Man, if this isn't a time to be proud to be a Webtoon fan, I don't know what is. Not only do we have a bunch of new webtoons taking storm, but we also have new webtoon ads floating around. So I decided that now would be an excellent time to make a couple of new spotlights!
And what better way to stop off than the Frankenstein mess of time travel and RPG tropes that is Room of Swords by Toon Animated! Which, in hindsight, is one of the most boring titles I ever heard, but that is beside the point.
Author
Okay, so since this is the first non-south Korean Webtoon, I have a little bit more info on the creators, Julian, Tara (author), and Abraham Jaueregi (music). The two are the co-authors of the book series, and during their Q and A, they stated how hard they had to work on a webtoon and a youtube channel (toon animated or Room of swords works just fine if you are asking). Plus, managing that while having a baby and keeping up with one of the unique webtoons I've ever read is undoubtedly an achievement, and I do hope that much light is in their future.
Summary
An unknown figure from beyond the stars, beyond even understanding, has ripped through space and time itself to collect four people from various ages for one purpose: get the boss sword before time runs out, complete the Room of swords and open the gate to freedom.
However, across this quest, our main hero, a futuristic astronaut named Gyrus, soon discovers that this isn't his first time in the fearsome Room of swords even though he has no memory of it. And as continues dangers look from every twist and turn, our hero, unfortunately, is weighed with another question. Who am I? Or rather was?
Characters:
Gyrus: A kind, naive, and often meek boy Gyrus is always willing to put his life on the line for his friends. Everstill his kind, naive and trusting nature has often led him to be the surrogate of the series to help better explain the lore of the series.
His intelligence, loyalty, and advanced technology still make him utterly adaptable to the world he lives in, and we soon realize that he has potential that even he didn't expect ( or did expect, given the circumstances ). He is an astronaut from 2545 A.D.
Kodya: A rude and often mysterious person Kodya from day one proves to be one of the most experienced members of his party with many powerful abilities. While he is willing to work with others, it gets exemplified that he has a soft spot for Gyrus (but maybe not that Gyrus - okay, seriously, I'll stop). He is a Russian hunter and from 1812 A.D.
Slyvia: A cave girl named by the fans, Sylvia, is probably the height of this Webtoon's characterization as she speaks through emojis. She is pretty much a lovely and energetic girl that has a food obsession. So between that and the emojis, I think she is the most relatable character here. She came from 12,000 BC.
Tori: The second character we meet in the series Tori is a courageous knight/ tsundere who speaks for her period. She is probably the most determined to go home as she pledged her loyalty to her queen that saved her from slavery. While she isn't too trusting of others, she does later become far more friendly to others. She came here from 1000 AD.
Overview
Overall, Room of swords takes a lot of inspiration from RPGs and JRPG's, so there are many references and tongue-in-cheek jokes to those tropes. Unfortunately, this can also bleed into the story structure of the series, with many of the characters starting weak with barely any knowledge to becoming formidable warriors with god-tier powers.
Mystery and worldbuilding are excellent running motif of the series. Room of Swords' world starts incredibly basic, but complexity and diversity grow all the more over time. This setting is a dangerous place filled with near-limitless possibilities from robotic coliseums, hidden factions, and realms of harsh shadows.
Yet the high-tier SciFi concepts get balanced or focused through solid lore for build-up numerous mysteries from the early as the first season. Critical concepts introduced in chapters create many theories and suspense over what comes next. Each door that's opened pretty much comes with its questioning creating an immensely tight narrative.
However, easily one of these series most significant achievements is its characterization through fantastic art. Every character forms a different period, colored quotes, designs, powers, cultures, and languages.
All of this combines into a melting pot of frankly unforgettable characters. On top of that delicious cake, we also have a couple of really varied animations and music to flavor the Webtoon experience. Plus, everyone is just really, really hot for no reason.
The characters have good chemistry with each other and often have shown to have impressive teamwork against the frankly terrifying creatures of this world. And if this Webtoon can do one thing right, it makes a good ass twist.
Epilogue
Overall, Room of swords is a pleasure to read and gorgeous to watch, and with Webtoons' popularity, it will get more popular with time. So now, with this fabulous Webtoon out of the way, it's time to travel to our future spotlight the old-fashioned way.