Writer/Artist: HYBE in collaboration with TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Letterer: Chi Bui
Publisher: IZE Press
Publication Date: November 14, 2023
Rating: Teen
Genre: Webtoon (S. Korea), Fantasy, Action and Adventure
REVIEW RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars. In an age when magic idols reign supreme, Star One is an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, tier-2 idol group. With leader Soule unleashing his new powers, can Star One finally catch their big break?
As part of their trio of new graphic novels featuring K-Pop superstars, Ize Press has released the first volume of HYBE‘s The Star Seekers, a fantasy adventure story featuring BTS‘ labelmates TOMORROW x TOGETHER (TXT). In this webtoon-now-graphic novel series, members of TxT exist in a fantasy world where magic idols have superhuman abilities.
Check out TxT’s “Free Falling” music video below to see what The Star Seekers has in store for readers:
What is The Star Seekers about?
In The Star Seekers world, there are some pop idols who have magical powers, which can range from stamina enhancements to elemental powers that control water or fire. The idols with magical abilities are considered tier-1 superstars and the ones with no magic are considered tier-2. As a tier-2 idol group, Star One’s five members—Avys (Huening Kai), Viken (Beomgyu), Soule (Soobin), Eugene (Yeonjun), and Taho (Taehyun)—have no magical abilities that they know of.
Star One was ambitiously launched by their company Uvic Entertainment, heavily investing in the group because the company thinks Soule would be a guaranteed success, as the son of world-famous magic singer Lote. However, Star One’s debut performances are underwhelming, leaving them stuck in tier-2 limbo, wondering if they have a future in show business. Although their magic should have manifested before they came of age, they have absolutely none and are considered tier-2 idols. As a result, Uvic Entertainment has lost faith in them and decided to reduce their support.
However, when a hit idol group can’t perform at a music festival and Star One is chosen to take their place, their luck begins to change. After a problem with the audio team causes a performance delay, a hooded figure attacks the audience and Star One. In desperation to survive the attacks and live, Soule manifests magical abilities and fights off the hooded figure.
Color, emotion, and magic
The Star Seekers is beautifully illustrated throughout the volume. HYBE does a great job at displaying moments of desperation, shock, doubt, and more through the character’s facial expressions. The volume maintains a lighter color scheme for most of the panels, but in moments of conflict or disarray, red and black colors fill the pages to set a darker tone.
However, the most stunning panels were when the members were manifesting their newfound abilities. I’ve always loved how earth magic is displayed in fantasy stories, and seeing Viken find his new power was incredibly beautiful.
This volume had a good balance of action, comedic timing, idol performances, and training sequences, unlike some action series that focus too much on the battle scenes without a break in all the fighting. In The Star Seekers, soon after a fiery fight sequence with a shadowy organization called “The Dragon Slayer Clan” when their manager DK nearly had them killed, the pace of the series starts to slow down. The boys start practicing for an upcoming show, and we got to see them in idol mode. They also put in some physical training to work on their stamina, and their chibi form was a cute addition.
A common theme throughout the volume was desperation. When the characters manifest their magical abilities, they were often in life-or-death situations and desperate to survive. As they’re struggling to survive, they have flashbacks and desperately wish they could use magic to save themselves and others. It was interesting seeing how everyone has different versions of what desperation looks like and how it manifests. Magic can have elemental attributes like fire or water, but it can also look like a cute blue bird, like the power Avys manifested.
VERDICT: Recommended. The Star Seekers does a great job of creating an engaging fantasy world. The magic in this world is unique. It’s fun to see how the character’s personalities can influence their powers. The art is beautiful and does a good job expressing the character is feelings. The first volume has a mix of action, fantasy, and comedy, so the story felt fresh the whole way through. If you pick up a physical copy, the volume has sparkly foil embossing that also adds a nice touch.
The Star Seekers, Volume 1, is available now from Ize Press and is also serialized weekly on WEBTOON. Will you be adding this to your to-be-read list? Share your thoughts in a comment below!
