Tower of God (Korean: 신의 탑; RR: Sin-ui Tap) is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by S.I.U. It has been serialized in Naver Corporation's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon since June 2010, with the individual chapters collected and published by Young Com into thirteen volumes as of July 2023. Tower of God received official English translations by Line Webtoon beginning in July 2014.
Tower of God | |
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신의 탑 Sin-ui Tap | |
Genre | Action, dark fantasy[1] |
Author | S.I.U. (Lee Jong Hui) |
Publisher | Young Com |
Country of origin | South Korea |
Webtoon service |
|
Original run | June 30, 2010 – present |
Volumes | 13 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Takashi Sano |
Produced by | Joseph Chou |
Written by | Erika Yoshida |
Music by | Kevin Penkin |
Studio | Telecom Animation Film |
Licensed by |
|
Original network | Tokyo MX, BS11, GYT, GTV |
English network | |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original run | April 1, 2020 – present |
Episodes | 13 |
Video games | |
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It has received several mobile game adaptations and merchandise. In Japan, the web manhwa received an anime television series adaptation by Telecom Animation Film that first premiered on Naver Series On in South Korea, and aired in Japan immediately afterward. It originally aired from April to June 2020. Crunchyroll licensed and simulcasted the Japanese broadcast version of the anime for its streaming service. In August 2022, a second season was announced.
Synopsis
Setup
Tower of God centers around a boy named Twenty-Fifth Bam. It is notable that in Korea 'Bam' can mean 'Night' or 'Chestnut'. He has spent most of his life trapped beneath a vast and mysterious Tower, with only his close friend, Rachel, to keep him company. When Rachel enters the Tower, Bam is devastated. Somehow, Bam manages to open the door to the Tower. Now, he will go any distance to see Rachel again even if it means dying. When he enters the Tower, he meets allies that will help him up the tower.
Settings
The Tower
"The Tower" is a mysterious structure that is completely enclosed and hosts many unique environments. It is permeated by an element called "Shinsu", which has strange properties similar to magic in other comic universes. It is inhabited by many different intelligent species. Living on the top floors is associated with a higher status in the Tower and better living conditions. This is because ascension from one floor to the next is only allowed by passing increasingly difficult tests of strength, dexterity and wit. Regulars are any individuals from the Outer Tower chosen to climb the tower in the Inner Tower. Former Regulars who reach the top of the Tower are known as Rankers, and are generally much more powerful than others. Rankers are often put to work administering the lower floors. At the top of the Tower sit the "Ten Great Families", which form the governing body of the Tower. A figure known as King Jahad (or 'Zahard', in some translations) is the chief leader of this body.
Each floor is composed of three layers: an external Outer Tower which serves as the residential area, an Inner Tower where people are tested, and a Middle Area, which acts as a network linking each floor. Residents of each floor are given the chance to ascend, provided that they are deemed "worthy" of doing so by Headon, the First Floor's Guardian and caretaker of the Tower. Such people are referred to as "Chosen Regulars" in Tower of God. The Tower is sealed from the vast, unknown "Outside" by portentous, impenetrable doors. On rare occasions, extraordinary people are able to open the doors and enter the Tower. Such people are called "Irregulars" in the manhwa, and Twenty-Fifth Bam is one of them.
According to the author, each floor is the size of the North American continent.[3] Each floor often has its own culture, language and governance systems, and it is not uncommon to have nations living in isolation and unaware of the existence of the tower.
Only Irregulars are exempt from the contract Jahad struck with the Tower Guardians that made him immortal. Thus, only an Irregular can kill Jahad. This fact drives much of the plot in Tower of God.
Shinsu
Shinsu (Hangul: 신수, RR: Shin-soo), roughly translated as "Divine Water", is a substance found within the Tower in varying concentrations on each floor. On the lower floors, Shinsu is diffuse and inconspicuous, similar to air. However, on higher floors, Shinsu increases in power and concentration, and is said to be viscous and flowing similarly to water. High Shinsu resistance is required to enter these floors. Residents in the tower must form a contract with the "guardian" of the respective floors in order to manipulate Shinsu.
