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First of all, this story is of the Epic Fantasy genre. It is imperative to understand what this story is trying to be, so you don't end up judging it for what it's not trying to be.

In summary, some main characteristics of Epic Fantasy stories are:
- huge worldbuilding
- focus is on the scale of the conflict
- a large cast of characters
- magic a key part of plot/story/character abilities
- features a good vs evil story (usually, but can be shades of gray in modern epic fantasy)
- relies on many sub plots help advance the story
- stories are very long (500-1000 chapters)
...
"Epics are stories that stood as central pillars to the cultures that created them. They are massively long and complex, and although they do have heroes, battles and dramatic adventure, their role is more than merely to entertain. They describe a world in which the mysterious, the mythic, and the divine were made. They help explain the nature of the world.

Further, they show how it changed. In all of the traditional epics, the narrative of events takes place on what historians call “a world historical scale.” This means that deeds of the main actors, the struggles and journeys that the epics recount, have an effect on the very nature of the world. They permanently change history. For better or worse, something is different at the end.

Turning back to modern fantasy, it is easy to see why epic fantasy series become so long. If an epic is a story about how a world changes, it has to be able to give a sense of the entire world in which it is set. Epic fantasy novels must have a grand scale. Their plots are often complex and multi-stranded, with a cast of thousands, a host of different narrators, and plot arc that can take years, if not generations It is the question of scale which makes the quality known as “world building” so important to epic fantasy.

Ultimately, when we try to settle the question of what counts as epic fantasy, we shouldn’t ask how long the story is, or whether or not it describes heroes joined in massive battles. But rather, in the spirit of the epic tradition, how significant is the change it marks on its world? How big is the scope of its conflict, and how significant the power of its eventual resolution?"

Epic Fantasy has also undergone changes since it was made popular (by Tolkien etc) 50 years ago. Today's modern epic fantasies focus more on complex characters that are morally ambiguous, and situations that cannot exactly be cast as entirely black and white. The villains are often very human, complex characters with real motivations to their supposed evil, rather than just being inanimate objects of evil

In short, Epic fantasy is more about the scale of the conflict, and the affects on the greater world at large. While High Fantasy is more about the setting - the time period, the way the world works, the way the characters interact, with a focus on the more persona change within the characters, rather than the global conflict at large.




As with every single series that received a lot of attention, it is going to attract people who trash it and call it "overhyped", when most of them don't usually watch or prefer shows of similar genres to make a fair comparison. It's like a rom-com gang trashing a high fantasy series for not having enough funny character interactions, or not being "realistic" enough, when that's not the focus of the story, nor what the series is trying to be in the first place?

Tower of God is a very specific genre with its own method of presentation, that undoubtedly enamoured some, but alienated others. Hype is based on other's preferences, only you can judge what you like. Please keep that in mind, as we delve into what makes people like and dislike this series.

Top 4 reasons to dislike this show:

1. If you hate being baited by info and having to "think", this show is not for you.

Tower of God is a story where you discover a world with the main character, who also knows nothing about the world he ventured into. You are thrown into the deep end with very little context, as answers gradually reveal itself throughout the episodes. Many who disliked the confusion in ep 1 eventually fell in love with the exposition and explanation in ep 2 onwards. Especially the Hunter x Hunter - like themes of tests, tournaments, characters and worldbuilding, that reminds many of what they love about Hunter x Hunter.

To like this series, you need to keep track of the information that is gradually revealed, and keep in mind the questions raised from the hints that are dropped. I've seen people who are absolutely smitten by this, and people who just want to be spoon-fed and call this "bad writing" or "plot-hole". I've seen people who completely misunderstand the purpose of the actions, because they were too busy judging the series to pick up the hints dropped by characters. If you just want to kick back and relax, this show is not for you.

