the only way is up

Sometimes there are series you avoid because they're popular. There's usually two reasons for this. There are ones where you avoid because you know that's just going to lead to a road of obsession and feels and tears for your BABIES and oh god the crying. There are ones where you avoid just because you see it everywhere and the mainstream MUST be clearly inane and tasteless.

And sometimes you stop avoiding a series because the second reason is kind of meaningless and discover that you should've been avoiding it for the first reason. Tower of God is turning out to be one of those series. 

Because following white rabbits has never ever led to anything bad for anyone ever

I think Noblesse was my first Korean webtoon and it didn't leave a great impression on me mostly because I'm like one of those crochety old people who can't accept change. I didn't like it because the copious amounts of empty space threw me off, the panels were sometimes hard to follow, the artwork wasn't always professional, the update rate wasn't always regular and I kept clicking next when I thought the page was over but it wasn't. So I never really got into the world of popular Korean webtoons. 

But recently I've been reading The Gamer which is another great webseries with an interesting concept and a totally broken main character. (Also because the RPG gamer in me burns with jealousy). And after reading all the recent updates, I noticed Tower of God listed at the top of the 'Popular Series' category. I've seen it a thousand times but always avoided it because of the reasons listed above. But finally decided to give it a try and I discovered that I should've avoided it because here we go this is how it always starts. Basically since I've started I've only stopped to write this review and to calm my high-strung heart BECAUSE GODDAMN IS THAT BOY COOL. 

Who gave you the fucking right?

So in the beginning the panels and the weird monsters and being thrown into this weird world without explanation kind of confused me for a bit. But the crowning moments of awesome definitely did not. It was weird how Yuri decided to give what was apparently one of the Infinity +1 swords to some kid she just met if that even qualified as meeting. I mean, plot convenience can only take the suspension of disbelief so far. But if there's anything that makes me forget technical issues faster than a hungry eel is the protagonist kicking ass. Which he does by doing that whole 'there's no way he could've known but his intution and ~*protagonist-ism*~ is just so boss that he straight up does it anyway'. They literally have an 'Arthur pulling out the sword from the stone' moment on the first floor. 

And he who pulls the empathetic sword from the teleporting ball shall be the protagonist

And if there's anything else that traps me harder than a shinsoo barrier it's best friends forever. That's right. Nakamas. 

How to make everlasting friends: Hold them down so they can't get away

 (Also, can I just talk about how cute a tsundere giant crocodile monster can be?)

The cutest. 

Then you of course you have that how thing where Baam does that whole 'plebians pass off as luck but the pros know it's because he has hidden powers of immense magnitudes'. 

And that's how it slowly spins its web around you, with one secret revealed and one resolved, with crowning moments of awesome, and heartwarming moments of nakama, and getting to know everyone else. Have I ever mentioned how much I love tournament arcs because I love tournament arcs and this entire tower is basically a tournament arc turned up to eleven. Fuck yes. So by the time I get to the joint final test of 'Hide and Seek' I'm basically there. And by the time I was finished, I was done. Like so done. I can't. My babies. 

Rak who's totally adorable and tsundere and awesome and managed to pass the test already. Koon who came up with a great gambit, then built another Batman gambit, then announces that it was really a Xanatos gambit only to reveal that HE WAS PLAYING XANATOS SPEED CHESS ALL ALONG. And 'Mr Koon has never betrayed his own team' ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm gonna dieeeeeeeeeeeeee loner types learning to trust and becoming nakamas are going to be the death of me 'the stairs have been built..come up...Baam' alsdfjasldfjasdfffffffffff

Anyway, right after I've just freaked out over that gambit pileup I calm down enough to watch Baam's team only for THIS COOL MOTHERFUCKER TO DESTROY ME AGAIN. 

Sigh. I'm going to have to update that list of reverse Hikaru Genji plan candidates again

Who do you think you are, Negi Springfield?

If you think you can be some badass genius magician shota and totally steal my feels then you're absolutely right goddamnit. Then pulling more the 'casually replicates technique that took superior character several years to master' protagonist shit that I can't get enough of. I'm going to have to go with the resident bad girl, Androssi, on this: what do you see in Rachel? Whatever, Rachel you're just lucky enough to be the first girl.
This on top of the fact that both tests were awesome in completely different ways. I expected a different strategy tops for the second time, but I did not expect what actually happened. It's just a great showcase of different people and different relationships, as it should be. Also showcased my two boys being completely OP so there's that too. 

I've stopped here to get my bearings and to pour all my feelings for now. I have no doubt that it'll crush my heart more in later chapters. There's so much more heart-crushing opportunity what with the bittersweet backstory for Anad Zahard, Androssi's cool self-proclaimed bad girl status, the importance of the 13 month weapons, hints that Koon may not be what he seems...sob...........I can't fucking wait. There's also probably more literal crushing of hearts as everyone takes a level in badass and Baam gets protagonist priority in that so....I can't fucking wait.