(AfroGamers.com) Chinese manhua and Korean manhwa are also gaining popularity thanks to efforts of scanlators–scan and fan translation. Before the main thing you could get out of the scanlator scene was manga that hadn’t been translated into English. So imagine my surprise when I came across some pretty dope comics that were everything I’d hope for.
One of those is Peerless Dad, a Korean series by the writer-artist team of Noh Cyungchan and Hyun Suk Lee. A pretty new series, it has some of the best artwork I’ve enjoyed from a series outside the West and a great story about a father and martial artist who has to raise his triplets alone. I’m a big fight scene buff and Peerless Dad doesn’t disappoint.
Young Noh
The series starts with a young, ambitious martial artist named Noh who is the son of another somewhat locally renowned martial artist. His father is a humble man who only wants Noh to be happy in life and to do well with the skill he has. Noh wants none of that. He wants to be remembered as being a great man with all of the wealth and comforts that come with it: a big house, three wives, and seven concubines.
He sets about becoming stronger but is never able to actually beat his father. He also attempts to enter the world of martial artists–Murim–in a failed attempt. Beyond that, his years of training has resulted in him being incredibly strong, fast, and able to take a lot of punishment.
The thing about his training his that while he received formal martial arts training (he even forgets his master’s name), he never considered himself a martial artists and views them as being on another level after his defeat in Murim. As a result, whenever he defeats trained assassins or other martial artists he believes martial artists in general to be weak.
One of the only jobs for Noh with his skills is as a fighter so he takes up work as a “problem solver.” While there is no actual name for this job in folklore, he would be the local who went to fight bandits or wild animals in kung fu films. He would be considered a local hero but since he gets paid for these bounties, he is simply referred to as a “problem solver.” Noh is actually the best in his field since he’s never been defeated but approaches his reputation somewhat humbly. That said, he never fails to bring up that he is an “S rank problem solver.”
The Peerless Dad
In his late 20s, Noh meets Mira, a young woman of well upbringing. She is respected by everyone in the town and Noh doesn’t see what she sees in him. Once they are married, he takes on a series of normal jobs to support them while also trying to give her what he wants her to have. Like Noh’s father, Mira is extremely humble and pleased that he puts in effort for them regardless of what he makes.
This changes Noh’s personality and he becomes humble himself. Two other events would change him further: the birth of their triplets and the death of his wife in childbirth. Left to raise their children on his own, he immediately goes to find more work as a problem solver but can’t find anything high paying and low risk. His connection suggests trying out for one of the two local great houses: the Sword Clan and the Heavenly Dragon Association.Both pay well and are seeking warriors to bolster their numbers. Plus, since they haven’t fought in several years it seems like easy work.
Noh passes the strength and fitness tests of the Sword Clan but find that they can’t meet the benefits he wants that would allow him to raise his kids. He would go on to pass the Heavenly Dragon Association’s exam and gets all the benefits he wants. What he doesn’t know is that the headmaster of the Association has taken an interest in his incredible abilities and sees him as being useful against the other houses in the realm.
Now with a new job, benefits, and a nanny he embarks on what should be the everyday life of working and saving for his family. Little does he know that things will get dangerous and make his job much more difficult.
Check Out the Series
Peerless Dad is a great action series. The martial arts fight scenes are done so well and writer Noh Cyungchan really delivers with progressing the main character’s life through the years. This isn’t just a strong fighter fights all the time series, there’s a lot of comedy here that comes from Noh’s family life away from being a warrior guard. In just a few chapters spanning a couple of years, we see young Noh go from a hyper ambitious martial artists to a family man with a sense of justice.
Since the series is still very early in its run, you can catch up pretty quickly. If you can find Peerless Dad, definitely check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.