2. If you don't like a long-running series, this show is not for you.

Too often I see people complain about the "plot", when at episode 4, the anime haven't even adapted 3% of the published chapters so far. If you don't want to invest into another One Piece for the next 10 years, then perhaps you can safely drop this series, or come back when there's more episodes. People today are too spoiled by short animes that end in a few seasons, that they expect a masterpiece, action and engagement straight from the get-go.

Some don't like the premise of a fantasy series with "repetitive tropes", when this story was published 10 years ago, way before most of these tropes became popular today. I've seen too many people trying to "predict" where the story will end up at, with terribly wrong predictions they are totally convinced of, because "I have watched enough anime to know where this will head to". Try again. This series didn't get 4.5 billion views from a niche webcomic source due to "predictable plot".

Tower of God is a slow-burn series, where the questions you raise in ep 1 might not even be answered for many years down the road, but it will be relevant and revealed when you least expect it to surprise you. It is similar to One Piece in this aspect, where the author planned a very big universe with its own governance, politics, corruption, wars, history, legendary figures, tragedies, power systems, and lore for more than 10 years in advance, and gradually reveals it bit by bit in canon. For this reason you can safely assume that the show will not start having fillers, or run out of direction anytime soon. Within the first 4 episodes, we already have hints and mysteries about how the world works, but if that doesn't engage you, then this story is not for you.

3. If you want a story heavily focused on character interactions, this show is not for you.

Tower of God is an epic fantasy series, not a high school drama. Epic fantasies often feature a wide cast of characters, with relatively little focus on them outside of their role in the plot and universe. The show does have beloved side characters with their own personality, backstory, and comedic interactions, but again this is not a high school drama. I've seen people criticise the character interactions for being 'boring', when their favourite lists are full of harem shows. I've also seen people who thoroughly enjoyed the variety and depth of the character cast, and became very invested in their favourites within 4 episodes. This is really down to personal preference.

The main character is a blank sheet because of his background, and does take a while to get used to. If you want an overpowered, cool MC from the get go, then this series is not for you. It takes years of growth for the MC to reach that point, and the MC is not a perfect person "who can do no wrong" just to satisfy the watcher. There will be challenges and there will be setbacks. If you just want an MC that serves to please and entertain you, this series is not for you.

4. If you want a mainstream art, music and animation style, this show is not for you.

The studio made an interesting choice to pay homage to the original artstyle of the webcomic, which undoubtedly wasn't the best at the beginning. However they did have great colours, thick, rough line art that sets it aside from others, and a decent animation, with more actions picking up in ep 3 and 4. It might be jarring to some, but it did grow on me, and there are many who do fell in love with this unconventional art style. The source material art does improve tremendously (imgur.com/gallery/fxbQdYW), so perhaps that can be something to look forward in the future.

The OST is also a banger, Kevin Penkin really brings out the best mood with a wide variety of unconventional music, instruments, and different genres, that is really unique and unheard of in other series. I finally understood why he had so many fans after hearing the OST in the first ep, it is really one of a kind.

If you just want something that you're used to, then this show is not for you.



Top 3 reasons to love this show:

1. If you are looking for something to follow in the long run, this show might be for you.

The story may reach its 20 year mark before ending, and none of the fans are complaining. The story, plot twists, worldbuilding, characters that make up the history and society of the story, the history and mysteries that led to things that happened today, all these are fulfilling and you won't be getting "fillers" anytime soon. If you're sick of stories that had a great start but turn into shit, then this series might not disappoint you.

2. If you like thinking about possibilities, this show might be for you.

The mysteries are one of the strongest point in this series, where there is just limitless possibilities of development from what they reveal episode by episode. Most of the enjoyment will come from theorising what could be from the hints, and discussing it with others on reddit (r/anime or r/towerofgod), discord, or even reaction videos on Youtube. There's so much to talk about, you can go on for the entire week just finding out and discussing with others about it. This is the primary reason why the series has such an active fanbase.

