This is a webcomic. We do webcomics now.
Gul and the Lost Dark Elf is about a young orc hunter-in-training who is less interested in hunting than running real fast and climbing things real good. He runs into a dark elf who’s being chased by shadow monsters and villains in general.
Much like many action-based comics I’ve experienced on webtoons, the first three chapters start real hard, and then things keep happening at a pace and intensity that would be much more effective if there had been any reason whatsoever given to care. Please take note: those slow moments between action set pieces in most media? They’re actually very useful for characterization and immersion.
It’s a problem that is made worse by the art style, which makes what should be light-hearted or quiet moments of characterization feel hurried and tense. Chapter Two includes Gul pissing off the edge of the cliff he’s made into his home, and it should be a playful, fun moment, and instead it’s a dizzying mix of boredom and tension, as if I’m a Sim in an unmodded game whose fun has fallen too low. I’m bored, but I’m so bored I need to find literally anything to do before I snap and move into the walls to amuse myself by terrifying my family.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Gul is bad, exactly. It has the potential to be a very cute, fun, fast-paced coming of age story. As it stands, however, the first three episodes are a hectic, unappealing mess, and I, personally, am not planning to stick around and see if it gets better.
Ace Anime Reviews 