In Magic From The Margins, Latonya “Penn” Pennington explores sci-fi fantasy webtoons and Tapas comics by marginalized creators. For the eleventh entry, they’re checking out Sugar and Swords.
Sugar and Swords
Creator: KatieCloverArt
Writer: KatieCloverArt
Artist: KatieCloverArt
Genre: Fantasy
Platform: WEBTOON
There is a video game that I have been playing on and off called Tavern Talk. You play as a barkeep that whips up potions for adventurers and occasionally give out quests. These adventurers range from a broody rogue who needs help speaking his mind to an anxious elf who is eager to prove themself. In order to make sure each adventurer succeeds, you must pay attention to the tales they spin of their mishaps and make the right potion according to their current needs. It is this game that I was reminded of as I read the Webtoon Sugar and Swords, which tells of a NPC (non-player character) named Rachel who runs a cafe and item shop in a video game fantasy world.
One of the things that I enjoyed about this comic was its premise. As I mentioned in my previous column on the comic Lovespells, I have a soft spot for comics set in a video game world. I like how these comics have fun or creative takes on a video game realm and Sugar and Swords is no exception to that. It’s not often that you see a video game inspired story from the perspective of an NPC, let alone one that isn’t adventurous at all. This premise allows for some pretty funny moments such as Rachel meeting a scary looking adventurer who wants a muffin.
Other moments of levity involve Rachel saying snarky things in response to typical video game adventurer tropes. One chapter has Rachel flabbergasted by the bunch of random junk one adventurer picks up out of habit. This is a nod to how a video game character can end up with a ton of random stuff in their inventory from defeating enemies or from exploring your surroundings.
In addition to the humor, the shop itself is fun to read about due to the various items Rachel sells and the different customers that come. She sells pastries, but also swords and it is totally possible for an adventurer to want both. A bit that takes place over different chapters is Rachel hiring an adventurer to restock silver fangs, only to not have him return for months due to it being low on his to-do list. This is a fun nod to how subquests in video games distract from certain tasks in the main storyline.
Besides Rachel herself, there are various characters that bring the world around her to life. One character is an orc assistant who fits the typical adventurer mold, but has a job helping her in the cafe instead. It’s really sweet to see how much he loves his job despite what other people expect of him.
All in all, Sugar and Swords is a sweet slice-of-life fantasy that will caffeinate you. If you want something lowkey and funny that blends video game mechanics with cafe settings, then give this one a sip.
Sugar and Swords is currently available to read on WEBTOON.
Keep up with every entry in K-Comics Beat’s Magic From The Margins column by clicking here.
