Art and Story: Face Park (@Dawon_p)
Publisher: Lezhin (@LezhinComics_US)
WHAT IS IT?
A severely bored man accidentally gets summoned to an alternate world where he’s mistaken as their god in this extremely mature, sexy boys’ love isekai* webtoon*.
Think The Road to El Dorado meets a ridiculous dating sim.
(Please note: this series basically follows the protagonist’s sexcapades and will discuss mature topics, reader discretion advised)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
Sunwon is so bored. Bored of life, of school, his friends, even the one-night stands that used to bring him such joy. He wishes for a chance at a new life with some adventure and excitement. After falling asleep while dwelling on his utter boredom, he wakes up butt naked in the middle of a chapel with thousands of eyes watching him and cheering for his presence. Turns out, the cool tattoo he got on a whim is actually the sacred symbol of a highly worshipped Sun God in the land of Abroria, and the onlookers bow down to him in worship, believing he is the second coming of their savior.
Sunwon decides to lean into his new role and allow himself to be worshipped in the hopes of getting some of that sweet, sweet lovin’, only to discover that literally everyone around him is a virgin! Worse still, Abroria’s king Albis seems hellbent on proving his falsehood, and the obsessive head priest Vercion refuses to let him have any fun! So, what’s a confused and pent-up god to do? Fake some miracles and find a way to conquer every hottie in the kingdom, of course!
WHAT WORKS?
Face Park’s iconic art style really shines in this series. The mastery of anatomy and sharp use of color makes the cast and setting of How to Be the Chosen One a treat for the eyes with its painterly, almost heavenly aesthetic and immense attention to detail.
The story is as ridiculous as it sounds and an absolute riot. Sunwon’s literal disregard for honor and morals in the name of sex is hysterical, and the rich land of Abroria and its history is given plenty of time to build up around the sexcapades at the forefront of the story. The land and its religion and history are full of lore, and the over-the-top personalities of the cast make them all immensely memorable.
Though the series contains the same basic font choices that most Lezhin titles do, the sound effects are varied and really add a lot of emotion and power to the scenes, and the consistent black text/white shadow combo keeps with the moody aesthetic of the kingdom and costumes.
The comedy, though mostly of a sexual nature, is genuinely funny without much effort. The insane situation Sunwon finds himself in, paired with the obsessive and easily swayed legions of individuals desperate to worship him, makes every interaction and situation humorous in an effortless way.
Sunwon is an entrancing, horrible, and intelligent character to have in an isekai-style story. He’s incredibly, wholeheartedly selfish and manipulative, yet does not come across like an antagonist, as he’s often shown truly trying to help improve Abroria and better the lives of the kingdom’s inhabitants. He’s complex and sharp-witted and an absolute delight. There's an almost anti-hero lean to him without any true malicious intent in his actions.
The strife and tension between the church and the kingdom of Abroria is a sharply written and really captivating vehicle for the battle between King Albis and High Priest Vercion as they become pulled into Sunwon’s lies. Albis’ disbelief in Sunwon’s authenticity is fully at war with Vercion’s desperation to worship him, making their hatred even more bitter and captivating.
The series is a bit of a slow-burn, with lengthy chapters and a fairly high number of episodes, making this a great long-term read for those wanting a story that takes its time developing its world and cast.
The backgrounds and architecture deserve a special shout-out. The landscapes look like literal paintings and the designs of the church and kingdom, as well as the outlying structures, could easily have been pulled from a fantasy RPG series.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
CW: Strong language, extensive scenes of a sexual nature, conversations about sex in a comedic manner, one questionable scene (see point below), so… so much nudity (with some censoring), a lot of overall mature themes including alcohol consumption and cigarette usage. Definitely meant for an adult audience only.
There is one scene that spans three episodes – ep.25-27 – where the high priest Vercion practically forces himself on Sunwon in desperation to remain more important than Albis in his so-called god's eyes. Though Sunwon admits he knew it was coming and was planning on sleeping with him anyway, it does get a bit non-consensual and rough. The whole thing is basically skippable and Lezhin does not provide CWs on these chapters, so reader discretion is advised. This is, sadly, a common plot device used in BL webtoons.
Sunwon is manipulative and entirely driven by his sex drive, so he often uses the naivety and utter obedience of those around him to coerce them into sexual acts as a form of worship. It always boils down to the other individual wanting to please him as their god, so it’s not assault, but it can leave some readers uneasy.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
Face Park is a prolific webtoon creator on the Lezhin platform with several other M-rated titles available ranging from supernatural romance, to BL and GL, to a mini-series featuring an obsessive vampire, and How to Be the Chosen One is a standout amongst their ever-increasing library. This immensely funny, seductive, and stunningly illustrated title will bring on the laughs and gasps as Sunwon continues on his journey to conquer every good-looking man in the kingdom.
Surprisingly heartfelt at times, immensely sexy and witty, How to Be the Chosen One manages to blend isekai comedy and hot-and-heavy BL moments with expert precision, making for a chuckle-worthy title with a surprisingly rich lore at its center. This first season sets the foundation of the world Sunwon finds himself in, as well as establishing a rocky love triangle that twists and turns with each new episode. A fantastic addition to any M-rated BL reader’s library, this richly illustrated tale of a false god and those who demand his attention is one to go binge with haste.
Season one recently wrapped with a cliffhanger that has slowly been building over the last half of the season, making this the perfect time to jump into this fun and frisky title.
HOW DO I READ IT?
*isekai is a genre where a normal human is transported to a magical other world.
*webtoon is the term for scrolling digital comics from South Korea, not to be confused with the platform WEBTOON.
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