Shinsu can be manipulated to enhance physical abilities, powerful weapons, and even manipulate the elements. Bang (Korean-방) is the number of discrete units of Shinsu control. The more Bangs someone handle, the better the ability to control shinsu. The size of the units is called Myeon (Korean-면), and the concentration is called Soo (Korean-수). Though used with varying degrees of explicitness and even conscious awareness, its use seems to be inextricable from combat within the Tower. Shinsu reinforcement (Korean-신수강화-shinsooganghwa) is a technique used to strengthen the body, and is commonly used by Regulars. Those who are strong with Shinsu have their aging slowed to the point where they become effectively immortal. It is unclear to what extent aging is slowed simply by living in the tower without training to use Shinsu.
Shinsu does not have a fixed flow, but there is a temporary flow. Using this flow to attack is called flow control. Expert wave controllers could destroy a village with this. Reverse flow control is used to strike back in the direction of the flow and to stop the opponent. Sometimes they are used simultaneously, attacking with flow control and protecting the body with reverse flow control. Flow control is a favored technique of Twenty-Fifth Bam.
However, there are certain exceptions to rules regarding Shinsu. Individuals known as "Irregulars" seem to have a special connection with the tower, being able to use Shinsu with little to no constraints, regardless of whether or not they have contracts with the same administrators of the floors they're on or going to. One highly notable irregular known simply as "Enryu" even managed to kill the then administrator and guardian of the 43rd floor. A feat once thought to be impossible on the apparently false pretense that Administrators were thought to be immortal and otherwise infallible. This has led many of the tower's inhabitants to see irregulars as little more than highly destructive entities with unfathomable powers and abilities, as well as being regarded as calamities brought forth by the tower's prophecies in an effort to bring about change to the tower.
Because of their ability, irregulars are often heavily stigmatized and feared, even by inhabitants of the highest caliber within the tower known simply as "Rankers". Individuals that have reached the highest floor known to the tower's inhabitants. The current capabilities of Irregulars is such that even the upper echelon of Rankers known as "High Rankers" such as the Ten Great Families and even King Jahad, are extremely wary of them, especially so in King Jahad's case due to the nature of his contract with the Tower Guardians.
Positions
Most battles in the tower are done in teams. Each person in a team plays a certain role in battle, which are referred to as positions. There are five basic positions: fisherman (낚시꾼 nakksiggun), spear-bearer (창지기 changjigi), light-bearer (등대지기 deungdaejigi), scout (탐색꾼 tamsaekggun), and wave-controller (파도잡이 padojabi). Fishermen are direct fighters, spear-bearers are a fighting support class, light-bearers provide distant reconnaissance, scouts provide on-ground reconnaissance, and wave-controllers control Shinsu. There are other positions, such as guide, but they are rare.
Development
Author S.I.U. majored in visual arts education on a university level before being conscripted into the South Korean military. By the advice of a senior in the army, S.I.U. started drawing cartoons. During this period, S.I.U. drew "ten books" worth of practice cartoons, which formed the backbone of the Tower of God comic he later started to create for the Internet.[4] S.I.U. already has major events and characters planned out, sometimes more than 8 years in advance, and often shares additional information on the Tower of God universe on his blogpost, after each chapter is published.
