I first met Sean Michael Wilson at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where he was talking up his then-upcoming manga collection AX, which he was editing. Now, Wilson is unveiling a manga series of his own, the rather charming, quirky romance The Story of Lee.

Calling it a romance is a bit misleading --- as is, for that matter, calling it a manga. It’s set in Korea, and although the trim size and art style do match manga and manwha, it reads in the Western-style left-to-right format. The story centers on young Lee, a 24-year-old woman living with her parents in Hong Kong. She works at her father’s store and has not much going for her --- she’s on autopilot. Her father, eager to see her marry a nice Korean boy, sets her up with a young friend of the family, but it’s really the handsome blond Scottish chap who has caught her eye. Matt is a few years older, writes poetry, and knows all the cool bands, something Lee can truly relate to. If he’s slightly self-centered and a little “off,” well, so what?
 
Lee’s Korean suitor, Wang, is handsome as well, and certainly nice, but he represents a culture Lee is eager to reject. It’s not simply that Wang is hand-chosen by her father, but that doesn’t help. It’s easy to see why: Lee’s father throws a tantrum if his dinner isn’t ready when he gets home, shunting women into a second-class role that Lee rightfully wants no part of.

There’s a touching subplot that involves Lee’s relationship with her elderly and ill grandmother. The side story propels the final portion of the story and sets up the next volume, wherein Lee’s love triangle will presumably grow. Wilson has set up a smart story here, one that isn’t just a simple romance. It’s actually a deceptively complex tale of growing up and finding your way in a culture that you don’t necessarily want. By this first volume’s end, Lee is about to embark on her first real adventure. It will be fun to watch her evolve…hopefully the men in her life will do the same.

There's no nudity and little swearing in The Story of Lee, although there are sexual scenes. It would be better suited for older teens and adults.