Webcomic Book Club Full Reviews of Wish3 by Sylvia T. Leung

A review of Wish3 by Kajamir the Giant Wish3 strikes me as one of those comics that seems like it should be better than it is. Wish3 has a gloomy story line and somewhat pale b/w art... these really aren't selling points. In honesty, I'm not clear what is here. Wish3 seems alright, but falls short of expectations built up at the beginning. I liked the starting premise of Wish3. The lead in story about the young man with the hereditary family curse seemed interesting. But from there, it continues to explore the storyline yet in a somewhat less interesting course of writing. I wonder if this meant the inspiration was limited or too gimmicky to run a distance. In either case, the writing while reasonably put together, seemed ultimately lifeless as a whole effort. The art is, like many things in Wish3, passable but unable to really pull a reader in. I wouldn't describe it as manga or american manga, though. If anything, it reminds me a bit more of a cleaner line version of what's being done in Demonology 101. The characters don't have a very intriguing design either (I don't consider kitsune to be terribly original at this time). Just adds to the lack of gripping factor here. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's really just the drab overall quality Wish3 has. As I've said before, there's a lot of webcomics out there. To be of interest to a larger crowd, they need to stand out. Wish3 seemed by storyline at the beginning it could do that. But the progression indicated otherwise. Lastly, I have to complain about the navigational layout. It's very irritating to read a chapter and then have to back out to the main page to read the other. If chapters must be arranged this way, then it's probably better they not be used to begin with. If the comic ran continuously and thusly lost the covers, I don't imagine anyone would mind the loss in exchange for the smoother transitions. Wish3 gets a 4 of 10 stars from me, partially for it's drab execution and for it's failure to live up to expectations. I can't particularly recommend it. Review by Kajamir the Giant Tue Jan 13 2004 08:18 PM

Well, I actually started reading this eons ago, and have just recently caught up. The storyline is pretty good, but since so much happens in such a short span of time, it tends to become forgettable and so you gotta go back a few pages and refresh your memory. The Story: The storyline is pretty good, though, not your average tale of wishes and the occult/supernatural for the most part. There are spots of predictability, but it's keeping the audience basically on its toes. Despite the flaws, I feel that there's still enough there to draw the audience back in, but at the same time, it's an acquired taste. The Art: Nothing too spectacular, although it seems to float on that fine line of that.. certain je ne sais quoi. Now, it wouldn't be too shabby, except the style, while original, often falls flat, much to the disappointment of its readers. The Navigation: Leung recently incorporated the whole .php, but I personally can't really see a difference. The layout is the same, amongst other things, and some of the navigation buttons are broken. Not very impressive, but we can all get passed that eventually. I give Wish Three a 6.5/10 Review by Meiko Tue Jan 13 2004 05:05 AM

[OOC] Please forgive this random note, but the new 2004 Webcomic Book Club picture is absolutely fantastic. Thank you Furilius and Denise. Now, back to your regularly scheduled review. [/OOC] I've been following Wish3 for a while and my thoughts on it are a bit mixed. On one hand, I love the idea of the plot and how it brings in all the classic elements of storytelling, such as external evils/pressures, true friends, fate, internal evils/pressures, action, background, destiny as something that is changable (i.e. failing when you're fated to succeed), and even some of the light beginnings of love. However, some of the plot elements, such as Basil's family all being out to get him, seem a tad... forced, in a way. The evil sword is so stereotypical that I actually cringed when it first came out, but it is a reasonable human wish, when you think about it. I guess we're just stereotypical creatures.. >_> Looking at the characters, I enjoy them, but they also seem a bit cut-and-paste at times. Not entirely, mind you, but enough that I could, with little effort, get them confused with characters from other manga-esque works. They do have their unique traits, though... Moving on to art... I find it a bit confusing at times, especially in black and white. Not an entirely bad thing, and at least the panels all go in an expected left-right-up-down fashion. The art is usually clean, but can get very fuzzy and conceptually muddy at times, especially during action scenes. My two main comments on Wish3 are in regards to the layout. First, I think that the comic could stand to be on its own page, without frames and just with a simple header and footer. Maybe it's just my current computer, but I was continually scrolling about and wishing that I could see everything at once, to truly get a feel for each page in its entirely, not just as a series of panels connected together. Secondly, the kanji characters used as speech, while interesting, became a little annoying after three or four pages of nothign but them for text. A translation, even rough, would have been nice, just to give a better idea of what is going on. In the Basil/Mitei fight, I don't know if Mitei is being arrogant, righteous, mocking, or just plain "I will kill you!", and some idea of her words would help a lot to set the scene. Overall, I find that Wish3 is a generally good webcomic, and while I will continue to read it, it gets only a Six out of Ten from me. Review by Xenix Mon Jan 12 2004 07:48 PM

