The End Of An Era

Not only did 2020 just end but so did a nerdy era. The end of 2020 brought the close of many webcomics all at once, including the one that started it all for me.

I always loved comics. When I was very young I was gifted my mothers collection of old Heathcliff comic books. I still have them to this day. As I got a little older, I started reading DC comic books whenever I could get my hands on them. By the time I hit middle school I found my love of manga and finally started my own little collection. Surprisingly though, it wasn't until 2016 that I first discovered webcomics. And just how did I discover it you ask? Siren's Lament.

In 2016 Webtoon launched a huge ad campaign revolving around Siren's Lament because it featured something unique- the ability to listen to music as you read the comic for an amplified emotional effect. I kept getting the ads and they did their job: eventually my curiosity won out over my caution, and I'm so glad they did. I was completely captivated. Siren's Lament was the perfect introduction to the webcomic world. It's art was breathtaking, the story was well written and drew you in, and the music did it's job- adding a new level to the comic reading experience. I have written about webcomics, specifically Webtoon comics many, many times here on My Mess. So forgive me if I repeat myself a bit but, Siren's Lament is the perfect example of WHY I love webcomics. It is the culmination of all the fine arts in one- art, music, and writing. (That's also the reason I love anime!) And it was Siren's Lament that showed me that.

Real quick, let's review what the comic is about. As the title suggests, it's about siren's. In Greek mythology, siren's are creatures that we would relate to mermaids, but evil. They would sing to sailors, hypnotizing and/or seducing them to get them to dive into the water where they would be eaten alive. These siren's don't follow the original mythology but have something in common, their goal is to trick people into jumping into the sea. You see, siren's are made from people with broken hearts who turn to the sea for escape. A person who enters the sea with a broken heart might be captured by a siren who then kisses them. If you are kissed by a siren, you lose all your memories and become a siren yourself. You will never age as long as you're a siren, giving a chance for you to have a new life at some point... BECAUSE once a siren kisses a broken-hearted human, what they actually do is pass on their curse. That's right, when the broken hearted person is kissed and transforms into a siren, the siren transforms into a human. So the cycle always continues.

In our story we find ourselves with a main character named Lyra, who's heart is broken and has turned to the sea for comfort. But after falling into the water, she finds herself in the arms of a siren. He kisses her but something isn't quite right...rather than passing on his curse, he splits his curse with her. Creating a situation where both Lyra and this siren are both now half human and half siren. Since the siren has no memories of his past life, he also has no name and no home. Lyra gives him the name Ian and a place in her home, and thus begins the adventure of this unlikely duo who are determined to find the mythical being known as The Poseidon. Not Poseidon from Greek mythology, but rather the person responsible for creating the curse, and the only person who has the power to lift it. Facing sirens in the sea and the one who broke her heart on shore, Lyra finds herself in over her head, but there's something inside her that can turn the tides.

This is a magical story that covers different shades of heart break, healing, new beginnings, family, and friendship. It has a strong mystery element, but its main genre is romance. Prior to Lore Olympus taking over the scene (the current #1 in the romance genre) Siren's Lament held that position for quite a long time and always remained in the running in the top spots. With 2.9 MILLION subscribers and a 9.75 star rating, creator Instantmiso should be proud of her work, and I hope that Webtoon is rewarding her accordingly. She genuinely should be their star child. She has put out two successful series for them, and is about to launch her third featured webcomic with them. Her first was Where Tangents Meet (which was another huge success in the romance genre; Only 44 episodes and it got 1.1 million subscribers and a 9.74 star rating), her second being Siren's Lament (which we've already discussed), and her third, which is not out yet, titled Eaternal Nocturnal (which I'm guessing will be another romance and already looks incredible).

She also has attended many conventions for them to speak at panels all over the country and was one of the first comics they ever made merch for. I, as well as thousands of others, got to meet her at such events and she truly is an absolute sweet heart. She has become a staple name for Webtoon, and I still strongly stand by what I said in my adaptation predication that she deserves one of the slots for their anime adaptation deal with Crunchyroll. With other comics, such as Sweet Home and True Beauty, getting successful live action adaptations, I don't think it is outside the realm of possibility. Webtoon has been very diligent and successful with their growth and expansion in 2020 and I expect to see even more of that in 2021- I strongly hope Siren's Lament will be apart of that.

ALL OF THIS TO SAY- Thank you. Thank you Instantmiso for starting me on my dying love of webcomics, thank you for creating something beautiful, thank you for your belief in love, thank you for your art and writing and perseverance. This may be the end of an era, but I know there is even better yet to come. Congratulations on completing your second series and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you. I really hope it's an anime adaptation as well as Kickstarter (Let's Play carved a path for you that I hope you will take). But no matter what it is, I know it will be great. Also a huge thanks and congratulations to Kennycomics, the man behind the music that changed the game of the webcomic reading experience. You made a legacy and beautiful music- thank you. Readers, please take the time to check out Instantmiso's work, both Siren's Lament and Where Tangents Meet are both absolutely worth the read, and keep an eye out for Eaternal Nocturnal, which will be coming to Webtoon at a currently undisclosed date. This may be the end of a nerdy era, but I also know it is just the beginning.

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Thank you so much for tuning in to this very long installment of Nerdom. I clearly have a deep love for comics that simply cannot be contained, so thank you for entertaining it. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week! I will see you guys on Sunday for The Mess, but in the meantime, stay safe, stay nerdy, and stay messy otaku.