Kubera

Kubera: One Last God is a Korean Webtoon that has been going on for more than 9 years. It comes under fantasy, mystery, tragedy, drama, adventure, action, romance, comedy, etc. So you may like it.

It's has an absolutely amazing story and plot structure, as well as very well developed characters and extremely well thought out world building. Be warned though, it will take a lot of patience to appreciate. Foreshadowing is very important in this comic and seemingly trivial details will become extremely important and vital to the story later on.

It does take a while to pick up steam, as most of the first season is mainly world building and basic setting, in fact, early readers maybe frustrated by how seemingly very little happens in the first season. However, even the most trivial of details in the first season will become very important in the 2nd and 3rd Seasons. The second season will really give you a very different impression of the story than which was given at the beginning. It gets incredibly good in the 3rd season. The world the author Currygom creates is complex and the main characters are well-developed.

But there are a lot of hidden hints about the story and it's future that are so well camouflaged in the first season that you wouldn't realize that they were hints until you read the second season. The story is a mystery and although we have a basic idea of what's going on, there's still a lot of stuff that we don't know, a lot of mysteries haven't been resolved. Also, for each question answered and each mystery resolved, many more questions and mysteries pop up, which makes the story very exciting. It's one of those stories that have only gotten better with time and chapters and it's gotten better with each rereading.

Forgive the art in the first season though, it improves greatly in the second season and I guess a lot of improvement had happened even by the end of the first season. Also, pace has been sacrificed for depth.It really requires a lot of patience to appreciate, which many average readers don't have. It's excellent for those who tend to over think things and like to create theories and attempt to predict what's going to happen.

Remember that Kubera is a mystery series. The author doesn't reveal the story in a linear manner, it's like a jigsaw puzzle. She is constantly withholding information from the readers.

The jumbled or jigsaw puzzle plot structure of the story is not a flaw, it is one of the story's greatest assets and specialties. It can be disorienting for someone who is used to the usual linear narrative methods and plot structure of other works, and if they can't adapt to it, it's not the story's problem.

The characters have come a long way and there's a reason for everything they do. Their personalities stay consistent throughout except in cases where they gradually change and develop.

So overall, the plot, world building and character development is absolutely amazing. This is a masterpiece and a must read for anyone who loves great fantasy. I'd absolutely recommend to anyone and everyone who loves great stories.

Currygom is an extraordinary writer,there's is no denying that.

The manhwa begins deceptively with a rpg like feel,but as you progress through the rich world of Kubera, you realize the author has planned every detail; from the characters date of birth ,to the array of creatures and races that populate the complex universe.

Characters:
Every character that appears has an importance, and an impact on the story,even those that disappear for multiple chapters(nearly 300 for one of them) .Each of them could be called a protagonist in their own right, and all of them have a depth that is lacking in most anime/mangas .The main cast act believably and,even issues that would be ignored by lesser writers (schooling,parents ,aging(Ash Ketchum I'm looking at you) etc.) influence, and shape their lives.

Story:
There are only a handful of series with a story as logical and well planned as Kubera. Threads from a 100 chapters before appear,and resolve naturally,and each arc connects fluidly.Even if the first few chapters appear shallow, they contain information that has repercussions further down the intricate plotline.(My only fear is that the plot might become too convoluted as the series progresses.)

Art:
The art starts of weak,but the improvements by season 3 are nothing short of impressive.The coloring and character design improve dramatically ,and Currygom should be applauded for her hard-work.

Magic:
Yeah a special section for this ;).There are no magical power-ups,all the spells have limits and rules that cannot be broken.You won't see humans soloing gods or suras, or random superpowers.There are consequences for breaking the natural order of things, and this issue is one of the major plot points of Kubera,

Overall:
Just read it.There are times when the story might move slowly ,and some scenes might seem like fan pandering(this happens only in the beginning and doesn't effect the plot),but the story,world and characters shine through.

note:
Remember to read the writers footnotes/afterthoughts they help explain the smaller details.

My favourite ongoing series. It's basically an epic mystery set in epic fantasy settings.


