By This article continues from the previous article “The Heretic Manga that Shook the Great Webtoon Era” HELLPER Theory Part 1 – Road to Webtoon #4.
Is there anyone reading this text who reads Korean Webtoons in the original language?
If so, you may have noticed a “certain characteristic” that appears in the comments section.
(Although it is often seen in popular works) no matter which genre or work you are reading, the following comment always appears.
“Isn’t today’s installment a bit short?”
The author has always been puzzled by this comment.
Strangely enough, the “installment” they refer to has no relation to the actual number of panels.
Rather, despite having more panels than usual, comments complaining that “it feels short today” always appear. While it can be understood as a matter of personal perception, the author suspects that there exists a “gap that cannot be bridged between readers and creators”.
While it may not be universal, a disconnect often arises between creators and consumers (readers). Beyond simply the creator’s intentions not reaching the readers, discrepancies in the perception of quantity frequently occur.
The topic at hand is quite close to this issue, in the author’s opinion.
Continuing from #4, the series has been experimenting with various changes, including its art style. The sudden shift to an 18+ rating in Season 2 can be seen as part of this change. However, this shift has generated polarized reactions among fans, and the comments section has increasingly become a battleground of opinions.
What kind of results did the minor discrepancies between readers and creators bring about? Today, I would like to discuss that.
Rising Voices of Discontent: A Writer Who Turns Critics into Laughs
Compared to Season 1, which maintained around 9.9, Season 2 has dropped to a minimum of 2.0.
It may be a bit late, but let’s clarify the seasons of HELLPER here.
With a 13-year serialization history, HELLPER ended its first season “MADMAN,” which ran for four years starting in 2011, and then serialized its second season “KILLBEROS” for about eight years starting in 2016. While it is the same work, it is important to note the significant difference in evaluation between Season 1 and Season 2.
The content explained in the previous installment of this series is, of course, limited to the well-received Season 1 “MADMAN.”
Season 2 “KILLBEROS” was also well-received at the beginning of its serialization, but from 2018, two years later, the number of anti-comments pointing out issues with the work began to increase. Issues such as excessive violent expressions, too many cameo characters and brand advertisements, and handling too many current affairs were frequently pointed out by fans who had been drawn in during Season 1.
I didn’t read the comments not because I didn’t want to communicate, but because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to show the manga as I intended due to the influence of the comments. (Author’s translation)
– SAKK, announcement of hiatus (20.10.20)
SAKK consistently stated that he did not read the comments because he wanted to maintain his creative intent. However, this is merely a surface-level explanation, as scenes depicting characters who deliver anti-comments being beaten up were also drawn in the manga. While this may seem like a somewhat immature response, it can be interpreted that the creator indirectly denied the opinions of the critics.
Naturally, there are probably not many critics who can enjoy watching the creator’s actions. Some readers who were furious at being ridiculed in the manga, rather than having their opinions reflected, began to voice their opposition more and more.
The 247th Episode that Shook the Webtoon World: The Beginning of the Out-of-Ring Brawl
Using the hashtag #Stop_Misogyny_in_Webtoon.
In the HELLPER minor gallery, a fan community on Dcinside, a reader sharply criticized, “For the depiction of crime to be justified through freedom of expression, the cruelty of the crime should be made known. I don’t really understand what the author is trying to say.”
This can be interpreted as a critique that the depiction of crimes against women and socially vulnerable individuals, as well as sexual expressions, have exceeded acceptable limits.
Such suspicions spread like wildfire after the release of episode 247 of HELLPER on the 8th of this month.
The installment depicted the torture of an elderly woman named “Pibada,” who was bound naked and injected with drugs.– “Will the scene of ‘torture and restraint’ be deleted from the free installment… HELLPER becomes a public enemy.” Eat Today, September 14, 2020
Ultimately, the issue exploded at the time of the release of Season 2, Episode 247. The shocking content left all readers, including existing critics and even those who had defended the work and the creator, turning their backs.
Comments from episode 247’s comment section.
Critiques such as “Seems like there are mental issues” and “Is the author on drugs?” have been posted.
For those who are unaware of the problematic content, let me explain. As mentioned in the article above, the scene depicting “torturing an elderly character with drugs” was indeed portrayed in episode 247.
Setting aside how much Korean society values its elderly, it is important to note that the character “Pibada,” who is the protagonist of that scene, was the most popular character throughout the entire work. In other words, after over ten years of serialization, the main character who had been the most popular suddenly retired in an unimaginable way, which angered the readers. The beginning of this incident was merely such a commotion, the author argues.
