For this list, these are Webtoons that not only have beautiful and unique art styles, but are unique and innovative and would be something fresh to bring to the animated or fandub world. And something that goes for all of these; I’d like to hear the character’s voices, of course! I will probably make a part two in the future, once more Launch Week comics are launched.
Honorable Mentions:
Winter Woods, Cosmos and Van Ji
Outside the Box, Momo
Space Boy, Stephen McCranie
Dragnarok, KPJ and Magmi
My Dear Cold Blooded King, lifelight
Here’s the list:
10. Catharsis, ahniki:
Link: Catharsis
Catharsis has a soft, gentle art style that can sharpen in a moment. It has a dream like quality, which is fitting for the story, as it deals with nightmares. Sometimes, it appears to be a beautiful dream, but can turn horrifying in a heartbeat. The story may be a little slow, but the character development is good; Leon feels like a realistic protagonist. Over all, while Catharsis’s idea may not be completely original, its execution is interesting to watch unfold.
9. :Rebirth, 69erocento:
Link: :Rebirth
This also has a soft, dream like feel to it…for a while. Until the zombies come. As I said in my Spotlight, :Rebirth is a unique zombie apocalypse story; it focuses on other things that don’t usually fall into the genre. Its main relationship is not romance or friendship; it’s about the damaged relationship between a father and son. It has time travel, humor, and a lot of mystery and intrigue concerning The Eclipse, the trigger for the apocalypse. And the art would be amazing on screen.
8. unOrdinary, Uru-Chan:
Link: unOrdinary
Fast, clear fight scenes! Awesome coloring! Cool effects! unOrdinary would be a fast paced feast for the eyes. It may be superhero, but the setting and power effects would make this stand out from other superhero shows. The super powers would make people interested; the two likeable leads would make them enjoy it. And the mystery and intrigue would draw them in and become addicted.
7. S.I.D, Sadaham:
Link: S.I.D
What people notice in the first chapter alone is the amazing coloring. But slowly the effects begin to fall into place, and you start to realize just how beautiful and intricate each panel is. S.I.D is a ghost story, but the coloring is typically sunny and cheerful, quite a juxtaposition to the story. But in each suspenseful climax, the colors can change to blacks, blues, and reds. Overall, this is a stunner that would be a new take in the classic paranormal investigation show.
6. Nightmare Factory, Snailords:
Link: Nightmare Factory
The detail! The detail! Each scene in Nightmare Factory is carefully drawn, a true feast for the eyes. Each scenery is different and utterly unique, and my jaw drops each time I read a chapter. Not only is the art some of the best on Webtoons, but the story is a gem; it may not seem like anything remarkable at first, but it proves to be totally unique. I can never guess what’ll happen, but in a good way. And the dialogue can switch from funny to moving.
5. Siren’s Lament, instantmiso:
Link: Siren’s Lament
How could I NOT put instantmiso on here somewhere? This one has a lot of underwater scenes, scenes that would be total eye candy. There is so much detail in everything that I sometimes just want to look more at the picture…until my screen goes dark. And the music is so beautiful! It would have to be the soundtrack if this were to be anaimated. It has a creative storyline too, which skews clichès or avoids them completely. This would be a unique romance to put on screen.
4. Bastard, Youngchan Hawang and Carnby Kim:
Link: Bastard
You can never get enough good animated thrillers, am I right? And Bastard could become as much of an underground hit as anime such as Monster, or even as popular as Death Note. It has all the right elements; suspense, intrigue, a cat and mouse game, emotional connections, and mind games. While the art may be merely all right, nothing special, an animation could add new things to it and make it surprisingly stunning.
3. American Ghost Jack:
Link:
The art! The coloring! The story! Everything about this could be simply perfect for an animation. This combines thriller, mystery, drama, paranormal, and romance flawlessly. It’s not just a paranormal romance, it is so much more. It’s incredibly creative and makes for a twisty ride. The Dunn mansion and its inhabitants would come to “life” and invite the viewer into something that can only be called magical. The viewers would become utterly invested in not only Go-Eun and Jack’s story, but their characters as well.
2. Dr. Frost, JongBeom Lee:
Link: Dr. Frost
We also need more unique mysteries on screen lately. Anyway, this would appeal to Sherlock and House M.D fans, as it is like both of those shows, but deals with psychology. The art, style, and overall composition and pacing would draw in mystery fans and wouldn’t let them go. Each of the characters, including the two leads, the sides, and the patients would cause not only interest, but emotional attachment. The mystery behind not just the mental illnesses but behind backstories and motivations would be amazing to see unfold in animated form.
