Webtoons (Part 2)

1. Omniscient Reader

Dokja is a seemingly average 9-5 white collar worker living a rather boring life. If he had anything he was really passionate about, it would be his favourite web-novel “Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse,” or TWSA in short. Like all good things though, TWSA too had to come to an end and Dokja, who had been following the series for the past 10 years, finds himself filled with pangs of nostalgia and regret as he waits for its last chapter while riding the train home from work. What follows next however, turns Dokja’s life upside down as events that happened in the web-novel start happening right before his eyes in the real world. Pure chaos ensues and Dokja must keep his wits about him and use his knowledge of his favourite series to navigate a world gone mad and an impending apocalypse.

What makes “Omniscient Reader” really special is the creativity the author (sing N song) displays in the setting and progression of the story. The art by Sleepy-C is also another proponent of what makes it so fun to read. Adapted from a web-novel itself, the story still has a long way to go and apparently, it only gets better from here.

2. Sweet Home

“Sweet Home” is a Webtoon written by Carnby Kim and illustrated by Youngchan Hwang, the same duo behind the highly acclaimed “Bastard.” It follows a reclusive high school student who moves into his own apartment following a family tragedy, only to be met by a pandemic that has people turning into monsters and an ensuing fight for survival.

One can go on and on about how amazing both the writing and the art for this series is – with it having one of the most creative and thought-provoking takes on the “zombie apocalypse” genre in years. However, what is really special about this story is undoubtedly the characters, or more specifically, the character development. The main protagonist starts off as almost being dislikable and by the end of the story, you not only feel for him, but his growth is also natural and extremely rewarding. Though this has been adapted into a Netflix live action series, the source material is undoubtedly the way the story was meant to be told.

3. My Deepest Secret

Webtoons are no stranger to the Romance and Rom-Com genres. At first glance, “My Deepest Secret” seems just that – a romance or rom-com series. All the promotional art and posters show a rather loving couple in each other’s arms, completely happy to be with each other. However, when one starts reading it, one realises that there is a lot more than meets the eye.

Though not much can be said about this series without giving away spoilers, the main allure of what makes it so interesting is how uncomfortable it can sometimes get to read it. There are clear indications of red flags at times and certain things being wrong in general, but the story never explicitly states it. It just makes the reader feel uncomfortable without being able to pinpoint exactly why. The webtoon also touches on rather heavy subject matters of emotional manipulation, abuse and childhood trauma. All in all, there is definitely more to this story than it lets on.

4. The World Where I belong

The story of ‘The World Where I belong’ centers around a boy who contemplates taking his own life. One day, just as he is about to bring his thoughts to reality and take a leap out of a window from an abandoned school building, he is stopped by a mysterious girl with supernatural powers, who declares herself as his “savior.” As one might expect with such a setting, this is not a story for everyone and it deals with a lot sensitive scenes and content. However, what is truly surprising about a manhwa that deals with such heavy themes is just how pretty it looks. Illustrated and written by Gmow, every panel on this webtoon looks as if it were a painting. It goes through such lengths to make the surroundings so beautiful, one cannot help but wonder if there is some hidden metaphor behind it. Though the series has been on a long hiatus, it has recently started serialising again – thus making it the perfect time to pick it up. Viewer discretion however, is advised.

Written by
Sheersho Zaman