Media
Manhwa
Lee Jong-hui (Korean: 이종휘), also known by the pen-name S.I.U. ("Slave In Utero") launched Tower of God in Naver's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon on June 30, 2010.[5] It is the first story in the "Talse Uzer" universe. As of February 2020, Tower of God has collected 4.5 billion views worldwide.[6] Tower of God was one of the first webtoons to receive official English translations by WEBTOON in July 2014.[7]
Its first and second collected volumes were released simultaneously by Young Com on November 12, 2019.[8]
In November 2021, Wattpad announced that Tower of God would receive a print release in North America as part of their new Webtoon Unscrolled imprint.[9]
Volume list
No. | Korean release date | Korean ISBN |
---|---|---|
1 | November 12, 2019[10] | 979-1-19-015317-1 |
2 | November 12, 2019[11] | 979-1-19-015318-8 |
3 | May 26, 2020[12] | 979-1-19-015329-4 |
4 | May 26, 2020[13] | 979-1-19-015330-0 |
5 | January 12, 2021[14] | 979-1-19-015361-4 |
6 | January 12, 2021[15] | 979-1-19-015362-1 |
7 | July 14, 2021[16] | 979-1-19-015393-5 |
8 | July 14, 2021[17] | 979-1-19-015394-2 |
9 | March 29, 2022[18] | 979-1-16-779073-6 |
10 | July 28, 2022[19] | 979-1-16-779140-5 |
11 | November 23, 2022[20] | 979-1-16-779140-5 |
12 | March 23, 2023[21] | 979-1-16-779216-7 |
13 | July 20, 2023[22] | 979-1-16-779265-5 |
Game
In 2013, Naver released a mobile role-playing game on Google Play based on Tower of God, developed by Sunrise.[23][24] The game drew in 120 million players shortly after its initial release.[25] The Tower of God role-playing game's development continued for two years after its initial release, and the game saw a full commercial release in 2016. In February 2016, the game ranked in the top 5 most popular games on South Korea's version of Google Play. A cross-webtoon RPG game titled Hero Cantare was released in 2019, featuring Tower of God and other popular titles such as The God of High School and Hardcore Leveling Warrior.[26]
Merchandise
Naver sells a variety of Tower of God merchandise, such as figurines. During the commercial release of the Tower of God role-playing game, Naver released limited edition items worth ₩30,000 South Korean Won.[24]
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was initially announced at Seoul Comic-Con in August 2019, the series titled Kami no Tō -Tower of God- (神之塔 -Tower of God-) began releasing in April 2020 simultaneously in Japan, South Korea, and the United States.[27][28] It was produced by Telecom Animation Film, with Aniplex subsidiary Rialto Entertainment responsible for Japanese production, and Sola Entertainment providing production management.[28][29] The anime series premiered in South Korea on April 1, 2020, on Naver Series On and Korean television network Aniplus,[30] and aired from April 2 to June 24, 2020, on Japanese television.[a] The series was directed by Takashi Sano with Hirokazu Hanai as assistant director. Erika Yoshida was in charge of series composition, Masashi Kudo and Miho Tanino were the series' character designers, and Kevin Penkin composed the soundtrack.[31] Korean band Stray Kids performed the opening "Top",[32] and ending theme song "Slump" in Japanese, English, and Korean for the respective language dubs. The series ran for 13 episodes.[33]
Crunchyroll streamed the Japanese broadcast of the series as a co-production under its "Crunchyroll Originals" title.[28][34][35] Viz Media has licensed the series for home video distribution in North America and has been released on Blu-ray on January 18, 2022.[36][37]
In August 2022, during their industry panel at Crunchyroll Expo, Crunchyroll announced that a second season was in production.[38]
No. | Title [b][39][40] | Directed by | Storyboarded by | Original air date [41] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "BALL" | Takashi Sano | Takashi Sano | April 1, 2020[a] | |
A girl named Rachel tells a boy named Bam to forget about her as she is climbing the tower to see the stars, disappearing into the gates. Bam suddenly finds himself within the first floor of the tower, with its caretaker Headon. Headon explains that all who wish to climb the tower must pass through a series of tests from each floor, with the first being to reach and break a ball behind a giant white steel-covered eel. Before he can enter the cage, however, a girl named Yuri and her companion Evan interrupts him, gifting him a Pocket holding information about the tower that can switch between visible and invisible, as well as allowing participants to understand the tower's language. Yuri also lends Bam a powerful sword known as Black March that can be dull or extremely sharp depending on the user, expressing curiosity in him despite knowing that her actions might incur the wrath of the higher-ups. Bam, deciphering the true nature of the test to be testing whether participants dare to embrace death, lets himself be eaten to cut it up from the inside. However, as Black March is unable to be wielded for him, Evan suggests he request its strength, allowing Bam to break the ball and be transported to the next floor. To retrieve her sword, Yuri goes after him. On the second floor, Bam is greeted by 399 other floor contestants, with the next test being a killing match to whittle the number down to 200. | |||||