Review of "Wish3" Navigation Originally, I couldn't navigate through this webcomic at all. Every link was busted so I just gave up. I did return and though the main problem was fixed, it still has a couple of inconvenient features. There's no Next button to take you from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next. So you have to keep going back to the archive page at the end of each chapter. I tried just keeping a copy of the archive page open but that was problematic as well. The site doesn't allow you to open the comic links in a new window nor copy and paste the comic links. Every time you try to right click on a link, an annoying (and superfluous) copyright notice pops up and blocks your ability to right click. I know this is all minor stuff that has little to do with the comic itself, but it's still worth mentioning. If a reader gets frustrated by basic navigation issues, it can't help but impact the overall experience. Summary Manga-esque fantasy adventure about Basil Toback, who learns on his 18th birthday the evil nature of his family and that he is heir to three wishes that carry a curse. Along with his girlfriend Paige, he travels to another dimension where a kitsune guide reveals how his ancestors have dealt with the same curse throughout the ages. Artwork The compositions were solid with nicely varied camera angles that progressed the story effectively, but the actual execution of the figures and props often seemed kind of sloppy and crude. I generally don't like comics with a loose unfinished look, unless there is really an exceptional energy or zing to the rough drawings. It's a shame, because a lot of the props and background details (such as kitsune Himitsu's lair and the decor of the suburban homes) would have been real impressive had more time been spent on rendering them more fully. Some of the battle scenes had a nice energy, but again, I felt like the art only took me halfway there with its sketchiness. With the exception of Paige, who had a fun array of expressions, I really didn't like how the artist rendered faces. Basil's look was bland and the kitsune Himitsu's face often looked misshapen. Basil's mother looked so young, I first thought she was his sister. The quality of the art did improve significantly as the strip went on. And in the very latest chapter, "Sasayaki (Whisper)", the artist introduced a new wash-like technique that I felt to be the most effective look yet for the strip. The style was such a departure, it almost felt like a brand new artist. I don't know whether this look is just for this one chapter or if it will be the style going forward, but I hope it stays. Writing & Characters The story concept was intriguing but the execution was often overly drawn-out. Paige and Basil spent an awful lot of time just churning over the basic premise instead of moving forward. The author is big on melodramatic pauses where the characters stew in their gut-wrenching angst for several silent panels. It was a bit over-the-top for me. The leads often didn't behave in a way that felt very naturalistic. They would switch gears and get suddenly sassy for a few panels. This was probably intended to be comical, but it came off as jarring given their circumstances. But more troublesome was the fact that I just didn't care all that much about the principle characters. The main four (Basil, Paige, Himitsu, and Gabe) all came off rather dull. I was more interested in following the perky college girl in Gabe's dorm than in seeing Gabe reunite with his brother. The characters in the historical flashbacks were more involving to me, perhaps because they had real life problems and conflicts that I could relate to. I'm not sure I even follow exactly what Basil's real nuts & bolts immediate problem is. It's all kind of abstract about what to do with his wish-destiny. Overall Thus far, "Wish3" hasn't exactly won me over, but there's still enough of interest in the comic that I'd be willing to read more and see if the main characters' personalities come off better once they are more directly involved in conflict situations. The new direction of the artwork is particularly promising. Review by The Phantom Critic Mon Jan 12 2004 02:26 AM

Art: The art was, overall, well done. I wouldn't say phenomenal, but it was clean and well-done, for the most part. Overall, the art neither really drew me or repulsed me...it just was. Better than a lot you see out there, but not the most outstanding. Characters: Hmm...the characters. The premise was interesting, but, thus far, the characters haven't proven to be that interesting. Mostly believable, in some respects, though in my mind, the main characters do seem to come to grips with what's going on a bit too quickly, though that's a minor quibble overall. They also seem in some ways a bit too cliched...but they serve their purpose. Story: Well, the story starts with a fairly interesting concept...but it seems to me that at the beginning they sort of skimped on the possibilities. The parents, the interactions with the real world, and so on and so forth...overall, it seems to me that it isn't really living up to its full potential. Overall: In many ways, I enjoyed Wish3. An interesting premise, fairly good art...it seemed to be all set. Yet...it seems to lack when it comes to actually putting the elements into play, and it seems to me that it could have been a lot better in many ways. Overall, Wish3 nets itself a 6.5/10...and a wish that I could have given it a higher score. Review by Luthorne Sun Jan 11 2004 08:08 PM

