But seriously speaking as an international webtoon reader and creator of comics I think the problem may be not so much the format but the actual content, if you play to short form, thirst trap, will they won’t they (they definitely will!) stories then you end up with an audience who aren’t interested in staying except to get a quick fix. The most memorable stories that bring people back are those that make people go “ah man! That got me really in the feels!” Like heartstopper and Romeo and Juliet. Or bring you into something bigger like lord of the rings and one piece. I think if webtoon wants to expand they have to take the content seriously, really elevate those creating something special, like I only found out about heartstopper through the Netflix promotion for the tv show, when I read the webtoon I finished all the published episodes in a day. Had that been pushed at me more than just a thumbnail, god I would have clicked it sooner. In fact circling back to short form videos, maybe webtoon needs previews in the form of animatic teasers in the sidebar showing a slow scroll of promoted stories as currently all we have to go on is the thumbnail which can be good but not always effective. But maybe I’m just yapping.
Short form videos!
But seriously speaking as an international webtoon reader and creator of comics I think the problem may be not so much the format but the actual content, if you play to short form, thirst trap, will they won’t they (they definitely will!) stories then you end up with an audience who aren’t interested in staying except to get a quick fix. The most memorable stories that bring people back are those that make people go “ah man! That got me really in the feels!” Like heartstopper and Romeo and Juliet. Or bring you into something bigger like lord of the rings and one piece. I think if webtoon wants to expand they have to take the content seriously, really elevate those creating something special, like I only found out about heartstopper through the Netflix promotion for the tv show, when I read the webtoon I finished all the published episodes in a day. Had that been pushed at me more than just a thumbnail, god I would have clicked it sooner. In fact circling back to short form videos, maybe webtoon needs previews in the form of animatic teasers in the sidebar showing a slow scroll of promoted stories as currently all we have to go on is the thumbnail which can be good but not always effective. But maybe I’m just yapping.