Review: ‘Your Letter’ is an Incredibly Hopeful Comic from the Realm of Manwha

Words and Art:  Hyeon A Cho Publisher: Yen Press (Ize Press) Translation: WEBTOON Lettering: Abigail Blackman Design: Ize Press/Wendy Chan Editor: Abigail Blackman/Ize Press Editorial (Won Young Seon, Ju Youn Lee)

When I first read the synopsis for Your Letter in a license announcement, I was hopeful–hoping that it was the very same WEBTOON comic that I had read eons ago.  Finding my way to the Yen Press website–I was elated to…find that it was the very webcomic that I was never able to get out of my brain. This manwha has a special place in my heart as one of my favorite early pandemic rereads and generally a shorter series to recommend and pour back over time and time again. I loved the hopeful message of Your Letter and the way the young main character discovered ways to bond and try their very best in their quest to heal and be the best versions of themselves.  The artist and creator Hyeon-A Cho is currently working in Seoul and made her debut in 2014 with a short story series titled Water tank on Naver Webtoon’s Rookies’s short stories. The following year, she posted another short story, Lunar New Year’s Eve, on the same platform. She received the 2019 Today’s Our Comics Award and the China Jinlong Award for Foreign Comics for the work I’m reviewing today. Currently, Your Letter is in production as a theatrical animation and plans for this English translated version have been underway. While drawing advertisements and cover illustrations for young adult novels, she…