Art: I enjoyed the art for Wish3. Though it had some traces of manga influence, so did Rules of Make Believe....and in the same vein, Wish3 doesn't imitate manga. In my opinion, that is. There is an abundance of neck, though, that can be a little irritating...but that's a minor point. Story: A good point to the comic. Wish3 has a strong story, and one that deals with Japan's mythology and history...and in my opinion, does it quite well. I've enjoyed what I've seen so far, and I'm curious for more. The only jarring element, to me, would be the sword that Basil started to use...and how quickly it's affected him. That may become more important, but for now it's just distracting. Characters: A mixed bag, in my opinion. Basil and Paige are developed to me, though I'm a little disappointed with the similar visual design. But a lot of Wish3 has been about the stories of others...and we only caught a glimpse of Basil and Paige before they got caught up in the current story. A little more time with them as 'normal' people would have been nice. Writing: I like Wish3's story, but the dialogue needs some work. Many of the scenes between Basil and Paige seem like retreads of the first one together, and Gabriel's introduction doesn't change much. And while I can accept the idea behind Basil's first wish, it also removes his family from the equation, so we only get to deal with what they've done through flashbacks. I think they could have been more of a force, and I'm a little annoyed that they got taken out so quickly. Overall: Wish3 is, overall, a solid comic. There aren't a lot of flaws, in my opinion, and the story is flowing along...though I worry about the destination. I give it an 8. Review by Benor Sun Jan 11 2004 01:35 PM

Offsite Review Summaries

"Wish3 is a quality fantasy tale that asks serious questions about fate and responsibility." more... Read Full Review by Matt Trepal at Comixpedia Sun Jun 08 2003

Visitor Reviews & Comments

Wish3 (or 'Third Wish' if it is your preference) was somewhat of a suprise to me when I first began reading it, which was around the time when the chapter 'Kaeri' had just come out. I was, for the most part, unimpressed at this point by nearly all that I had seen of what the webcomic world had had to offer. Most of what I could find was severely lacking in story and very rudimentary insofar as artwork. I admit that I had my doubts when I first clicked on the link to Wish3, but as it seemed to be held in high regard by many sites, I decided to give it a chance. When I read the premise for the story I was somewhat intrigued, as I have always had somewhat of an affinity for stories about wishes, however, I was already resigned to the idea that the author was going far out of her league and consequently would deliver a comic which would do a great injustice to the original concept. I was thouroughly expecting something along the lines of an overgrown otaku's rant with no clear end in sight, or a rushed and jumbled plot very poorly pieced together. As I said, I was greatly surprised. The story was well thought out and carried itself with unexpected depth. The first page was seemed characteristically pretentious of a comic which was getting in way over its head. The exposition given in the first few pages seemed a bit too much like a plot contrivance used to give an exposition, but the comic redeems itself almost immediatly. The story was well executed and managed to bait me into to reading on. The entire comic continues on in this way, and one continues to read not only for enjoyment of the comic, but because of a kind of trap which one finds themself in after beginning the comic, as though caught like a fish on a hook, helpless to do anything but resign to the fate of being pulled along until the end is reached. It is a kind of irresistable story which refuses to let go. The main characters are fairly basic at first glance, but Syliva Leung leaves us enough hints to make oen believe that she has only let us scratch the surface of Basil, Paige, and Gabe. There is not enough known about the appropriately named Himitsu and Mitei to say very much at this point, but one can only hope that they will sufficiently support the amount of mystique lavished upon then whence they are finally unveiled. The vingnette characters, thus far being Takeo and Shou, are very well done, and thus far are the most dimensional characters in Wish3. The layout of the site is admittedly lacking, especially in the comic archive. The archive almost seems to be trying to simulate the feeling that one is reading a traditional monthly publicated print comic, in that it can only be read in 25-30 page segments, like the volumes of a monthly publication. The shortfall here is that it is, 1) That it IS online and it IS a webcomic and thus loses the some of the navigational advantages of being such, and 2) That is does NOT come out on a monthly basis, making the archive an annoyance at best. This is especially irritating when one takes into account that Wish3 actually HAS been published. The art had drastically improved since the start of the comic. The beginning was a bit rough and basic, but the art style has matured into its own. Ms. Leung is a talented artist, and the comic flourishes under her now well-developed skill base. The art is very American stylistically, laced with the barest whispers of Manga style. It is a nice gulp of fresh air to see good American comic styled art, as the web seems inundated with webcomic whiose art is either manga-based or poor enough to defy classification. In entirity, Wish3 is a beautiful webcomic, which truly does justice to the struggling genre. Sylvia Leung created a masterpiece with this, and one can only hope that she will continue to produce it at the same level of quality which its readers have come to expect. Though, a few navigational modifications to her website would be most appreciated. I give Wish3, (or Third Wish) a 9.5 out of 10. Review by Dark Glasses Sun Mar 21 2004 04:11 AM

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