Webtoons You Should Be Reading
Sunday, January 31, 2016
I know that this blog is about Movies and Dramas only. Still I would like to recommend some Webtoons. Webtoons are the latest trend of South Korea, also spreading in to the rest of the world. And many of the webtoons are being made, or already been made in to Popular Korean Dramas. In this situation, it’s high time to recommend some Webtoons in this blog.
There are many good Webtoons out there than the ones recommended here. I am writing about only those that I am reading/have read. The Webtoons I got really interested in are…
Cheese In The Trap
This one is probably the longest and the most popular Webtoon. Cheese In the Trap is already a Korean Drama, currently being aired. This Webtoon is just an honest portrayal of a college life and a not-so-typical love story.
Story : Seol Hong is an ordinary college girl, struggling for the money for college fees and house rental etc. In the first year of college, she had met the most popular guy Jung Yoo. Jung seems friendly with everyone, but Seol can see he is not as good as everyone think he is. He has got a dark side to him. But in the second year, somehow Seol and Jung become friends. Seol starts to wonder if she has misinterpreted Jung and if he actually is a good guy. But then, she gets stalked by another guy from college, who in the end tells Seol that Jung was the one who had put him to it.
Also enters the picture, Beak InHo. Beak InHo and his sister Beak InHa, are being taken care of Jung’s father since they were young. Jung and InHo were once friends, but hate each other for some reason now. And InHo who was once a talented pianist can’t play piano anymore because he had hurt his fingers. And InHo accuses Jung to be the reason that he hurt his fingers. Or more like Jung had hurt his fingers. And Jung does not seem to care even a bit about that.
Seol is asked out by Jung and they start dating, still Seol does not feel sure about her feelings for Jung. Also, she seem to get along well with Beak In Ho. But Jung does not want her to meet or talk to In Ho. Jung seems to be a bit more controlling… And Jung’s personality seems more and more mystery to Seol. Or maybe they are just not communicating enough with each other.
Orange Marmalade
You have to read this Webtoon if you have not already. It’s sweet. It’s cute. It’s funny. It’s romantic. It’s totally adorable. It’s the most adorable and cute ‘vampire’ story I have ever read. And please, don’t watch the Korean Drama version if you want to know the real Orange Marmalade. The K-drama totally twisted up the story, and killed the ‘adorableness’ of it. In my opinion , the K-drama ruined a totally good story. So, read the Webtoon. Also the webtoon has good graphics. The chibi parts are really cute. It also got some really good kiss scenes.
Story : Vampires have now settled among humans making an aligns with humans. And, Vampires have stopped drinking human blood. They drink Pig’s blood, in juice packets, which they can buy. Besides the ability of healing quickly, they are pretty much same as any human. And humans know that they exist. Mostly humans detest their existence, and thinks that vampires are disgusting. So mostly vampires do not reveal their identity as vampires and pretends to be Human.
Beak Mari is a teenage vampire like that. She has a trauma from childhood where her friends had accused her to be a monster when they had found that’s she is a vampire. Since she is scared someone will again find out her identity, she does not make any friends. One day while returning home from school she snoozes off in the subway, and smells something sweet. Like sweet blood. She tries to taste it, and opens her eyes to see herself slightly biting the neck of the person next to her. She runs out of the train to avoid the situation. But the person sitting next to her is Jae Min, the most popular boy of the school. He follows her around in school to know the reason of her action. But the smell of Jae Min’s blood is too tempting. So Mari closes her nose every time he is near. Her actions and behavior gets Jae Min interested in her. So Jae Min who had not had any interest in dating or any girls before, starts liking Mari and ask her out. Mari refuses. Jae Min is persistent and follows around Mari, all the time…And then comes Han Shi Hoo. A teenage Vampire whom Mari’s parents wants her to get married to. Neither Shi Hoo or Mari is interested in each other. But Shi Hoo is unlike any other vampire and enjoys drinking human blood. He is a slight of a wacko job, and interesting character… And tries to advice Mari to not like Jae Min, but ends up helping her to be with Jae Min. Jae Min and Mari starts to date. But Jae Min does not know yet that Mari is a Vampire.
