Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man
Encyclopedia
is a manhwa
by Kim Young-oh
. It was first published on September 20, 2006 becoming a huge success in Korea becoming one of the top 10 selling titles in the country and is now published by Dark Horse Comics
in the United States
.
of the Gaya Desert Post Office: "Fast. Precise. Secure." which is the thrust of his delivery work and sets the tone of the action. His apolitical position generally creates the conflict and tension driving the stories. For example, in Volume 3, he "finds himself in the middle of a mysterious dispute at the heart of a sacred temple – trapped between devout warrior-priests" and the vicious, ruthless opponents called the "Torren".
A cross between Dune
, Mad Max
, and The Lord of the Rings
, Banya combines the post-apocalyptic aesthetic with science fiction, action
and fantasy genres. From the outset it engages in a desert battle between human soldiers and a horde of Tolkien-esque
monsters called Torren. Out of this chaos a lone figure emerges: a brash young mail carrier named Banya who continually outwits the Torren. As the "Postman of the Wastleland" he likes to be paid. and is generally in flat pursuit of his goal, with his own set of rules.
style of the savvy boy hero, he is scruffy, wild and a known risk taker, proudly asserting, "There isn't a delivery I can't make!" while the story is told from his point of view.
Mei: Is a female delivery girl and supplies the team's conscience. She knows Banya from a long time ago. In the manhwa it is not clear when exactly but shows her meeting Banya when she was much younger.
Kong: Is the younger delivery boy and Baya's cohort. As a foil for the main character, he is shown to be naive and sometimes arrogant. The source of his confidence is Banya.
to save Gaya, but failed, so Banya takes up the mission. As Banya leaves, the men following Mister find him. With Kong and Mei he tries to fend the men off, but dies in the end.
Jiahn : This character has been imprisoned at a shrine
for an unspecified period of time and is released from prison after receiving the scroll Banya promised to deliver, as shown in Chapter 17 of Volume 3. When introduced, Jiahn is in a robed outfit and appears male, but after defeating enemies attacking the prison, the robe is damaged and Jiahn is revealed to be female.
in the United States. Lettering is by Steve Outro.
One reviewer observed that the art is in two styles, one "is the more polished and detailed 'epic' style, like the material in the opening battle and on the cover", and the other more casual for the comedy situations.
There are currently five volumes of Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man. All have been published in English
by Dark Horse Manhwa.
Manhwa
Manhwa is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons . Outside of Korea, the term usually refers specifically to South Korean comics. The term, along with manga, is a cognate of the Chinese manhua...
by Kim Young-oh
Kim Young-oh
Kim Young-oh is a South Korean manhwa writer and illustrator.-Works:His first work was the High School a 12 volumes action, comedy and sonyeon manhwa....
. It was first published on September 20, 2006 becoming a huge success in Korea becoming one of the top 10 selling titles in the country and is now published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Outline
Aimed at the age group mainly for 16 and over, the series follows the adventures of the main character Banya, a feisty teenage delivery man with a reputation for being unstoppable. Banya is characterised as being loyal to no-one: to no religion or country, but only to the mottoMotto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of the Gaya Desert Post Office: "Fast. Precise. Secure." which is the thrust of his delivery work and sets the tone of the action. His apolitical position generally creates the conflict and tension driving the stories. For example, in Volume 3, he "finds himself in the middle of a mysterious dispute at the heart of a sacred temple – trapped between devout warrior-priests" and the vicious, ruthless opponents called the "Torren".
A cross between Dune
Dune (film)
Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
, Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
, and The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, Banya combines the post-apocalyptic aesthetic with science fiction, action
Action genre
The word action has more than one meaning in fiction. Action is one of the fiction-writing modes authors use to present fiction. The term is also used to describe an exiting event or circumstance.-Action as a fiction-writing mode:...
and fantasy genres. From the outset it engages in a desert battle between human soldiers and a horde of Tolkien-esque
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
monsters called Torren. Out of this chaos a lone figure emerges: a brash young mail carrier named Banya who continually outwits the Torren. As the "Postman of the Wastleland" he likes to be paid. and is generally in flat pursuit of his goal, with his own set of rules.
Plot introduction
With a widespread war raging between humans and the monstrous Torren, the young delivery men of the Gaya Desert Post Office do not pledge allegiance to any country or king. They are banded together by the pledge to deliver "Fast. Precise. Secure." Throughout a variety of missions and adventures in the face of overwhelming odds, it is Banya's ingenuity, flexibility and resourcefulness that carries them to successful outcomes.Main characters
Banya: Is the main character. In the shōnenShonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
style of the savvy boy hero, he is scruffy, wild and a known risk taker, proudly asserting, "There isn't a delivery I can't make!" while the story is told from his point of view.
Mei: Is a female delivery girl and supplies the team's conscience. She knows Banya from a long time ago. In the manhwa it is not clear when exactly but shows her meeting Banya when she was much younger.
Kong: Is the younger delivery boy and Baya's cohort. As a foil for the main character, he is shown to be naive and sometimes arrogant. The source of his confidence is Banya.
Minor characters
Mister: Appearing in Volume 1 and 2, this character's name is not revealed but always referred to as Mister in the manhwa. Mister is a young male soldier found injured in the desert. He was to deliver a scrollScroll
A scroll is a roll of parchment, papyrus, or paper, which has been drawn or written upon.Scroll may also refer to:*Scroll , the decoratively curved end of the pegbox of string instruments such as violins...
to save Gaya, but failed, so Banya takes up the mission. As Banya leaves, the men following Mister find him. With Kong and Mei he tries to fend the men off, but dies in the end.
Jiahn : This character has been imprisoned at a shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
for an unspecified period of time and is released from prison after receiving the scroll Banya promised to deliver, as shown in Chapter 17 of Volume 3. When introduced, Jiahn is in a robed outfit and appears male, but after defeating enemies attacking the prison, the robe is damaged and Jiahn is revealed to be female.
Torren
The Torren is a fearsome army, who had been fighting with the shrine for years. The Torren had the advantage for many of those years. Their armor was made completely of leather except for the armored chest piece that goes right above their chest. The leather suit of armor they wear consist of leather shorts and leather straps going across the body. Others wore what appeared to be a leather halter top. The Torren are large and bulky. They look monstrous and not human. They were destroyed in Chapter 17 Volume 3.Production and background
Kim Young-oh's fast-paced action stories of Banya include amusing moments. The comics series is presented in Korean format translated into English by the mother/son team of Taesoon Kang and Derek Kirk Kim and produced by Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
in the United States. Lettering is by Steve Outro.
One reviewer observed that the art is in two styles, one "is the more polished and detailed 'epic' style, like the material in the opening battle and on the cover", and the other more casual for the comedy situations.
There are currently five volumes of Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man. All have been published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Dark Horse Manhwa.
Volume list
Sources
- Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man, (manhwa) series, Volume 1, 2 and 3, publishers Dark Horse Comics, United States, 2006, 2007.