Wednesday Webcomics: Let’s Talk About Let’s Play

Another binge-worthy Webtoon is Let’s Play, the story of an indie game developer (Sam) whose game is trashed by a popular vlogger (Marshall) and whose life gets turned upside down when he ends up moving in next door.

Let’s Play is actually the first Webtoon I read! It was discussed at one of the panels I went to at New York Comic Con, and it sounded interesting, so I checked it out…and I absolutely devoured it. This is one of those comics where the week-long wait between every chapter is torture. Patience was never my strong suit! But there’s just so much to like about it. It’s a compelling narrative – aside from the conflict between Sam and her new neighbor Marshall, you have Sam’s issues at work (she works at her father’s company), Sam’s misadventures in dating, Marshall’s relationship drama (he hides his girlfriend from his fans), and a whole host of other side stories with the supporting cast. Even Sam’s dog gets a little sub plot.

Sam as a main character is very relatable, at least for me; she has social anxiety and difficulty standing up for herself, she’s completely oblivious to flirting, but she’s loyal to her friends. Honestly, all of the characters are relatable in some fashion, and all of them are pretty sympathetic once you see what’s going on in their lives (except maybe Dallas – dude needs to chill). There are a lot of different issues that have been addressed so far, from being afraid of conflict to just being afraid in general. The friendships are, I feel, truly representative of the kind of healthy friendships that everyone should strive for.

One of the best things about Let’s Play is its diverse cast of characters, especially in Sam’s guild. The manga art style makes it difficult to assume ethnicity, as for a lot of characters it’s not inherently obvious, but aside from skin color, there’s a smattering of other stuff as well – one of Sam’s guild members is deaf and communicates using a voice app on her phone, Sam herself has extreme social anxiety, and Marshall has depression. Author Mongie has confirmed that one of the characters is LGBTQ+, but we don’t know which one yet. But also, it represents nerds as being from all walks of life rather than portraying them all as the stereotypical nerd common on shows like The Big Bang Theory.

If you’re worried about unnecessary romance, don’t be! I have no idea who the end game couples are, but the relationships are developing naturally. Sam’s friend Link has a crush on her, but she’s completely unaware. Then once it’s pointed out to her, she has no idea what to do. There’s actually a pretty great conversation with one of her friends on whether or not she may be asexual, something I appreciate. Nothing seems forced, which is extremely refreshing, especially with heterosexual couples.

I’m really enjoying the story and having fun speculating about what’s to come. Will Marshall and Monica ever go public with their relationship? Will we get to meet Marshall’s mysterious friends? Will Sam be able to salvage her reputation with her game? What is Charles’s plan? It’s all very exciting!

Let’s Play by Mongie 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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