2 | "3/400" Transliteration: "Yonhyaku-bun no San" (Japanese: 400分の3) | Hirokazu Hanai | Hirokazu Hanai | April 8, 2020[a] | |
Bam recalls how he was amnesiac and all alone in a dark cave until Rachel came and took care of him, including teaching him about the world and how to be literate. On the second floor, Bam encounters two other contestants Khun Aguero Agnis and Rak Wraithraiser. Both recognize the Black March due to a symbol on its hilt, which interests Khun greatly and makes Rak determined to hunt Bam down to become stronger. Khun forms an alliance with Bam, roping Rak in at the last second when the next test calls for teams of three to be formed between participants. On the mothership, test administrator, and Ranker (someone who has climbed the tower before) Lero Ro challenges them to withstand his water barrier, which is formed using the tower's power known as Shinsu. All but Bam, who remains standing due to his supposed good luck, are pushed back by the Shinsu. As Lero Ro leaves after the test, he warns Bam not to get too close to Khun. The victors are taken to another room for the third test. As the groups filter in, a mysterious blonde figure recognizes Khun. | |||||
3 | "The Correct Door" Transliteration: "Seikai no Tobira" (Japanese: 正解の扉) | Rokusuke Kohman | Takashi Sano | April 15, 2020 | |
In the new venue, Khun explains to a wonderstruck Bam that the "sky" here is an imitation created by Shinsu modeled after the legend, which he doubts exists. They meet the director of the test, Hansung Yu, who challenges them to find the right door out of twelve identical ones within 10 minutes given only one chance, lest they be forcefully terminated. Although Khun tries to think, he is inadvertently haunted by his past of being betrayed by his half-sister Maria after she was chosen to become one of the elite girls, a Princess of Jahad, through his help, thereby exiling the Aguero family as well. His mother also warned him since then to never trust anyone and closed his heart off. As Khun panics, Rak pushes open a random door and Hansung reveals the hidden condition to pass was to open any door within 5 minutes. Lero Ro then administers a bonus test where participation is voluntary, but all who pass it would be automatically granted permission to climb the tower. The test involves five rounds where a maximum of five teams attempt to steal a crown and remain on the throne for as long as possible, with two other members of the team acting as a defense. As the second round begins, Bam feels Black March react strangely as a girl resembling Rachel arrives. | |||||
4 | "The Green April" Transliteration: "Midori no Shigatsu" (Japanese: 緑の四月) | Masahiko Murata | Masahiko Murata | April 22, 2020 | |
As the second round begins, Khun and a man from another team, Lauroe, deduce that the one sitting on the throne is always at a disadvantage as more and more teams fight for the crown. However, Khun declines to participate just yet as Anaak Jahad, a lizard-like girl, currently holds the crown, possessing immense power through her weapon Green April, which is part of a series of Ignition Weapon swords known as the 13 Month Series which includes Black March. This Series of swords is so powerful it is only bestowed upon the Princesses of Jahad, including Yuri and Anaak, who asks Bam to hand it over. Anaak makes a bet with Bam: if his team can win the game she will give him her sword, but if not he will give his to hers, and if he refuses to participate she will kill him and steal the sword after the game. As Lauroe's team fled back into their waiting room and Anaak's trespassed, they are disqualified from the game. Khun pulls a series of tricks using his cloning bag and earns the crown first with Bam on the throne. A mysterious and ruthless team prepares to enter the game, including Rachel, who agrees to kill everyone. | |||||
5 | "The Crown's Fate" Transliteration: "Okan no Yukue" (Japanese: 王冠の行方) | Yasuro Tsuchiya | Hirokazu Hanai | April 29, 2020 | |
Khun makes countless copies of the crown and releases three other participants that he had allied with during the second round from his bottomless bag. The next round proceeds with the mysterious team entering the game, proving to be extremely powerful. Bam recognizes Rachel and jumps to protect her when she is attacked by a female masked player, the two getting struck on the head in the process and falling to the floor. As Bam vows to protect her, a strange explosion of Shinsu erupts, making it appear as if Bam had turned into Shinsu itself and willingly attacked the player — something that goes against the unbiased and absolute rules of the tower. The crown game ends without a victor as the crown is melted from the extreme power release and Bam had left the throne during the game. Due to his serious head injury, Bam is admitted to the infirmary. Rachel later pays him a visit, where she meets Khun and begins to ask for a favour. Meanwhile, Lero Ro approaches Hansung questioning his reasons for having him administer this bonus round. Hansung cautions that as administrators, they are present to prevent anyone potentially dangerous from claiming the tower's power, with Bam hinted to be one such dangerous person. | |||||
