With school and extracurriculars encompassing so much of student lives, it can be hard to find a moment to decompress. And even then, once we finally allow ourselves to retreat to the couch, and open our phone, the apps we choose are often ones like tiktok, instagram, and YouTube, granting us a stream of thoughtless social media consumption. Don’t get me wrong, floating mindlessly can be fun, but sometimes I’m seeking something with just a bit more intention. Webtoon, the app that has in a way just replaced other apps as the one to claim gold for taking over my life (though that’s a topic for another article) is somewhat lesser known and does not technically classify as “social media” despite including features like commenting. Webtoon, originating in Korea, is a free app filled with digital comics a.k.a. Webcomics, with its popularity having risen since its worldwide launch in 2014.
Recently, Naver, the owner of Webtoon, acquired Wattpad, a similar platform which allows anyone to digitally publish stories and read various books, however unlike Webtoon, these stories are strictly written words, not illustrated comics. It’s debated which platform is “better” though the two are widely different when it comes to comics vs books.
Think of Webtoon sort of as a comic library, where the app enables users to browse and view comics similar to how one might find a show or movie to watch on streaming services. Each row can be scrolled through and has a category that all the titles in the row align with, almost identical to how one might see the “Suspenseful TV shows” row on their Netflix homepage. Every series will also have a brief overview of what the webcomic is about when clicked on, along with an option to preview the first episode below that. As you explore the app’s interface a bit more, you can move onto the fun stuff– reading the actual comics!
On Webtoon there is a wide spectrum of genres available to readers, this diversity of stories being one of the reasons Webtoon has become a more prominent app across various target audiences, though I’ve noticed that romance and action do seem to take up a large percentage of the comics present on the platform. Most series you will read have multiple genre elements despite being labeled as a singular genre, with thriller and horror sometimes containing some comedy or romance elements, or a mystery series having some slice of life parallels and action storylines. Basically, don’t judge your interest entirely based on the genre, it will also be helpful to read the series summary and to get a sense of if you find the art visually appealing, all things that are very preference centered.
As a webtoon enthusiast who has been floating through this app for almost three years now, I’m going to share a starter pack including three distinctly unique series that I recommend to anyone starting their webtoon journey.
The first series I’m going to overview is one that I binge read all 43 episodes released at the time in less than two or three hours. Holding its place as an all time favorite, the Webtoon Purple Hyacinth by Ephemerys and Sophism is one that I will return to over and over again. Labeled as Mystery, this series contains the perfect mix of suspenseful plots and wholesome relationships. Starting out with Lauren, a former detective demoted to officer who is able to detect when people are lying, the story is quickly thrust into action as Lauren chases after the renowned assassin trademarked by the purple hyacinths he leaves at every murder site. Focusing on the mystery of a train station explosion that the main character Lauren experienced as a little girl, readers accompany Lauren as she works to uncover what really happened to her friend during the explosion, and if he is truly dead despite a body never being found. An unsettling deal is struck and with it a strenuous partnership formed between Lauren, a law enforcer, and Kieran, the deadly assassin everyone is out to get as both are in need of something the other has.
For those interested in a touching romance with themes of self love and growth, To The Stars And Back (TTSAB) by Peglo is the perfect masterpiece of art and character exploration, where readers come along for the ride as characters struggle to navigate their pasts and futures. Starting off with a cute next door neighbor meeting, characters Bo Seon and Kang Dae begin their journey together discovering their passions and defining their relationship. Recently completed, TTSAB is the type of comfort story that gives you a breath of relief when everything feels overwhelming. The characters, each with their own stand out personalities, truly make this series the fan favorite that it is. Kang Dae, a reserved and quiet-confident type studying to become a writer, is thrown in a completely new direction when he meets Bo Seon, a bubbly and immediately lovable character going to uni to study art. Though the story focuses mainly on the character and relationship development of Bo Seon and Kang Dae, there are various side stories involving friends Kyo and Cindee, as well as the infamous sign vandal of Twain University. Kyo and Cindee, with their confident and sarcastic personalities are able to shine throughout both seasons of TTSAB in a way that lightens the sometimes deeper themes of bullying and loss experienced by the two main characters, helping to layer the emotional complexities with unserious and comedic moments.
