Summer Readings: Webtoons for Dayz

Not too long ago, I finished my second to last semester of grad school. As I approached the end of finals week, a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders and I felt as though that I could live life and breathe again. To treat myself, I've been getting back into reading webtoon comics because I've been putting them aside for a long time since my college days. The majority of my school years haven't been filled with leisurely reading. Instead, it's just been a continuing cycle of academic textbooks and research articles rather than what I actually want to read. So, here are the webtoons that I'm currently reading and also recommend. I won't spoil these webtoons, but will provide a brief synopsis for each. These webtoons can be found at https://www.webtoons.com/en/. 🙃

Midnight Poppy Land | Author: Lilydusk

Poppy and Tora

Yes, I am a sucker for bad boy romances. (What can I say, I'm a girl who enjoys a bit of the rom-com, sappy love genre every now and then.) This webtoon is set in a modern day society where Poppy, a naive and shy editor, becomes involved with the underworld mafia scene after an accidental encounter with Tora, a cold and stoic bodyguard/hitman, who eventually learns to open himself up to Poppy, who shows him trust and warmth in return. What I appreciated the most while reading this was the amount and effort of artwork that was put into this webtoon. Lilydusk really manages to put enough detail to make each scene appear more attractive and eye-catching. In addition, she is very good at storytelling. There are smooth transitions during the plot which are easy to follow and at the end of every episode chapter, there is a cliffhanger. This has become quite a popular read among young adolescent, twenty-, and thirty-something females, so it is a recommended must if you identify in that age range or if you want to feel the feels. 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

True Beauty | Author: Yaongi

Now, this. THIS. This is probably my most favorite webtoon so far. I read both the original Korean and the translated English versions, so I get the best experience from both. Who doesn't love a good ol' love triangle that is filled with emotional baggage and drama? I sure as hell do. With high ratings and rave reviews in both South Korea and the international audience, True Beauty or 여신강림, is at the top of the webtoon list for the romance genre. The story takes place in South Korea where Jugyeong, a young teenager who is a fan of comic books, discovers the power of make-up and how it affects her daily life and those around her. During her time in high school, she becomes infatuated with Suho, an apathetic and intelligent but strikingly handsome schoolmate, who appreciates Jugyeong for her natural beauty, inside and out. Fighting for Jugyeong's attention and love is Seojun, another equally and strikingly handsome schoolmate with a cool, rebellious streak. Despite the quintessential and signature thematic aspect of love triangles and emotional entanglement in Korean romance, what I like most about this webtoon is the important message that it sends out which are the issues of body image, bullying, favoritism, and lookism, all of which are widely prevalent and identified in South Korea. Yaongi's artwork in the webtoon is really exquisite and beautifully drawn, and her sense of humor and use of memes are just out of this world. As of now, the webtoon is still currently ongoing and it has been recently announced that there will be a live-action Korean drama version that is set to air by the end of 2020 this year. Although K-Pop idol and actor Cha Eunwoo has been confirmed as Suho for the lead male role, there has not been any confirmation yet for the other two main characters. I am hoping that it is Jisoo from BLACKPINK and former JBJ member Kwon Hyun-Bin, also known by his stage name as Viini. 🤞🏻💕

Left to Right: Suho, Jugyeong, Seojun
Cha Eunwoo, Jisoo, Kwon Hyun-Bin

Bastard | Authors: Young-Chan Hwang & Carnby Kim

Dongsoo and Jin

Now, to switch onto something darker. I have always enjoyed the genres of horror, suspense, and thriller. Cliffhangers are ideal in these genres and the feeling of being on the edge of your seat while your heart is beating quickly is indeed a rush. For this webtoon, I finished a few episode chapters and I must say that I am already interested in continuing. My first impression was that the artwork and plot is very gritty, but in the way where it psychologically mind-fu**s your brain. It stimulates your thought process, which I prefer because it is like piecing a puzzle together. Jin Seon, the main protagonist with a facial disfigurement, is the son of a serial killer. Dongsoo Seon, a powerful CEO and the father of Jin, recruits him to become his accomplice. One of the main themes that I noticed while reading was betrayal, especially between father and son. As an unwilling accomplice, Jin is nearly coerced by his father to carry out a deed or execute someone. If Jin refuses, he is turning his back on his father, and betrayal and distrust ensues. While I haven't gone too far in the webtoon quite yet, my first impressions of it were entertaining and definitely enticing. 😬