Bride of the Water God #7

This 2011 Dark Horse volume sets a breathtaking tone right from its cover, which forgoes action in favor of pure atmosphere — a star-strewn night sky framed by cherry blossoms above and luminous lotus leaves and flowers below, all bathed in warm golden and violet light. Overlaid on this dreamlike scene is a poem, "Sky Bridge of the Magpies" by Jin So Yu, evoking the bittersweet celestial romance of Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu, lovers separated by the Milky Way who meet only once a year. It's a quietly gorgeous way to open a manga volume, promising a story where longing and beauty are inseparable.