Time and Again: Volume 6

by JiUn Yun, 211 pages

There's rent to be paid and clients to help, so Ho-Yeon drags a reluctant Baek-On out to investigate a ghost appearing in a young girl's room. It's a simple enough matter to resolve, but the encounter unexpectedly dredges up Baek-On's most painful memories and breaks his heart all over again.

Owy. Beautiful and wrenching, this. I cried when I read it the first time and then cried again when I re-read it. The series' title suddenly makes sense as we finally learn what weighs so heavily on Baek-On's soul and why he both wishes to die and refuses to kill himself, choosing instead to live tortured by the past and the futures yet to come. Both he and Ho-Yeon have experienced such personal tragedies, yet their friendship now makes at least this one life a little more bearable and their solitary paths less lonely. I can only hope that Ho-Yeon's soul reincarnates close to Baek-On's in all their next lives, too, so the former can keep the latter company through the too-familiar tragedies ahead and, just maybe, help him someday lift the curse that follows him. Hopefully, Ho-Yeon will find his own peace along the way, too.

I also hope JiUn Yun keeps writing such lovely books and that they make it to these shores so I can linger over their pages and sigh happily-sadly as I have over these.

Time and Again: Volume 5

by JiUn Yun, 170 pages

Brought together by their painful pasts, spiritualist Baek-On and his assistant Ho-Yeon work together to maintain the balance between humans and the supernatural, exorcising harmful demons and reprimanding humans who do not treat the spiritual world and its dangers with due respect. The two young men are wise beyond their years, and though long-since weary of existence, a delicate combination of guilt and friendship keeps them among the living. But painfully-won wisdom is no assurance against doubt.

When Baek-On tragically misreads a well-meaning spirit's motives, he seeks council with Soo-Kyung, a heron spirit who knew his father and has watched Baek-On follow in his footsteps. She comforts him the only way she knows how, by telling him her own story and the lesson she has learned, and is still learning, and that he will still be learning for the rest of his life. Spirits and humans are not the same, can never live together in true understanding, and cannot be judged by one another's standards, nor can their interactions with each other. All he can do is move forward, learning from each experience and hoping it is enough.

Set against the rich backdrop of ancient Korea, Time and Again is a series steeped in folklore and reflection and moral ambiguity. This is one of those titles I re-read a few times before turning them in because I want to appreciate as much of the subtle character and plot details as possible. Baek-On appears to be a lazy hedonist while Ho-Yeon seems the epitome of calm, steady rationalism. But extended acquaintance reveals deep vulnerabilities in each of them, as well as sincere concern and respect for one another and their tiny circle of companions. And although a lot of the characters, especially the females, look alike, the art in general is delicate and flowing.

This volume announces that the next will conclude the series. And that makes me a little sad.