Dice
Now this one is something that should totally be made in to a K-drama. But well, because of the story it’s not that easy to make this in to a drama. Even if they try to make it, it would not seem so realistic, or would need a lot of Computer Graphics.
The story is new and exciting. And the constant mystery of ‘X’ identity always keeps us engaged. Also, the Webtoon has got really good graphics. And the story is actually really worthy to be made in to a movie. It should be a Hollywood movie, I think. That much fresh concept and new idea of a story.
Story : Dong Tae is the short ugly boy of the class, which everyone bullied. He harbored a crush for Eun Joo, a beautiful and kind hearted girl in his class. One day when Dong Tae is fed up with his life, he comes around something – a dice. The new transfer student Tae Bin hands him a dice and tells him that it can change his life. And a mystery message comes in his mobile phone from an unknown sender whose name is displayed as ‘X’. X explains that with a dice, he can improve anything about himself. With one dice, a slight improvement will happen. With more dices, he can improve more. Dice will be rewarded to him as he completes tasks/quests given by X. So like that Dong Tae starts to be a ‘dicer’, and improve himself. He is good looking, and smart now. But slowly dice starts to spread around all the school.
Everyone is now a dicer. Everyone except Eun Joo, who believes Dice are bad and people should not change like that. (Another girl, Mio, enters Dong Tae’s life. Mio likes Dong Tae, and they two seem to have a connection too. However, Dong Tae still likes Eun Joo. But Eun Joo dates Tae Bin and then gets broken up. ) But now that almost every one is a dicer, the rules of dice game changes. Now you can become an A ranker dicer. A special dice will be given to A rankers, which will get them a special power. And then starts the Player Vs Player more, where the A Rankers has to fight with each other, eliminating each other… The final one standing will get a special dice with which they can change the world however they want.Flow
It may not be as interesting as Dice, but still a pretty good story that you can get interested in. It could get a bit draggy during second season, but it has got me totally gripped in for the past few episodes. To the point of ‘can’t wait for another week’. Well, maybe because finally some romance seems possible. Also, coz it seems it’s reaching the climax of the story.
Story : It happens in a world where every person is associated with something called an Anima. An ‘Anima’ will be of an animal or bird, which can grand one wish to the person in their life time. The Anima can also be used as a power to fight. The people with Anima of stronger animals (Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake etc) lives life in power, and people with Anima of weak animals (cat, mouse, chicken) etc lives normally, struggling to get by in their normal life. Then there is the Anima of the 4 Mystical Creatures, which are revered among everything. The ‘Blue Dragon’s Child’ is the only known one in that city in that generation. In that world, lives Irang Yoon, with his friends Ryun and Yulbi. Irang’s Anima is a cat, and Yubi’s is Pigeon. Ryun’s Anima is of a Dragon. Despite being a stronger Anima, he has always been friends with Irang and Yulbi. Irang unlike many people has not made his wish to his Anima Cat yet. He doesn’t want to make any wish. One day everything changes. Irang who has a crush on Yulbi, feels Yulbi is going to confess to Ryun and that they will be together. After that in an accident Irang loose his eye sight. Deep in pain from his loss of eye-sight and heart-break due to loss of Yulbi, he makes a request to his Anima cat to turn back time. The time turns back to 1 day back. But things go as planned. On that changed day, a strange Anima in back colour appears and kill Yulbi. Irang is filled with guilt because Yulbi got killed because he turned back time.
The principal of the academy (where stronger Anima kids go to) hears about this. He is surprised since a cat’s anima does not have power to shift back time. He knows that the Anima of the 4 Mystical Creatures sometimes disguise themselves as weak creatures to protect their master.
The Principal assumes the situation and takes in Irang to the school. There he gets new friends, and a not-so-much-friend obnoxious girl Hae Rin. Hae Rin’s Anima is of a Tiger. But her family is the one which had the White Tiger’s Child born to in every generation. So everyone expect her Anima to turn to White Tiger one day. But then it turns out that Irang is the one with White Tiger’s Anima. They find out that the one with that mysterious evil black anima is the Anima of the Black Turtle, one among the 4 Mystical Creatures. Irang, Hae Rin and the rest of the friends starts fighting against the Black Turtle.
