[PRESS RELEASE] SUGAR, SPICE, BUT NOT EVERYTHING IS NICE: MONSTER MAYHEM STRIKES IN MAGICAL SWEET GULA

29 May 2026, Singapore — Johanes Park and Jessica Leman, the Indonesian husband-wife creative team behind Magical Sweet Gula, will be serving up a second helping of their middle-grade magical girl fantasy series with Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem, releasing on 15 June 2026. Published by Singapore-based independent comics publisher Difference Engine, this sequel brings back the young heroine Gula Gulali and the accidental magical mishaps she gets into while learning to control her powers as a half-Magi schoolgirl living in the non-magical world of Terra. 

Gula Gulali’s power to turn objects into kue and other Indonesian sweet treats often lands her in sticky situations. In the first book of the series, this quirk becomes a thorn in the side of her Terran classmate Sally who seems to have a vendetta against all Magi – particularly Gula who already stands out in their school with her bright pink hair and pointy ears. As young readers are introduced to kue of all kinds, Magical Sweet Gula also reveals its bittersweet side as it explores themes of identity, belonging, and finding friendships in a world that doesn’t always accept you. Just as Gula finally finds the balance between being herself and fitting in, Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem turns everything upside down once again as more supersized magical hijinks await the students of Manakarta Elementary School.

Sally returns in Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem as the main antagonist and kicks things up a notch when a cooking competition is announced at school. Seeing it as a chance to prove that Terrans are better than Magi, Sally decides to add her own secret ingredient into the mix, but maybe bites off more than she can chew when students start turning into giant kue monstrosities during the competition. As Gula fends off the monsters as well as the rumours that she is the culprit behind the incident, she faces a bigger hurdle in Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem – uncovering the root of Sally’s resentment and prejudice against Magi. 

Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem also promises the most anticipated moment in every magical girl story: the transformation. Young readers can look forward to a dramatic reveal as a new evolution in Gula’s power unlocks her ability to magically transform her everyday school uniform into a sparkling new costume that reflects her growing confidence as a Magi, and the kaleidoscope of shapes and colours of the confections she conjures. 

Leman and Park, who are themselves fans of the magical girl genre, have put their own Southeast Asian spin on these Japanese fantasy narratives which have undoubtedly inspired the visual and narrative style in the Magical Sweet Gula series. Gula’s earnest and spirited personality, the comic’s vibrant colour palette, and the shimmering shades of pink which mark Gula’s magic are all reminiscent of the ever-popular Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura mangas which have come to define the genre. The tantalising assortment of kue that Gula manifests through her powers – desserts that have their own mixed origins and diverse influences – also come to define her unique magical girl personality.

Just as a magical girl’s transformation marks a pivotal moment in her inner world, allowing them to harness the full potential of their power, Gula’s thrilling metamorphosis comes after reaching a point of growth in her relationship with Sally, her friends, and most importantly, herself. Identity and belonging is at the heart of the Magical Sweet Gula series after all, inspired by Park’s personal experiences with discrimination as someone of mixed heritage. Born to a Korean father, and a Chinese-Sundanese mother, Park’s story has inspired Gula’s struggle of in-betweenness as she feels disconnected from her Magi heritage while never feeling quite at home in Terra.

“It takes courage to accept the grey areas within ourselves and in others. At a pivotal moment in the story, Gula finally finds the courage to reach out and confront Sally as they begin to understand each other’s anxieties around their identities,” Leman and Park share. “For those who feel like they don’t quite fit into one box — like no single word can fully define who they are — and are navigating the difficult, sticky parts of their lives, we hope Gula’s story reminds them that they are not alone.”

Publisher and Co-Founder of Difference Engine Felicia Low-Jimenez shares, “Whether you’re a grown-up or a kid, Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem is a comic that is honest about both the bitter and the sweet in life, and the real issues of prejudice that still face many people today. We love comics that don’t shy away from these tough topics, and we’re sure Jessica and Johanes’ story will resonate with a lot of young readers out there.”

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Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem retails at $15.90 SGD (w/o GST) and is now available for preorder in Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei till 15 June 2026 through Difference Engine’s webstore: www.differenceengine.sg. International release forthcoming in September 2026.

Download the Magical Sweet Gula: Monster Mayhem press kit here.

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For enquiries, contact:
Olivia Djawoto
Marketing and Communications Manager, Difference Engine
olivia@differenceengine.sg

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Johanes Park and Jessica Leman are an artist-writer couple based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Inspired by Johanes’ childhood experiences growing up with both Korean and Indonesian identities, the duo first created Magical Sweet Gula together in 2015, to share a story of acceptance and friendship with young people who feel “different”.

ABOUT DIFFERENCE ENGINE

Difference Engine is an award-winning independent comics publisher based in Singapore. Powered by stories from Southeast Asia and beyond, we are inspired by diverse, thought-provoking tales told through captivating illustrations by creators both new and experienced.

Like how the invention of the difference engine impacted the world, our goal is to create comics that nudge readers to look at the world differently. As a team of creators ourselves, we see each comic as a collaboration, a conversation, and an opportunity to experiment beyond the printed form to push the boundaries of what comics can be.

In addition to our main publishing line, Difference Engine also publishes DE Shorts, an imprint of short comics that explores a wide range of social issues through lived experience.

Difference Engine is a Potato Productions company co-founded by Felicia Low-Jimenez and Lee Han Shih.