However, the real issue arose next.
Seeing the creator’s outrageous actions, members of the HELLPER minor gallery, unable to bear it, shared the misogynistic elements of HELLPER on Twitter and with the media to publicize the situation. Members of DC Inside, contrary to their usual tendencies, supported feminists and actively provided materials for support. (Author’s translation)
– Explanation created by users of the gallery regarding the incident at the time
Shortly after the release of episode 247, a public discourse began among some factions that had previously raised issues with the work, known as the “HELLPER Minor Gallery.”
Users who had previously pointed out elements of the work as “the creator’s outrageous actions” took the attention garnered from episode 247 to appeal to feminist organizations that the creator was depicting misogyny. They compiled the scenes of torture of the elderly woman in episode 247, along with sexual depictions and rape scenes in the work, as materials to spread online for public discourse.
It is noteworthy that they describe their tendencies in one sentence. As they state, despite not usually supporting feminism, they “united with feminist organizations to demand change in the work.”
Regardless of their intentions, the outcome undoubtedly had a significant impact. This marked the beginning of the so-called out-of-ring brawl.
Media outlets that often deal with themes of gender discrimination and feminism, such as “Women’s Newspaper,” published articles with a critical perspective, questioning whether expressions of sexual exploitation and rape are permissible simply because they are rated 18+. Feminist forces on social media that agreed with this critique began to spread discussions using hashtags like #Stop_Misogyny_in_Webtoon.
As the outrage deepened, the voices of criticism reached NAVER WEBTOON, the platform where the series is serialized.
Realizing the seriousness of the incident, NAVER WEBTOON stated, “We communicate opinions for revisions to the creators during the editing process regarding intense expressions,” while also announcing that “we want to refine our guidelines more sensitively in the future.”
The Outrage Reaches the Management: Leading to Stricter Censorship
The statements from NAVER WEBTOON above were indeed significant.
Of course, there have been instances in the past where NAVER WEBTOON publicly declared that they would “strengthen guidelines” in response to incidents, but this was the first case where censorship was significantly strengthened and applied.
“Rebirth King,” which began serialization in 2014 and became a topic of national petition for depicting misogyny, and “Fishing God,” which started serialization in 2015 and moved platforms due to bloody expressions, did not have the same impact as HELLPER.
Google search results for “NAVER WEBTOON censorship.”
Panels with mosaics are lined up.
In other words, the censorship that took place after 2020 needs to be contextualized. The point at which censorship was strengthened was after the HELLPER incident was covered by the media. (Author’s translation)
– Namuwiki, quoted from the explanation on the “NAVER Censorship Theory” page
Unlike previous incidents, the outrage surrounding HELLPER brought about a clear change: the introduction of “mosaic censorship.”
The previous flow of “a certain work or scene being questioned → deleted or modified” has shifted to a stance of “preemptively applying mosaics to potentially problematic scenes.” Of course, there are cases where scenes that were not previously problematic are later mosaicked.
Therefore, it is perhaps natural that a renewed debate arose around this series of events. In particular, the HELLPER minor gallery, which brought this issue to the forefront, faced harsh criticism. Since their public discourse began from a community that does not typically support feminism, there were accusations that they were “merely using the feminist movement for the sake of outrage.”
In any case, HELLPER will be referred to as “the work that brought about the largest censorship in Webtoon history.” And the debates surrounding censorship that began with this work continue to shape the landscape of Webtoons in Korea.
For the author, HELLPER is one of the works that has accompanied him throughout his student years and into adulthood. In fact, it is a work that the author noticed even before its official serialization began, so the way it has been perceived is almost “dishonorable.”
I understand the sadness of the users in the minor gallery as their beloved work changes in an unwanted direction. However, I find it difficult to comprehend the act of wielding outrage as a weapon to impose readers’ standards on the creator. Moreover, using the feminist movement, which they openly state is “different from their usual way of thinking,” merely as a means to incite outrage raises further doubts about their legitimacy.
Ultimately, what was the “creator’s outrageous actions” that they pointed out? And what was the purpose of raising such critical voices? Looking at HELLPER, which just ended its serialization of Season 2 two months ago (August 2024), I find myself more worried about the future than excited for the next work. When will I be able to see Season 3? I continue to have anxious days, wondering if this series will end as it is. Yet, despite all this, I still want to recommend this work…
Life is Verry.
– Jan Gwan-nam
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