During the last days I have pestered several people about this webcomic made by S.I.U. Before I go into detail about it I want to get 2 things out of the way here :
1. I know that this technicaly doesn't belong in the Anime/Manga section, but I also know that this webcomic very much resembles a shonen manga way of doing things, so it kinda aims at the same people here and should fit in nicely.
2. The webcomic starts out by throwing you into the cold water without much of an explanation, so you learn even the most basic stuff along the way and not right at the start.
So explaining the setting, main characters, or anything really, in vague detail can be considered a
spoiler.
If you want to go in as blind as intended : I'll recommend it anyways, so just do that.
TOWER OF GODSetup:
The story is about a boy named Baam who follows his only friend, a girl called Lahel(Rachel) into the tower which gives the manwha it's title. She abandoned him to try and climb up the legendary tower.
Countless people (literally millions) try to climb up, because it is said that you can get whatever it is you seek at the top.Inside the tower Baam learns that there is a vast and harsh world inside the tower, and that he has to pass tests and fight others, to be able to advance further to the top.
That's how it starts out, but prepare for additional main plots and a whole bunch of twists (Especially in the 2nd season).
The Tower has absolutely ludicrous proportions. So don't worry about the setting feeling claustrophobic
.
The number of people who have reached the top is comparatively small, with only 4 or so people out of a million getting there. But remember that due to the size the worldit has a lot more inhabitants than ours.
It also has a very creative and strong terminology. You will learn about Iregulars, Rankers, Zahards Princesses, the 13month series, Shinsoo, Lighthouses, Needles, Fisherman, Pockets, Wave Controller, and a lot more. And no, most of the time it's not what you would think.
E.g. Fisherman ~ a position in a fighting team that is used as the main close range offensive.
The character cast gets pretty big after a while, with some getting more development than others, but those that get a bit more coverage are really really great. There are so many awesome characters, that it is hard to pick favorites. And the way they compete and fight is very original an interesting in the way that you often have the fights setup with additional win and lose conditions due to the tests the characters have to pass. Bonus points for having equal amounts of cool male and female characters.
I'll just fill these spoilertags with some screens and panels, so you can get a look at the artstyle and feel of the webcomic. Note that the art improves over time, and is varying a lot depending on the tone of the scene.
- Spoiler:
http://www.batoto.net/read/_/6/tower-of-god_v1_by_the-company
Reading is done from left to right, and you have to scroll down all day long instead of clicking pages, which is actually a convinient format for interwebz purposes.