3. If you like dark fantasy, fatalism, and moral ambiguity, this show might be for you.

The entire premise of the story is different from the typical shonen, where "the good person will win", "the MC can do no wrong", and "if you work hard you will definitely succeed". In this story, the cutthroat environment of the tower means that the fittest, not the "morally purest", survive, and that leads to many heart-wrenching moments amongst the bittersweet victories. The line between the "hero" and the "villain" is often unclear, alliances change all the time for self-interest, and the "bad guys" don't justify their actions with "sob stories". The villains are not insane unreasonable people created just to incite drama. This, along with the almost non-existent female sexualisation, is what I like best about this series.

Judge for yourself whether you like it or not. From the reactions, many anime-only still find the charm in the series, and love the excitement the pacing brings them. Others say that this series is worth every bit of the hype for how different it is, and how it brings back the weekly anticipation they have not felt for the long time. Only you can decide whether you're one of them.

Frequently dubbed "the One Piece of manhwa" by the animanga community, this 10-year old series is undoubtedly a legend in itself, a giant in the manhwa industry, and for very good reasons. For me, a story that can match ToG are very few and far between.

Story: 10/10 | Art: 9/10 | Character: 9/10 | Enjoyment: 10/10 | Overall: 10/10

What I like best about ToG: In terms of Worldbuilding, from SIU's blogposts, you can see how much dedication he has given to it, to the extent of laying down plots and characters that appear 6-8 years later in the story. I love discussing these ... mysteries with the community.

Theme-wise, I'd compare it to the level of Shingeki no Kyojin (AoT), for its more serious narration & setting (with a dash of occasional humour), the cruel undertone that permeates the society, the diversity in character perspectives, the moral ambiguity, the mystery, and how the plot progresses. Just my cup of tea.

This review is from the perspective of a fan who've been reading this since 2015. I will tell you why to me, this series stood out among the 50+ manga and manhwas I've read, analyse the good, the bad, the phenomenal, the most common complaints and praises of the series, and the reasons why so many readers are addicted to it.

Personally, I think the 3 strongest points of Tower of God are:

1. World Building,
As part of the bigger Talse Uzer Story, The Tower has its own lore, history, rules, hierarchal system, power struggles between factions, and characters with their own lives, triumphs and setbacks. There is further differences between each floor, and it is hinted that the world outside the tower is completely different. The world is mind-bogglingly huge, and it is an enjoyment to find out more about it. Wiki is your best friend.

There is no "average villain", every arc is unique in plot, story, characters, and setting. Yet, they do not feel like a filler because they have a role in the overarching story, which leads back to the main plot line.

2. Mystery,
where the reader follows the main character into this unknown world, to find out what happened to the Tower in the past 10,000+ years, that lead to what it is today. There's no end to discussion with the community, especially on discord. As the story progresses, more and more mysteries are unveiled, but just enough to keep you on your toes, and ask more questions.

How much you immerse in the universe, I feel, is the biggest difference between "addicted" readers and most other readers. Readers who enjoy discussing the hints, mysteries, and predicting the story seems far more likely to enjoy the series than a casual reader. Discussing and asking questions in the community, such as the r/towerofgod discord community, really makes a difference.

3. Plot,
where a coherent storyline is planned out many years in advance, and the author seemingly never run out of materials. Since the beginning, it has shifted from Hunter x Hunter / My Hero Academia style of lessons and tests, to One Piece style of world building, and to Shingeki no Kyojin style of ideological / political fights and wars. As of 2020, it has published for 10 years, and is still going very strong.

Personally, I'd add a few more points:

4. Moral ambiguity,
Tower of God has some thought provoking themes as it goes along, this is not a typical "the MC and those who help him can do nothing wrong" series. Throughout the story, the MC have received help from outright villainous characters, who often have their own motivations. Even as we learn about their back story, most do not try to justify their actions with "sob stories", nor are they portrayed as unreasonable, insane people. This is what I like about this, and what makes it stand out from other typical "shonen" series. There is no clear "good" or "bad" side, yet the story doesn't harp on it, but integrate it naturally into the culture of the Tower.

