8 WebToons I've Loved Lately
I resisted downloading WebToon for the longest time. Despite seeing hundreds of ads for it, I held out until my curiosity around one particular ad made me take the plunge. It ended up being a great decision.
What was the WebToon that got me? Let’s Play, one of the most popular on-going series on the platform. I liked that it was pitched as a coming-of-age story that focused on a main character who wants to become a videogame developer. The unintentional conflict that comes from her neighbor being the let’s player who trashed her game made me want to see how things would turn out.
That was almost two years ago. Over time, I’ve found a lot more series that I’ve binged and loved. There have also been some that I tried and gave up on.
When things got busy with my big move and I was learning to live in Singapore, I pretty much stopped reading WebToons. Then I decided to catch up on a favorite and fell back in love with the stories I’ve found.
Since then, I’ve discovered several new series. Some showed up in my recommendations while others were unexpected finds from the “New This Week” promotions that give me free coins in exchange for sending some love to new series.
I’ve been reading a lot of them this year and thought it’d be fun to share the series I’ve found and loved recently. Most of them are on a smaller scale, averaging less than 40K likes per chapter. Some are even as little as 5K likes per chapter, though there are some popular ones too.
They range in genre and story, but they’re all great. As much as I want to keep them to myself, I also believe they deserve more hype. Hopefully, sharing this list will get a couple of you to check them out and send some love to the authors who have put in a ton of work into creating the WebToons that I’ve been loving this year.
Tori and Samuel
I found this WebToon really randomly and decided to give it a try. Anything with cute animals is likely to get me invested, and I was right about that.
The story is adorable and I love how much each chapter teaches a small lesson about life and good things. Even though there aren’t many panels in each chapter, they’re super effective at telling the story of what it means to live in this world, learn new things, and make friends with people who are different from you.
The WebToon follows Tori, a corgi pup with a little too much enthusiasm and a love of all snack foods. Taking care of her is Samuel, a grey cat in his gentlemanly years who teaches Tori what it means to be part of a family. Together, they have little adventures that often involve cookies and hijinks that result in Tori cleaning the house.
When I found this, I binged all the chapters in about two dinner sessions. While my parents watch their K-dramas, I tend to read my WebToons and catch up with new releases for the day. This was a great one and I’ve shown it to my dad a few times because the art makes me want to pinch these characters.
It’s a really great story to binge if you’re looking for something fun and sweet. There are usually updates once a week, but there are bonus chapters once in awhile. The bonuses can be side stories following other characters or themed around some kind of holiday or event. No matter what, it remains one of the most wholesome stories I follow and it makes me smile often.
Dr. Frost
None of my lists are ever complete without something crime related. In this case, it’s a bit different. Dr. Frost follows a brilliant psychologist who has issues feeling normal emotions. He’s also super attractive and has a full head of white hair despite being young.
When he shows up at a college to teach, some people aren’t super happy about that. After all, how can you teach psychology if you can’t feel normal emotions? Assisting him with his counseling sessions and occasional classes is a bright grad student who sees the best in Dr. Frost and slowly teaches him how to care for people.
What makes this WebToon stand out is that the author does a ton of research about the real psychology behind each story arc. And when I say a ton, I mean he regularly consults with three different psychology professors while writing his stories. When he needs more research, he reaches out to other experts to make sure his portrayals are as accurate as possible.
It’s really commendable, how much thought and time he puts into this. I’ve been able to tell from reading that this isn’t like what other psych-based stories are. Beyond the generic information that most of us can find on the Internet, I’ve learned a lot from reading this.
Each story arc averages about eight chapters. It’s paced perfectly to show how a counseling session unfolds. Nothing is written as if Dr. Frost never makes mistakes and gets everything right on the first try. Though he’s often able to discern things immediately, there are many moments of him questioning if there’s more than he sees on the surface.
