by the author of A Budgie’s Life
To those of you who don’t know what a comic is, your initial reaction is probably one of two things. If you’re somewhat informed, you’ll have a general idea of it, and if not, you’re probably thinking “those things that have no words in them”. I happen to be the second case. When I first heard of comics, I wasn’t a big fan since I thought they restricted imagination. Yes, it’s important to read books and not rely solely on illustrations. But what about those days where you’re just lazy, tired, and too exhausted to do anything that uses energy? There are times when I can’t get myself to read books, either. Let me introduce you to a new world of adventure: WEBTOON! (Be sure to check out the recommendations below if you’re interested.)
BTS (behind the scenes, not the K-pop group) of Webtoons
A basic rundown of Line WEBTOON is that it originated in South Korea in 2004 with Naver Corporation. From then on, it spread to various languages: English, French, Indonesian, Chinese, Spanish, and Thai as of 2020. (You can access Korean comics at comic.naver.com and all other languages at webtoons.com.) If English isn’t your strong suit, you could use webtoons to your advantage; similarly to how children start by reading books with illustrations, Webtoons are digital comics with low word counts and simple vocabulary that can help expand your learning in a fun and enjoyable way!
Some people tell me that they’re not interested in Webtoons since they seem boring. Truth to be told, I thought my WEBTOON-loving friends were weird before I started reading them too. There are two sections of WEBTOON named Originals and Canvas (formerly featured and discover, respectively).
Originals are officially published by WEBTOON with paid authors that update weekly (or more depending on the comic). Canvas artists aren’t paid and don’t have deadlines since it is available to any aspiring artist that wants to try their hand in a comic. (If you’re interested, then you can find more information on the Creators 101 section of the website.)
The Originals section consists of comics selected from the Canvas section, or they are translated from different languages (such as Korean). So if you’re bilingual, it’s a bonus because you can read ahead in another language if it isn’t updated in English yet!
Unlike many other comic websites, comics on WEBTOON are free! A couple of months back, artists began to offer reading an episode a week early for 5 WEBTOON coins (which can be purchased), but this is completely optional; you will still be able to read it without spending money. Unfortunately, some completed comics require you to make an account and you can only read a few chapters a day, however, this is still FREE, don’t worry.
Recommendations!
As a WEBTOON lover, there are a couple of titles that I recommend. However, do note that you shouldn’t read Webtoons under the age of 13 unless you have permission from your parent/guardian(s). There are hundreds of comics available in various genres, but these are a few that I enjoyed and have a generally low word count. Many of these are from the Slice of Life genre, which may sound boring since it revolves around people’s real lives, but they are still quite funny and enjoyable since the artists have tied in comical touches.
Title: My Giant Nerd Boyfriend | Author: Fishball | Status: Ongoing | Genre: Comedy/Slice of Life
This wholesome comic takes us into an adventure with fishball and her 6’5” boyfriend! As you can see from the image above, they have quite a height difference. Some people may think it’s cute, but you’ll soon see what it’s really like… Updated on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you can dive into this cute, relaxing story three times a week. The hundreds of chapters may seem to be a hassle, but you don’t need to start from the beginning since they are individual short stories.
Title: Murrz | Author: Murrz | Status: Ongoing | Genre: Comedy/Slice of Life
Join Murrz, her boyfriend, and her two cats on this raw comic of silliness and laughter. Feel free to start on any episode for this one as well and you’ll be able to catch on in no time. This one is updated on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; if you read both MGNB (My Giant Nerd Boyfriend) and Murrz, you’ll have at least one episode per day on WEBTOON!
Title: A Budgie’s Life | Author: Muffin Girl | Status: Completed | Genre: Slice of Life
A friendly comic that introduces you to Muffin Girl’s birds! I would highly recommend that you start from the beginning; even if it may seem to be a random story about birds, there still is a sequence of events in the storyline. Although it’s 400 chapters (401 including the author’s note at the end), I had no regrets reading this comic. It takes you through fun parodies of Studio Ghibli and others, along with information on budgies if you’re a bird lover! Even if you’re not particularly interested in birds, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with them in no time.
Generally speaking, if you’re looking for an easy-level beginner Webtoon, comedy and slice of life genres are a good place to start (some more examples being As Per Usual, Saphie the One-Eyed Cat, and Safely Endangered). As someone learning a language other than English, I know it’s no easy task to read and learn a new language; however, constantly reading a little every day helped me build onto my skills as well. I’d love to recommend others, but these are some fun, short ones compared to lengthy and heavy-plotted stories. Be sure to check some other genres if you’d like to.
Happy Reading!
Discussion Question:
What Webtoons interest you?
What kind of Webtoon would you be interested in reading?