6 | "Position Selection" Transliteration: "Pojishon Wake" (Japanese: ポジション分け) | Hiroaki Kudo | Takashi Sano | May 6, 2020 | |
Five days have passed since the crown game. Rachel requests that Khun lie to Bam that she was never here, to prevent both of them becoming each other's burdens, although Khun quickly sees that she doesn't really care about Bam and works to distance the both of them, fulfilling Rachel's request in the process. Anaak steals the Black March, but it refuses to listen to her. After Bam reawakens, Khun tells him about how Lero Ro assigned them all positions in their teams to start the fourth test: Fisherman (Close quarter combat), Spear Bearer (Attacking from distance), Lighthouse Bearer (Illuminating the tower and information gathering), Scout (observe the enemy's movement and assist the Fisherman), and Wave Controller (support and control the battle with Shinsu). Bam receives the Wave Controller position, a position that utilizes Shinsu to support team members. In order for Shinsu to be used above limits, contracts must be formed with the floor masters using their Pockets, but Bam is warned by the floor bearers that receiving the contract will only shackle him. Everyone works hard in order to pass in their classes. During mealtimes, Bam meets Endrosi Jahad, a Princess of Jahad in her own right who labels Anaak as an impostor. Khun later finds out that even though Anaak was supposedly made a Princess of Jahad after climbing the tower, she is currently in the midst of passing the tower's tests and records claim her to be deceased. As an enraged Anaak and Endrosi battle in their class, the current Anaak is revealed to be the real Princess's daughter whose parents were killed by the other Princesses, prompting her to enter the tower for revenge. | |||||
7 | "Lunch and Tag" Transliteration: "Gohan to Onigokko" (Japanese: ご飯と鬼ごっこ) | Juria Matsumura | Takashi Sano | May 13, 2020 | |
Jahad is the first man to have ever climbed the tower, become the king of all who lives in it today. Endorsi likens the Princesses of Jahad to luxurious shoes in a display cabinet – once they are granted Jahad's power, they are forbidden to do certain things, such as engaging in intercourse and bearing children to prevent the inheritance of Jahad's power. Their fight ends with both Endorsi and Anaak falling into a pit and ending up seriously injured. In the final placement test, participants (all but Rak and Ghost who have already passed) are required to play a game of tag in a separate building while they split into Team A and B respectively, with each team's members required to help their own "it" steal the badge from the other team's "it" or reach the goal. | |||||
8 | "Khun's Strategy" Transliteration: "Kun no Sakuryaku" (Japanese: クンの策略) | Hikaru Sato | Hirokazu Hanai | May 20, 2020 | |
Khun's strategy: delay Quant long enough so that Anaak their secret "it" can make it out the bridge and pass the test. When Quant reaches the bridge he finds Khun instead of Anaak. Khun lies that Annak jumped off the bridge but in reality, she is safely floating on lighthouse under the bridge, which Quant figures it out. Quant jumps down the bridge, forcing Khun with him in an attempt to get his lighthouse to fall, but Khun is saved by Anaak using the Green April as a vine rope. Down the bridge Quant surprisingly finds Khun and Lauroe, who offer him a ride up the bridge to steal Anaak's badge. It is later revealed Khun betrayed his own team so that his friends (especially Bam) on Team B could pass the test. With Team A losing the game, Team B enters next. Unlike Team A who established their roles clearly and quickly, Team B fights among themselves over who will be "it". Endorsi herself declares she will be "it". Serena's backstory is revealed: she was once a burglar, and one night she watched as her friends were killed by a ranker which lead to her becoming a Regular. In the present time, Quant catches up Endorsi and her team as she shockingly seems to turn against her team as well. | |||||
9 | "The One-Horned Ogre" Transliteration: "Katakaku no Oni" (Japanese: 片角の鬼) | Yuichiro Yano | Takashi Sano | May 27, 2020 | |
Endorsi reveals that she intends to kill the other two Fishermen on Team B to assure she passes the test. Bam runs to Rachel and he and Quant discover that Hoh is holding Rachel hostage at knifepoint. Hoh tells Bam that he will lose motivation to climb the tower if he kills Rachel, as he has uncovered by an anonymous letter, giving him leverage in passing the test. Rachel tries to break free from Hoh's hold and he accidentally stabs her in the back. To Quant's amazement, Bam uses a Shinsu technique that took him hundreds of years to master to paralyze, recovering Rachel who is now bleeding badly. Hoh, realizing he was set up and grieving in how he is once again, powerless (remembering how his reason for entering the Inner Tower was that his entire race was murdered as he watched helplessly), takes the knife and stabs himself through the chest, killing himself. Serena and Endorsi arrive at the scene and Endorsi uses a weapon taken by one of the Fishermen she presumably killed to attack Quant. Along with Bam's help, Endorsi recovers Quant's badge and Team B wins. Hoh's corpse and Rachel are taken to emergency care and the episode ends with Bam at Rachel's bedside. | |||||
