Under the Oak Tree

Under the Oak Tree is a romance webcomic created by an illustrator P, and the original story of which is by Suji Kim. The comic is a loose modern Persephone and Hades re-telling. It was first published on MANTA in March of 2018. It is currently the most popular comic on the MANTA platform and has more than 10 million subscribers. A television as well as an animation series based on the comic are under development.

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1. UNDER THE OAK TREE Vol.I by Suji Kim

SYNOPSIS

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale.

When stuttering Lady Maximilian is forced to marry Sir Riftan, a lowborn knight caught in one of her father’s schemes, her stumbling communication and his gruff manner sour their relationship before it can begin. Riftan leaves for war the morning after their disastrous wedding night, and it’s three years before Maxi sees him again.

Now, the husband she barely knows is a war hero. And when he comes home to claim her, Maxi will need to master her own bewildering desire—and Riftan’s—before she can hope to become the true mistress of their enormous castle estate. That task will demand courage from Maxi, even as she struggles to find her own voice.

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Love is a fairytale. Or is it?

Maximilian struggles to adjust to her new life and the harsh realities of Riftan’s world. She is plagued by her insecurities and fears, and she has difficulty communicating her feelings to Riftan. However, Riftan is patient and understanding, and he gradually breaks down Maximilian’s walls.

As they spend more time together, Maximilian and Riftan develop a deep and abiding love for each other. They learn to trust each other and support each other through difficult times. They also face challenges and obstacles, both from within their relationship and from the outside world.

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Riftan Calypse is the commander of the Knights of Remdragon and the lord of Anatol. He is the continent’s strongest knight notable for defeating Sect, the Red Dragon, in an expedition in the Lexos Mountains. After this feat, he is bestowed the epithet ‘Rossem Uigru’. He is married to Duke Croyso’s eldest daughter, Maximilian, in an arranged setup; though they have grown to deeply love each other eventually.

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Maximilian is a noble lady and the elder daughter of Duke Croyso. She is married to Riftan at her father’s behest and as part of his plot to send Riftan to the dragon subjugation in his place. Being married to Riftan, Maximilian is the lady of Anatol. Later on, she joined the Remdragon Knights as a wizard in the expedition to Livadon.

I am personally a huge fan of the comics. You should know that there are many reasons to read Under the Oak Tree, but the simplest is to see Suji’s incredible story-telling and P’s beautiful illustrations. The comic is not a ‘feel good’ story but rather bittersweet. The characters confront numerous issues on their journey to happiness and love, overcoming royal conspiracies, dangerous obstacles, common miscommunication, and many others. The updates are coming in weekly (with breaks in-between seasons), and I find myself awaiting the notification with bated breath.

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