5. Themes
Some notable themes for characters in this story, include "devotion", and "fighting fate". I enjoyed how SIU explored the theme of "devotion" outside of romantic feelings, by elaborating the emotions, thoughts, experiences, behaviours and nuances when it comes to desires. Fate is another theme in this story, where individuals fight to free themselves from shackles imposed onto them by a higher establishment. It can become very gruesome, yet it is not the run of the mill "tragic" story. Oppression is well elaborated and not "forced" onto the story. As a person who grew up under an oppressive government, I really appreciated the realism that is portrayed.

Lastly, as a female reader, I appreciated the relative lack of female character sexualisation and obsession on "boobs", similar to Shingeki no Kyojin. Female characters are often ranked among the strongest of the Tower inhabitants, and have their own unique character, as well as important contribution to the progress of the story.



Moving on, the 3 most common complaints of Tower of God are:

1. Too many? characters, not enough development for some side characters:

Tower of God is of the Epic Fantasy genre, which naturally features a large cast. While it is beloved for its diverse cast of side characters, it can also be a downside to some who have difficulty remembering everything. Although it's not something that can't be resolved with wiki and some discussion or questions on discord and reddit.

Due to the nature of the story, where the Tower is a big place (with 134 known floors the size of the American continent), and the fact that the MC is far stronger and needs to grow quickly to defeat the ultimate archenemy, eventually some side characters will fade away from central storyline. It can be sad to get attached to a side character who has relatable backstory and motives, but then the character doesn't show up for 2-3 years.

As the plot progresses, more new characters are introduced for their role in the story. This can be an upside for those who enjoy the world building (and more new favourite characters!), but a downside for those who prefer sticking to familiar characters. Still, many side characters are still very well loved for their design, character development, and their role in the story. On discord, there's a sizeable number of fans who join the "teams" for side characters, and that speaks a lot.


2. Art (season 1)
Everyone knows that the drawings didn't start off well, but it does tremendously improve. (see: imgur.com/gallery/fxbQdYW) It started with amateurish anatomy, by around 80-150 chapters, it has already improved beyond recognition, with refined colouring and style that takes your breath away, on par with the best of mangas. The series is fully coloured which is its strong point, well loved for its details, as well as the fact that the characters actually change their clothes.

But having read many other works with much cleaner action scenes, some fighting scenes can come off as slightly confusing due to the vertical format of the Webtoons, and some 3D modelled ships can seem to have flat textures. The artist was also injured for a while and you can see the art style evolve through different arcs. Regardless, I'd give this an 9/10 for its excellent art, and it's fighting scenes are still great.


3. Plot & Power scaling
A big bottleneck for this series is the early Hell Train Station arc (around post chapter 200), where some people agree that the plot became unbearably slow, even when reread. It seemed like SIU took feedback from his readers that the previous arc was "too fast paced", and tried to adjust it, which in my opinion didn't turn out well. If you can last through that arc, imo the best is yet to come. All my favourite arcs are after that.

Because of how the story itself evolves through different themes and segments of the Tower, some may lament that what initially attracted them to the story is not the main focus now. But the story has something for everyone. There are those who are still very fond of the wit and epicness of S1 and early S2, despite how long ago it was. Some enjoy the later seasons, for the characters, world building, mystery, art, thought provoking conflicts and much more.

The Power scaling and progression had also came to question, as the story progresses to include more and more characters from the upper echelons of the tower. While earlier battles relied more on tactics and tricks, later on it sometimes felt like a spam of flashy moves. Regardless, it simply reflects the overwhelming power difference as one moves up the tower, and many are happy to have epic scenes like these. i.imgur.com/eI1URJZ.jpg



In conclusion, you will probably love Tower of God if:

1. You enjoy epic / dark fantasy and discussing about the mysteries.

2. You like diverse characters, with moral ambiguities and different perspectives.

3. You like political fights and the journey towards toppling the establishment.


Hope you find Tower of God as addictive as we do!