Uru-Chan Admires UnOrdinary Long-Running Webtoon Success
UnOrdinary ongoing popularity and the 300th episode on Webtoon are two topics Uru-chan addresses in an exclusive conversation with CBR.
INTERESTING INTERVIEW: Uru-chan Honours unOrdinary’s Long-Running Webtoon Success
The glass in front of John from Unordinary is broken. Turning away from him, his reflection. 2016 saw the initial release of Uru-chan’s popular series unOrdinary, which she created as one of the top creators on the WEBTOON platform. John Doe needs to get past his troubled background and bullying from his strong peers in a world full of superheroes and other amazing beings. UnOrdinary has been a commercial success for seven years and has had over 1.2 billion views.
The long road that led Uru-chan from a pioneering Webtoon creator to one of the most well-known figures on the web was the subject of an exclusive interview with CBR. She recently unveiled the strategies behind unOrdinary’s longevity and success with the 300th episode of the show. Along with sharing her creative process with them, she also expressed her hopes for the future of the action genre.
Books:
I loved reading manga and comic books as a child, Uru-chan. Moreover, I wished I could create my own stories and artwork. I used to post my artwork on DeviantArt quite a bit when I was a child growing up in the internet era. Similarly, I first began extending my artistic knowledge at that point, and I also learned about having an online audience. Furthermore, I later discovered SmackJeeves, a website that resembled an independent comic site, and that is when I started publishing my own comics. A page was written back then about once a week, and I was the only one who could think of stories on the spot.
Later, I became more invested in it. I started drawing cartoons more frequently when I received my undergraduate degree, and I also started to attract a following. No, not as far as using Webtoon is concerned. To be honest, I had no idea I’d be working on it full-time. Another website I discovered where I could share my artwork was this one. My opportunity with them didn’t truly materialise until they announced the superhero contest.
What served as the inspiration for the idea and development of unusual?
Superhero was the contest’s theme, which served as the source of inspiration. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I love toying with opposites, parodies, and cliches. I wondered, “What if I write a story where everyone but the main character is a superhero?” That notion eventually developed into a supporting character in a setting full of protagonists. Literally, John Doe, the most common name, is the name of the main character. They all have odd hair colours, and everyone’s names are really distinctive. It all began with that thought. By the end, I was considering how the characters might be affecting on a social and psychological level. I started writing after realising how many different types of power dynamics exist in the world.
With more than 300 episodes to date, unOrdinary made its Webtoons debut in 2016. Why does it last so long, exactly? Which of the most important lessons you’ve learned in the last seven years?
Numerous episodes—300 in total. When I reflect on it, I’m often surprise at how long I’ve been doing it. Being passionate about something will help you live longer. Be aware of and comprehend your audience, to put it more precisely. I feel like I’m having a conversation with them while I read this narrative. Depending on the story arc I’m writing on, I release something every week and then wait to see how others react before responding. I would engage in conversation with the audience at one arc that was really contentious. You must have passion for what you are saying and an awareness of what your audience is absorbing. Furthermore, emotion is crucial. Make your audience feel something in order to keep them interested and having them return for more each week. Emotion and intensity are incredibly compelling.
A magical woman with pink hair stands in front of John in Unusual.
Since the release of UnOrdinary, how has the action genre evolved in the worlds of Webcomics and Manhwa? What do you hope will become of it?
With Tower of God and The God of High School, action was Webtoon’s most popular subgenre when I initially started in 2016. After that, there was a complete revolution in romantic relationships where everything was turning upside down. It’s good that romance is now the theme of all the popular stories. In order to increase diversity and draw in a wide range of people, Webtoon has added a lot more action comics to the platform throughout time. I wish there would eventually be a more fair distribution of action comics among the top 10.
Do you mind taking me through the steps you took to build your distinct visual and narrative style?
Much of it is improvised. UnOrdinary was something I came up with on the spot, so I didn’t have any direction when I started it. Keep the concepts consistent was one of my key objectives. While all the supporting characters were fun and distinctive. I made sure the primary character was fairly straightforward. I had no idea it would grow to be so significant. The plot began to develop eventually. I reverted to my usual behaviour and resumed making parodies and playful use of anime cliches, which was something I always enjoyed doing.
I started generating concepts, such as what happens when the background major character has a tragic tale and what happens when we make him change from the sweet weakling to the cruel villain. Those were the ideas I looking into as I wrote. Additionally, I like to sporadically weave in a larger plot that is ongoing in the background. It’s basically me trying to keep with themes and what I enjoy writing about when it comes to specifics and week-to-week writing.
You’ve worked with McDonald’s and Lil Uzi Vert, among other uncommon companies. Please elaborate on these partnerships and share your thoughts on unOrdinary’s commercial and critical success.
They have amazing talent! Being locked in my workplace makes it incredibly fascinating when these companies and individuals contact me. In my personal bubble, I work. Because I’m rather immerse in my own little universe, I don’t really pay attention to the specifics, such as the figures or the popularity of the series. Because they are aware that my series exists, it is such an honour when companies and individuals approach me about working together. A further benefit is that my efforts finally paid off after all these years.
In the upcoming graphic novel version of Unordinary unOrdinary, a hero glares at John. What is the process of adaption like, please? Do you anticipate unOrdinary undergoing any additional modifications in the future?
Uru-Chan further says ”I initially didn’t anticipate much difficulty in the conversion procedure from the Webtoon scrolling format to the print format. I mistakenly believe that all we had to do was transfer the frames from Webtoon into the book. However, it was a fantastic learning experience since I discover things like how the pacing of a Webtoon differs from that of a manga or comic. Webtoon is somewhat slower. Every gesture, feeling, and facial expression are displayed. Because you have the full book at your disposal, it goes more quickly and has a larger canvas in print. In a webtoon, you just get to tell a small portion of the story, whereas in a book, you get more time and have greater control over the way the plot is organising.
Different in terms of both formatting and tempo. You need to make use of page turns when switching to the book format. A significant portion of the adaptation process involves rearranging the panels such that the viewer is eager to flip the page after each page’s final panel, which is now a cliffhanger. As a result, the format is changing from one that can be scrolling to one that can be flip. I enjoy anime for its different adaptations. My dream would ultimately be to create an anime. An adaption into a game would be fantastic because I also enjoy playing video games.
Are you planning to start another Webtoon series in the future, as one of the platform’s top creators, or do you already have other ideas in mind?
In my opinion, yes. My brain is programm to keep making things. With the expertise I now possess as a result of working on unOrdinary for such a long time, I am really eager to rework some old stories that I wrote many years ago. In the future, you’ll undoubtedly see more from me.
What do you want unOrdinary’s viewers to remember about it? Do you have anything to say to them right now?
Respect for one another, letting go of the past, and attempting to putting oneself in others’ shoes are some of the topics that this novel explores. The main goal is to make reading enjoyable for everyone. When reading and enjoying the comic, I want people to experience emotion. Really, I’m appreciative. As you mentioned, I’ve produced 300 episodes, so I consider myself fortunate to have a following that is loyal and continues to consume my work seven years later. To everyone who has been here from the beginning and is still reading, I want to extend a sincere thank you. To be able to continue doing this is such a blessing.
Every Thursday on Webtoon, new episodes of unOrdinary are published.
For more entertainment news, Click here.