Webtoons are one of my favorite media. They are entertaining, fun and accessible. The Webtoon app especially makes it easy for both creators and fans, since it offers a ton of free content, but there are paid options for people who either want to read the newest chapters or just want to support the author. One more amazing thing about Webtoons is that they give a lot of freedom. Thus, the LGBT webtoons have amazing representation, one which is more varied and more up to date than other media out there. I have a list of three of my favorite LGBT webtoons, but there are more cool ones waiting to be discovered.
Not So Shoujo Love Story: a somewhat shoujo romance
Not So Shoujo Love Story starts out like most shoujo manga do. The main character, Rei, is an outcast, a tough girl with a soft inside. Like most girls in her school, she is in love with the student council’s president, Hansum Ochinchin. And here is basically where the normality ends.
Since childhood, Rei has been an outcast, and because of this, she started reading manga for escapism. Due to her close to inexistent real-life experience, she draws all of the lessons and tries to act like a manga character. Thus, she ends up fighting with another student council member, Hanna, thinking she is rivaling her for Hansum’s heart. Little did Rei know; this was the start of a cute romance about two very different girls.
I think this is a great series. It is funny, it is heartfelt but most of all, it is sincere. Both Rei and Hanna are great protagonists, with a very good chemistry. This webtoon talks about the issues same sex couples might find in a society, and addresses them. Moreover, the way Rei seems to experience romance is very interesting. She picked a guy because he is popular and can imagine a relationship with him only through the lenses of a shoujo story. However, the more she starts to interact with Hanna, the more she feels real love. This experience seems like a case of compulsory heterosexuality (comphet), something through which a lot of bisexual or lesbian girls go through.
Boyfriends: one of the cutest LGBT webtoons
Similar to Not So Shoujo Love Story, Boyfriends is a slice of life and one of the cutest LGBT webtoons about four boyfriends. What I love a lot about it is that it presents polyamory in a healthy and casual way. One of the boyfriends is also a transman, which is great representation.
The four boyfriends don’t have names, but are rather called by the type of character that they are: Goth, Prep, Jock and Nerd. These typologies are often times pitted against each other in media, so it’s pretty great to see them represented as a polyamorous relationship.
The polyamorous relationship is treated very maturely for what might seem like a pretty cute, slice of life type of comic. The characters talk to each other, they respect boundaries and address issues and communicate them effectively. Thus, I think Boyfriends is one of the best LGBT webtoons for a large age range.
Covenant: action with a little bit of spice
Are you gay and have religious trauma? Doesn’t matter, read Covenant!
Covenant is one of my favorite LGBT webtoons. It has a great representation for a large number of sexualities, and it also has a great story about religion.
Covenant is a story about exorcists that fight demons of the night. Ezra, a young exorcist that doesn’t believe in God, is given a mission by Gabriel, his guardian angel. He has to protect Sunny Nguyen, who seems to attract demons everywhere he goes.
The story is nothing short of fantastic, being full of cool action scenes and an interesting and gripping plot. The cast of character has every cool LGBT side character you might have seen, but with a more proactive role. They are all very cool and fun to see interact. Bonus, if you decide to follow the creator, Lysandra, on Instagram or Twitter you won’t regret! Lysandra posts amazing updates and interacts with the fans regularly.
I hope you found new LGBT webtoons to read. We have more webtoons recommendations, so don’t hesitate to check them out!
