WebToon: the promising South Korean reading platform

At the beginning of the lockdown, we all started trying to find hobbies. And more or less fruitfully. At Just Focus, we discovered the Webtoon application. It is an online publication portal that released its French version in 2019. The app and website are free. They offer a wide catalog of original content. Today, we explain why we were quickly addicted, and why Webtoon could replace your book on the beach.

Webtoon: The website and then the app

Line Webtoon was initially launched in South Korea in 2004. The concept was very successful in the early 2010s. Understanding the importance of such a market, and probably wanting to attract a wider audience, the application is developed. It is now available in 9 languages, including Khmer since this year. This platform is very successful in Asian countries. And it is slowly but surely that Webtoon arrives in the French landscape.

The fluidity of the application and its community

The Webtoon app is fluid, ergonomic and convenient. Without any superfluous, it allows its users to easily find their way around their readings thanks to an automatic bookmark. It is also possible to download the webtoons, to have them with you no matter where you go. The reading is done vertically, just swiper and the story unfolds before our eyes. We can also save in a library the webtoons that are important to us. Readers can vote for stories, and leave comments creating a real author-reader dynamism. The Francophone community, although nascent, is very dynamic and is beginning to make headlines.

Webtoons

A webtoon is originally a manhwa published online. But the term encompasses South Korean webcomics more broadly. On the eponymous application, webtoons are classified by category (sci-fi, comedy, romance …) and reader appreciation. Thanks to online publishing, which no longer costs much, authors can easily self-publish. Some stories are then accompanied by really researched illustrations. Some also come with a soundtrack, making the reading experience even more enjoyable.

Two original webtoons to discover

• The first, Traditions of Olympus, tells the story of the immersion in Olympus of the goddess Persephone. In a fictional world modeled on ours, the young goddess evolves among the deities and gossip surrounding the Pantheon. She tries somehow to make a place for herself, despite her apprehensions and the gap with her contemporaries. The story is well done, full of finely crafted references to Greek mythology . We appreciate the fluid and marked pencil stroke of Rachel Smythe.

• The second, Edith, is a bit of a reinterpretation of William Styron's Sophie's Choice . We discover a resourceful heroine, independent, and wanting at all costs to get out of the love tribulations in which she has become entangled. The fluid story and the fine drawings with soft colors are a perfect mix for a good read. Swansgarden really has talent and we always want more.

If you are still desperately looking for a reading app for this summer, look no further: Webtoon is sure to satisfy you. You won't be disappointed… We wish you a good reading!