Monday, July 25, 2022 is a dark day for the world of manga and manhwa. We learn today of the death of the man who knew how to sublimate through his pencil strokes, the webtoon Solo Leveling. South Korean artist Seong-rak Jang, also known as Dubu, is sadly no longer with us.
Announced just today, the news has already gone around the world.
Fans are in shock
The success of a work is sometimes only due to one detail. A captivating story, superb illustrations, intriguing characters, whatever the recipe, once it hits the mark, success is usually there. Seong-rak Jang, the illustrator of Solo Leveling had been able to bring this famous touch that made this webtoon unique.
It would be a mild understatement to say that the artist has contributed to the influence on the world stage of webtoon. The announcement of his death was communicated in the morning by the Redice studio. The latter had been working there for several years and is best known for his contribution to Solo Leveling. According to the statement released during the day, Dubu died two days ago.
부고를알립니다. pic.twitter.com/QMKU1fnlj2
— REDICE+ (레드아이스) (@REDICE_STUDIO) July 25, 2022
His death is said to have occurred following health complications which ultimately caused a cerebral hemorrhage. Besides this information, no other details have been released about his death.
Fan questions
The news of Dubu’s death is heartbreaking for webtoon fans and for the manga and manhwa industry. But the most saddened are his family who still have to mourn. The illustrator passes from life to death when his manhwa is at its peak and will soon experience an anime adaptation and a video game.
And although fans are saddened by this news, the eye still turns to the working conditions of mangakas today. For several years, the subject has become recurrent. The question intensified especially after the death of Kentaro Miura (Bersek) or with the recurring health problems of Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter x Hunter).
And more generally, the working conditions of manga artists and manhwas have taken the fandom by surprise. But for the time being, there is nothing to confirm that Dubu’s premature death is directly linked to a supposed frantic work pace.
Consequences for Solo Leveling
Today, Solo Leveling is simply one, if not the most popular manhwa in the world. Sung Jin-Woo’s incredible epic will have won over webtoon enthusiasts in no time. In view of such success, it was normal to see the webtoon get an animated adaptation which will be produced by A-1 Pictures.
In addition, it should be added that the second season of Solo Leveling was announced a few months ago. The return of the work written by Chugong was therefore eagerly awaited by the fans. But with the death of Dubu, the publishing house will have to revise its plans.
However, it is still too early to talk about Dubu’s replacement or the future of Solo Leveling. The Redice studio also refrained from commenting on the subject. It still takes time to take the hit after hearing this heartbreaking news.
Source : comic book