I genuinely enjoy all of these titles for so many different reasons, and most of them I dove right into with a skeptical attitude, especially if they look or ARE popular. The one I disliked right off the bat, at first, was unOrdinary, as soon as I read through the first few chapters, it was definitely tolerable and then I caught myself unable to stop reading. Though this LINE Webtoon series seemed to fall into stereotypical and archetypal expectations, there were enough differences to set it apart.

Hive is a fantastic science-fiction series about gargantuan insects taking over the world – talk about my worst nightmare come true, but the action and drama are dynamic to keep readers following the story. Then there’s Winter Moon is a hilarious comedy series based on relatable interactions within an MMORPG, and Girls of the Wild’s with the latter being an action-packed MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) story set in an all-girls high school. Without further ado, here are the November 2017 manga recommendations:

Title: Girls of the Wild’s
Author: Hun, Zhena (Illustrator)
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance

Girls of the Wild’s takes place at a prestigious all-girl’s high school with a comprehensive education that focuses on mixed martial arts for extracurricular activities. In fact, choosing an MMA sport is mandatory. In this world, fighters that rise to the top gain celebrity-level status and privileges akin to how eSports have taken over the world. Their propensity for fighting and first-rate combat skills have gained this school recognition worldwide. With some recent policy changes from a soft-hearted headmaster, the school admits the very first male student to make for a co-ed experience, and it just happens to be a young man with mommy issues and an irrational fear of women. It’s certainly easy pickings for some of the more predatorial females at the school.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for these girls to get caught up in messes that involve bloodthirsty gangs, political warfare, and holding on campus tournaments to see who reigns supreme. Unfortunately for Jaegu, he has no choice, but to attend and learn a sport. The fact of the matter is, the education is free and money is an issue and his poor family background doesn’t give him the power to be selective. Follow Jeagu Song as he goes from zero to… relatively capable human being in Girls of the Wild’s. There are amazing action-packed sequences, tournaments, beautiful girls, and even romance. This work is complete and can be read on Line Webtoon.

Title: Hive
Author: Kyusam Kim
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller, Action

An unknown cause of excess oxygen is cycling through the atmosphere, and plant life and the planet Earth couldn’t thrive any better. However, the plentiful levels of oxygen spell trouble as the wildlife and insects fight back to take what’s theirs. Without warning, swarms of oxygen-doped wasps attack humans and buildings, utilizing bodies as hosts for eggs, food supply, and minions to serve the purpose as signals of life. It’s safe to assume that they want to build their own empire on Earth and humans civilization as the foundation.

Lee, a salary man and manager for a large company, finds himself awake days after the invasion to find Korea in ruins, tanks completely destroyed, buildings collapsed and dilapidated, and no one else in sight. His mission? Finding his family before the world gets to them. As Lee tests his virtues against the power of insect armies, he finds others hoping to do the same. That is if they’re not trying to kill or eat him too. Some humans try to rebuild, others are trying to take the ravaged world to their advantage and rule the bugs for themselves, while some will eventually fall into the hands of death… or worse.

Lee makes unlikely allies on his mission to find his family before it’s too late, but the challenges of human indecency threatens to put an end to it all. Needless to say, Hive is an unforgiving and often action-packed series. The author and other hands involved do a fantastic job at creating characters you want to hate, others you’ll love, and ones you’ll always feel conflicted about. It’s a series worth reading, but be warned – it’s not for the faint of heart. There’s plenty of death, gore, and dubious circumstances. This series can be read at Webtoon LINE. It updates weekly every Monday.

Title: unOrdinary
Author: uru-chan
Genre: Drama, Action, Fantasy

The world is dominated by a true hierarchy, and militaristic order is coveted as the driving factor for balance between the weak and the strong. In the universe of unOrdinary, most everyone has an ability and with it can offer individuals an upper hand or a disadvantage in life. Especially in the cruel environment that can be high school, students mostly govern themselves and how social order must flow and it always involves the strongest at the very top. Those at the bottom are often bullied or beaten for their lack of power and there’s nothing they can do to change the system, but there are believers out there.

Vigilantes, as they are so called, defend the weak from the antagonistic god-tier abilities, but just as many rebels are willing to fight against the system, there are covert operations bent on wittling their forces down to nothing. Those without a power are called “Cripples”, and the main character John is just that. Though his character is relatively unassuming for the most part, there’s more to his backstory to foreshadows a much darker past. However, something much more sinister is stirring the pot.

As the rebellion numbers grow in number, a string of murders prove that perhaps these god-tier superheroes aren’t as powerful as they seem. unOrdinary plays on political hierarchy mirrored in the real world. The beginning is slow-going, but the character growth is expected as you follow the story. The art may throw some people off, but it’s well done considering how long each chapter is and how complex the story can be. This series can be read officially on Webtoons LINE and updates weekly on Thursday.

Title: Winter Moon
Author: R. Merryweather (Creator) & MAYUI (Illustrator)
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

Set in a digital MMORPG world not unlike Black Desert Online, TERA, and those akin, author and illustrator duo R. Merryweather and MAYUI have created a hilarious comic series on the relatable occurrences in-game. From gold-digging con artists like Risa, and the pompous and flaming gay mage named Florence who also happens to use fire-based abilities.

Florence and Risa are predators in their own respective sense, and they absolutely detest each other. As life would have it (a.k.a. desperation), they and their refreshingly normal friend Gideon set aside their differences to form a guild, but not without a bounty on their heads. Disagreements with others ensue and most of the time PKs (player kills) are the end result. The unforgiving reality of a PvP server in an MMO sets the stage for this series, from gold mongers, overpowered characters, and the loathed lag. This is the story of the Winter Moon guild and their shenanigans.

The art is beautiful, the content is fun and adorable. If you’re looking for a good laugh, then you’re in the right place. It’s great to pass the time since each chapter is fairly short, and can be read online at Webtoon LINE. It updates every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday each week.

That’s all there is, folks, for this the November 2017 manga recommendations from DFTG. Line Webtoon was the focus this time around because there is seriously so much creative content concentrated in one area. From fantasy, romance, science fiction, to drama, there’s a series to enjoy. Which one of these works are you going to try out? If nothing tickled your fancy this time around, make sure to check out lists from previous months here!