I recently installed the LINE Webtoon app since I found I am reading a lot of webtoons recently and decided to give a few webtoons a try. One of them being Tower of God. I am kicking myself over the fact it took me so long to actually read this.
- Mangaka: Lee Jong-hui
- Penname: SIU
- Type: Webtoon
- Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mystery
- Chapters: 365
- Status: Ongoing
- Anime adaptation: No
- First Published: 2010
About:
Their synopsis: What do you desire? Money and wealth? Honor and pride? Authority and power? Revenge? Or something that transcends them all? Whatever you desire—it’s here.
My synopsis: The 25th Bam, has spent most of his life trapped beneath a mysterious Tower, which is said to grant you whatever you desire when you reach the top, with his only companion and closest friend, Rachel, to keep him company. When Rachel suddenly enters the Tower one day, Bam decides to follow her. He manages to open the door to the tower on his own. This makes him an irregular, which is an individual most in the tower consider dangerous and unwanted. While trying to find Racheal he faces challenges on each floor and makes some surprising friends and allies as he tries to find his closest companion. While travelling and facing numerous dangers, it becomes clear that not all is what it seems.
My Thoughts:
Why have I been wasting my time looking for decent stuff to read when this has been here the whole time? I have looked at this webtoon a number of times and each time went ‘Nah maybe next time‘, mainly due to the length and the fact that the synopsis did little for me.
At 365 chapters it still holds my attention and I need more. I read all 365 chapters in under 5 days and was both upset and happy that I had caught up. Both feelings for the same reason. Yay, now I am up to date, aw, I am up to date, meaning that there is no next chapter that I can immediately read.
The artwork is stunning and has just gotten better and better as the chapters went on. Which is pretty remarkable since even from chapter one the artwork was good. SIU’s timing and pacing throughout the entire webtoon, so far, has been done really well. I never felt like a particular arc was dragged out too long nor did I feel that it had been overly rushed. Each chapter is a decent length and holds true to the plot and moves the story forward without being forced or filler.
The time jumps were incorporated basically seamlessly without feeling jarring and backstories do not feel like backstories. They actually add to the storyline, rather than distract which can be hard to accomplish.
The characters themselves are incredibly well done and balanced. You understand why each one does what they do and you either love them or despise them and want them to get their comeuppance. Yet you do not know the motive of each character right away and also wonder about which side some characters are on. There are a lot of characters and a whole lot more puzzles and games. There is plenty of beautifully drawn action and the right amount of comedy to balance the tension.
- Favourite Character: While I want to say Bam, I have to go with our Blue Turtle (gotta read it to get it), Koon Aguero Agnis. His blue hair was what first drew me to him and then I fell in love with his devious mind and nature. While outwitting his opponents and achieving his goals I never felt like he (severely) wronged the opponent. He knows how to use his strengths to his advantages while keeping aware of his weaknesses. I adore his attitude towards Bam, although I also think his care might be a tad too much.
- Most disliked character: I am going with the majority here and saying, Racheal. Now I don’t dislike her because of what she did to Bam, although pretty crappy and a strong contributing factor to my dislike of her, it is not the main reason. It is the way that she views Bam as the one who took everything from her, the way in which she uses people and the way in which she goes about achieving her goals and believing that she is the victim who is meant to be the heroine of this tale.
- Most Mysterious Character: Without a doubt, I have to say Hwa Ryun is the most mysterious character for me. I do not really know if she is truly on Bam’s side or if she is just working towards her own goal. I know she does crappy things and leaves a lot of room for doubt but I have faith that she is doing what is necessary as Bam’s guide but I can’t shake the feeling that she is guiding him on a path to meet her own end goals.
It has been a long time since a story has drawn me in the way Tower of God did. I highly recommend this as a must-read. It has something for everyone. If you are intimidated by the length of the webtoon, it is really easy to read and follow with the added bonus that the chapters fly by.
Will you read this webtoon? Have you read it? Are you busy reading it? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below.
A very important reason why this doesnt have an anime adaptation:
– It’s a korean manga and there are no japanese translations for it, that I could find at least, so therefor it can’t be turned into an anime, unless korea do it but they mainly prefer making anime like Mari Iyagi.