Review: Eggnoid
Many a lonely single girl dreams of finding the perfect sweetheart....longs for Prince Charming to come along and sweep her off her feet.
But boyfriends don't just drop out of the sky... Do they?
Kirana (a.k.a Ran) lives alone since her parents died in a car accident eight years earlier. She is not lonely because her best friend Olfie lives next door and they have been friends since childhood. In fact, he is her only friend... But then he starts hanging out with another girl and shunning her.
She cries herself to sleep. She is alone in the world! Then she is woken by the arrival of a large glowing egg that suddenly appears in her bedroom. It opens to reveal a handsome teenage boy who leaps out and hugs her. Whoever or whatever he is, he is devoted to her. And her heart trembles with desire when he holds her...
A dream come true! Just one small problem, though: he can speak but knows nothing about the world... and when he hugs her he calls her "Mom!"
Ran is torn between her attraction to him and the responsibility to care for and protect what is basically a child in the body of a - very beautiful - young adult. Just like any newly-hatched chick, he has imprinted on her and sees her as his parent.
He has no memory of who he is or where he came from. He does not even know his own name. Ran decides upon the (not terribly inspired) name Eggy. He is naïve but has the ability to learn very quickly
Keen to protect him from any official scrutiny, Ran tries to keep his existence a secret, but a visit from her aunt Diany precludes this. Diany agrees to help and suggests that Eggy join Ran's school in order to become a part of normal society.
Diany has her own motives, however, unknown to Ran. She believes that the origin of the 'eggnoid' is connected to the death of Ran's parents (her brother being Ran's father) and her company is already engaged in researching this possibility.
Eggy is not unique. There are other eggnoids out there...
Eggnoid by Archie the RedCat is predominantly a romantic comedy with a sci-fi premise. Much of the focus here is on the feelings and relationships of the young central characters and Eggy's inevitable social blunders. Ran finds herself in a bizarre triangle with two boys - one a friend since childhood, the other a child in an adult body - with conflicted feelings for both. As she helps Eggy to adjust to life as an adult so she also begins to develop herself, overcoming her innate shyness and reluctance to make new friends.
In the background, though, more is going on behind the scenes as other people strive to solve the eggnoid mystery. Ran and Eggy are being watched and could be in danger...
Eggnoid has over one million followers on Webtoons and was adapted as a live action film in Indonesia in 2019. The story is charming, heart-warming and also has a dark edge. The artwork is superb with particularly beautiful lighting effects, capturing a misty, nostalgic feel to the young characters and their days at school.
Eggy is innocent and vulnerable, but not helpless. As much as she wants to protect him, Ran knows his innocence cannot be preserved forever... But coming out of your shell means facing the sometimes harsh realities of the wider world. And with experience comes the increasing possibility of danger.
He does not know where he came from, yet he knows one thing with absolute certainity: he never wants to go back.
If forces move against that desire, will he be able to face them?
Eggnoid on Webtoons
Zak Webber
Twitter - @sfcomicartist / Instagram - @sfcomicartist
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