10 | "Beyond the Sadness" Transliteration: "Kanashimi no Saki ni" (Japanese: 悲しみの先に) | Yasuro Tsuchiya | Takashi Sano | June 3, 2020 | |
Bam reveals to Khun and Rak that Rachel may never walk again after her injury. Bam invites his peers to a small funeral set up for Hoh and they have a remembrance party for him later that night. Knowing she won't pass the latest test and feeling that her purpose isn't there, Serena leaves the Inner Tower and gives Shibisu her knife as a parting gift. Test director Hansung Yu runs into Wave Controller teacher Yuga holding a secret call, who reveals that his true identity is Lo Po Bia Ren, a member of the Royal Enforcement Division. He is on a mission to retrieve the Green April and possibly destroy the false princess - the second Anaak Jahad. Yu unexpectedly allows Ren to pursue his mission. The next morning, the participants learn of their overall test results and whether they passed or not. Hansung Yu announces that since she was injured in the last test, Rachel has failed. In an attempt to save her status, Khun asks for permission to take the administrator's test. Yu reminds him that only Irregulars have the power to consult with the administrator, in which Bam notifies him that he is one. This revelation surprises many of the participants. Bam is then taken to the administrator in order to speak with him. | |||||
11 | "Underwater Hunt (Part 1)" Transliteration: "Sengyo kari (Zenpen)" (Japanese: 潜魚狩り (前編)) | Kanji Miyake | Takashi Sano | June 10, 2020 | |
After consulting with the administrator, Bam succeeds in getting permission to take the administrator's test - if the pass, then Rachel will move on. For the test, Bam and Rachel are placed into an underwater Shinsu ball along with fish and must be captured by net dolphins and eaten by their queen to pass. The remaining participants must stop the net dolphins' enemies: the goblins - who control marsh worms - and striped ground pigs, from interfering with the net dolphins. They must also watch out for The Bull, a mysterious and dangerous creature that eats almost anything that moves. In the caves, Shibisu runs into The Bull after receiving a warning from Hatz that the two participants who were with him have gone missing. Shibisu is saved by Anaak and Endorsi, who arrive just in the nick of time. However, the two start competing and betting against each other to see will defeat The Bull first. The Bull however, runs off and Endorsi and Anaak follow, leading them to become separated. Endorsi runs into The Bull, which is now stronger, and she left nearly unconscious. Anaak on the other had, runs into Lo Po Bia Ren, who stabs her through the torso. Ren is now controlling The Bull and it brings a captured Endorsi to him, who is ordered by Ren to kill the Anaak, the imposter princess. Meanwhile, Hatz, Rak, and Paracule are keeping an eye on the goblins. Khun instructs them to wait before moving in, but there are more of them than expected. As one of the goblins prepares to attack Hatz, Paracule reflexively skewers it with his spear, prompting the rest of the goblins to attack. | |||||
12 | "Underwater Hunt (Part 2)" Transliteration: "Sengyo kari (Kōhen)" (Japanese: 潜魚狩り (後編)) | Hirokazu Hanai | Hirokazu Hanai | June 17, 2020 | |
After initially running away from the goblins, Rak turns around to attack the goblins, joined by others from the team. Meanwhile, Lauroe follows Khun's orders and seals several underground tunnels leading the striped ground pigs to the goblins. The two enemies fight each other, allowing Bam and Rachel safe passage. Underground Anaak is nearly defeated by Lo Po Bia Ren but Endorsi chooses to fight alongside her. Together they are still not powerful enough to defeat Lo Po Bia Ren, but as they fight Princess Yuri arrives and recognizes her blade she loaned to Bam. Annoyed with the situation, she works with her team to kill Lo Po Bia Ren. As he dies he laughs, admitting that during the fight he sent the bull to kill Bam and Rachel. The bull arrives underwater to kill them and gets several good hits before Bam uses his special Shinsu to defeat the bull. As they rise upward about to complete the test successfully Rachel stands up and pushes Bam over the edge. | |||||
13 | "Tower of God" Transliteration: "Kami no Tō" (Japanese: 神之塔) | Takashi Sano Masahiko Murata | Takashi Sano | June 24, 2020 | |
