Creator bows out as relentless treadmill of deadlines erodes artistic integrity
© WEBTOON Entertainment
Like a cyclist hitting an unseen pothole, Naver WEBTOON has abruptly halted Wind Breaker‘s decade-long race after discovering artistic shortcuts in the track. The sports webtoon – distinct from Satoru Nii‘s manga namesake – faced allegations of tracing, where creative pedal strokes mirrored others’ routes too closely.
On July 11, creator Yongseok Jo addressed the controversy in episode 177’s curtain call, Remains of Sincerity. “My reference materials sometimes became crutches rather than inspirations,” he confessed, acknowledging scenes that “crossed the line between homage and duplicate.” The webtoon artist shouldered full responsibility, attributing the lapses to years spent “chasing weekly finish lines until my creative fuel ran dry.”
Though the series won’t complete its intended journey, Jo released storyboard fragments like postcards from an abandoned voyage on his personal blog. Naver WEBTOON‘s investigation confirmed the artistic overlaps, leading to the title’s complete removal from their digital starting grid.
Since its 2013 debut, Wind Breaker had pedaled its way into readers’ hearts across English, Japanese, and Chinese territories, chronicling a teenager’s ascent through competitive cycling’s steep inclines. Its sudden derailment echoes broader turbulence in the webtoon industry, where Naver’s 2023 plagiarism detection promises continue to face real-world headwinds.
The English version remains archived at WEBTOON, a frozen snapshot of what was once a marathon run at sprint speed.
Source: YNA (Kyung-yoon Kim)