Cherry Boy, That Girl
It starts off as a simple story. But this one is more complex than you imagine. It has got some serious psychological aspect to it that is mentioned really subtly in it. And the story starts off in the middle, and we can see the flash backs and back stories that strengthen the plot and characters. Don’t judge the story by reading the first few episodes. Read more. It will get you gripped.
The main interesting part is the super complex crazy mental personality of Darin. He has got some issues…
BUT… This Webtoon is not in Line Webtoon or Naver Webtoon. Read it from Manga Fox, Manga Reader etc.
Story : The protagonist is Strawberry Shin/Berry (or in Korean Shin Dal Gi). And her boyfriend is Mandarin Kim/Darin (Kim Gyul). The problem is that Darin is too pretty. Even more beautiful than Berry. But when they join High school, the high school consist of only 5 or 6 girls against hundreds of boys, and Berry is the prettiest among the girls. So Berry is crowned as the princess and boys all want her. Drunk in her popularity Berry ignores Darin and hangs around with the most popular and rich boy, Pear Kang (Kang Han Bae). Because of this Darin and Berry breaks up. However, Darin is fixated on getting revenge and getting Berry back. So he disguises himself as a girl, Cherry Kim and attends the school. The boys’ attention change from Berry to Cherry at once, since Cherry is super pretty. Even Pear abandons Berry and goes to Cherry. Berry who knows it’s Darin under Cherry, tries to expose her/him. Pear’s cousin Brother, Walnut Kang/Wally (Kang Ho Du) joins force with Cherry to expose Cherry/Darin. But Wally just wants to protect his brother. And Wally hates women, or more like he has an allergy to them. He can’t even touch a woman.
While being with Berry, this allergy seems to reduce. He feels he can touch or even hug Berry, and realize he is falling for Berry. Like that, Berry and Wally likes each other and starts dating. At that time the real Cherry Kim, Darin’s ex-girlfriend comes back, and like that Darin’s cover is blown and he is found out by Pear Kang. Then we get a look at how Darin and Berry had got to date previously and how Cherry Kim is involved.
Darin now is obsessed with Berry and wants to do anything to separate Berry and Wally. He firmly believes that Berry and he is meant to be, that there was something special between Darin and Berry, and will be together in the end. Well, that’s just Darin’s thought’s though. Berry is madly in love with Wally.
Dr. Frost
This is a Psychological Webtoon. If you like the romance types, this one might not be for you as there is not even a drop of romance involved. However there is some cuteness elements. And really good psychological aspects.
Again it’s been made to a Korean Drama which has done a good job of the story of the Webtoon, and done justice to the characters.
Story : The doctor in charge of Counseling in some University is suddenly changed. The new doctor is, a mysterious man named Dr. Frost. Dr. Frost, is a guy with no emotion (Literally, he is mentally unable to feel emotions). And has white hair. People think that he is not suitable to give counseling to people, as he can’t give compassion and sympathy to his patients. However, Dr. Frost is a genius guy, who can interpret what people are thinking and feeling by observing their expressions, body posture and micro expressions. And the assistant at the counseling center is Yoon Seong Ha, a cheerful psychological student. Seong Ha and Dr. Frost together, starts to give counseling to various people.
Untochable
Well, this one came down in the list as I have not actually read this Webtoon. I have read only the first chapter, and then I did not really continue reading. I got more interested in ‘Orange Marmalade’ instead. And the story seems almost similar, so I decided to go with ‘Orange Marmalade’ for now. Will complete reading Untouchable after ‘Orange Marmalade’ is completed.
Still Untouchable is really really popular and graphics seems really good and even a bit hot. So…have to recommend that. Story : Sia Lee is a female vampire living in a world, where vampires don’t drink blood anymore. They take humans’ energy to sustain their life. When a Vampire touch a human, their energy is transferred. Then she meets JiHo whom she gets attracted to.
Stories of Those Around You
The sweet and simple webtoon tells the life of the three friends and their everyday life and their relationship problems etc.
Story : Summer Han is happily in love with her boyfriend. Mira is a successful carrier woman, who does not have love. And Jung Ah lives with her long time boyfriend. In the course of the story, Summer falls for another guy, Mira finds love and Jung Ah has a painful breakup with her boyfriend.
Salty Studio
It’s a cute story… And the ending confession and kiss makes things really really cute and sweet.
