Happy Friday, everyone! Ready for some webcomics to head into the weekend with? We've got a slice-of-life and supernatural heavy list this week, so you definitely don't want to miss out on these great, binge worthy titles!
1. Plants and Surgery by Cat Toennisson (@PaS_Webcomic) on Plants and Surgery
Pages 149 an 150 of this beautiful fantasy/slice-of-life webcomic were released at the tail end of last week and, if you aren't reading Plants and Surgery, you definitely should be. Rich in detailed world building, magic, and lore, this story of a roadside apothecary and its employees is both immensely charming and deeply touching.
After a ten year resource war between Kar-Ospil and Ulfsarine, the space between the two provinces became an uninhabitable no-man's land soaked with negative energy and the haunting memories of the battlefield. When Penny arrives in the small village of Eshar after journeying from the Ulfsarine capitol, she comes across a flyer for the Plants and Surgery Apothecary and decides to interview for a position at the unique establishment. Penny soon finds herself on a mission to help individuals in need, and with it, she finds much needed healing from the wounds of war.
Chapter three shows us a glimpse of Penny's past, as well as what our favorite assistant has been up to since the incident at the end of ch.2. When she receives a summons from the river witch Allenora, she picks herself up and tries to figure out how best to repay the debt she owes. She also realizes that the stove may or may not be haunted. This stunning webcomic series features botanicals and magic of the finest caliber, so plant parents and fantasy fans alike will love this story.
2. Time and Time Again by Deo I. (@deoidesign) on WEBTOON
I featured this series in the first Top Webcomics To Read This Week list and simply had to bring it back because it keeps getting better. Ep.8 released on Sunday and this update, especially paired with the Fast Pass episode that follows, was just too good to not include here (if you can swing it I definitely suggest doing so, the final panel in ep.9 is my new phone wallpaper, it's gorgeous). For those of you bad, bad readers who are putting off starting this series and have no idea what it's about, here's the low-down.
Time and Time Again tells the tale of a rambunctious werewolf(ish) fella named Steve who suffers from a peculiar time traveling problem. Whenever the full moon rolls around, he unwillingly opens up a hole and falls through time without any control. Luckily, he catches the attention of Adam, a straight-laced vampire who happens to be a secret agent specializing in the protection of time itself. Now, Adam and Steve must keep the timeline from unraveling around them (though neither of them are overly thrilled about it), all while dodging the never-ending stream of danger that follows.
Ep.8 sees Adam and Steve as they continue their fabricated treasure hunt in a desperate attempt to buy time until the next full moon rolls around. As they come across a strange door, the gold-hungry pirates accidentally trigger a trap and the motley crew finds themselves stuck in a rapidly flooding room. As panic overtakes Steve, his animalistic instincts take over in an amazingly done set of panels that invoke the same level of stress you get when you accidentally let everyone's favorite plumber drown in Mario 64. It's bloody brilliant, you don't want to sleep on this series.
This fan favorite, M-rated boys' love webtoon* from creator Pluto has dominated the charts on every platform it's published on worldwide. Don't let the "all-ages" versions fool you, this intensely steamy series is still heavily graphic even in its censored editions so put the kids to bed before pulling up this title. Eps. 120 and 121 dropped on TappyToon this past Tuesday and MAN, was it an emotional and intense update. (Note: Dear Door is also available on Lezhin and Tapas, but TappyToon is the furthest along in the series so it is what will be referenced here).
Kyungjoon is a police officer dealing with the untimely death of his fiancé when he's suddenly greeted by a hulking trespasser in his apartment. This monstrous beast of a man is Cain, king of the legions of hell, and he's come looking for a new "door". Demons use the power of human souls to travel back and forth between earth and hell, and their methods of doing so are far from typical. Now, Kyungjoon finds himself thrust in the middle of a war between Cain and Satan himself, as cultists and demons begin to flood the streets of the very city he's sworn to protect. You can read my review of the series here.
In this week's update, we find Kyungjoon in the arms of Satan, unconscious and fading rapidly, which sends Cain into a panic as he realizes his beloved door's soul is shattering before his eyes. Angels, demons, and humans alike watch on helplessly as Cain's desperation to save Kyungjoon leads him to make an unthinkable choice. All the while, Kyungjoon drifts through his memories of loss and pain, a journey that allows him to realize that his isolation and loneliness no longer have a hold over him in a touching moment of admission and acceptance that has been building over the lengthy series. This is a phenomenal series that, even after 120+ episodes, is still gripping and addicting, and it's easy to see why it's so well loved.
4. Cafe Yokai by Cafe_Yokai (@cafe_yokai) on WEBTOON
Though I found this series by complete accident this week on Tapas, the moment I found out that WEBTOON had more episodes available I squealed so loud my neighbor knocked on my door to tell me to be quiet. This hit a certain serotonin spot that I crave, where slice-of-life gets blended with fantasy elements, throwing fictional favorites into realistic scenarios. If done well, it elevates the relatability and humor, and Cafe Yokai has found that sweet spot.
Tess and Demi are your average, everyday oni* just trying to get by making cute latte art for their patrons and surviving the horrendous world of customer service. These overworked ogres fill their days with supernatural antics and geeky references to pass the time, shown in bite-sized episodes rife with references and excellent quick-shot comedy.
Ep.23, amazingly titled KaijuKitty, released earlier this week on WEBTOON. The episode sees Demi picking up a customer's discarded book only to discover it's actually the Nekonomicon! Naturally, she takes a quick peek, speaks aloud a spell, and unleashes a monstrous skyscraper sized kitty upon the city. This webcomic is incredibly funny and the short episodes make for great, easy reads when you need a good chuckle.
*webtoon is the term used for scrolling digital comics from South Korea, not to be confused with WEBTOON, the app.
*oni is a type of ogre-like yokai (a common term for Japanese folklore creatures) known for their fierceness and evil.
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