Under the Oak Tree Mixes Magic, Intrigue and Relationships
Under the Oak Tree Mixes Magic, Intrigue and Relationships
by Danica Davidson
December 1, 2024
In Under the Oak Tree, Lady Maximilian, or Maxi, is forced into a marriage that will benefit her father politically. The father is abusive, and Maxi has no self-esteem, feeling especially guilty that she stutters, something her father finds abhorrent.
Her husband, Riftan, is a knight, and he leaves her the day after their wedding and doesn’t return for three years. At this point he’s become a war hero, and he wants to take Maxi back home with him. And because this is an escapist read and not real life, Maxi gradually discovers that Riftan is a good man, very different from her father. Much of this first book is dedicated to them getting to know each other.
But that’s not all that’s going on. In this medieval European-esque setting, where many characters have long and exotic names, there’s all sorts of political intrigue going on in the background. At first the talk of politics mainly seems like background noise, an excuse to get the two main characters together. But as it goes on, it develops more, and it appears that Under the Oak Tree might turn into something more complex than it initially seems. There are also quite a few mystical animals in this world, as well as magical powers.
Maxi grows as a character throughout the volume, and there are hints she might be good at magic. Under the Oak Tree, which is a Korean comic based on a novel, is packaged as a very handsome hardcover with lush, fully-colored illustrations inside. The art is stylized in a way that fits with the story, glittering when it shows magic, and displaying Maxi and Riftan at such exaggerated different sizes that it really ups the levels of sexual dimorphism.
Wherever Under the Oak Tree goes from here, the first volume is engaging, relatively simple (though with hints that might change) and reads at a quick pace. This contains the first 24 episodes of the webcomic and is more than 400 pages. Inklore is also publishing the original novel series.
Original Story: Suji Kim
Adaptation: namu
Art: P
Publisher: Inklore
Translator: Sena
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
