Tower of GodFollow

A couple years ago (or so) I created a thread here about a manhwa called Tower of God.

Since then it's kept going, and it has begun a second "Season". It's been pretty good, weekly releases. So far I think there are 100 "Chapters"

You can read it here (download only, I think the online reader was broken for the early chapters when the translators changed their name and relocated their website)
http://www.thcmpny.com/426/tower-of-god-ch1/

Edit:
Turns out it seems they lifted the ban on Mangafox carrying the new chapters. Used to be there was an arguement between the two, and it wasn't posted.
http://mangafox.me/manga/tower_of_god/

It's about a boy who enters a tower, trailing behind a girl he cares for. The tower is a huge competition to reach the top, the people who reach the top get their desires fulfilled. The tower is full of people who have already reached the top.

This Topic may contain non-hidden spoilers.

Edited, Jul 2nd 2012 8:27pm by TirithRR

I've tried reading a few others, but haven't found any that caught my interest like Tower of God. The second season is quite a bit different than the first. I didn't realize it until I went back and glossed over the first chapters when I was posting this topic. The whole thing has a different feel once BAAM becomes a BAMF. Today the 21st chapter came out and it ended an arc. It will be interesting to see where they go next. Unfortunately next week's is an epilogue and the following week is a break, so it will be a bit before the story moves.

Hard to think it's been 5 months reading this new season.. It definitely doesn't feel like it was that long ago that it started.

I'd probably be able to answer if I knew what the "lindorf-esque" mystery was.

The author has a lot of stuff explained in blog styled posts, etc. I have not read most of them. So far there are a lot of questions but nothing so glaring that it distracts me from anything. Ya, I'm curious what happened between the first and second seasons, but not so much that it causes a problem.

SpoilerI don't think there is anything actually special about Irregulars in general. Like Leroro said when he first met Baam. The only reason everyone hates and fears irregulars is because of the previous irregulars who have entered the tower. They were horribly powerful beings. (I think because they had been powerful enough to open the doors to the tower without the tower wanting them). In the case of Baam and Lahel, they were both at the door at the same time when it opened for one or the other. Which ever one is the irregular doesn't have to be super powerful since they just piggy backed on the other's entrance. Baam is now very powerful because of his connections to FUG (and what ever demon now lives inside of him). Edit: SpoilerBaam did have natural talent, but was no where near as strong before he met and joined FUG after being betrayed by Lahel. I'm curious what's inside of him (the red skeletal demon that repaired him after that small bomb exploded inside his mouth). If I understood the latest chapter correctly, what ever true devil exists in that big guy who beat up Rapdevil is afraid of the demon that exists inside Baam.

Edited, Jul 1st 2012 4:36pm by TirithRR

Baam is an Irregular. Only Irregulars can make deals with floor guardians directly (like he did near the end of part 1). It's understood near the end of part 1 that Lahel made a deal beyond the standard test with Headon (rabbit-looking fellow, also floor 1 Guardian) but I can't remember if the details behind her deal are clear or not. She'd be an Irregular as well. (Really Rachel, but I liked the early use of Lahel better and prefer to keep using it). King Zahard was an Irregular. He made a pact with all the Guardians and has been allowed to have his rankers administer tests to allow regulars to climb the tower without dealing with the Guardians directly. Irregulars are the original tower climbers I believe, and when Zahard made the new rules it allowed Regulars (the chosen) to start the climb rather than just Irregulars (the strong willed).

The concept of Irregular vs Regular is not well understood (at least for me). Likely due to the majority of the detail being explained in the story/explanations offered outside the releases themselves. As I understand it a Regular is someone chosen by Zahard's people or Headon. An Irregular is someone not directly chosen but who's will is strong enough to access the tower (like the climbers before/during Zahard). The tower itself doesn't fear or hate Irregulars, and by extension neither does Headon, but many of the inhabitants and rankers do because of people like Zahard and the other known Irregulars. Headon says Baam is worthy, but I don't think that means he is not an Irregular.

The story has its mysteries, but I don't think denouncing them as a "mystery for the sake of mystery" is not very fair. I think it would have been kind of a boring story if they had started right when the gal asks Baam to join FUG and continued from there rather than skipping ahead like it did. And while it would be nice to see what happened to the original crew from part 1, it's understandable that with everyone thinking Baam died, that he'd be left behind while they continued the climb. They are now two separate stories. Whether or not the author will decide to touch upon the status of the first crew beyond references or specific characters remains to be seen. I think the two princesses (Anak and Androssi) and Koon will definitely make appearances due to their status in the families. And the masked woman who invites Baam to join FUG. While I would like Rak to come back and play with his Turtles (chibi-Rak made for some decent comic relief), the others are "meh" in my mind. Not that I didn't like any of them, just that they aren't important to the story.

And Baam must be a hotty in the Tower of God universe. Powerful women seem to fall in love with him quite easily. (Androssi, Anak even, Yuri to an extent, the female spirit inhabiting Black March, the new fire lady Yeon has a thing for him as well).

Again the Regular vs. Irregular definitions are flaky, either poorly defined or something lost in translation. Headon and/or Zahard didn't choose him. That's the best answer I can come up with. Baam can make deals with Guardians, that seems to be the best reason as to his Irregular status. But the terms Regular and Irregular are products of the Zahard ruling. The two categories didn't exist before Zahard came to rule the Tower. At least not in the sense they are used now. So it's possible that the tower itself choosing someone is not enough to be considered a Regular.

But that opens the door to the two categories not being mutually exclusive. That the Tower as a separate entity can choose to allow or not allow someone to enter, someone who the Tower chooses to allow in has the benefits of being able to communicate and deal directly with the Guardians, bypassing the Zahard rulers. It could be that the deal with Zahard and the Guardians makes it so once Zahard approves of a Regular to climb the tower, the Guardian and Tower no longer allow them to be "Irregulars". They have to follow the Regular path.

I think the author has stated that all the levels won't be shown (and has demonstrated such). It's mentioned that while each level has its tests, there are key levels that hold important or difficult tests. Floor 2 being one of the big ones. Likely because of the tests on it split the participants into the respective classes, trains them, and ranks their abilities.

Edit:
Today the epilogue came out. No really new developments came, but the author has said Spoilerhe is going to be linking part 1 and part 2 together starting in the next arc. And Koon is the first character (and apparently the author's least favorite...)

Edited, Jul 5th 2012 7:05am by TirithRR

Until god smites him by changing the language he can speak and understand.