Summary:

The story begins as an apparently straightforward fantasy story, as Kubera Leez sets off on a journey of survival and revenge when her village is instantly destroyed. But it soon unfolds as a mystery that brings together a diverse cast of characters, each with their own backgrounds, motivations and values, yet all connected across generations and races through a complex web of friendship, family and deceit.

Through them the story slowly reveals the events that transpired over several centuries, across multiple planets and even realms. Whether it is to protect or reunite with one's loved ones, to seek revenge, to redeem oneself or to save one's declining race, each character, from humans to powerful Sura to the immortal Gods, is targeting the holder of the "Power of the Name." In a billion-year-old world where powerful races have existed since the beginning of the Universe, what is the truth behind the events that sent all the races into chaos?

Meanwhile, Kubera Leez tries to form new bonds, unaware that she's become the center chess piece in this "war with no villains, only victims."


Strengths:

[x] A diverse and endearing set of characters, where "each character is the protagonist of his own life." All the characters bring their own piece to the plot and evolve throughout the series, with surprising interactions with other characters. And yes, it has great female characters.

[x] A vast, interesting world, with complex dynamics between the races (8 Sura races, the Gods and the humans, each with their own alliances and enemies, and individuals with their own conflicting agendas). The truth about the cataclysmic events that occurred in the past is still slowly being revealed.

[x] Complex plot told through an unusual narrative model that mixes the present, past events and even glimpses of the future. With each new revelation however, more questions are raised than answered. You'll think you know the whole plot by Chapter 2, but by Chapter 100 you'll be struggling to guess the true motivations of the characters.

[x] Yet the cohesive writing never falls into retcon or plot holes: the story was originally planned as a novel, and the consistency of the trail of clues shows that the author knows where this is going. There will be dozens of instances where you'll want to go back dozens, or even over 100 chapters back to find back the clues relating to the ongoing events (I have the equivalent of a 25-page document just to keep track of what was revealed, and in which chapter, lol).

[x] It has a great sense of humor. By now you must think that this series is overly dark, but the author's masterful use of comedy keeps the journey fresh and entertaining.

[x] The art starts out weak, but improves greatly over time. The characters have great visual designs, and the diverse facial expressions are hilarious.


Weaknesses:

[x] Slow pacing, especially at the beginning. The story is about 80% plot and characters, and 20% action, moreso since it takes the time to gradually reveal the past of the characters. This is made worse by...

[x] Weekly cliffhangers. They burn. I'm not even joking...

[x] You may be disappointed with how little the main character does in Part I, as the story introduces the other characters. According to the author, this story is apparently quite long, so the first 100 chapters serve as a sort of introduction. A lot happens in those 100 chapters, but it's easy to miss most of the story if you're not paying attention. (if you don't believe me, re-read it.)

[x] Story can be confusing to read. If you just plan to spend a few minutes reading it every week, you'll likely get lost pretty soon. If you enjoy piecing together pieces of the puzzle together, however, this series is for you.

[x] Art-wise, background art is the author's weakness.


The story has amazing characters all around, and does an amazing job of including them into the plot, instead of using them once or twice then confining them to the fodder bin (I'm looking at you, Naruto).

The way the characters all interact with one another just brings out many more sides to them, giving them depth and making you like them even more. There must be half a dozen sides to Gandharva alone (as a friend, as a father, as a husband, as a King, as a mentor, now as a victim, but also someone with a conscience, etc.).

With that many likable characters, no matter who's the focus at the moment, one of them will nearly always be someone you like (if not initially, then eventually as they get more development). Thanks to that, you're not stuck in a situation where you're waiting dozens, or even hundreds of chapters waiting for the few characters you do like to do something or at least show up (again, I'm looking at you, Naruto). And when the characters you like do show up, they're doing something important to the plot, not participating in filler battles.

Overall, Kubera offers a blend of genres that I don't think I've ever seen in any other series. This was so novel that I initially didn't even know what it was about the series that I liked so much. Because its strengths are so different than typical manga stories, it can be easy to miss them: readers who approach it expecting to read a traditional journey of a hero's ascendancy will soon walk away confused and disappointed, not realizing that the meat of the true story lies (initially at least) in the mystery aspects that he's likely skimmed over. (Basically, it'd be like trying to read a crime novel like an action series.)

