Tomb Raider King: Endline Premieres With Familiar Tropes but an Intriguing New Multiverse Twist
Kakao Entertainment has launched Tomb Raider King : Endline, a sequel to its hit Tomb Raider King franchise, on Kakao Page. The webtoon debuted on July 5, followed by the web novel on July 6.
The sequel continues the story of Joo-heon Seo after the events of the original series. Now hailed as the Majesty who saved the world, he faces powerful Majesties from other worlds and confronts relics seeking to ascend to godhood in a multiverse-spanning adventure.
Originally serialized as a web novel from 2016 to 2018, Tomb Raider King amassed more than 120 million views before being adapted into a webtoon, which ran from 2019 to 2023 and surpassed 500 million views.
From its bloody intro, which sees its protagonist saved from a gruesome end and gifted with new strength, to the now-clichéd holographic display that tells him about missions he needs to fulfil in a video game-like fashion, much of this episode's setup will feel familiar to viewers, calling back to recent popular anime with a similar tone and style. This leaves much of the introduction feeling like an attempt to chase the latest trend.
Despite the damper these elements put on the series’ setup, Tomb Raider King Episode 1 does bring with it some unique twists. Some of the particulars of the setting, like how magical relics, the central drive of the narrative/world, work, are interesting and could provide opportunities for good storytelling as the plot unfolds. Especially since, at least some of these relics seem to have wills and agendas of their own.
While Tomb Raider King Episode 1 delivers both good and bad, the area where it falls squarely in between is its visual design. The design of the characters, world, and the opening-scene monster is fine but never remarkable. Joo-Heon’s struggle to survive the opening does a solid job of establishing the fight’s power levels and scope, but not in a way that draws the viewer in. This heavily undercuts the brutality of the moment.
The big opening struggle for life is also harmed by the writing. The fact that the script has Joo-Heon hurling threats and insults around when he has clearly suffered mortal wounds undercuts his situation terribly. The tone of his threats feels dismissive and arrogant. If they felt forced or desperate, they could help in the moment, but because of the voice work, the character comes across as far less concerned than seems appropriate.
The sequel continues the story of Joo-heon Seo after the events of the original series. Now hailed as the Majesty who saved the world, he faces powerful Majesties from other worlds and confronts relics seeking to ascend to godhood in a multiverse-spanning adventure.
Originally serialized as a web novel from 2016 to 2018, Tomb Raider King amassed more than 120 million views before being adapted into a webtoon, which ran from 2019 to 2023 and surpassed 500 million views.
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How was the first episode?
Tomb Raider King Episode 1, produced by Studio Eek, introduces Joo-Heon Seo (voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya, Trigun Stampede), an Excavator who searches tombs for magical relics that have recently appeared in the world. But when he is sent on a deadly assignment, an encounter with one particular relic gives him the chance to relive his life with enhanced abilities and knowledge of the future.From its bloody intro, which sees its protagonist saved from a gruesome end and gifted with new strength, to the now-clichéd holographic display that tells him about missions he needs to fulfil in a video game-like fashion, much of this episode's setup will feel familiar to viewers, calling back to recent popular anime with a similar tone and style. This leaves much of the introduction feeling like an attempt to chase the latest trend.
Despite the damper these elements put on the series’ setup, Tomb Raider King Episode 1 does bring with it some unique twists. Some of the particulars of the setting, like how magical relics, the central drive of the narrative/world, work, are interesting and could provide opportunities for good storytelling as the plot unfolds. Especially since, at least some of these relics seem to have wills and agendas of their own.
Jooe Heon as a Protagonist
It is possible that the series intends to develop its protagonist over the course of the story. If it does, this opening could be reframed as simply creating a springboard for the character's development. We’ll have to wait and see.While Tomb Raider King Episode 1 delivers both good and bad, the area where it falls squarely in between is its visual design. The design of the characters, world, and the opening-scene monster is fine but never remarkable. Joo-Heon’s struggle to survive the opening does a solid job of establishing the fight’s power levels and scope, but not in a way that draws the viewer in. This heavily undercuts the brutality of the moment.
The big opening struggle for life is also harmed by the writing. The fact that the script has Joo-Heon hurling threats and insults around when he has clearly suffered mortal wounds undercuts his situation terribly. The tone of his threats feels dismissive and arrogant. If they felt forced or desperate, they could help in the moment, but because of the voice work, the character comes across as far less concerned than seems appropriate.
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