7Fates: Chakho Vol. 1
Writer/Artist: HYBE with BTS
Letterer: Abigail Blackmanl
Publisher: WEBTOON (Online) Ize Press (Print)
Publication Date: January 14, 2022 (WEBTOON) October 24, 2023 (Ize Press)
Rating: Teen
Genre: VSC (S. Korea), Fantasy, Action and Adventure, Historical Fiction
7Fates: Chakho is a fantasy action and adventure webcomic created by HYBE in collaboration with global K-Pop sensation BTS. This story takes us to the near future in the fictional city of Sin-si where the main character Zeha embarks on his fateful journey.
If you’re like me, you might be curious about the meaning behind the title, 7Fates: Chakho. The “7Fates”, represents the 7 members of BTS. The main character is Zeha who is inspired by Jungkook. We also have Haru inspired by Jimin, Do-Geon inspired by leader RM, Hwan inspired by Jin, Jooan inspired by V, Cein inspired by Suga, and Hosu inspired by J-Hope. If you’re unfamiliar with BTS, make sure to check out “Stay Alive”. The song was produced by Suga of BTS and sung by Jungkook of BTS exclusively for 7Fates: Chakho.
The “Chakho” in 7Fates: Chakho comes from a Korean folktale. Chakho comes from the word chakhogapsa, and refers to a group of professional tiger hunters. Due to an increase in the tiger population, the people in the Joseon Kingdom were being attacked and killed. So, King Sejong trained the chakhogapsa to be elite tiger hunters to protect Joseon’s people. The king created a system where the chakhogapsa or hunters would be compensated for killing the tigers, the bigger tigers would be worth more. 7Fates: Chakho keeps the essence of the original folktale while introducing fantasy elements to give it a fresh new spin.
The story starts off by introducing us to tiger-like creatures called Beom (tiger in Korean), who can only visit earth once a year. We soon meet the main character, Zeha, and we learn that he lost his parents as a child, but the adults in his life would always avoid giving him details of what happened to them. Over time, he gives up on trying to find out more about their death.
One night, Zeha is convinced by a shadowy figure to visit Inwang Mountain, where he grew up. Through a hazy turn of events, he releases a seal that had been placed on the Beom to keep them from staying on the earth for more than a day. With the Beom able to roam freely, they begin to attack and murder the people of Sin-si city. The Beom attacks become so frequent that the Yisal Group (a fictional group that has contributed to the development of Sin-si), offers a reward to the hunters who kill the Beom. Similar to the chakhogapsa of the Joseon Kingdom, the bigger the Beom, the greater the reward.
Due to the Beom attacks, many people in Sin-si have lost their lives and loved ones. Some people have formed hunting groups, and are actively hunting down the Beom so they can receive the reward from the Yisal Group. This story will follow how fate brings Zeha (Jungkook), Haru (Jimin), Do-Geon (RM), Hwan (Jin), Jooan (V), Cein (Suga), and Hosu (J-Hope) together. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the first volume of this series and would recommend it. The art is clean and dynamic, and the color intensifies different moments throughout. The action scenes are easy to follow and I appreciated the way the lettering added severity to some of the contentious moments.
Each of the characters inspired by the members of BTS have their own type of weapons which lends itself to varied fight scenes. I enjoyed the pacing of the series and the attention that was given to Zeha’s background story. I flew through the pages as I read about Zeha’s parents and I also wanted to know more about the Beom, where they come from, and the reason why they were sealed away from the earth. I’m excited to see Zeha’s growth and to continue to meet the rest of the 7 chakho in the remaining volumes.
7FATES: CHAKHO brings us the story of 7 characters being drawn together by fate/destiny, much like BTS. If you’re missing the members as they finish their military enlistment, this series is an exciting distraction. If you’re interested in reading the series physically, Ize Press has released volumes one through four in print, with volume five releasing on Oct. 22, 2024. You can also read 7FATES: CHAKHO online through WEBTOON.
