By “No, I’m more of a manga person than a Webtoon person.”
I’ve heard such words before.
It was during my university days. While discussing with friends, the topic of Webtoons came up, and as an otaku who had been reading Webtoons for over ten years, I couldn’t hold back and was about to start listing my recommended works.
However, suddenly declared “I’m more of a manga person than a Webtoon person,” I, who had been zoning out, asked my friend again.
“So, what Webtoons do you know?”
Now it’s 2024, and Webtoons are enjoying explosive popularity across borders. Among them are many popular works being read in Korea, Japan, China, and the United States, riding the wave of globalization. The common point of these works is…
Works that can be seen in the overall ranking of LINE Manga. They somehow feel familiar.
“Reincarnation,” “Return,” “Revenge”… Think about it. How many of the Webtoons you know do not include these words?
After talking with my friend, I immediately went home and searched online for “the difference between Webtoons and manga.”
There may be differences depending on the site, but they generally say the same thing.
① A vertical reading format optimized for smartphones and tablets
② Differences in expression (color, panel cutting style, etc.)
③ Differences in readers (light readers since they can read quickly)
Hmm, I see. That’s an interesting story. But how about this?
Let’s go back 16 years. I was in the fourth grade of elementary school and occasionally visited my relatives’ house. When I went to play, my cousin was always either playing games on the computer or surfing the internet.
One day, he was unusually reading a manga. Of course, it was on the computer screen. I thought, “Aren’t mangas supposed to be read in books?” and became curious, asking him the title of that manga. Seeing a character with a face I had never seen before, he chuckled and answered.
The super popular work “Kokoro no Koe,” serialized from 2006 to 2020. As you can see, the character’s face is distinctive.
I never dreamed that this would become a historical work marking the heyday of Webtoons in Korea. But you can rest assured. I have no intention of starting a success myth of Webtoons here.
What I want to confirm here is a very simple question: “How did Webtoons become vertical reading in an era without smartphones?”
By the time I started engaging with Webtoons in the 2000s, they were already permeating the strict Korean society regarding comics. Although the market size was still small, thanks to popular works that continuously increased their view counts, there were few users who objected to the vertical reading characteristic of Webtoons.
Now, let’s take a rough look at some works from that time (even just the art is fine).
Popular works that started serialization from 2006 to 2007. They can only be read in Korean, but they are available for free, so I hope you can check out at least the first episode.
What do you think? Even though these works are almost 20 years old, they look quite different from what we see today. The above works were not randomly picked as unpopular ones; they were all super popular works that occupied the Top 10 of NAVER WEBTOON (Japan’s LINE Manga) at that time.
Putting aside personal impressions like “a bit lame” or “ordinary,” I want to point out something that caught my attention.
“Hey, isn’t this pretty much the same as manga?”
Yes. Manga that is read horizontally by separating panels.
Simply arranging the pages of a manga vertically results in the form of Webtoons at that time. So let’s return to “the difference between Webtoons and manga” point ①. Is Webtoon really “vertical reading”?
I want to slowly discuss the story of how Webtoons came to be in their current form. So at this point, let me introduce just one work. It is not the historically significant work “Kokoro no Koe” mentioned above, but rather the top action series that was also popular during the same era, “Ssennom” (2008).
Unfortunately, there is no Japanese version of this work. If you want to read it, you have to translate it yourself from the version available on NAVER WEBTOON. However, for those who cannot read Korean, let me briefly explain. “Ssennom” can be summed up in one sentence as “A story about a guy who just wants to become the strongest, with no romance or love comedy, just a sweaty fighting tale.”
Gun Taeyob “No, no! The path I walk is the path of a demon! The strong ones I respect in history and mythology all walked the path of solitude! Women are unnecessary on the path of the strong! We are the invincible solitary squad!” (Translated by the author)
－ “Ssennom” Episode 4
Of course, there are couples in the story. However, you could say that their presence is so minimal that it feels like they aren’t there at all. The protagonist, Gun Taeyob, is a delinquent who is strong enough to calm a region since middle school. However, his motivation is solely to become a “stronger guy.” Just because he is strong in fights doesn’t mean he bullies regular students or steals things. He is simply a foolish guy who is only interested in fighting strong opponents.
