Mugen Monday - Ninth Edition

As of late the editor-in-chief of Spiel Anime (Me, yours truthfully) has been venturing quite into the realm of Korean web novels. Take for example Manga in Japan, of which a distant yet quite close relative is the Korean Manhwa - both of which stand for the term Comics for the average boomer having grown up in the Western world.

Do be cautious, I used the word boomer. And here I actually meant to convey no sense of offence or sarcasm, by any stretch of the imagination. The word boomer is used diligently, only because I am making the assumption that a person of this generation would never not know what a Manga is.

Although quite many still may not be familiar with the term Manhwa, and hence the comic analogy becomes essential.

A little on Light Novels and Web Novels and their difference

Now similar to the analogy between Manhwa and Manga, on the more ‘novel’ front of art, we have something called light novels in Japan and web novels in Korea.

While we’re at it, check out: Visual Novel vs Light Novel: What’s the difference

• Light Novel as a term is quite exclusive to Japanese novels, which usually tend to have some sort of illustration accompanying the varying chapters.

• The trope often focuses on a more teen-to-adult audience. Remember the Monogatari series, Overlord, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Bunny Girl Senpai?

• All of these are actually light novels in origin. These LN go on to inspire Manga, which further goes on to inspire an Anime adaptation.

Well, now that we have lain (should be laid, but poetic license) the foundation of light novels, we must understand web novels in a similar faction as of Korean Manhwas.

Shonen Jump vs. Webtoon?

It seems the vast majority of Korean publications of both Manhwa and novels are actually in the online medium.

Whereas a comparison with Japan easily leads one to come upon Shueisha’s Shonen Jump Magazine. Which for decades has retained its glory as the nominal ‘de-facto only place’ where any Manga wishing to be popular should make its debut.

Although exceptions are there, such as but not limited to the One Punch Man Manga, which for the most part began online serialisation, only to reach Shueisha’s online manga platform eventually.

But why does the antecedent ‘web’?

People in Korea tend to keep their Manhwa and novel business on the online platform. Add this to the fact that the Shonen Jump of Korea is Webtoon App, which hastily gives away thousands, if not millions, of Manhwa to their legal readers.

All of this has contributed to the term webtoon becoming substitutive for the native term Manhwa.

_{(Even when I mistakenly use the term ‘Manhwas’ every now and then, I must remind myself that Manhwas with its plural sense is only me making English easy. Manhwa in itself is not an English word, but only a romanticized writing of a Korean term.)}

Anyway, getting back to the point, I have been reading a particular Korean web novel as of late. It’s called Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint - and it has blown every bit of my being into bits. I recommend it seriously, so please do entertain your souls.

As Spiel Anime ventures more into what the company has named itself, I must remind everyone of the importance of venturing into other genres of art.

From Light Novels, Visual Novels, Manhwas, Webnovels, and Novels in general to perhaps even Games. Why be limited to just one form of Oriental Art?

Anyway, I hope you have a good read, light speed and for those who dare dream.

- From the Editor’s Desk

Rhytham Das, Editor-in-Chief, Spiel Anime