Yongseok Jo is the author of a Korean webtoon (Manhwa). But now the creator has to cancel his own work because he copied from other Mangakas.
What kind of Manhwa is this? The Korean webtoon is called Wind Breaker, but it should not be confused with the current anime Wind Breaker, which is currently airing on Crunchyroll. Instead of fighting boys on the schoolyard, this Korean Manhwa is about cycling.
The focus is on Jo “Jay” Ja-hyeon, who leads a double life as a model student and talented cyclist. He draws the attention of classmate Yoon Min-woo, a member of a street cycling crew, with his cycling skills.
Jay is initially skeptical but then agrees to join the “Hummingbird Crew”. Together with his newly gained friends, he participates in risky street races. The Manhwa is known for its fast-paced racing scenes and dynamic art style.
As reported by 3D Juegos, the story on Webtoon is said to have accumulated over 600 million views and is thus closely following Solo Leveling. However, there is some very bad news for fans of the Manhwa, as it now has to be discontinued.
Manhwa must be discontinued because the author plagiarized
Why is it being canceled? The author faced plagiarism allegations that concern some of his panels. Although he did not directly copy the story from other works, he has apparently taken some scenes and compositions from other mangas.
In a statement, Yongseok Jo apologizes to his fans and indirectly blames his tough deadlines (via Anime Corner):
Hello, this is Jo Yongseok. First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for the trouble many have experienced due to the recent allegations regarding my work. Among the reference materials I used during my work, some scenes turned out to be very similar or almost identical in expression to those from other works. That is clearly my fault.
For many years, I have led a life where I was constantly heading towards deadlines. In doing so, I allowed the urgency to override the standards I should have maintained as a creator. And I failed to uphold them.
Above all, I truly wanted to show the final story of this work until the end. Therefore, the decision to end it halfway is extremely painful. I deeply regret this and once again apologize to the readers. I sincerely thank all those who supported me despite my shortcomings and bow once again in apology.
The operator of the webtoon website also made a statement about it. According to this, similarities to “another work” are noted. On Reddit, a user suspects that this refers to poses from the manga Tokyo Ghoul.
After discussions with the artist and the responsible editor, the publication of the Manhwa will be suspended.
With the discontinuation, there will at least be no more confusion with the similarly named anime and manga. The anime only started last year on Crunchyroll. For this, many well-known names were recruited, whom we know from other series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Classroom of the Elite, or SpyxFamily: 5 new anime that you absolutely must watch in the Spring Season 2024
