by Alison L. Roberts

Sixteen-year-old Sey Hongo awakens early one morning to movers and to some exciting news from Mom: I'm moving to Italy! For five years! And, by the way, you'll be moving in with one of my friends who's always wanted a daughter!!

Her new family, the Kangs, seem normal enough … at first. And what Sey initially thinks may be a welcome change from her flighty, irresponsible mother turns out to be much more complicated than she is capable of imagining.

I.N.V.U. ("I envy you") by Kim Kang Won, is a release from TOKYOPOP that has the distinction of being the first girls'-oriented, Korean graphic novel (manwha) published in the United States. (Note: Since it is Korean, rather than Japanese, these pages are presented in their original, left-to-right format.)

The title, an acronym of sorts, can be used to describe various members of the manwha's cast — Innocent, Nice, Vivid and Unique — but it also defines, in many ways, the relationships and perceptions that unfold as quickly as gossip spreads through high school halls.

Although Sey is cute, her classmates regard her as an "ice princess" who doesn't like boys. (Of course, they don't know about her secret crush on twenty-something homeroom teacher/family friend, Mr. Cho.) Her new sibling "Terry" is abrasive and outwardly hostile to her and, well, almost everyone. Her flirtatious and boy-crazy friend, Rea, starts going out with the handsome, school bad boy, Siho. He becomes Sey's rollerblading coach so she can keep her new, part-time job at the gas station. Her other friend, funky, cosplaying Jae Eun, likes the guy who works at the local bakery. And surprisingly, Mr. Cho has a past connection with "Terry," to whom he refers as "Hali."

Kim Kang Won's art, full of finely drawn lines, dramatic screentone accents and fashion sense, is very of the moment and fittingly depicts the vibrancy of her characters, who are all likable, despite (and because of) their quirks.

No supernatural beings or robots here. I.N.V.U., Volume 1 is a good, old-fashioned melodrama, executed with a modern sensibility that fans of domestic shoujo manga offerings will be sure to appreciate.