Wednesday Webcomics: Nothing Special Is So Cute I Can’t Stand It

A perfect recommendation after a brief hiatus, this week’s Wednesday Webcomic is one that I just discovered (and binged) yesterday, Nothing Special!

Nothing Special, by Katie Cook (yes, that Katie Cook), tells the story of Callie Benson, a young girl who is not quite human and always surrounded by sprites, the spirits of dead plants. She has straddled the human world and the magic world her entire life, waiting for the day when she can join her dad as he travels the magic world hunting down magical artifacts to sell in his shop. Her dad has one simple rule – she must not pass through the gate in their market town and into the greater magic world. But one day, her father is abducted and she must break his most important rule in order to get him back. With her new friends Declan (a boy who recently learned that he is also not-quite-human), Radish (a radish), and Lasser (a…I’m not sure what Lasser is, actually), she journeys into the magic world to save her father.

Nothing Special is broken into “seasons” which follow different but interconnected stories. “Season 1” is about rescuing Callie’s dad. This is also the story where Callie learns more about what she is, as well as learning about her mother, both mysteries that have plagued her for her entire life. “Season 2” is about finding a healer for Declan, who was injured during their rescue of Callie’s dad. I actually really love this format, because it’s much easier to binge if I only have to catch up on, say, 20 chapters rather than 75. Not that I don’t love my longer, drawn out stories, but when those stories are over, odds are the comics will end. This allows the opportunity for more stories and greater character development as everyone is put into different situations.

This comic is, quite simply, adorable. Everything is so cute I can’t stand it. The art is cute, the characters are cute, Callie and Declan’s relationship is cute, the fact that everyone is constantly blushing is cute, the fact that Callie and Declan are huge nerds is cute. Seriously, everything is so fricking cute, you will die from the cuteness.

The characters are charming. Callie and Declan are sweet and endearing, and though the relationship develops quickly, it doesn’t feel rushed or forced. You can totally believe that these two dorks are in love with each other. Consequently, they’re also both self-sacrificial idiots, so it’s nice to see that balanced with Lasser, who constantly makes everything all about him. Likewise, it’s nice to see Lasser branching out a bit in “season 2” (he gets addicted to romance novels) – he’s even got a (male) love interest!

I also really like the stories so far. I like fantasy, so I’m a big fan of things that feature unicorns and fairies and things like that. Plus, the comics are funny, and they’re creative, and it’s basically stated that the mythical worlds we’ve grown up reading about are actually real, so I’m kind of hoping we get to see that later on in the series. (At one point, Callie and Declan joke about heading to Rivendell, and Lasser tells them they’re headed in the wrong direction.)

Nothing Special by Katie Cook is hosted by Webtoon and updates on Tuesdays.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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