A webtoon of dazzling action, solid narrative and a massive world

It is a common thing for people that to complain about what they don’t have than to satisfy with what they have, and to live a life envying what the others have. We always desire more than we satisfy. For we are such an existence, all of us find our lives tough and harsh. And there is this webtoon, making us look back such ourselves: .

Let’s assume: if you found the hope is already beside you, in the middle of the tremendous despair which came as you are aware of that you’re at the bottom, what will you think? Won’t the hope drive you to live a life on? This is the general story of .

is a story about a boy, ‘Bam’, who has a long name of the ‘25th Night’ (the night is bam in Korean). Bam, who was living alone in the darkness, starts to build a stone tower to get out to the outer world. When he arrived at the ceiling where the light leaks out, he finds out the ceiling is something he can’t reach. He frustrates, but, there was a girl for him, ‘Rachel’, who becomes his only light. For Bam, Rachel is an even bigger existence than he imagines. However, Rachel does not satisfy with Bam, who is always at the side of her, and she continues to desire something not beside her. That’s the ‘Star’.

The ‘Star’ is said to be found at the top of the tower. But it is also said that story is no more than a mere legend. Bam was happy for just being at the side of Rachel, but Rachel always longed for the Star. Eventually she goes into the world of the Tower, and naturally Bam goes into the Tower following her, too. In the tower, they have to pass a test to go up to the next floor, which is given by a gatekeeper in each floor. This story is about Bam’s hardship, adversity and adventure during his solution of the tests.

The world of the ‘Tower’ is a system of unlimited competition, and it’s also a world where the stronger prey upon the weaker; sometimes it requires the participants to kill each other. They form a team to compete, and the companions who have been with Bam for the most time are ‘Khun Aguero Agnis’ of House Khun and a hunter ‘Rak Wraithraiser’. The team of three meets on the early stage of , and it’s the first time that a team is formed of three members. 

Meanwhile it happens Bam is betrayed by Rachel, who is the reason why Bam climbs the Tower. But Bam doesn’t give up, and he decides to climb the Tower searching for her again. It was because his own reason to meet Rachel and by the plot of FUG, where Bam belongs to. In the meantime, Bam meets new companions to climb up the Tower together. He also ran into many difficulties from his old companions and a plot of the said group.

is a collection of multiple episodes, for the missions given at each floor; for me, the chapter ‘Hell’s Express’ was the most impressive. Bam got inside the train and he ran into a formidable enemy. The time given to him was too short, but he had to fight and gain a victory against the enemy to save his companion. At that moment, he ran into the master who would train him. The master told Bam, “Find your true self. 

The one who doesn’t know their true self is only a burden to the others for their lifetime.” For these words, Bam looks back his past. I deeply sympathized by the words. It would be truly terrible to have nothing as an answer to the question who you truly are, even though you have lived your given life for your best.

In , the author compares our real life to the Tower. It’s easy to miss because it set in Fantasy, but it reflects the reality somewhat more cool-headedly. The webtoon is not too serious, however, as it uses the humor to help the reader to immerse in the world of .

As have been serialized from 2010, with over 400 episodes, the drawing style have been changed as seasons go on. Like Bam grows up, who only relied on others’ help in early stages of the story, the drawing of the artist also improves, and for the webtoon continued for years, so the reader ages and grow up together … so they all grows, that’s what I felt. 

Since it’s a full-length story, I think regulation of tempo is important; indeed has an adequate tempo, not losing the momentum from its early stages. I think that’s one of the reasons why it is highly acclaimed.

If you want to enjoy more meaningfully, we suggest you to ask the many questions Bam receives to yourself, too. For some of them you may get a clear answer, but for others you may have to think about it for a long time; and it’s quite fun to think as you read. As watching Bam meets many difficult crossroads, I think it’s also a good way to read, to think about which one you would choose if you were in Bam’s shoes.

We highly recommend to all the webtoon readers who didn’t read it. Oh, how one likes it or not differs widely, of course, but I assure you this: there may be a person who did not read yet, but anyone who read it reads it more than once. With its vast, lengthy amount, it is still enjoyable even if it’s read again and again; and for every read it returns a new impression. That’s the .