Graphic Novel Review - 'The Fox Maidens' by Robin Ha

A feminist, epic fantasy graphic novel - the first fictional graphic novel by Robin Ha, and wow is it impressive.

I admit I knew next to nothing about Korean folklore before reading 'The Fox Maidens', and I admit, too, that what I knew about the East Asian legend of the nine-tailed fox came mostly from 'Pokémon'. Now I am happy to know more and have that rectified. The Korean version of the legend - the Kumiho, or Gumiho, as she is called in this story - sounds fascinating, and ripe for a dark female empowerment retelling. That it is told in graphic novel form makes it even better.

Young Kai Song wants to be a fighter alongside the men in her life, but living in a deeply patriarchal society in 16th century Korea is hard. Her father, the revered general of the Royal Legion who supposedly killed Gumiho years ago, is kind and reasonable, and supports her and wants her to fulfil her potential, and her mother, who is unappreciated, isolated, disabled, and while meek, overprotective, and a traditionalist when it comes to gender roles, nonetheless is wholeheartedly loving and brave, and also wants what is best for Kai. She is a great archer, too. Both Kai's parents are solid, determined rocks to her in a world that hates women, but both are hiding dark secrets of their pasts that will affect their daughter, and her future; her very being and life.

'The Fox Maidens' spans Kai's life (though beginning with the Gumiho myth explained, and social classes explained, then a quarter into the story it is interrupted by flashbacks, and a brief side plot) from her as a ten-year-old to her late teens. Despite everything, from systematic misogyny to enemy attacks and the resulting tragedies, she does become a warrior and bring honour to her family and country. But it is not so simple as that. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that she becomes a fox demon, like the tragic, amoral and cunning Gumiho, and that curse is what the story focuses on the most. It is about Kai's struggles, and desperation to remain human, and determination to break the curse.

In this epic tale, the main human enemies are defeated halfway through, with the rest dealing with ancillary, random bad men in society, and inner and outer demons. Then there is a cathartic, nonaction set piece in the last two chapters, with mountains and monks, all about finding love and redemption.

As epic, flowing, clever, and full of passion and mythological splendour as 'The Fox Maidens' is, it does contain obvious flaws which can be overlooked but I will point out anyway:

Another female warrior character, Sura, who will become Kai's love interest, end goal and nirvana, the answer to all her prayers, in fact barely appears in the book. She gets a side plot - starting with her and Kai meeting once in a fleeting encounter as children - and then she disappears after her "death" until the final two chapters, and throughout reading I was wondering when she was going to show up again. She is vital to the story, so why wasn't more time and development given to her? Sura, an archer, and Kai, a swordswoman, never fight alongside each other; in fact they don't really know each other at all up to the ending which is supposed to be a grand stand statement of their love. Said ending is very rushed and somewhat unsatisfying as a result. It's a good subversion of the 'Romeo and Juliet' plot, with a queer twist, I guess.

Then there's the death of a close member of Kai's family which isn't properly grieved over; a lot of deaths don't really register in the comic, with the characters not acknowledging them after they happen, when they absolutely should. At least some characters who are lucky enough to live past the main arc point are not forgotten about.

But everything else is so good! I love the art, the characters, the mythology, the rich, slow-build progression, and the women who are strong in their own way, and beautiful and dangerous nine-tailed foxes! Above all else, 'The Fox Maidens' is about generational trauma, and women making (and marking) their own place in society, holding on to their own identities, and finding their place in life that's full of love, meditation, self-reflection, care, compassion and forgiveness. Read Robin Ha's insightful afterword note, as she, of course, better words her own history, inspirations and themes.

Kai's father and her friend Gilsung are the only good male characters, and as such the only three-dimensional ones.

Menstruation, called moonblood here, is acknowledged! And it is a major plot point!

'The Fox Maidens' is like 'Mulan', 'The Handmaiden', 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Beauty and the Beast', and a Korean version of Lian Hearn's 'Tales of the Otori' series, and is a far superior version of that. It could have been more breathtaking than it turned out to be, but as it is, it is a winner.

A beautiful, silver nine-tailed winner.

Final Score: 4/5