For readers that persist, however, they will be rewarded with an amazing reading experience, where each new re-reads yield new pieces of the puzzle, hinting at huge and incredible events leading up to the current story (this is a story where planets have blown up). I could tell you more about what makes the characters and world so interesting, but it'd be full of spoilers, lol. Too many series treat the non-main characters as add-ons, and I really, really love how this is not the case with Currygom.

As for magic in Kubera, I admit I also really like the magic system here. It's based on math. Finally, a magic system that makes sense! BD [/biased ex-Maths student]

The plot development does Seem slow, but as I said, that's not the case at all if you read it like a mystery, not your typical fantasy story. If you read a crime novel like an action comic, then yeah, itwill seem like nothing is happening: there's just one guy walking around asking people stuff! But Kubera reveals one or several clues about the many interconnecting plot threads nearly every chapter. Because most Shounen series treat their flashbacks as fillers used for just dramatic effect, it's easy to dismiss their importance at first, but boy the flashbacks are essential components of the plot in Kubera.

Read it if you like a good mystery. Don't read it if you're looking for weekly action.

- Written by Mizura -

I will not spoil but this is a manhwa where I am shedding tears. My heart wrecked and my mind blown so much when Season 3 came.

I'm having so much fangasm. Screaming screaming screaming.

Easily my topmost webtoon gem. A puzzle meant to be read and reread.

Magic.Calculations. Gods. Humans. Suras. Soul. Lovers. Families. Name. Fame.

I suggest you listen to Nier Automata OST, as in the album and the unreleased when reading this Manhwa. You can also start as Season 2 if you may. TT

So I am required to make my review longer

This is a webtoon where people would judge it as confusing, bland and stuff. Every lines seems empty but that is where it goes masterpiece-level. Only when you reread it, that everything makes it wonderful. Something like a code that will have its meaning in the future.



Tower of God taught me not to judge a webtoon by its artstyle at the beginning. Mind you. I've read tower of god not in the webtoon site at first.

Ok I'm here to write a short, concise review as someone who is experienced in all sorts of manga, manhwa, manhua, etc.

(There will be a TL;DR at the end of the review if you aren't bothered to read it.)

I went into Kubera with minimal expectations, as I would go into any other series. And, honestly, after the first season, I believed that the series had potential. Having been introduced to some of the best characters in the series (Kubera, Gandharva, Shess, etc.), the story was starting to take shape... until Currygom decided to give them close to 0 screentime during the whole of season 2 and focus on the characters that I couldn't give less shits about.

Plot-wise, there are so many plot holes in this story that it gave me trypophobia. There is no consistent narrative and there are so many main characters that the story keeps on going on tangents, and, even now (360 chapters into the series), I am unaware of what the plot is. There is no clear indication of where the series is going.

The art is ok for a webtoon. Seen better, but also seen worse. Nothing too epic tho.

Character-wise, some characters I genuinely liked, as I mentioned before. Too bad Currygom doesn't give them any screen time. Had any of the characters I mentioned before got more screen time, the series would have improved drastically. Also, some characters have no character development. One certain character repeated the same thing eight times and still has had minimal development.

Oh yeah, some characters just change their personality out of nowhere. One chapter they'll be crying and saying they're sorry and the next chapter they're beheading people and dabbing on the haters like nothing happened.

Enjoyment: it's ok. There was one point in season 2 when I genuinely felt like the story was going great: a lot of the good characters were getting screen time; the main characters were developing nicely and the story was moving along at a decent pace. Too bad Currygom decided to mess that up to.

Overall, I think Kubera is a series that had a lot of potential but squandered it. To be fair to the author, season 3 is looking like a major improvement. Currygom seems to have addressed the lack of screen time for the good characters, the lack of character development and the jumbled story. If this carries on, I see myself bumping up the series to a 7, nothing more however. Despite the improvements, I don't think the series is worth investing time into. There are way better series out there that you can read instead.

TL;DR: Good characters not getting enough screen time, little character development, jumbled plot without end goal, but season 3 is a major improvement. Overall, not worth investing time into.

