The Webcomics Weekly is back in your life and it’s the beginning, after the end. But for this column we’re still in the second act.
The Beginning After the End (Comic)
Episodes 1-13
Updates Seasonal
By TurtleMe (Author), Fuyuki23 (Artist), issatsu (Colorist)
Reviewed by Mel Lake
I don’t spend as much time surfing Tapas as I do on other sites, which is probably why I completely missed the fact that they have original novels in addition to webcomics. I’m a writer myself, so I am constantly feeling like I’m behind in my reading list. The idea of adding online novels to the list just stresses me out! But it absolutely makes sense — there’s an audience out there for stories in digest format, whether they be fanfiction readers constantly refreshing their ao3 feeds or browsing sites like Tapas for content. “The Beginning After the End” is a successful example of a web novel that has been transformed into a webcomic, printed book, and audiobook. The series even has a rumored anime adaptation.
Going into the webcomic with no knowledge of the novel or any other versions, I was attracted by the professional-looking art style and the reincarnation premise. The main character, Arthur Leywin, is literally born in the first episode and the comic follows his life as he grows up to be a powerful mage. Powerful mages abound in webcomics, though, and what gives this one an extra oomph of appeal is the fact that Arthur (adorably called “Art” by his parents) is actually the reincarnation of a warrior king. Since Arthur is born with pre-existing knowledge, albeit of the wrong time period and civilization, his childhood development is accelerated. This gives the first few episodes a humorous Boss Baby feel, as Art tries not to let on to his parents that he’s far more advanced than your average toddler.
In the world of “The Beginning After the End” (called “TBATE” for short), magic is common, and based on a force called “Mana.” There are different types and levels of mana users, but all of them have a “mana core” which usually develops in adolescence. Because Arthur (formerly King Grey) isn’t a typical kid, he develops his core early and sets off on a journey to train with an advanced mentor. His early adventures with his himbo father and loving-but-scary mother were enjoyable to me, even if they clearly serve to set Arthur up for success as a typical fantasy protagonist. After an ambush and magic battle in which our boss baby is desperate to prove himself and protect his mother, he’s separated from his family. Arthur’s quest begins in earnest when he is saved from a deadly fall by a mysterious creature named Sylvia.
The early episodes set up a magic system with levels and user types, which means that Arthur will have a clearly defined set of stages where he must level up his powers to achieve mastery of mana. This type of fantasy leveling is not something I’m typically interested in, but since it’s paired with memories of King Grey — Arthur’s previous self — there’s a unique element of psychology to Arthur’s journey as well. Grey was a powerful warrior but also plagued by loneliness and prone to depression. How will Arthur’s prior life influence his development in a new world? This is what draws me to the story because it adds to the typical system of magic levels and abilities.
The art style of “TBATE” and animation flourishes in the Tapas platform are top-notch. It’s a fairly typical anime-inspired style, but the artist is excellent at both fight scenes, backgrounds, and facial expressions, making TBATE an easy, enjoyable read. Baby Arthur’s face is hilarious, cute, and expressive. The story and artwork play with the concept of a baby who thinks he’s a king, and one never has trouble distinguishing characters from one another or wondering what is happening in a panel.
For readers of high fantasy looking for complex magic systems, typical character archetypes used in a fun way, and gorgeous artwork, “The Beginning After the End” is well worth a read. And since the story has been adapted into so many formats, there’s bound to be a version of it that suits your preferences, from webcomic to text-only to audio.