Story : Togeun quits his father’s company in order to follow his dream of becoming an artist. But there is a problem. He can’t draw that well. He remembers he had met a girl ‘Sonagi’ in the art club a few times when he was in school. Because of her unique name he remembers her (‘Sonagi’ means ‘drizzle’ or ‘passing rain’). At a school re-union, a drunken Togeun meets Sonagi again. And next day find Sonagi in his studio. She tells him that he had told her she can stay and work in his studio, instead should teach him how to draw, since she draw really beautifully. Like that Toguen and Sonagi start working together in the studio. They start to fall for each other, but then, the Sonagi whom Togeun had met back in school, might not be the Sonagi who works with him now.
Annarasumannara
This is more than just a Webtoon. I don’t know if this can even be called a Webtoon. Because it’s more like - another art. It’s technically a webtoon, but artistically more than that. It tells emotions through colours and graphics and other small elements.
Basically it’s a coming of age story.
Story : Yoon Ai wanted to be a magician when she was young, but now she has caught up in life’s struggle. One day she meets a magician at the abandoned fair ground. The mysterious guy tells her that he is a real magician. Ai starts to come to meet the guy often because she is curious about him. Also he tells her he will teach her magic. He owns a strange talking parrot as well. And there are strange rumors about the guy. Na Il Deung, the topper of the school, and the sun of a rich family, sits next to Ai in class. In Deung starts to have a crush on Ai, and follow her after school and meets with the Magician. The magician’s words changes his life.
Well, these are the currently available in English Webtoons that I would recommend.
Most of you would just want to stick to English, but in case if you can read and understand Korean Hangul, then there are few I would like to recommend. You may not find the Full English Translations of these anywhere though. Even if there might be a few episodes translated, it won’t be full.
But they have got me interested enough to make me read the Hangul (Painfully, as I can’t read fluently yet. Takes time L)
The Following are Webtoons whose English Translations are not Fully Available
Story : Du Ga Yeog and Han Woo Jin are best friends since High School. They have been asked a million times if they are dating. They go 'no way'... They can't even think about being romantically involved. They are just too much best friends. They even have pet names for each other. Woo Jin calls Ga Yeong by 'TaeJi' meaning Pig and Ga Yeong calls him 'HanWoo' by shortening his name. They are always chatting, fighting, throwing punches, or pulling each other's hair etc...Then after High School, Han Woo Jin goes to Mandatory Military Service and Ga Yong attends the university. She makes 2 new friends, Yoo Jin and Ae Ri.
After 2 years Han Woo Jin is back, and now, and Ga Yeong and Woo Jin starts hanging out as usual. Then Ga Yeong realizes that she is slowly changing, that she might like him more than as a friend now.However Han Woo Jin just think of Ga Yeong as his best fiend. He is interested in Ga Yeong's friend Yoo Jin. When Yoo Jin and Woo Jin becomes closer, the situations are making it difficult for Ga Yeong.
Ga Yeong and Woo Jin finds it difficult to maintain their close friendship and 'best friends' title. The naturally grow distant...
And then Ga Yeong meet, Chan Hee, a graduated senior from her University, who has a crush of Ga Yeong for years. Ga Yeong is still in love with Woo Jin, but she try to open her heart to Chan Hee and fails at it.
Since Ga Yeong is avoiding Woo Jin, he starts missing her. And when he see her with Chang Hee, he doesn't realize that it's jealousy or love, but he feels weird too.
It's actually really sweet to see the gradual development of love between Ga Yeong and Woo Jin. Especially Woo Jin's feelings. He is the one who was strict about 'just friendship' with Ga Yeong, and how he eventually starts to feel more than friendship with her. Some parts towards the end of season 2 are just magical. Simply...magical.I can't wait till Season 3 starts. Just finished reading season 2. Have to wait one more month for Season 3 to start. Sigh!
스피릿 핑거스 (Spirit Fingers)
One of the cutest love stories ever written. It's over load of cuteness. Also, the whole story gives a positive Vibe. Energizes the normal, not so good looking people in to believing that we all are awesome humans.