Gun Taeyob “Thinking back on the opponents I’ve defeated, they were all formidable foes, and I wonder how I managed to win… The monsters I finally defeated after chasing them with the resolve to die, bleeding and sweating… The only thing I learned from fighting them is one thing: defeat. The moment I somehow crawled out of that quagmire, I became stronger. Sorry, but I have Saiyan blood flowing through me. Thank you very much. I sincerely appreciate it. Thanks to you, I will become even stronger.” (Translated by the author)
－ “Ssennom” Episode 13
His story begins when he transfers to a new school. Of course, there are no elements of reincarnation or return from the distant future. Moreover, there are no SSS-level cheats, so Gun Taeyob sometimes loses and sometimes resorts to underhanded tactics, gradually growing as a person.
Those who have listened to this might be thinking.
“Isn’t this just a normal manga story? Why is he acting so high and mighty?”
Yes. Just from the description, this work may seem like a typical action delinquent manga, but what makes it so special?
What I want to convey to the readers here is that “Ssennom” was not just an action manga. It can be said that it was almost the first to understand the vertical reading system and add destructive direction, making it a genuine “Webtoon work.”
Quoted from Episode 6 of “Ssennom,” which is available for free on NAVER WEBTOON.
Regarding “Ssennom,” which was pioneering for its time, Mr. Park stated the following.
[blogcard url=”https://blog.naver.com/ddmpark4_st/90188832834″]“Anyway, I was from the generation that first opened ‘Dragon Ball.’ Of course, I like various genres, but when I debuted, there was particularly no action in Webtoons. Even now, it’s the same, but back then, the competition for debuting was fierce, so I wanted to utilize my unique competitiveness to try action. I thought I could do it.” (Translated by the author)
Here, Mr. Park also adds a self-deprecating comment that he thought “the story doesn’t matter if it’s an action genre,” but rather, the plot of “Ssennom” can be considered a strength of the work, as it has been well-received.
Gun Taeyob “He is weak. My brother is just pretending to be strong, but he is actually weak. Just like my dad. But I’m even weaker than that. So I thought I had to get a little stronger.” (Translated by the author) – “Ssennom” Episode 48
Choi Gandoo “I wanted friends. Friends who can joke around, sometimes fight, and spend time together casually… Friends who I could trust my back to in dangerous times… I wanted friends who are weaker than me.” (Translated by the author) – “Ssennom” Side Story Episode 13
Teacher “I’ve never met someone who could express their dreams so clearly. Have you ever seen the smile of a boy who might have a certain dream? It’s a refreshing smile that could rejuvenate an old man like me.” (Translated by the author) – “Ssennom” Episode 37
Simply wanting to fight and become stronger. There’s not much more to say about the character’s motivation, but it surprisingly faces deep messages and the weight of the plot. The world depicted in this work includes not only the content of simply committing violence at school but also the passion of a boy wanting to be recognized by those around him, worries about the future, and the pains of growth.
Of course, even with the emergence of “Ssennom,” the question about reading methods remains unresolved. A few more changes are needed for Webtoons to reach their current form. This time, I hope to convey the era when “Ssennom” proudly existed to the hearts of the readers reading this text.
Reading Webtoons that do not have a Japanese version can be challenging, but I would definitely recommend this work to Webtoon beginners who can read Korean…
[blogcard url=”https://comic.naver.com/webtoon/list?titleId=720127″]Gun Taeyob “Don’t call me leader or boss with such embarrassing words. I’ve never been good at grouping since birth, and I hate standing above anyone even more. Once a man fights, he’s already a friend. So from now on, just call me… ‘the strong guy.’ Keep it simple.” (Translated by the author) – “Ssennom” Episode 6
Park Juhyun
Born in 1998, from Korea. Working at a Japanese animation studio from this year. Realized that he has spent over 100,000 yen on advance reading in Webtoons for more than 15 years. Currently writing articles about Webtoons with the desire to earn back what he spent through view counts.
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