WebToons like this make my brain really happy as it dives deeper into my fascination with human behavior. Born of my love of Criminal Minds, of course. I appreciate how much time it takes the author to write each story arc because I can tell that it’s different. His research really shine through in the best possible way.
It’s fun for me to sit down and read through a story arc during dinner. Keeps things spaced out for me and allows me to enjoy the WebToon more slowly instead of rushing through all the chapters and having to wait for new ones to come out.
Woven
I found this through one of the WebToon promotions where they advertise new series and reading a certain number of chapters allows you to redeem free coins. I normally don’t participate, but the past couple rounds of new releases are how I’ve found several of the stories on this list.
Since I’m not really reading anything fantasy related on WebToon, this one caught my eye. Not only is it about dragons and magic, the art style is absolutely stunning. I haven’t come across anything else like it on the platform and I doubt anything could compare in this way.
It’s the use of colors and brushes that gets me. Everything is so beautiful and carefully placed. I feel like I’m reading some kind of masterpiece every time I open a new chapter. The art does wonders to tell the story and enhance the plot. I can’t imagine the same story being told with a different kind of art style. It just wouldn’t work.
The story follows Ayşe (pronounced Ai-sheh), who was blinded during the war between mages and dragons. In the years since the war, people have forgotten that magic once existed and that some have the power to wield them. Ayşe is one of those people, keeping the secret that she can see threads around everyone despite being blind.
I’ve never read anything like this before. While the plot of wars between people and dragons is quite common, this one stands out because the war happened due to greed on both sides. There’s an acknowledgement that mages were just as much to blame as the dragons were.
Plus, the inclusion of a main character with a disability is incredible. Ayşe is never looked down upon despite her blindness. In fact, she’s portrayed as one of the more capable characters. The fact that she also has a conversation about “not being like other girls” being a stupid thing to say makes her even better.
Right now, there aren’t a whole lot of chapters out, but it’s entirely worth it to start the WebToon. Even if you’re only in it for the art, I promise that you won’t be let down. It’s truly an incredible story and I hope to see more people discover it as time goes on.
Love & Leashes
I’ve talked about this WebToon quite a bit in my monthly look backs. I think I discovered it in January and have been reading consistently since.
Romance WebToons don’t usually catch my attention since romance as a genre is something I rarely delve into. The predictability is nice to have sometimes, but the story only works for me if there’s something deeper than just two people falling in love going on. In this case, it’s exploring fetishes.
I don’t know about you, but BDSM isn’t something I know a lot about. I mean, the basics are familiar to me - there’s a dominant partner and a submissive partner; safe words are in place for the sub to back out of things they’re uncomfortable with; control is the main feature, but pain can be part of it too.
This WebToon has taught me a lot more about what BDSM actually is and what it means to have a healthy relationship between a dom and a sub.
Following two main characters, their BDSM relationship accidentally begins because of a mix-up. Jihu is new to the marketing department and harbors the secret that he’s into BDSM. On the other hand, Ji-u is part of the same department, secretly crushing on Jihu and not knowing his fetish.
When Jihu’s package accidentally gets delivered to Ji-u, he confesses that he’s into BDSM and that he’s been looking for a dominant partner for years. Mistaking Ji-u’s oblivion to what his package contains, he asks her to become his dom. Hilarity ensues as she agrees and learns about the world of BDSM.
The thing I love most about this is how wholesome the story is. Despite being about a fetish that most people frown upon, the author does a great job of dispelling myths around it and explaining what a heathy relationship looks like. Watching Ji-u learn feels like I’m also learning about this world.
There’s enough humor and seriousness intermixed that the story feels balanced. As characters, Jihu and Ji-u are fun to read about. I like how opposite they are and how mindful they are of each other’s boundaries. Nothing about their dom-sub relationship feels dangerous or unhealthy.
Though it’s currently both a Fast Pass and Daily Pass series, I recommend checking it out if you’re looking for something lighthearted and romance based. There’s not a lot of romance going on right now, but it’ll lead in that direction soon enough.
