This review contains full spoilers.

Various stories tackle the meaning of life— from Berserk’s message on finding yourself to Onani Master Kurosawa’s value of human connection. Fiction is a means to deliver a message; what’s more pertinent than living in itself? So, with the suffocating influx of series telling us about our own existence, how does Ji-Hun Jeong’s The Horizon fair?

The Beauty of Color

The world of The Horizon is a bleak, desolate place. We’re introduced to death, suffering, and hatred from the first few pages alone. Nothing highlights this better than the sporadic uses of color that delicately move the tone. From a muddied, burning red-orange that suffocates the skyline of a forgone city, to the vivid and passionate glowing rays of yellow and green in the heart of nature— color is integral to The Horizon’s formula. Moments that initially seem simple are accentuated and breathed new life by a slight palette change; it’s genius. A cliche betrayal can be turned emotional and dramatic by emphasizing the blood from a stabbing. A flower field reprieving our tired protagonists can feel all that much happier with vibrant gold. From dramatic highs of pure joy to the tragic lows of despair, The Horizon fine tunes and incorporates them into the plot and art seamlessly.

The Pit Stops

The Horizon is about two children simply moving forward. As such, it’s full of pit stops where we explore various lives of those trekking a similar journey. Each one of these attempts to balance an emotional concept to various degrees of success.

The Strange Man

Appearances aren’t everything, so says the girl. Upon being followed by a strange man, the two children contemplate various routes of escape, before sympathy begins to well within them. The more rational, logical boy wants to leave him— while the girl’s naivety slowly pulls him elsewhere. They gradually come to accept him and care for him despite his weird nature, and thus gain an important lesson on life. Which is why it’s so dramatic and striking when an abrupt betrayal happens. With a pan in on the boy holding the girl’s hand, it’s implied the man is a pedophile, which is funny— but also seriously depressing. His depraved attack is disgusting and revolting, and destroys the hard earned trust the series attempted to establish. Just as the reader and boy warms up to this creepy aberration, it takes it all away. The boy’s innocence is betrayed; he will feel these ripples throughout the entire rest of the story. Bright red blood seals his fate, as he continues down the winding path.

The Man In a Suit
Killing is wrong, says the murderer. The suited man is a vessel of hypocrisy, but a necessary one. Day by day, he picks off assumed murderers, cleansing the dredges of society— all while becoming part of the problem himself. The story never acknowledges his clear philosophical pietism; it never needs to. You can sense that under the depressed droop of his long-tired eyes, the man knows what he’s done. Yet, for the sake of a greater ideal, he trudges on anyway. The girl can sense this, and steps away. The boy, perhaps spurred by the want to prevent situations like with the strange man, follows in his footsteps— but ultimately fails. The young boy and the young girl could never hope to fall into such depravity; the suited man is relieved to see it. He lives on with countless regrets, and guides the new generation down the correct path. Saying goodbye to them, and his bloodstained life, for one last time.A Long Bus Ride

Everyone dies eventually, right? Then why, as humans, can we not come to terms with it? We can put on fronts and fool ourselves into thinking we are ready, but we can never truly be prepared. Nothing reflects this better than a long, winding voyage towards death. The first to go hides his sorrow, disease-riddled and in agony. It’s only when he gets off the bus that he shows his internal suffering. The second to go is a writer. As a romanticist, he openly explores his feelings, questioning the point of it all if he simply returns to dust. The third is a cynicist. Unable to take it silently like the first, or scream into the void like the second, she ends it early. The fourth and fifth are in love. It gives them strength to move past their grievances, but deepens their pain as they watch each other slowly fall. The sixth is a father. He places emphasis on love and responsibility, and finds his resolve in a deep well of such. Despite his emotional nature, he comes to terms with his departure, questioning existence to himself but holding it in. All of those who leave the bus grasp death in different lights, fighting to deny or accept it. No matter the defense mechanism employed, however, they all return to dust. With such, the girl marches forward, determined to avoid such a fate.

The End of the Road

The boy and the girl are in love. It’s given them their conviction, strength, and sorrow. Every step of the way is paved by human connection; as lights guiding each other through the darkness, they forged forwards. However, all roads must end. Passing someone simply waiting for death sets an ominous precedent for the two travelers attempting to escape such a fate; it wouldn’t be long before the boy and girl whittled down to just a boy. With an abrupt, chaotic, and striking draw of guns between two similar groups— the depravity and desperation of humanity is highlighted for a brief second. Then it’s all over, and none are left standing but one. So, just like those on the bus, he is faced with a choice. In the face of it all, he trudges forward. Finding solace in the words and memories of a girl who would have wanted him to move forward.

Beyond The Horizon

Reaching a shoreline muddied the dark, quiet greys and blues of a foreboding horizon, the boy stops. Then he waits, and he contemplates, floating among the foam of an ocean— almost to be swallowed whole. Yet something, whether it be the memories of a long gone girl or an internal desire to live, prompts him to cling onto life. So he does. He lives, with ample time to think about and accept the nuances of life. Peacefully and without trouble on a lonely shoreline, he reflects, growing old. Eventually, his world begins to brighten. From bleak greys to baby blues, colors breathes life into his pained life. A comfortable green and yellow invite him towards a camping tent in the wilderness. Only to find loving, compassionate individuals who enjoy life together— and soon, he too, is sucked in. After all the loneliness and despair of his years staring longingly into the horizon, he finds hope and joy in human connection. Meaning in interaction, a happiness buried underneath the muddy sky. Yet, that too, must come to an end. As is his nature, he struggles against such a fate— yet this time, he succeeds. A crown of Biblical thorns coronates his victory, protecting the happiness he so wished to keep. So, coming to peace with his long life, he marches forward one last time: into the horizon.

Love

The singular consistent thread throughout each story segment was “love”. Love for a stranger, romantic love, familial love, love despite cultural barriers, love from Christ— all of it motivates each individual character to do what they do. Those without this ephemeral human connection simply fade into dust. Time and time again, we see our characters persevere through the most hopeless situations. With the end ultimately sending a permeating message, as our protagonist saved and dies happy by love. He sees the bleak world in a new light; he takes Christ’s hand overflowing with the emotion. Some people say this represented him regaining faith, as many believe you can only gain salvation by believing, but I prefer not to follow that ticket. I just see it as his reward for remaining true to his values and seeking happiness for the entire journey; a closing note on the power of love, and human connection by proxy.

Afterthoughts

While some moments of The Horizon were cliched and muddled in execution, it’s ultimately an incredibly raw and emotional story. It’s depiction of grief, finding meaning and life, and human connection are second to none. Subtle details like the circular wound on Jesus’ hand as he takes the man into heaven add depth to the story, and the simplicity of the plot keeps it easy enough for anyone to understand. While it had many flaws and shortcomings I omitted, I’d recommend this story to absolutely anyone and everyone. Let me know what you guys think about the review— it’s short form and not super in-depth like my other ones. Any thoughts on the style as opposed to others would be appreciated; I’ll see you peeps next time.

Spoiler, click to view

The Biblical stuff at the end is seriously so cool. It’s easy enough for anyone to understand while being a very relevant allusion.