It only takes a few minutes to brush it. After reading the first episode of Solo Level (i.e., Digital Comics), you can be confident in the way the story goes: Sung Jinwoo will not be the lowest and most pathetic monster hunter ever. He will learn to conquer the terrible beasts. He will win respect from his peers. He will be enough to cover his mother’s medical expenses.
Readers don’t seem to care about the journey of “solo” providing predictable heroes. Since its release in 2018, the Webtoon has become an internet-like feel with dynamic combat scenes and carefully presented landscapes. Last year, it was adapted into an animated series (pictured) that radiates to the top of the Crunchyroll on the Crunchyroll. (Season 2 was released earlier this year.) The story was also released in 2024, earning $150 million, according to the story’s mobile game. It’s not just Oscar-winning movies like “Conference” shot at the global box office.
Like the reality TV show “Masked Singer”, Webtoons originated in South Korea and has spread all over the world. The difference from other comics is that they are designed for small screens. (You read by scrolling down, scrolling one frame at a time, rather than scanning multiple frames or spreading on a page.) The format goes back to the early 2000s, but it exploded in popularity recently.
In 2024, the online website market is worth $9 billion; by 2033, it is expected to reach nearly $100 billion, according to consulting firm Imarc. This figure is higher than the estimated market size of famous Japanese comic books and comics. Indeed, even Japanese readers are abandoning digital alternatives to local comics. The highest Japanese notes app in the first quarter of this year is Line Marga, a confusing Webtoon app.
The craze combines two phenomena: the popularity of comics as a genre and the reliance on transferring smartphones. Webtoon is a platform that releases over 120,000 episodes a day, meaning that even the young people on the phone can find something to enjoy when picking up the device.
Webtoons is written as a brief burst of enjoyment – an episode can take five minutes to read – it suits anyone with any attention range. Simon Fraser University says they are a product of South Korea’s “snack culture” that promotes consumption of media in 15 minutes or less. Readers say that compared to traditional comic books, the veneer format can make your eyes attract other frames on the page prematurely, thus giving the “immersive” reading experience a “immersive” reading experience.
Another reason why Webtoons are popular is their pain. Readers don’t have to worry about slow burning plots. Characters usually face one crisis after another: Jin Tao survives a monster raid, not the next. And, just like soap operas use cliffs, and audiences are encouraged to watch next week, the Webtoon plot relies on suspense to stimulate readers to take advantage of the next section.
This is true for all genres, not just action and fantasy. Romance is one of the most popular online station categories. Users are attracted by titles like “I’ve Already For the Greatest Villain of the Empire,” a sultry yarn about a noble bachelor who was forced to marry. Despite its obvious metaphor, it has a 9.5-star rating on Webtoon, with nearly 3.5 million views.
Even if many Webtoons don’t offer original primitive egos, Lote offers rich images. Artists from around the world upload their works directly to the platform, meaning no one can understand a specific aesthetic style. Some web scripts evoke breeding American comics, but others are more experimental. “Legend Olympus” is a recap of Greek mythology and Pestphine’s mythology, using bright colors and spray gun effects. It has 1.4 billion views.
Webtoons’ huge global followers make them a valuable source of intellectual property. Since 2020, more than ten stories have been adapted into movies and TV shows. “Sweet Home” and “Itaewon Class” can be streamed on Netflix, “HeartStopper” is a popular LGBT romance based on Alice Oseman’s Webtoon of the same name.
The truncated nature of Webtoon plots doesn’t make them easy for material, however, there are usually not enough stories to fill out the script. The ruthless twists make people watch hammy, monotonously; people expect to see introspection and action. Asa Suehira, head of content at Crunchyroll, said producers of the “solo level” adaptation had to add material about the psychology of the character to make the story television.
Short supply
However, more adaptations are underway. Hollywood is snapping up the right to log in to the website; 20 shows are under development. LuckyChap, one of the production companies behind the largest 2023 film Barbie, is making a live-action movie of “Stagtown”, a network about a small town with dark secrets. Jim Henson Company (known for “Muppets”, “Legend” will become an animated series. Skybound makes The Walking Dead a zombie franchise, picking a supernatural love story called “weird romance.” Conquer your smartphone, Webtoons is about to arrive at another screen near you.
