Taking a Dive into the Comic "LnR"

Exploring a new relationship is an adventure for two characters nicknamed "L" and "R". Though the term "relationship" means something a bit different for these two. And something more platonic may be on the table. Join L and R as they navigate through life learning how to deal with romance, friendship, intimacy, and how to love themselves.

"LnR" Story and Art by Carossmo

                                          

Notice: The purposes of the following review are meant to be honest and critical. My desire is to give positive and helpful feedback for the sake of the creator. Their passion, hard work, and creativity are always important to convey in any review.

Background Context

I have actually been online friends with the creator Carossmo since our friendship began in 2018 during an art competition. I've read a handful of chapters of LnR here and there but I have never read the full thing. Recently, we talked back and forth about what people have been saying about the comic. I was curious about their comments so I offered to analyze the series and write down an honest review. So here I am typing down my thoughts after spending some time reading the chapters.

With regards to this review, I will refrain from giving an official rating to this comic as my rating will not be fair - it will be biased in favor of my friendship with the creator. So I will only remark on what I experienced reading the episodes and what I think about the comic. LnR currently has 114 chapters and was published in 2013 on Tapas. It has garnered over 500,000 views, 3000+ subscribers, and has a 9.25 rating on Webtoon. For the sake of consistency, I will be referencing the Webtoon version for this review.

Review

LnR had a very episodic feel to it (Much like certain TV shows where each episode deals with a new scenario). In some cases, LnR continued off from the last chapter. But for the majority of the time, each chapter was a separate event.

Now, some people may enjoy this style of narrative...but as for others who are looking for a more chronologically ordered story, they may get turned off by it. I personally don't mind either way, though I do feel like every story does need some basic structuring (especially at the beginning) for the sake of reader clarification.

LnR did have some issues with establishing who the characters were and what their dynamic was at the beginning of the comic. In the first episode (left picture) and the start of the second episode (right picture), we jump right into the middle of the story. Even though I personally know L and R's relationship with each other, this style of presentation can make it seem as if new readers should already know who the characters are.

   

What would have probably been a better setup is to have episode #113 (the part where they met) be the first episode instead. Elaborate on how L and R met at the coffee house through the accidental spill of coffee (bottom pic), maybe they end up having a great conversation for the rest of the day, then use episode #4 (bottom pic) where they are learning each other's nicknames be the next episode. After that, episode 2 (where L comes over to hang out) would then make more sense as the next story.

   

As far as LnR's artwork is concerned, I loved it. It is a very simple style that reminds me of the many countless cartoons I watched as a kid. L's design makes me think of Spongebob Squarepants with his yellow color, round blue eyes and buck teeth. And I feel that R's design is happy and sweet just like her personality. 

What I think the artist does very very well is to show how relatable these characters are. Hairy legs, messy hair, pimples, and grumpy mood swings are a part of everyday life. I have always thought that it was kind of funny that my friend has chosen to draw in these small details but in doing so, this has allowed me to form an intimate bond with her characters. Realism is the ideal ingredient in creating lovable characters!  

When looking at the backgrounds, I think they are decent. Nothing super detailed in order to keep the art style consistent. Which works perfectly for the comic. I have noticed that in more recent chapters, the backgrounds have shifted to be more 3D looking (probably to save time and effort) but I still think it works well. I would like to say that I have enjoyed viewing the different areas in the Philippines and I really like it when we get to learn something new about Philippino culture. I am from the United States and have only gotten to travel outside of the country once. So it's always a treat to be exposed to something new and different.

  

Looking at the panels and how LnR transitions from scene to scene, I did not have any issues reading it. It was a very smooth reading experience. Only once in a while,I stopped to question the direction of the reading. But I would figure it out quickly.

Regarding the supporting characters (Andre, Danny, Shana, Grayson, Camden, and CJ) I thought they were all great. They feel like fully developed 3-dimensional characters even though their roles are supposed to take more of a backseat in the comic. I appreciate that a lot of thought went into their individual personalities because hey respond uniquely to different situations. L and R themselves are excellent in their design and personalities as well. They are so relatable and lovable and I can't stress how important that is in making someone like a comic.

         

The only character I wish had more of a presence at the beginning of the comic is CJ (R's ex girlfriend). She appeared briefly in episode #23 but was quickly set aside because the main character did not want to engage with her. She shows up again in episode #76 and works things out with R. But she could have been a great plot device to use in the beginning to create drama. When it was revealed that CJ was R's ex I became excited at the thought of them engaging. But then when R and L decided to sneakily walk away from her, I felt a sense of disappointment and frustration. At this point in the comic, it became more difficult to remain engaged with the story because nothing as interesting as CJ appeared for a while. The pacing of the comic would go back and forth. Sometimes particular stories would be interesting and then the next one -not so much.

    

I believe a solution to this issue of pacing again has to do with structuring the comic a bit more. In moments of serious tension, have all of the episodes centered around that specific topic for a period of time. Carossmo did a good job of this during L's character development arc (episodes #66 -- #72) where he has to deal with bullying. So the same type of structuring can be applied to CJ and R in the beginning of the comic. Let CJ and R have that moment of drama when they meet -- and then let them figure out their current dynamic in the following episodes. 

Although simply saying what needs to be fixed is great and all, but going in to fix the comic setup would probably be difficult. The creator would have to reorganize parts of her comic and make new content to fill in the gaps. Easier said than done right? 

I think the easiest way at this point, to fix the pacing of the comic, is to reboot the comic on the same platform. Instead of creating brand new content, the creator could just flip some episodes around and put them somewhere else where it would fit much better with the story. It is my opinion that doing this would increase reader happiness during the reading experience.

But before I end this review, I want to take a moment to discuss the real strength of this comic. And that is within its messaging. 

               

LnR always makes it a point that a person's success with friendships, relationships, family, or a career, should not come at the cost of that person's happiness and health. Also, the way that a person looks, behaves, or believes, doesn't matter. A person is beautiful just the way they are.

 These kinds of messages are powerful! They are able to touch at the heart of the reader (and my own) and make them feel validated to be themselves and take care of their mental well being. I personally feel relieved when I hear that I am not the only one who stresses about maintaining the happiness of others. And I don't have to stress about it because it is not my responsibility to make others happy.

It is important to portray the purpose of the comic and LnR does that naturally. The creator is so effective in portraying her heart and emotions to the reader, that a reader can find inspiration in themselves to embrace who they are. And that will always be memorable. 

In Summary

LnR is a great episodic comic full of humor, drama, and heartwarming scenes. It touches on very important life issues and it grabs the reader with its messaging. Sure, the comic may have some pacing issues here and there (and that can be fixed) but as a whole, it is a comic worth keeping close to the heart.

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I hope you enjoyed my review!

You can find Carossmo on social media! Be sure to check out her comic LnR and leave a nice comment! --JR Sketcher

https://www.instagram.com/carossmo/?hl=en