Eaternal Nocturnal
This one is really popular, so I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of it. From the author of Where Tangents Meet and Siren’s Lament comes this new masterpiece.
The WebToon follows Eve, an insomniac who has trouble looking for a job due to her constant fatigue, and Dae, a food deliveryman who is secretly a dream eater during the night. Their paths cross when Dae eats one of Eve’s dreams and they both wake up feeling refreshed like never before. Thus begins a quid-pro-quo relationship that has them seeing each other more.
While this also counts as a romance WebToon, it’s easy for me to get into because the author, InstantMiso, does such a great job of giving her characters lives and problems outside of their romance. I never have to worry about the story only being about love. There’s plenty else going on to flesh out the story.
One of the things I love most about this is how it talks about dreams and the way people are more truthful in them. It’s relatively well known that dreams are reflections of how we really feel, but I like that we get to see Dae’s interpretation of the dreams he eats from people.
Art wise, I love it. WebToons like this are reminders of what I love of anime-style artwork. It’s not quite the same, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a style that I enjoy greatly and draws me into a lot of WebToons. The way InstantMiso switches colors between dreams and reality make reading the story much more fun too.
Something I think InstantMiso does really well in her WebToons is balancing humor and seriousness. She’s very clever about what moments to make funny while moving the plot forward and being careful not to take away from what needs to be serious. It’s something I really appreciate while reading her work because the humor never feels forced.
The story also features a really cute pet sidekick, Tapi. I’m really hoping that we’ll get a plushie at some point because I’d love to get one for my collection. Every time he appears in the story, I want to see him more. Tapi is truly the best character and I will buy whatever merch he ends up on.
Reunion
Finding this on WebToons was a huge surprise to me because I was following it on and off on Instagram for the better part of a year. At the time, the author said she had no intention of putting her work on WebToons, so I never expected to see it. She was also writing the story out of order and posting little snippets for fun.
Fast forward about a year and I forgot the author’s username because silly me didn’t follow her on Instagram. I kept wondering about how the story progressed and promised myself that I’d look for it one day. Then it popped up as a new series that had been greenlit on WebToon.
You have no idea how quickly I subscribed and read the first three chapters to see how it was finally going to be told in chronological order.
Seeing it on WebToon made me so happy. The art is gorgeous, the characters are gorgeous (hello Shiro), and the story is incredibly engaging. I had such fondness for this WebToon that I already know it’s going to be on my list of all-time favorites.
The story follows Rhea, who just moved back to the city she grew up in. After being stood up, she bumps into Shiro, an old friend from her childhood. As she settles back into city life, old friendships return and feelings start to bloom between Rhea and Shiro. Unbeknownst to her, Shiro has secrets beyond anything she can imagine.
It’s a classic kind of story with someone having dark secrets, but that doesn’t make it any less of a great plotline. This trope is handled in a new way that I really enjoy, and I love seeing how the characters interact with each other.
This one also does a great job of effortless humor. The funny moments come very naturally because the characters feel so real. It’s as if their personalities were guiding the writing, allowing for seemless moments that feel super realistic.
I’m really excited to see how the rework of this story unfolds and how the story will be told in more than just little snippets. The fact that it has so few chapters out right now is a little sad, as I have the urge to go and reread them every few days. Waiting will be worth it though, and I’m glad I get to be part of the group that followed this back when it gained popularity on Instagram.
Batman: Wayne Family Adventures
Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about the DC universe of heroes. I know the basics of their most popular heroes, but I’ve never really followed the movies as religiously as I have Marvel.
I’d seen this recommended on WebToon for awhile before deciding to give it a shot. While he’s far from my favorite DC superhero, I did love the Batman movies directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher (yes, even Batman Forever despite it being a terrible movie on all fronts).
The story, as it turns out, follows Batman and all the sidekicks he’s taken under his bat-wing over the years, including some that I’m unfamiliar with because I never followed the original comics.
