Webtoons. That little miracle creation that combines the best thing about books - the chance to imagine a whole new world – and the best thing about cartoons – to watch that world solidify. So, of course there would be some that would have it all; the intricate plot, the perfectly flawed characters and the frustrating cliffhangers. I don’t know about the other webtoon readers out there (lately the number of readers is growing like a proverbial beanstalk) but for me, UnOrdinary is the one that ticks all those boxes.

1.The Subplot:

I think we can all agree that a story that has lots of buried underground tunnels that branch off from the main tunnel is much more intriguing. And a character that is actually a wolf in a sheep’s clothing rebelling against the hierarchy? UnOrdinary does this subplot justice. The fact that all of this is happening within an academy, and the “Kings" and “Queens” are actually just teenagers, makes it all the more relatable rather than unfathomable. We've all since the cliques (Just not the ones given powers. Wouldn’t that be a nightmare?) but we haven’t seen them overthrown and that’s the scenario this webtoon aims for.

2. The Female Protagonist:

Haven’t we all at one point dreamed of finding (or creating) an ideal female protagonist? Someone who balances her emotions on the thin line between needlessly heartless and recklessly passionate. Well, I present to you Sera! She isn’t made up of sugar, spice, everything nice but she isn’t completely without feelings either and almost always maintains them in order. Another bonus: She's the strongest female in the academy, (formerly, but I won’t be handing out spoilers) and the fact that she does not romantically rely on (although they do platonically support each other a lot) on John makes her instantly likeable. My favourite part of her? Her sarcasm and quiet fierceness. Adds to her never-ending charm.

3. The Visuals:

If you’re as big as an anime fan as I am, you’d know that frequently, the quality of the animation drops drastically. Which makes the fight scenes incredibly tedious to wade through. Not in UnOrdinary. They come out finely finished, considering the fact that you have to read each second and can openly scrutinize it. The transition is flawless (aesthetically pleasing is always a win in my notebook) and the color palette hangs between brightly cheery and depressingly dark. The way the author draws each character, telling their story in the choices that define their experiences (take John’s hair for example. An icon by now), attunes the reader to each of their moods.

4. The Speech Bubbles:

Technically, this shouldn’t get it’s own category but since this is UnOrdinary, it does. The speech bubbles assigned to each character are tinted either according to their abilities or their hair colors, and for this most part, they remain the same. However, for John (the main protagonist) as is so often the case, this rule doesn’t apply. Depending on whether he decides to play nice or go all Thanos on the world, the color of his speech bubble changes from deceptively white to an inky black. And the readers are always in for a treat when the latter comes around.

5.The Stats:

Characters are introduced. We’re told how strong they are. We're told their powers. Point is, we're always told and never shown. How and why they win against other characters is a complete mystery (unexplained power boosts included). So, it was a big belief when UnOrdinary did the opposite and gave the readers each character's stats. Whether or not they’re competent in defense, offence, healing etc. It made them more understand me while also providing logic as to why they proved victorious or not and since they were given at the end of the chapter (fortunately), you couldn’t predict the outcome beforehand.

6. The Mystery:

For all the people out there who cannot find a single action series with satisfying mystery elements, you’d be glad to know that UnOrdinary also comes with a series of gruesomely elaborate murders. Of superheroes no less. With three teenagers out to uncover the organization that can take away their powers with just one prick of a needle (they don’t know that) while dodging their academy and society that condemns superheroes (or anything nice really), you're bound to be on the edge of your seats at all times.

7. The UnOrdinary “John” Of The Story:

Morally white protagonists that wants the world to be a “better place". The trope that pops up around the corner no matter where you look. And then there’s that rare demon that just wants to ruin it from the shadows without ever directly taking the reigns. That’s our John. Initially believed to be innocent and pure hearted (‘flashes of his backstory were not enough to prove otherwise!’ I still argue), he turned out to be …not that. He's bent on overthrowing the authorities with an obliging smile while manipulating the “king" with a dark glare. And he’ll do it wearing a paper bag over his head too.

He assumed a low-tier position in the school’s hierarchy and quietly lived amongst the crowd, who believed it to be true. Until the moment he struck. There were no sudden revelations of great power. He always knew and he still abided his time. That’s what sets this story apart. Grante, he wasn't without motivations, he only did it when he was provoked, and excessively so. 

We've all wished for a character that had every superpower imaginable and knew it as crazy enough that it would never happen. UnOrdinary is crazy and it happened. The best part is, that it works. I won’t give away any more spoilers now (what? These don’t count as spoilers)

Bonus:
The author’s notes at the end of each chapter (in a Pikachu onesie!!) are hilarious too. And I’m aware that this should not be part of a review but it deserves it.

So, if you haven’t skipped this review to check out UnOrdinary already, what are you waiting for?! Its bound to be a fantastic read (Just prepare yourself for the cliffhangers and the fact that each episode comes out after a week.)