Rure is a Manhwa by Seo Moon Da Mi. The first volume was first published in 2003 in South Korea and later on in the US in 2007 by Tokyopop. The series is still currently ongoing.
Shin Ha-Ru is an Ordinary High-School Student attending a boarding school in Seoul who possessed latent psychic abilities ever since she was a child. One day her half sister Mi-Ru arrives in Seoul to bring her back home to attend a traditional festival. When they return home it is revealed that Ha-Ru in in fact the heir to the entire Island and the local fishing business and that Mi-Ru is the illegitimate daughter of their father and not all that like by most of her family or even the townspeople. On the night of the festival, their father official names Ha-Ru his heir and disinherits Mi-Ru. Mi-Ru, feeling that no one really cares about her, runs off seeking to take her life. Ha-Ru, probably the only person in the world who does care about Mi-Ru, runs after her. As they leap over the cliff and into the water the find themselves somewhere else.
The Somewhere else in question seems to be a very straightforward Middle Eastern Fantasy world albeit one with three moons in the sky They eventually find a mercenary by the name of Kyu Ya and through a slight misunderstanding, Ha-Ru unintentionally sells Mi-Ru into slavery for some water. Desperate to get her back, she tries to bargain with Kyu Ya and eventually winds up in a duel. In the aftermath, Ha-Ru finds herself as Kyu Ya's "slave" as well. But Kyu Ya turns out to be a kind master and the rest of the series details their adventures together.
Note: This is being written by someone who has only read the first three volumes is someone has more to add, feel free
Only the first six volumes appear to have been published in English; only the first ten in French.—-
Rure Contains Examples of:
- Alien Sky: The world where this takes place has three moons
- Anti-Hero: Mahire takes great risks to protect his half-brother Yanok and Ha-Ru, and takes part in the fight against a powerful evil witch. He nonetheless is an agent for a slave merchant: we see him killing a slave just to make a point and having the rest branded.
- Crapsack World: Since slavery is so common, this is a given.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Although Mushuk has always despised Ruke for his low rank in Kantara society, they become staunch friends after saving Mi-Ru from a horde of monsters.
- Moral Sociopathy: Moo Na the witch slaughters the Kantara women and children without batting an eye. Still, even with an arm cut off she will not flee the battle out of loyalty to her master.
- Oddly Shaped Sword: the swords of Mahire and Ruke merge into their arms.
- Samus Is a Girl: subverted for comedic purposes: Kyu Ya is the only one not to realize Ha-Ru is a girl.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Ha-Ru vs. Mi-Ru in a rather dark variant.
- Who Wants to Live Forever?: the full-blooded people of the Blue Moon reincarnate with full memories and therefore do not fear death. As a consequence, many eventually become dispirited and commit suicide ( which seems to be the one way they can definitely die ).
