Nearly two years after the series’ finale, the creator of True Beauty is finally back with a new webtoon, and the art is somehow even more stunning than before. After the multi-franchise success of True Beauty, Yaongyi has returned in full swing with a new hit webtoon in the making, and this time, it’s a historical romance with just as much K-drama potential as True Beauty.
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Yaongyi’s stunning new romance series Return Your Soul has finally made its way to Webtoon and is already shaping up to be a must-read for fans of the creator. The series was first released in Korean in October of this year and has finally been licensed for an English release by Webtoon as of December 2024, with nine chapters available on the platform so far.
True Beauty Creator Launches New Historical Romance Manhwa Return Your Soul
Despite being in the early stages, Return Your Soul already shows plenty of promise with its stunning visuals, beautiful character designs, and a most unexpected storyline with a blend of romance, supernatural, martial arts, and a historical setting that makes for a refreshing change of pace from True Beauty.
Set in a fictional, Joseon-inspired land called the Suseong Nation, Return Your Soul follows Ryeong, the eldest daughter of the Cheon family, a line of exorcists renowned for their spiritual powers. Ryeong, however, was born without any powers, so to speak, except for the ability to see ghosts, thus earning scorn from her evil aunt and the rest of her family following the death of her parents.
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The story takes off when Ryeong crosses paths with Yuseong, the handsome, polite, and dignified son of the Kang family that owns Mujang-Gak, the top martial arts school in the nation. Ryeong recognizes that Yuseong’s body has completely been taken over by a ghost who wishes to regain his memories so he can move on from this world. Wanting to escape her persecuting aunt, Ryeong agrees to help Yuseong, but to do so, she must first find a way to be next to him.
Thus, she begins training to enroll in Mujang-Gak. However, as its first and only female student, many challenges await Ryeong as she attempts to uncover the identity of the ghost in Yuseong’s body, all while discovering the extent of her own powers.
Yaongyi’s Iconic Art Style From True Beauty Looks Better Than Ever in Return Your Soul
Other than its intriguing story, Return Your Soul also boasts beautiful art that, while reminiscent of Yaongyi’s work in True Beauty, is arguably leagues ahead in quality. The series still features the same familiar semi-realistic art style. However, the fruits of Yaongyi’s many years of experience as an artist are quite apparent in the series’ improved lighting and shading as well as its attention to detail, making nearly every panel wallpaper-worthy.
Besides the striking facial expressions that fans know and love from True Beauty, Return Your Soul also features a gorgeous main cast, with Yuseong in particular being the perfect, dreamy mix of Suho and Seojun. Ryeong also makes for quite a beautiful heroine, initially always decked out in the prettiest of accessories, and though she takes on a more austere appearance later on with her entry into Mujang-Gak, her simple charm still manages to steal the show.
Return Your Soul Would Make A Perfect K-Drama
All things considered, Return Your Soul‘s art is impressive enough to draw readers in within the first couple of chapters and while the story may still have a long way to go, the series already seems to be more than promising, with all the makings of a hit historical K-drama not unlike Alchemy of Souls.
The series already seems to have a bit of everything from a classic opposites-attract-style romance to well-established lore and just a bit of murim action to spice things up, which is quite an exceptionally rare combination, even when it comes to manhwa with strong female protagonists.
Nonetheless, considering True Beauty‘s success and the countless adaptations it has spawned, Return Your Soul, depending on the series’ reception, may also eventually make its way to viewers in the form of an anime or a K-drama. For now, Return Your Soul is already beginning to pick up traction on Webtoon and will likely continue to climb the rankings in the coming weeks, making this the perfect time to pick up the series.
Return Your Soul is available on Webtoon.
