One of my favorites is Miss Not-So Sidekick, written by Ellianyang and illustrated by YumYum. The story follows an office worker who gets isekai-ed into one of her favorite historical novels as Latte, a minor villainess. The former office worker, now Latte, then decides to become friends with the story’s main character and watch all her favorite scenes unfold firsthand. The main story is completed, with a collection of side stories following it, and it has an ongoing spin-off still being updated on TappyToon.
What makes this webcomic so charming is its unique art style, which the artist uses to enhance the comedy throughout the comic. The artist uses techniques found in manga and anime, like chibi, and sometimes draws the characters slightly more realistically to dramatize characters’ reactions and expressions. The illustrator even has notes like “this is still a romance novel,” which makes it all the more funny. It is important to highlight, though, that the comedy present in Miss Not-So Sidekick is not usually done to the same extent in other webcomics. The author and artist really gave themselves permission to be a little weird, which makes it all the more hilarious.
In addition to the comedic art style, the protagonist Latte also makes this comic shine. She is a little crazy, but smart, and does what she believes is right. While she doesn’t always agree with some of the main characters, she does take the time to see what is happening and try to help them, like steering her friend, another minor villainess, from going down the wrong path. Ultimately, her story is lighthearted and incredibly funny.
Another one of my favorite webcomics is Always Human by Ari North. It has also been published as a graphic novel. This sapphic story follows Sunati and Austen on their journey to fall in love, set in a high-tech future where people can change their appearance using nanotech called mods. Despite Austen having Egan’s Syndrome, a medical condition where a person’s immune system is sensitive and rejects mods, she and Sunati begin to see each other’s world and learn what it means to be human together.
This was one of the first wholesome girls’ love (GL) webcomics I came across. What I love the most about this webcomic is that Sunati and Austen feel like real people. Austen struggles to trust people, while Sunati tries to understand Austen’s condition. This webcomic is charming because it depicts the quiet moments of friendships and relationships, such as friends supporting each other and simply finding another human beautiful. The soft build of Sunati’s relationship with Austen in Always Human is not depicted that often, especially since GL is not as popular as the boys’ love (BL) genre. It is one of my top GL webcomics for that reason. From the art to the characters, this webcomic is incredibly endearing and fluffy.
Finally, one of my favorite webcomics is What Do You Want To Be, Prince by Antstudio and Mokgamgi. The story follows Yoonsoo, a well-known author. One day, the villain of her series, Prince Einsen Keit, appears alive and real before her. He kidnaps her, taking her into the world she has created, demanding that she make him the Emperor. However, inside her story she is not as powerful, and there are strange creatures that she never created. But most importantly, Einsen may not be the villain he was written to be.
What I like about this webcomic is that it is one of the more plot-driven historical romance webcomics. What Do You Want to Be, Prince was one of the first webcomics I ever read, and I still haven’t found any that have the author themselves—not reincarnated—going into their creations and having some sort of powers relating to their status as the author. It also tackles the unique internal conflict of Yoonsoo grappling with the consequences of having created the contents of the world of her novel and then experiencing it firsthand: both the good and the bad. I loved watching her see more of her world and experiment with her author powers.
These three webcomics are just a handful of what’s out there. Their unique qualities and the overall effervescent tone of these three comics make them the perfect introduction to the webcomic world for curious young adult readers.
Natalia Williams, Pine Reads Review Writer