Some of Rachel's backstory is revealed. She believed the tower was calling for her, but when she arrived Headon tells her that the tower did not call her at all and that she is too weak to enter. Desperate to become special, she begs for any kind of chance. Headon holds her immobile and she watches as Bam arrives and is able to defeat the first test. She is jealous of Bam and wants to be special. Headon gives her a special test, telling her that she will be allowed to climb if she defeats Bam with her own two hands. She demands a special weapon (since Bam was given an amazing weapon in front of her) and Headon gives her a bodyguard that will die in her place once, allowing her to essentially have 2 lives. She makes her way through the tower knowing that she must kill Bam but unable to bring herself to do it. She becomes more and more jealous, urging him to stay away from her in her mind. She is told that if she waits long enough and follows the signs given, she'll be given a chance to kill him. So she allows herself to be taken by Hoh and uses the bodyguard to die and return. She waits until Bam is injured then pushes him into the Shinsu lake to kill him. When the others find her alone, they ask where Bam is and she says the bull came then passes out. Everyone assumes Bam is defeated and decide that as a favor to him they will help Rachel reach the top. Rachel, resting in her room after the trial, laughs wildly then covers her face--conflicted over what she's done but still determined to reach the top. After everyone leaves for the next level, Bam wakes up in a deep cavern badly hurt. He remembers Rachel pushing him. He decides he needs to climb to tower in order to find his own answers. |
Reception
Head of Line Webtoon Tom Akel stated in July 2015 that the manhwa's weekly installments are read by five million people.[43]
On the original Korean platform, Tower of God is the most profitable series based on the paid preview system, where readers can buy up to 3 chapters in advance. It has been consistently topping the popularity rankings since its publication in 2010, with one of the chapters receiving over 1 million comments.[44][better source needed]
Notes
- ^ a b c The first two episodes received an early release on Naver Series On at 20:00 KST April 1 and 8, 2020.[42] Subsequent Korean-dubbed episodes premiere at 23:00 KST, and subsequent Japanese-dubbed episodes aired at the listed air time of 24:30 JST, which is technically 00:30 JST of the following calendar day.
- ^ All English episode titles taken from Crunchyroll.
References
- ^ "Crunchyroll Reveals First Slate of Crunchyroll Originals". Crunchyroll. February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
A Crunchyroll and WEBTOON Production, based on the comic series "Tower of God" created by SIU and published by WEBTOON, this dark fantasy action series centers on the journey of a young man as he battles his way through the mysterious Tower
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 23, 2020). "Aniplus Asia Airs Tower of God, Kakushigoto, Princess Connect Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "SIU Blogpost". Naver.
- ^ 웹툰 ‘신의 탑’ 탄생 이유 무엇?…'시선 집중'. Herald Corp (in Korean). July 6, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Ji-seon, Lim (October 17, 2013). 0.03%의 확률…‘신의 탑’ 쌓은 ‘신의 손’ [0.03% probability, build a ‘Tower of God’ by ‘Hand of God’]. Hani.co.kr (in Korean). Frankfurt: The Hankyoreh. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^ "Korean Web Manga Tower of God Gets TV Anime in Spring 2020". Crunchyroll. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
The adventure fantasy series has collected 4.5 billion views worldwide
- ^ "Popular Mobile Webcomic Service, WEBTOON, Debuts in the United States and Worldwide". PR Newswire (Press release). July 2, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ @iyoungcom_2 (November 4, 2019). 🎉드디어 <신의 탑> 1, 2권이 동시 출간됩니다!!🎉 <신의 탑> 출간을 기념하여 트위터에서 이벤트를 시작합니다!💕 본 게시물을 RT + 팔로우 해주신 분들 중 3분을 추첨하여 <신의 탑> 1권을 보내드립니다! 많은 참여 부탁드립니다~😍 (Tweet) (in Korean). Retrieved April 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 18, 2021). "New 'Webtoon Unscrolled' Imprint Unveiled With Tower of God Manhwa". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ 신의 탑 1 [Tower of God 1]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ 신의 탑 2 [Tower of God 2]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ 신의 탑 3 [Tower of God 3]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ 신의 탑 4 [Tower of God 4]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ 신의 탑 5 [Tower of God 5]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ 신의 탑 6 [Tower of God 6]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ 신의 탑 7 [Tower of God 7]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ 신의 탑 8 [Tower of God 8]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ 신의 탑 9 [Tower of God 9]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ 신의 탑 10 [Tower of God 10]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ 신의 탑 11 [Tower of God 11]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ 신의 탑 12 [Tower of God 12]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ 신의 탑 13 [Tower of God 13]. Naver Book Database. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "모바일 게임 '신의 탑 with 네이버웹툰' 정식 서비스 시작". BizFact. February 18, 2016.
