I was feeling slightly ill today, so after spending a couple of hours in shorts and sandals out in the wind, I decided to binge on a new manwha.

Chapter 51 of this series just released on my scan site of choice after a hiatus of more than one year and a half.

With no fear or hesitation, I jumped in.

Return from Isgard

The plot is rather straightforward: our hero was (is) a huge nerd, completely addicted to Dungeon Power Fighter, a pc game.

He has been abducted by an otherworldy saintess, that enslaves him to save her kingdom. He is granted great powers through the use of dark magic, but faces a lot of discrimination and some other hero takes up the spotlight.

Not that Kim Minjoon cares, he just wants to be back home and play his favourite game. When he finally comes back home he is welcomed by a dire situation…

There is no network.

The increase in number of dungeons and their outbreaks has left Korea in a dire state. To the point where the only civilians we see throughout the series are restaurant staff and some at an amusement park.

Yes, because the answer MC finds for his problem is to enlist in the army and climb the ladder, in order to make the world a safe place for game devs. That’s some real motivation!

Tool

His rise in ranks is exceptionally fast, setting new records every other week. In case you are not familiar with this, there is a wide array of Korean comics dedicated to the army. Conscription being a reason good enough to make the topic compelling to the public.

Many jokes do not translate well, since they are based on honorifics and different levels of formality in characters speech, but if at ease with korean etiquette, you can enjoy them.

Although overall kind of lame, I stuck with it mainly because:

  • no extremely OP characters so far
  • good humour
  • MC is rather powerful in the spectre. Not taking hints from girls and only loving his videogame
  • supporting cast is lighthearted and characterized in some interesting ways. Basic soldiers with no superpowers, creating a nice contrast
  • battles are fast and not the focus, just a way for MC to get a promotion and powerups

Season 2

So, season 2 sees a lot of changes straight away.

The art style has drastically improved. I am hesitant to use this word. While it is undoubtely more refined and modern, compared to the flat drawnings of season 1, I smell fancyness in place of lighthearthedness.

Some aura bullshit being used by other hunters. One of the unique traits of this series was the absence of crazy powers in secondary characters, but this looks like they want to raise the stakes on battles.

Japan and Korea are on friendly terms. Since when?

So. I do hope and believe some good laughs will still come from this serie, but the drastic changes make me doubtful. Like One Punch Man and its thousands clones, I fear the essence of this manwha will be lost in supernatural battles and fancy graphics.

But let’s give it a try! For Lumi Noona!