On Webtoons, I’ve noticed something that doesn’t sit right with me; on really popular Webtoons, like unOrdinary, Siren’s Lament, Nightmare Factory, Miss Abbott and the Doctor, and many more, the Top Comments typically seem to have more likes than the actual episode!
This doesn’t feel right to me. Here’s an example; I managed to get a top comment on episode 40 of unOrdinary, one of the most popular Webtoons on the site. My comment managed to get 19,704 likes, but the episode itself had 17,657 likes. And the most liked comment of that episode had 25,042 likes. That bugs me. The comment I made literally took me five seconds at most to make, and it wasn’t even that funny. The whole episode took Uru-Chan an entire week to make, and yet the third Top Comment still had 19,343 likes. Even more than the actual episode.
Do you understand just how upsetting that must be for the creator? If I toiled over something for over a week and some comments that probably took .5 seconds to write got more likes than my episode, that would discourage me…A LOT. I even tackled the topic in my comment and got kinda flamed for it. One person even said, “Not a lot of people favorite episodes because it’s kinda unnecessary when they’re subscribed.” What? If that’s an actual reason to not “like” an episode, it’s shallow and unappreciative of the hard work the author did to make us happy for the week.
Even more examples of top comments getting more likes than the episode: episode 57 of Siren’s Lament: episode has 12,693 likes. First Top Comment: 14,657 likes.
Episode 37 of Miss Abbott and the Doctor: episode has 12,542 likes. The first Top Comment has 13,630 likes.
Episode 3 of My Dear Cold Blooded King: 12,624 likes. The first Top Comment: 14,396 likes.
So yeah. Another problem is simply not “liking” the episode. I feel like pressing the “like” button is a small, but easy way to show appreciation towards the creators. Now, if you don’t have a Webtoon account and can’t “like” the episode, it’s totally fine. But I just feel like pressing the “like” button is not only a kind gesture towards the artists who supply us with weekly updates, who sacrifice time, money, and other things to make a bunch of strangers happy. I also did some research and found out that the amount of likes an episode gets helps the author/artist to make money. So if you can’t afford to become the artist’s Patreon (like me) I feel as though hitting the “like” button is the easiest way to help.
Okay, rant over. I just needed to get what I researched out there, and possibly help some author/artists physically (with earning money), emotionally (showing that they’re appreciated) and mentally (knowing that their story is well received).
Thanks for reading.
meltingpotsandothercalamities 
This is something I have thought about before as well. I try to remember to always hit the like button of an episode if I read and enjoyed it (usually always), but I’ll admit to forgetting 😦 but to people who actually read the comments it is kinda weird not to like the like button….
Another issue I kinda have is when the top comments mention other comics repeatedly. Spreading love for comics and humor is great… but sometimes I worry the author will feel compared to the other comic or let down, if that makes sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! I try to remember, but sometimes I just…forget. I admit it. I know, it is weird. I typically try to like an episode later, even if I forget at first.
Hmm, never thought about that. Typically, I don’t think it’s that big a deal (usually it’s a joke), but I can see how the comparisons can start.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t notice this before… But now that you mention it, I’m like “what the hell”?
Like you said, it’s such a small contribution and it helps the author tremendously! Why would someone not bother to do it, our of laziness? Don’t they like people’s comments?
Still, it’s cool that you got top comment! Maybe you’ll start raising people’s awareness towards this issue, even if some can’t be bothered.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s really the easiest way to support the author. And it helps them emotionally and mentally too! Besides, I do think that the more likes one gets, the more money they earn. So it’s really a good thing to do! Besides, if you can like comments, you can easily like episodes.
Yeah, haha. I’ve managed to get quite a few…mainly ’cause I’m usually ridiculously early, make jokes, or make fandom references. The last one typically applies to Dr. Frost, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe they got used to it, lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be the best solution, huh?
But I just wanted to point out something that bugged me; that the artists work for over a week and get less likes than someone who took .5 seconds to make a joke. But I bet a few of them have gotten used to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, it’s awful
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t meant to sound all depressing, I just wanted to raise awareness on an issue that isn’t really talked about. Speaking of which, have you started any Webtoons?
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I’ve got time I read Dr. Frost :v
LikeLiked by 1 person
YAY! That’s one of my favorites! How are you liking it so far? And where are you at?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s pretty good actually, you were right about it. Nice atmosphere of its stories. And, don’t kill me, but sometimes I lose the one I was reading and I end up reading like an earlier or later one :”v
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so glad you like it! And the atmosphere is really good; it may be a psychological drama in a way, but it comes off as more as a mystery. And that’s okay (if I hadn’t been on summer break when I read it, I probably would’ve done the same), just try not to do that in later chapters. They become really connected later on, and you may end up really lost.
LikeLiked by 1 person
All right, I’ll try not xD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh.. I literally didn’t even know you could like episodes. I always upvote comments that I agree with or make me laugh, though. I had no idea you could support them like that- so maybe it’s just that people aren’t aware. I’ll definitely start liking episodes now though, thank you for this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, there’s a heart in the black area that comes up when you read a chapter! I do think they could make it a bit more obvious, as I’ve noticed people saying they haven’t seen a like button for the episode. But I’m glad that this article of mine (as old as it is) helped you!
LikeLike
Hej there ! I usually read Webtoons on my phone but I just discovered that I can read Webtoons on my computer (so I can read in class aha), I downloaded the app but the little heart that is usually in the corner is nowhere to be seen… Does anyone actually know how I can like the episode?? I go back to like the ep on my phone but it’s kinda annoying…
LikeLike
HEY! I am one of those people that never “likes” an epsiode but not because I dont want to, its because I cant. Either I don’t know the real way to “like” it or it wont let me push the button. How are you supposed to do it? Please and thank you for the help!!
LikeLike
Okay, on mobile you can tap the screen, where a black border appears. On the lower left is a heart. Next to it is a speech bubble, where you can access comments. Press the heart to give a like. I hope this helped!
LikeLike
i hope u can help me bro,i dont know if my comic good or not,but please read,rate,like and subscribe my webtoon “End of War” thank u so much https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/end-of-war/list?title_no=202834
LikeLike
Ah, hmm. Interesting. As a creator, I did wonder why so few people seem to like or comment on episodes despite remaining subscribed (which presumably means they enjoy the content?) Having little to no feedback can be very psychologically draining for an artist. I’ve watched it cause many breakdowns in artist and webcomic creator communities. I’m fortunate enough to have a good personal support network in my life that helps me weather the insecurities this brings out, but many aren’t quite so lucky. It even gets to me sometimes. Perhaps readers don’t realize what a difference such a minor gesture can make?
LikeLike
Yeah, it makes me wonder too. I get some don’t know how to like or even that they can, but I don’t think it’s too hard to figure out. And I know that people need feedback; it’s the only way to grow and know what you’re really doing. If you don’t mind my asking, what webtoon do you write?
LikeLike