Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#121: The Build Up

Have you ever wanted to go for a goal? If so, then strap up your cleats, get your jeresy's, and adequately hydrate because, in this spotlight, we are covering The Build Up by 911 (oh god, that artist's name).

Summary

For most of his childhood, Maru Kang didn't have a dream. He seemed to grow up to be nothing more than a loser. However, after watching a TV soccer game, Maru finally found his dream. Now with an unbeatable passion, this story is about how Maru Kang rises to claim his goal.

Characters

Maru Kang: Our bestest boi, Maru Kang, is a highly motivated, kindhearted, easily excitable scamp. At the same time, he lacks much of the experience and strength of his peers. However, Maru more than makes up for it in his teamwork. Thus making him a perfect teammate that soon gains more resolve as time goes on.

Siu Seong: A senior on the Haja Highschool soccer team, Siu leads his team with an iron grip. He's a highly talented and experienced soccer player, often being the first to call the shots. However, he only has patience for hearty players with potential, and his complicated past makes him hard to give up reigns to anyone.

Sehungho Yang: A talented and rich young student, Sehungho has all the talent but none of the drive to seek it. He's overconfident, easily frustrated, flirtatious, and lazy in many aspects. However, in his interactions with the team, we see he's far more nuanced and determined than he is.

Overview

The Build Up may be the strangest looking webtoon I've covered so far in the best way possible. The light, muted colors and bold outlines make me feel like I'm reading a colored manga from the 90s in the best way possible. However, potentially controversial name aside, 911 seamlessly can transition from ultra cartoony chibi-like comedy to ultra-detailed and stoic badasses for more important games. Either way, you almost guaranteed downright knee-slapping faces and fourth wall breaks.

However, what tops all this off is the abstract metaphors peppered explicitly tailored to certain characters. Even in the middle of a soccer game, the life-changing symbols on display feel so personal yet at the same time universal that it never feels out of place in a game. The only webtoon I remember that can even come close in this regard is the Boxer. I am fully serious. Comparison aside, The Build Up is appearance-wise with some of the best recent webtoons I've read.

What I just mentioned also goes into the many soccer games presented in the series. So while this is the greatest introduction for new fans of the sport, Build Up at least goes out of its way to explain more advanced concepts presented verbally and physically, which gets appreciated as someone who only played soccer when I was barely in double digits.

Overall though, the biggest strength of this series is the character development. This isn't just the "build-up" of Maru Kang's efforts but those of the entire Haja high school soccer team. While Maru isn't the group's talented ace, his sheer spirit catalyzes to change others. A symbol inspires the team's tragic souls to put aside their differences. And with the series of exciting, more challenging games for the future, it feels natural that this message will get stronger over time.

Epilogue

Overall, The Build Up is another diamond in the rough, and I'm glad it was my first real introduction to sports webcomics. Between Kuroko no Basket, Haikyu and Blue Lock, I've just been getting increasingly invested in the genre, and I'm glad a manhwa can scratch the itch. Especially one that relates so hard to my journey of self-improvement, whether it be through my writing, exercise, or mental health. So while Maru and I go for the gold, let's kick the spotlight elsewhere.