During Summer 2020 I was lucky enough to be able to work as an editorial intern for WEBTOON Entertainment. This post is a copy of one of my weekly writing assignments. As this blog post is an analysis essay, it assumes that you are familiar with the basic premise of the webcomic “Bastard” by Carnby Kim and Youngchan Hwang up to at least the first 3 chapters. It is largely unedited from when I wrote it. Please enjoy!
Building Tension
Assignment Instructions
Find a scene that had you on the edge of your seat! For your chosen scene, I want you do a deep dive analysis on what makes it work and why. Be prepared to walk us through that scene while sharing your screen during our discussion.
Table of Contents
Building TensionAssignment InstructionsMy Analysis - “Bastard” ep. 3What makes the tension in this chapter workQualities of the narrative tension in BastardBefore the revealAfter the reveal Great Examples of Tension Outside of ComicsLand of the Lustrous / Houseki no KuniNBC’s Hannibal
My Analysis - “Bastard” ep. 3
Chapter main point: Jin’s father is revealed to be a murderer.
- The chapter begins with Jin’s father giving his elementary school class a lecture on “love.”
- Scene: Jin is lying in the nurse’s office. In the prior chapter it is established that although Jin is injured he REALLY does not want his father to come visit him, though we don’t yet know why.
- Jin lies in the nurse’s bed with his face towards us and his back towards his father. His father is approaching him. The closer his father gets, the more tense and fearful Jin’s expression becomes.
The artist depicts tension through thickening and harshening linework.
Jin’s father is calm and has a tranquil smile. Jin is incredibly fearful. He knows something about his father that we do not. We see Jin’s fear but his father does not.
Major questions that play into tension: What do we know that the characters do not? What do the characters know that we do not? What does one character know that another does not?
- Jin’s father is approaching him with a paper about a tutor. Jin has a flashback to his old tutor who hit with a sledgehammer. Brutal. He cringes at the thought of it, telling us he did not enjoy the violence.
Not all readers will find Jin sympathetic at this point in the story.
We are brought back around to the beginning lecture where Jin’s father talks about love.
The reader now sees just how twisted Jin’s father’s version of “love” really is.
The warped expressions of both Jin and his father really drive home the grotesque and fear inducing situation.
- Now that we know Jin’s father kills and tortures women, we are brought back to the present with new context.
The scene where Jin’s father shows him the tutoring ad is now much more sinister. The lighting on the father’s face reflects how we see him now.
Were an outside character to come into the nurse’s office during this scene, they wouldn’t be able to suspect anything.
- The purpose of this chapter is really driven home with the last words in the chapter.
- [My Dad…]
What makes the tension in this chapter work
- Jin knows something we do not
- Slow build up, Jin dragging the body to the hidden room
- Slow build up, Jin’s father walking towards him in the nurse’s office
- Double build up of tension to the moment where Jin’s father is revealed to be a murderer.
- Old scenes are given context, as are current events.
- The reader is finally able to to tune into why
Qualities of the narrative tension in Bastard
Bastard’s tension is slow and steady. Context from previous episodes is needed to understand the stakes in later episodes. Unlike in Solo Leveling, where stakes can be understood beat by beat. Tension in Bastard is not resolved as easily and is almost ever present.
Scenes whose meanings/undertones are re-framed after we have the context that Jin’s father is a murder.
Before the reveal
Jin’s father’s speech about love
Jin’s father puts on a good face in public
Jin sits on the floor after hitting a woman with a hammer
In the prologue chapter we see Jin hit the woman with a sledgehammer. We don’t know why.
Jin’s father visits him in the nurse’s office
Jin’s father is visiting him in the nurse’s office. What a great dad :)
After the reveal
These scenes are now redrawn, reframed with context
Jin’s father’s speech about love
The speech about love is shown to be a farse.
Jin sits on the floor after hitting a woman with a hammer
Jin did not enjoy hurting the woman and seems fearful.
Jin’s father visits him in the nurse’s office
This scene is given more tension with the new context.
Great Examples of Tension Outside of Comics
Land of the Lustrous / Houseki no Kuni
The first episode/fight has build up of tension with a pretty quick release after we learn about the non-biological make-up of the gems. The first fight sets up the main enemy (who have pretty unique designs imo), and establishes that not all gems are made the same.
NBC’s Hannibal
Here’s an article.