- ^ a b "'신의 탑 with 네이버웹툰' 정식 서비스 시작". PlayForum. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ Ga-hyun, Park (March 14, 2016). 네이버 웹툰 '신의탑' 꾸준한 인기…게임까지. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ [이슈] 웹툰 슈퍼히어로RPG '히어로칸타레', 'SEASON 1. 신의 탑' 사전예약 50만 돌파. Daily e-Sports (in Korean). April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020 – via Naver News.
- ^ 이기범 (August 5, 2019). 한국 웹툰은 ‘마블’이 될 수 있을까 (in Korean). Bloter. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 25, 2020). "Crunchyroll Unveils 7 'Crunchyroll Originals' Works Including Tower of God, Noblesse, God of High School". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ^ "Aniplex Subsidiary Rialto Entertainment Works on Tower of God Animated Work". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Aniplus [@ANIPLUSTV] (March 20, 2020). 【2020년 애니플러스 2분기 신작 방영 안내】 『신의 탑』 ☞ 방영일정 : 4.1 (수) 밤 11시 첫방송 애니플러스에서 방송됩니다. 많은 시청 바랍니다. #신의탑 #towerofgod #신의탑애니 #신탑애니 (Tweet) (in Korean). Retrieved April 2, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Crunchyroll Reveals Tower of God Anime's Video, Cast, Staff". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Sherman, Jennifer (March 25, 2020). "Tower of God Anime's Video Reveals Stray Kids Opening Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (April 2, 2020). "Tower of God Anime Has 13 Episodes". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ "Tower of God Anime Debuts as Crunchyroll Original April 1". Crunchyroll. February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ^ Mejias, Nicole (June 6, 2020). "The Wild and Wonderful World of WEBTOON Series". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Crunchyroll and VIZ Media to Bring BURN THE WITCH, Tower of God, JUJUTSU KAISEN, and More to Home Video". Crunchyroll. March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Viz Media [@vizmedia] (November 16, 2021). "Cover reveal! 🐢 This is the story of the beginning and the end of Rachel, the girl who climbed the tower so she could see the stars, and Bam, the boy who needed nothing but her. Tower of God: The Complete Season releases January 18th on Blu-ray!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Loo, Egan (August 6, 2022). "Tower of God Anime Gets 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "STORY / TVアニメ『神之塔 -Tower of God-』" (in Japanese). Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ "Tower of God". Crunchyroll. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ "Hōsō Jōhō | Kami no Tō -Tower of God-" 放送情報 | 神之塔 -Tower of God-. Tokyo MX. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ 신의 탑 (한국어더빙) (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
시리즈온에서만 1,2화 무료 선물! 2화는 4월 8일 20시 무료 공개될 예정입니다. <신의 탑> 더빙판으로 보면 자막판까지 드리고 있으니 두 배로 즐겨보세요!
- ^ Gustines, George Gene (July 5, 2015). "Stan Lee and Michelle Phan Help WEBTOON, Digital Comics Site, Expand in U.S." The New York Times.
- ^ 신의 탑 - 2부 20화 [Tower of God, Season 2 Ch 20]. Naver Webtoon. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
External links
- Tower of God on Naver Webtoon (in Korean)
- Tower of God on Line Webtoon (in English)
- Tower of God official anime website (in Japanese)
- Tower of God (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Tower of God at IMDb