Story: 10/10
I won't bother giving a synopsis, as the story is too complex for a short paragraph to do it justice.
But what I will say is this:

Most manga authors do not plan out their stories from start to end. If you've every read bakuman, you can see how reviews and ratings often affect decisions the writer makes, causing them to change things on the fly. This often causes plot lines to be dropped, sometimes causing the story to be jerky and inconsistent.

However, currygom is different. Every week, you see readers whining about things, making requests, asking him to insert the main characters back into the plot. But currygom doesn't give a ****. He sticks to his plan, and writes out a beautifully complex, yet consistent story. Sure, readers aren't happy in the short run, but the build up, the foreshadowing, all make for a great story over time.

TL;DR
If a good, well planned fantasy book was written as a manga/ manhwa instead, this would be it. The foreshadowing, build up, and character development is stellar.

Kubera. The story of Kubera is very intense. The author is an amazing writer, and Kubera is one of the best mangas I have ever read. It has been ongoing for 11 years after all. The art itself improves overtime, bordering on a 9 and 10. Character development is in it's own world, and I'm not cut out to summarize it. Each character has a backstory of it's own, and has very important parts in the story. No character is left out, forgotten or useless. The enjoyment I got from this manga was and is huge, I look forward to a new episode every week, and enjoy it the moment I am able to read it.

Overall the manga itself is a masterpiece, although slow at the start, it quickly picks up and sheds it's shell to become a butterfly. It is amazing.

Time and time again I try to get my feelings and thoughts about Kubera across, but each and every time I feel I haven't done the manhwa justice. So here I go, once again.

You've most probably heard the proverb: "Don't judge a book by its cover." I didn't judge Kubera based on its cover, but I did on its art. I by chance heard about Kubera and decided to give it a shot one boring night. When I did, the first thing that bothered me was the art. The overall art was poor and just cheap-looking—the colors were too bright for my taste, I didn't like the "thick and pasty" coloring style, there was a lack of decent backgrounds, and both the characters and the backgrounds lacked detail. (Despite this, though, I gave the art a thumbs-up for its consistency—something I find very important.) As a result, I didn't take Kubera seriously because of its poor art.

My first impression of Kubera, after having read a couple of chapters, was "a funny, silly fantasy story"—far from being something I'd call good, but still fun to read. When I returned to Kubera several days later, and read many more chapters of it, that's when I started to realize there was more to this series than met the eye.

Currygom, the author of Kubera, is an exceptional writer. She is without a doubt my favorite author. Plot and characters aside, the world of Kubera is one of great intricacy and, because it is one, must have taken her a long time to create. The thing I like most about the intriguing world of Kubera is that it's logical. We see in so many fantasies that aspects of their world are simply blamed on the fact that the story is a fantasy, or on some other fantastical element of that story—most of the time, without a plausible explanation. This is one thing that is different about Kubera. Its world, despite being purely fantastical, makes sense. The magic system, the three major species, the universe—all of it makes sense.

Perhaps the thing I like the most about Kubera is its unique narrative. It combines flashbacks of the past with events happening in the present with "insights" of the future. Unlike many other series, flashbacks hold great importance in Kubera. In the beginning of Kubera, it was like I was thrown into the middle of the story—I didn't know what was going on. Slowly, as I read on, the mysteries of the past started to unravel and things started to make more sense. I started to understand why certain events took place and what roles the characters played in everything. However, it didn't stop there. Piecing together the information obtained from the flashbacks and insights is solely up to you. I have always viewed Kubera as a sort of puzzle. The middle of the puzzle has already been pieced together, but the beginning and end have not. I view the middle of the puzzle as the foundation of the story—the part you begin reading—and the missing puzzle pieces as the information you must obtain through the flashbacks, insights, and progression of the story, in order to see the bigger picture. I really enjoy piecing together the story.

Now that I've explained two important aspects of Kubera, let me tell you about another important aspect of this series: the plot. I won't give you a summary of the plot, since you can just read the synopsis (however bad it is), and also because the plot isn't something I can easily summarize, but I will tell you what to expect. This manhwa is incredibly plot-driven. If I had to describe the plot in one word, it would be "grand". The plot really is grand—it's by far not simple, and it involves so many different things. Though it's seemingly simple and straightforward in the beginning, things change—sometimes so quickly and sometimes so drastically—and the plot just seems to get more and more complicated the further you read. One thing is sure in Kubera: nothing is sure. This series is really unpredictable. When you think everything is starting to make sense and things are starting to calm down, Currygom will surprise you with a plot twist hiding right around the corner—leaving everything in a bigger mess than it originally was, and leaving you with more questions than you originally had. This story has so many plot twists and, on top of that, it has pretty unbearable cliffhangers to support them (which I actually really like).

