Under the Oak Tree Online is a Korean webtoon written by Kim Suji, illustrated by P, and adapted by Namu.
It’s a flawless love story of the flawed.
The Premise:
“Under the Oak Tree” is the story of Riftan Calypse and Maximillian Croix. Riftan was a mercenary, but he became the captain of the Rembrandt Knights. Maximillian Croix, the abused first daughter of the ruthless Duke of Croix. Riftan Calypse and Maximillian Croix got married by circumstance, but Riftan left her the next day. Three years later, Riftan came back as a famous commander. He came back as an illustrious commander who was famous for defeating the Red Dragon. Now he has come to get Maximillian and take her home. Overcoming the struggles of their lives and difficulties, they both end up falling in love as they slowly discover the truth about each other.
The main characters:
Maximilian Calypse is a lovable character in spite of her struggles. As the story progresses, we learn that Maxi has a stutter which makes it difficult for her to communicate with others. This impediment results in discrimination from her only living parent, who subjects both physical and mental abuse onto poor Maxi.
The Duke’s cruel abuse had left her with emotional scars that were too deep and ingrained in her personality, so she would never find someone who would adore and care for her. The fact that she stuttered and lacked the social skills to express herself made it more difficult for the considerate lady to say what was on her mind.
Riftan Calypse clearly regards Maxi as more than just his wife of convenience. The difficulty was that even though Riftan was a good-looking and strong knight, he was a complete oaf when it came to women. They’re both quite inexperienced in love and on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Romance in the story:
Both characters have their own unique set of flaws, but one of the main issues is that they’re both too afraid to communicate with each other. Even a blind person can see that they would be perfect for each other. Sure, sometimes it gets frustrating to read, but at the same time, that’s what gets readers hooked on the series. The rising tension and awkward moments between them are what make fans cheer and root for them and captivate the audience into dwelling deep into their journey—even crushing the frustration of cliff-hangers we usually get in these manhwa and manga stories.
Because of their innocence, their love seems so pure it makes readers want to cry.
Although it is a sweet series, don’t be deceived–it’s also quite hot. Many sizzling scenes between Riftan and Maxi will make readers blush and swoon at the same time. Even though the dialogue sometimes borders on being cheesy, it still works because of how well-developed the characters are.
Riftan and Maxi look so perfect together, and Riftan’s desire to protect her and give her everything is very touching. Maxi is slowly trying to fit into her role as Lady of Anatol. Still, her fears often make her unsure of her position in Riftan’s life (no matter how he shows her how much she means to him).
The background World:
It’s fascinating how much information the readers are already given about the world. The currency, economics, and even the world’s setting aren’t that unique — it’s a fantastical realm inspired by European medieval history and feudalism.
The Phenomenal Art:
When it comes to artwork, manhwa and manga are superior in comparison to their Western contemporaries. When compared to Western comic publishers, more often than not, what you see is what you get with regard to the art style. Every time this happens, it throws everyone off. The lines and forms of the characters in this series appear very basic, but they’re utilized tremendously effectively. There are a lot of unique textures used in one panel alone.
The selective use of lighting throughout the film is Spectacular. It creates an epic feel to scenes, especially those with magic- a key component in this fantasy world full of dragons and mages.
Final thoughts:
This is a wonderful series to read, and I’d like to add the following lines: Under the Oak Tree is a beautiful, pleasurable book with a lot of potential right now. This isn’t the last time you’ll hear anything fantastic about this trilogy from me or any sane fan.
