A review by syinhui
Walking Practice by Dolki Min

dark funny reflective fast-paced

3.75

I don’t see why this is compared to Sauid Game. It's misleading and frustrating for anyone expecting something similar to the show.  While it’s a survival story (albeit a singular and unique one) it hardly fits the death game genre. I thought it’s more akin to Tokyo Ghoul, in a way, without the  numerous sex scenes and the commentary on gender roles, of course. Mumu, our dear alien narrator has similarities to characters like Rize, Nutcracker and even Kaneki. The use of seduction to catch prey, body horror, insatiable appetite for human flesh, alienation and having to conform to societal standards as someone who doesn’t belong, it’s all there. 

Darkly humorous, quirky, gory, and often graphic, Walking Practice is definitely a compelling and titillating read, though not a comfortable one. I wish I knew how to read Korean because I think it would be even more enjoyable in the original text.

However, the ending was so abrupt that I’m not sure what to make of it. Also, funny though how Mumu has never once mentioned any news or conspiracies surrounding the steady disappearance of people over the past decade, considering it’s happening within a certain km radius.  It’s either they care not a whit about it or the police and justice system suck so much it’s virtually useless and that requires a bit of suspension of disbelief. 

That said, one more has been added to my growing list of weird af contemporary Korean novels.