Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
Cartoon fans turn their attention away from Japanese manga and towards mobile-friendly webtoons
By Lee Hae-rin
Rafael Zerbini, 30, a Brazilian graphic designer, is an avid reader of Korean web comics, better known as webtoons in Korea, or web-based, scroll-down comics optimized for smartphone users.
He used to be a huge fan of Japanese manga since childhood, but grew tired of zooming in and out on his smartphone screen to read poorly-scanned pages. In 2018, he discovered South Korea's webtoons, realizing they constituted a whole new world for comics lovers.
 |
| Rafael Zerbini / Courtesy of Rafael Zerbini |
French citizen Adelaide Lucena is another webtoon fan converted from Japanese manga. For her, reading webtoons is part of her daily routine. "The webtoon's digital format is something the French market hasn't seen before. French readers are now getting used to the fast, efficient and colorful reading experience of Korean webtoons," she said.
Naver, the nation's leading search engine, which runs the biggest webtoon platform, under Naver Webtoon, launched a French-language service in 2019, five years after it started an English-language service. France is one of the fastest-growing web comic markets in the world.
In Korea, webtoons have become the most popular source for small and big screen content, with over 250 webtoons having been adapted into films and TV series.
When it comes to global influence, webtoons are not comparable to K-pop or Korean dramas. But their influence is gradually growing in Europe.
A recent survey conducted by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) shows that South Korea's webtoons are beginning to captivate a growing number of young French fans.
In a survey of 580 people, seven out of every 10 French citizens answered they had never heard of webtoons. But some 20 percent of the respondents said that they read webtoons every day.
Global comics fans are increasingly looking to Korean webtoons, turning their attention away from Japanese manga, which has been popular since the 1990s.
 |
| Adelaide Lucena / Courtesy of Adelaide Lucena |
A French media outlet said that mobile-based webtoons have become a norm for comics lovers.
"People no longer turn pages to read comics, but instead, they scroll down on a mobile screen," the Le Monde newspaper wrote in an article published in February. The French newspaper said that South Korea's digital technology is breathing new life into the static comic industry and ended up creating a new, digital dimension of a reading experience.
"Webtoons are neat and easy to read on smartphones. They're very different from Japanese manga, which we read by downloading scanned pages," says Nina Pontreue, a French student who has read webtoons for 5 years. "You only need an internet connection, or not even that if you are eager enough to download some episodes in advance. Then you can enjoy a handful of high-quality comics wherever, whenever you want."
The installation of free wifi in the Paris metro in 2020 was a game-changer for Korean webtoons, according to the newspaper, Le Parisien. Now many people read comics on mobile devices, thanks to the unlimited internet access.
Many international webtoon readers point to its generic features and high-quality content as the keys to success. Webtoon creators don't feel pressure when telling their stories, as there are no space limits on digital platforms. Also, multimedia functions, such as animation and sound, make the reading experiences more enjoyable than before.
"Korean webtoons feature great narratives with exceptional graphic delivery. I love their use of colors and unique drawing styles," says Pontreue, a French reader who discovered the genre while surfing on social media five years ago. Her favorite series include, "The Distant Sky," "It's Mine" and "Ghost Teller."
Another French reader, Kathleen Dangoumau, said she loves how webtoons depict interesting subjects. She said that the "Fragile Hero" and "Revenge Girl," series about bullying and suicide in the young generation, are two of the webtoons she recently had enjoyed most. In France, she said that such topics are considered taboo by the French media.
 |
| Quiandez McAfee / Courtesy of Quiandez McAfee |
American cartoon fan Quiandez McAfee said he learned that many recent dramas he enjoyed originated from webtoons, and this led him to read them.
"I enjoy a great story I can get lost in. With a lot of series having so many episodes, there is always something to keep me entertained for a while," says McAfee. Some of his favorite series include "Tower of God," "God of High School" and "Sweet Home," which was made into one of the most successful Netflix originals in 2020.