Story : Song Woo Yeon, a normal looking girl, one day finds herself asked to pose as model for a caricature sketching group. later she gets asked to come to the group meeting if she would like. She kind of takes an interest to the guy in the group, so she decides to join the drawing group, which's name is Spirit fingers. Joinging the group changes Woo Yeon's life. She gets more confidence and strength and learns to be happy about who she is.The guy she had an interest on, Sun Woo, seems to be the nicest guy, but he is mean and blunt only to his best friend (girl) Nam Green. Woo Yeon senses the chemistry between Green and Sun Woo and think she is no match. She likes Green and everybody else in the drawing group, except for one person. Nam Green's younger brother, Nam Gi Joong, whom she met accidentally in an embarrassing situation before.
Gi Joong is just surprised to see that this girl don't like him. Since he is uselessly handsome, all the girls around him naturally likes him. But Woo Yeon does not. That confuses the innocent guy. So he strats to pester her and pay attention to her, in order to fall in love with her.
But Woo Yeon rejects him. She has no interest in him.
Gi Joog don't care though... He loves her like a puppy loves his master.
Nam Ki Joong is the cutest thing on earth. Seriously.
살아마라 (Live or Not)
The Story in interesting. Really interesting...
Story : The old couple Yeok Gap grandpa and Jong Soon grandma are the noisiest bickering couple ever. They always fight. Fight everywhere. They consider that their marriage is a failure and hate each other. One day, on a trip to amusement park with the family, the both accidentally falls in to a magical well. While falling in they both wish if they could turn back things to when they had not married. And suddenly they find them self to be young, 17 years old again. The family, is stunned to find the mother and father as 17 years old.
Given a second chance at life, both of the couple want to take different routes. Jong Soon grandma want to study again and do everything she missed out on, and never ever have anything to do with her husband again.
But on the other hand, Yeok Gap grandpa still want to be with his wife and loves her.
One problem comes that if the couple do not have psychical contact for a lot of time, their body changes back to old age. But one they touch each other they return back to 17 year old. The both joins school with their grand daughter and start new life. And is then confused to find another person who is not supposed to look young now.
There is a girl who look exactly like Young Hae, the girl who had a crush on Yeok Gap and who ruined Yeok Gap and Jong Soon's good relationship in the start of their married life.
Then the couple is told by the owner of the magic well that in the end only one of the couple will stay as 17 years old, the other will turn back as old. As I said, the story is interesting...
And.. Eh ehm..It's a bit steamy. Yeok Gap grandpa is too hot.
This is a really good story about the life and love of a couple after they break up with each other. The story is told with a realistic touch. It has not tried to make things polite, or cute. It’s racy in some parts.
Yes, there is a Web Drama supposed to be based on this. But the drama has killed the story and made things unlike what was in the Webtoon. Well, maybe it was too risky to show ‘live-in relationship’ in a Korean Drama??? But seriously, there was no need of those foolish characters in K-drama, who are not in the Webtoon. Also 2 words for the Drama - BAD ACTING.
However, The Webtoon is really good.
Story : No Woo Ri and Ji Won Yeong were live-in couples. Woo Ri is a normal Office Worker, And Won Yeong is a struggling musician, the leader of a Band. (The band’s name is funny, it’s – ‘The Band I don’t Know’). They eventually break up, because of lack of communication and struggles of life. But they can’t move out of the house because of deposit problems. And hence they are forced to continue to live together. Then Woo Ri gets involved in situations with a co-worker Seo Hyun Woo, and they develop feelings for each other. Woo Ri and Hyun Woo starts dating. Meanwhile Won Yeong and his band gets recognized by an Entertainment Agency, and they get to make an Album. The employee of the Entertainment Agency, and school classmate of Woo Ri, Yoon Ni Na gets shows interest in Won Yeong.
Won Yeong, who first felt it was okay and even encouraged Woo Ri in dating Hyun Woo, eventually starts to feel possessive about her. While making songs for his new album, he ends up revoking the old love in him for Woo Ri. And when he expresses his feelings to Woo Ri, even she can’t be sure of her own feelings for him. She might have not stopped loving Won Yeong … (Yeah…I know it’s typical K-Drama story. Wish if they had made a really exact copy drama of this. Not twisting the story and adding absurd characters. If the story is made to a K-Drama in exactly the same way, it would get really good reception).