Lastly, a Webtoon that has risen in popularity since it’s days on Canvas, School Bus Graveyard written and illustrated by Red (also tagged @lilredbeany), is considered a thriller, with unlikely friendships coming together to form the lovable group of main characters after a field trip gone wrong., This series keeps readers on their toes with action filled scenes, cute comedic moments, and heart stutteringly suspenseful plots. With an art style that is simple yet striking, I am constantly in search of the next goofball, fluffy scene where the group is sighted being normal teenagers in the midst of the complete insanity of their situation. The monsters, called phantoms, may be disturbing to view for some readers, however, I find their less than attractive faces to be more than worth it in exchange for the relatable dialog, the complexity and development of all six main characters, and the emotion evoking art as characters stare down their fears, overcome unbearable loss, and must fight an inner battle more life threatening than any phantoms ever could be.
The technical aspects of Webtoon may not be nearly as interesting as learning about more comic recommendations, but understanding how the Webtoon interface works is a vital piece to enjoying the full Webtoon experience, so let’s cover some of the basics. One of the first things you’ll notice upon opening the app and creating an account are the icons at the bottom of the screen. The default screen is your For You page, a term I’m betting anyone who uses any type of social media platform is familiar with, represented as the heart in a circle icon. On this page, all your recommended series and what would be considered your ‘continue-reading-list’ will be shown. If you scroll down you will find trending series’, top picks for you and more recommendations which should become more personalized as you read more webtoons.
The other two icons represent Originals and Canvas, these two filters being what I loosely think of as the separation between “amateur” and “professional” work on the app. Each series on Webtoon is written and illustrated by creators across the world; however, the difference between Originals and Canvas lies mainly in the human power available for the creation of each of these series types.
What do I mean by this? Well, Canvas is the self-publishing platform, meaning anyone struck by the desire to upload an episode of their digital drawings can. Canvas series are managed solely by the creator, with the production responsibilities including uploads, art, illustrations, storyboarding, and anything else related to their series being dependent only on that one creator.
Originals are developed specially for the Webtoon platform, with the creators working alongside Webtoon editorial staff to meet weekly uploads, storyboard, and pull together the series with a team. If popular enough, creators of Canvas series can be approached and given the opportunity to move their story to become an Original, a process that will involve re-illustrating, further storyboarding, and editing. Both TTSAB and School Bus Graveyard are examples of this happening with popular series. Once a series becomes an Original Webtoon, it follows a weekly upload schedule, meaning each week, you will get to read the latest episode of the series that you love.
A defining aspect of Canvas Webtoons in comparison to Originals is that since everything is done by a single person, uploads will almost always be more sporadic and unexpected, because of this, I personally don’t tend to read Canvas in the same level of consumption as I do Originals, although there have been plenty of Webtoon Canvas series that have stolen my heart from the get go before eventually making their way to becoming a Webtoon Original series’.
The final items of note when it comes to the app itself is that Webtoon offers options called Fast Pass episodes and Daily Pass episodes. Fast Pass refers to reading episodes that have not been officially released but are visible in the queue. By paying with coins (which can be bought at the starting price of 50 coins for $4.99 or won through reading certain comics), or watching an ad if the option is given, a reader can gain early access to episodes for a certain period of time. The other option I mentioned is called Daily Pass episodes. As discussed previously, series that are labeled ‘in progress’ will have some type of upload schedule since it is still being continued” however, once a series is ‘completed’ it will become a Daily Pass series after a certain amount of time. This means readers can unlock one episode a day from the completed series. Sometimes you can gain access to more episodes in a day by watching an advertisement, but that is only if the option is given.
At this point, if you have not already downloaded the Webtoon app, I appreciate your undivided attention, but you should definitely go do that! It’s one thing for me to share the stories that I have loved and enjoyed, but ultimately every person has their own preferences and must determine what webcomic series brings them joy, whether that includes the three I just listed, or explores the other hundreds of series that exist. Wherever your Webtoon journey takes you, I hope it can provide you with flickers of joy and contentment in the midst of the ever-changing rollercoaster that is life.
