Tower of God First Impressions

“Climb the tower, and everything will be yours. At the top of the tower exists everything in this world, and all of it can be yours. You can become a god.”

Tower of God has what one could refer to as an odd pedigree. It is based upon a South Korean webtoon (a form of digital comic), and has received a level of attention that is rather uncommon to manhwa adaptations. Having watched the first episode, the charm of the series is apparent, but one can’t help suspect that said charm is not yet on full display with the first episode. I’m not saying it’s a bad episode, far from it, but there is a sense that future developments in this narrative will elevate the show further and may retroactively add some weight to this opening. Still, regardless of where viewers find themselves at the end, it is a well constructed and enjoyable start to the series. Tower of God looks to be an interesting series that both feels at home with its deadly-competition and fantasy brethren, while simultaneously standing apart from the crowd.

The story centers on a young man named Bam who lost his memory some time before the start of the series, and has been living in the caverns beneath the titular Tower with his friend Rachel. It is said those who ascend the Tower will acquire whatever they want. Rachel informs Bam that she wishes to see the stars before departing into the Tower. Bam then finds himself drawn into the Tower as well, and is approached by the Headon, the guardian and caretaker of the Tower, who offers Bam a test to determine if he is worthy of progressing up through the Tower. The more intricate details of the world are still vague. One of the first people Bam encounters in the Tower is Yuri, a princess of Jahad. Whether Jahad is the kingdom where Bam is from, or is from some other realm isn’t exactly clear. The inhabitants of the Tower rely on a translation system, so I’m assuming the latter option is more likely. Still, it feels like a fully realized world, and the confusion is kept subtle and unobtrusive. This is an important distinction that sets a title like this or Made in Abyss apart from a series like Angels of Death or, to a lesser extent, Darwin’s Game. If I had one gripe about the execution of this episode, it would be with Bam’s handling. He’s something of a cipher currently, so some more insight into his view and understanding of the world is paramount on the list of things I’d like to see.

The production is crisp, distinctive, and vibrant. I was initially skeptical of the aesthetic when I saw the promotional art, but in action it looks stunning. Telecom Animation Film is handling production on this one. They’re a subsidiary of TMS Entertainment, but don’t have a massive body of work under their belt. The line work is especially intriguing as it has a rougher inked quality which nicely contrasts the broad, largely shadowless, colors reminiscent of Misaki Yuasa’s work in Devilman: Crybaby. The visuals themselves are more firmly established and consistent (i.e. Less trippy) than the Devilman comparison may imply, but it’s still striking. The character designs are quite varied, so I’m hoping the story will provide some context to the bizarre array of creatures living in its world. Are they all native to the same world, or does the Tower of God transcend dimensions or something? We see lizard people, four armed behemoths and Headon himself is an odd rabbit-person-thing. It’s a testament to the art that they all fit together into the series cohesively. In the hands of a lesser artist or production team, this could easily feel disjointed and muddled. Hopefully, as the story unfolds, it will provide details which effectively tie the narrative together as effectively as the visuals.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• Telecom Animation Film previously produced some of the Lupin the 3rd series and the anime Orange. I’ve never watched much of Lupin, but I do vaguely recall watching the first episode of Orange, though I didn’t review it.
• My exposure to manhwa is extremely limited, and my exposure to webtoons is nonexistent. The only manhwa that I recall reading was a volume or two of the Demon Diary series back in high school.
• It’s a bit refreshing to have a main character who has had amnesia for a while. Usually the story starts off with the amnesiac waking up for the first time.
• While there is some violence at the end of the episode, I appreciate that it never feels cheap or gratuitous. Given the competition element that appears to be at play, a casual sense of violence may have led to the episode feeling more disposable.