer-person) and switch places with them. In this process, the human-turned-siren forgets their past life and woes as they live an isolated life in the ocean, immortal, never aging, and without needing food or companionship. The premise seemed like a unique take on mermaids/sirens, because it incorporated the mythos of people lured to their “death” by the siren’s song, but they don’t actually die (just disappear and start a new life). However, many sirens eventually tire of their solitary life in the ocean and try to trick humans into switching places with them. They rarely have names, though some remnants of their identities remain as interests or personalities. Sirens themselves hear tales of their origins and The Poseidon, who was said to have designed this gift/curse and periodically calls on them to meet, sometimes granting a new life on land.
Unlike most would-be sirens, Lyra, a young woman content with her ordinary life as a flower shop owner, accidentally fell into the ocean. So when a siren later named “Ian” kissed her as she drowned, she wasn’t pleased at all, because consent. It started out pretty fun and lighthearted with a childhood love (Shon) and a funny, self-absorbed sidekick of sorts (Ian). This story has the common love triangle, along with lost loves and chosen families. It showed the complex web of connections and the character development journeys extremely well, including the challenges. I appreciated the explanations of character motivations and emotions, especially for what I’ll call partial-sirens, as the depiction made it easier to understand. Many episodes included music by Kenny, a great complement.
The pacing worked effectively, though I was getting worried about how the creator could pull off a solid ending, considering how complicated the story got. My worry was unfounded, thankfully. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fan service of shirtless guys and ABS. The comic and characters make fun of themselves, and creator instantmiso even included some Siren’s Shorts with chibis and comedy. The art was beautiful, the story well thought out. I highly recommend this completed series with Daily Pass!
Blood Stain
Blood Stain cover art by sigeel
Blood Stain covers the experiences of Elly, a chemistry graduate down on her luck with jobs, and Dr. Vlad Stein, the quintessential mad scientist. After many failed job attempts, desperate Elly applies for a lab assistant position, despite warnings of Dr. Stein’s creepiness. Extremely quirky and fun, this comic includes mishaps and terrible first impressions. Elly’s inner dialogue shows her overactive imagination. Dr. Stein looks disheveled and disorganized, plus very absent-minded. Meanwhile, both benefit from and bond about Dr. Stein’s chef as the three work to get along. All of them are some combination of extremely flawed but somehow work, especially together.
The art is bold, dark, and beautiful. Somehow, both Elly and the doctor are relatable and endearing. The pacing works well thus far. Early chapters have smaller writing (a challenge to read on phones), but it’s resolved quickly in later chapters. I recommend this fun Canvas comic.
Join me next time for even more Webtoons to read.