Now for the fourth and final important aspect of this series: the characters, of course. If the manhwa didn't already shine, the characters definitely do the part. I've always been a fan of big casts, but it is true that a big cast can make the story lose its focus. However, this is not at all the case with Kubera. With a cast of about ten main characters (that may increase or decrease over time), it also has numerous supporting characters. There are two things I really like about the character department of Kubera: one, how every character is important to some degree and plays a notable part in the story (Main cast aside, the supporting cast, though obviously not as important as the main cast, does play a significant role in the story—sometimes a supporting character even plays a very major role in the overall plot); and, two, how every character is somehow related to each other—whether by circumstances, persons, or something else. (The complex relationship web is one very fascinating aspect of the characters. It always surprises me when I find out that a certain character is unexpectedly connected to another certain character.) Moreover, most of the characters (namely the important ones) are, of course, well written and developed.

Although art isn't a very big concern of mine (if the rest of the story is good), I have to say, although it started very weak, the art improves greatly over time. I really like how the art turned out. To name some changes, the toning and shading changed immensely, more detail was added to specific things, the backgrounds look better (though I still wouldn't call them good per se), and some things—such as the hands—are drawn much better. Even my brother, who read the first chapter in the past, remarked, "Wow. The art is pretty now." He couldn't, however, put his finger on what changed, because the characters still look very much the same—which, to me, is a good thing. (I just hate it when the characters change to look almost nothing like they did when the series started—even if they come to look a lot better.)

So far, I've probably described Kubera as an overly serious manhwa, haven't I? Well, it's true that Kubera's plot has dark undertones (Tragedy is one of its genres, after all), but it's also filled with comical moments that will have you laughing out loud—especially in the beginning (Another reason I didn't take Kubera very seriously at first). Though there aren't that many action scenes in this series, it has some pretty intense battles—and, to my liking, they don't span out for chapters and chapters. In addition, Kubera may not be flooded with romance, nor do I think it's lacking any (considering what the series is about), but the author did say its core is a love story, so that speaks for itself.

Although Kubera started slow and maybe even weak, it is now my number one favorite comic and is the first series I've given the score of 10 to. I believe it deserves it. Currygom has written and outstanding story and both Currygom and her series definitely deserve praise. Kubera is truly a hidden gem. If you're even a little interested in Kubera, I urge you to read it. It's not filled with (mindless) battles every chapter nor is it a very easy story to follow, but if you're interested in a good mystery with a great plot and cast of characters, then Kubera is definitely the thing for you. I'd recommend this series to anyone looking for a well-written story.

Gonna keep this real quick... So Im just going to have two catagories, art and story (story will also encompass characters)

Art (10/10)
When I first started, I wasn't too enthusiastic about this webtoon, at least not until halfway through the first season. The main reason for this being the art. The story was fine at the beggining (it gets sooo much better tho), but the art wasn't the greatest. The artist did get their act together, as I did notice small but significant changes that continued to add to the overall quality of the webtoon all the way through to the end of the second seaon. HOWEVER, after the artist took a break to prepare for the third season, the art SKYROCKETED in quality. It became masterpiece level sh** guys, soo... my main point is... look foreward to the art in the third season, because it is really good.

Story (10/10)
The characters are all very interesting. One thing that I found frustrating (but was probably for the good of the comic), was that the narrative switched the spotlight to different characters a lot, aka. there is not just one main character. The plot is very good, it did a lot to tie all the fates and actions of all the characters together, and it was very enjoyable, despite a lack of action, and very slow pacing (which was a bold move by the author considering this is shounen). Also, im not sure but I think that this is based on hindu culture (agni, kubera, vishnu), which is not something you see in a lot stuff so yeah.

Overall, my favorite webtoon (10/10)