Kids Are All Right

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You will never expect the power this story has.

First glance. The simplest of art styles, depicting a boy living on the countryside. The character designs are as simple as can be, with most differences being a line in their hairstyle, or an outfit, the size. Every aspect of the story could fool you into believing it isn't anything else, except a charming slice of life. You couldn't be further from the truth.

Dai, a kid, a very nice kid; lives by the countryside with a sick mother, and an emotionally dejected father. That setup alone gets us in the mind of a child who ... had to mature faster than anybody else. He makes his meals, he pretends to talk while lonely. He appreciates food like nobody else, but doesn't intend on rudeness whenever he acts out, which is extremely rare. See what I mean? You can grab this little kid, from a story drawn as if done by a child's hand, and create a character profile like no other. Not only is he as complex, but absolutely everybody else.

His friends, his mother, his dad, the adults around his friends, and the parents. Such care is given to everything in the writing of this story. It feels like a magnum-opus of pure character drama, from the eyes, and hands of a little boy who's trying his best. His mother, filled with complexities, and his father, containing the most fulfilling character development I've seen in YEARS. The little details, the dialogue, it slowly broke me to pieces.

The story is designed to lower your guard, with pinpoint accuracy. A testament to the power of writing, and simple lines to depict emotion, simple actions to represent reactions. A beautiful, almost perfect story that I can't for the life of me recommend enough.

The very final chapters of the story were difficult to read. I was so invested in every character, and so deep into who they were. I couldn't help but cry each an every chapter. Scared of each panel, fearful for every turn. The ending was a perfect melody, and the culmination of every aspect of what lies in turn for the main character, and those around him. It was perfect.

I realized the story is perfect for me while writing this. I hope you can experience it someday. On Webtoon, buried beneath all the fancy kinds of storytelling. There lies one of my new favorite stories, which inspired me to write something akin to that level of drama. It truly does not leave my mind, and I hope it won't ever do.

10/10. The only little problem you may find, is confusing characters, but eventually that goes away as you get accustomed to the style.

Masterpiece, like no other.

Kids Are All Right is a poignant and serious manhwa. It is about a young boy in elementary school named Dai who has a lot of what most people would call troubles. But he doesn't think of them that way. He only thinks of himself as a normal boy.

Dai's mother is in the hospital with a terminal illness, and his father works long hours, so Dai must take care of himself. The story is told in short episodes, with each episode or two being devoted to some small event it Dai's life. Some of the issues dealt with include: making friends, dealing with teachers ... and classmates who may or may not understand his circumstances, and trying to make his own moral judgments with little guidance.

Seeing things from Dai's point of view made me remember my own childhood. His viewpoint of the world is that of a child's, and he doesn't understand that some people are bad even if they act nice or that other people's lives and viewpoints can be so different from his own. He is a very responsible and smart boy, so he does alright. It is still hard to watch him struggle though things.

The art in this manhwa is unusual. I can't really call it bad, though, because it has a purpose in looking amateur-ish. It is supposed to look like a child's drawing. It may seem strange at first, but it makes more sense as you read it. I don't think the story would have been as moving if the characters had been drawn realistically.

This is a very beautiful story that should be given a chance even if the art makes you want to put it down.