Most of the chapters are one-offs that show the humorous trials of being a vigilante and an adopted child of Bruce Wayne’s, but it also teaches some real lessons about what it means to be part of a family.
The chapters are cute and make me smile a lot. I love seeing the portrayal of Nightwing, who remains my favorite sidekick of Batman’s, and getting to know the characters I’m unfamiliar with. Plus, Alfred is in a lot of the chapters and he deserves the entire Wayne fortune for babysitting Bruce and his children all the time.
Getting to know the female sidekicks has been great for me. Before this, I was only familiar with Barbara and the main gist of her backstory as Commissioner Gordon’s daughter and Batgirl. Learning about the other women who have fought alongside Bruce is refreshing and educational to my overall knowledge of Batman’s story.
Though the chapters are shorter than most other WebToons, they’re well done as individual stories or two-chapter arcs. The amount of personality that the author is able to show in each character is truly amazing. It never feels crowded and I enjoy the range of voices we get as to what being a vigilante is like.
It’s a lighthearted series that serves as a good pick-me-up in the middle of my work week. Sometimes, I go back and reread some of the chapters because they make me happy.
Mythical Errand
Lastly, we have a WebToon that I enjoy largely because one of the main characters is a fox spirit and is adorable.
Mythical Errand is about Hera, a girl who gets manipulated by a god into babysitting two powerful spirits who want to become gods. To do that, they need a pearl that has been entrusted to Hera. Depending on who proves to be a better person, Hera gets to choose which of them will become a god. Hijinks ensue.
Something about gods learning to be like humans has always been incredibly funny to me. Or rich people living like normal people. The way they have to learn what it means to be part of the normal population always leads to laughs. That’s 100% the case for the fox and snake spirit as they try to blend in as humans.
I like Hera as a main character because she approaches the task with a lot of reluctance and confusion. So far, most of the story has been her wondering how to babysit two spirits who have no idea how humans operate or that they’re insanely attractive men. Her reactions feel very realistic and I’d probably react very similarly, with maybe a little more complaining.
Obviously, with two attractive male characters, there’s going to be a love triangle at some point. We’re kind of seeing the beginnings of that, with one of the spirits becoming more protective over Hera while the other reluctantly accepts her friendship.
It’s cute, seeing how wholesome their feelings are because Hera treats them differently than humans did in the past. While they’re very much trying to impress her to get the pearl and become a god, being around her changes them for the better. Predictable as a plotline, but great nonetheless.
One of the biggest drawing points for me is the fox spirit. His ears and tail come out when his emotions run high and that makes him so expressive. Try as he might, he can’t hide how he feels and that makes for a lot of comedic moments for us readers. He’s also very adorable when he’s disguised as a little fox-dog creature.
This is also a Fast Pass and Daily Pass series, so it takes some patience to read it because you have to unlock the chapters day-by-day despite getting three each week.
Those are eight of the WebToons I’ve been loving lately. All of them are on-going series and I’ve been having a great time waiting for them. Sometimes, the upside of having a busy work week is knowing that I can spend my weekend catching up with the episodes that have come out.
On days when picking up a book feels like too much but I still want to read, this is what I turn to. The short chapters are more digestable and seeing a visual means less work for my brain. Plus, it’s nice to have a change of pace sometimes.
WebToons have been a great way for me to consume stories in a different way. Since I don’t own many graphic novels outside of my copies of ExtraOrdinary, reading WebToons teaches me how storytelling can be done differently. I like the combination of art and text. It makes me think more about how I can improve my writing to make the story feel more visually vivid.
I highly recommend checking out all of these WebToons. I’m also open to recommendations (no, I have not read Lore Olympus, but I’ll give it a try one day), so please leave them below. Bonus points if they’re not super widely known but have compelling art or storytelling. I love supporting lesser-known authors and their stories.