1. Annarasumanara, Ilkwon Ha:
Link: Annarasumanara
How could this not be number one? The art is some of the most innovative and creative on Webtoons, the characters are beautifully written, and the story develops so well. The splashes of color would make this a feast for the eyes, and the symbolism in the art would be creative and interesting onscreen. This story is also relatable, especially for those who feel lost. It deals with societal expectations, mental health, pressure, and magic. It starts off feeling like a Disney movie, but begins to feel like a Ghibli movie as reality sinks in. It has the most magical vibe of any Webtoon I’ve read, and would be incredibly powerful on screen.
All of these look great, to be honest! Cannot say much about the plots but aesthetically speaking, I can totally see why you’d pick them.
I’ve started Dragnarok and it’s absolutely fantastic. I’ve also read a bit of My Dear Cold Blooded King and Siren’s Lament – the later is incredibly beautiful as well. “Ian” cracks me up every time (if I were Lyra, I would have slapped him hard so many times already hahaha)
Great post, Kate! 🙂
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Yeah, I wanted to talk about the plots more (because that was also a big part in my decision) but spoilers.
And Dragnarok…I started reading that back in Discover! It is so cool! Siren’s Lament is absolutely gorgeous in every way, and My Dear Cold Blooded King is interesting. And yeah, Ian is hilarious, but he would drive me crazy in real life. I dunno how Lyra hasn’t slapped him yet.
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Oh I didn’t mind that at all! I think it’s a lot more appealing to see the art first and then decide whether the rest is to your taste. And it made absolute sense for the type of post, too.
I’ve read some more My Dear Blooded King and it’s getting super interesting! I’m on the edge of my seat trying to find out what happens next hahaha
I think Ian would be great to have around to make one laugh and have a good time but definitely not the greatest boyfriend 😛 So I hope Lyra doesn’t get any ideas because she’d totally get her heart broken.
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Yeah, I like to show off art first (I do read some Webtoons where I don’t care for the art, but they’re rare.)
MDBK is very mysterious and interesting. It’s like a romantic mystery, and I like that combination! I know…who’s the King? I don’t know.
Ian and Lyra are more my BrOTP than anything else at the moment, (they’re fun) but I can see the character development. This love triangle is a little more messy than most for me. Lyra and Shon are adorable, but Lyra and Ian have the potential to be really cute as well…(ugh. Love triangles. Why.)
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I know, I’m so curious to find out!
I haven’t read enough to really find Lyra and Ian adorable together yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there hahaha
Love triangles are something I could do without for sure… They can get really frustrating and boring fast. But oh well. Let’s see how it goes! 😛
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I know! So many red herrings…what’s true? What isn’t?
Yeah, that’s why I said “potential” 😂
True. But instantmiso is able to skew old tropes everyone hates and make them good. So I have faith she can succeed!
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That’s awesome! It’ll be great if she does… And disastrous if she doesn’t hahaha
I have to say, tropes don’t bother me so long as they’re well written. I’m actually kind of a sucker for them XD So yeah, bring them in!
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Same here. She managed to make the “moody guy meets ditzy girl” trope work in Where Tangents Meet though, so I have faith she can succeed. And well written tropes are amazing!
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I haven’t progressed much in WTM… But I’m definitely hoping to read more of it soon! 🙂
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Ooooh I LOVE webtoons!! I read more slice of life, but I’m always looking for new ones to read and will DEFINITELY check some of these out!
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Ooh, which ones do you like? Maybe you can recommend some for me? And if you want more of my recommendations, I have a whole category dedicated to Webtoons. Happy reading! And which ones are you interested in?
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For sure! I have a post on my blog (that covers much more), but I also really like Something About Us, ReLife and Horimiya. Those are probably my favorite right now.
I think I’m going to check out Unordinary and Bastard, they look interesting from what I saw!
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I’ve never heard of those! Which site do you use? I just use the Webtoon app.
unOrdinary and Bastard are amazing! UnOrdinary is a great superhero deconstruction, and Bastard is an amazing thriller.
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I use that one, but I use an app on my iPhone called MangaRock. I read Something About Us through Lezhin (https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/something_about_us). There’s too much to read!!! 😭😭
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