Bree — a Dragonspeaker — receives a message from an ancient, dying dragon that sets her on a perilous journey in Disteal’s Here There Be Dragons. The webtoon, with 78 episodes, is set in a world that is losing balance. And Bree takes it upon herself to bring together a team of young knights to save the dragon before it’s too late. And it’s an amazing read.
From the art style to the prominent LGBTQ+ themes interwoven into the story, this grand adventure explores different cultures, gender expression, and what it means to be a hero. Combine that with the stellar art style, brought to life by Disteal, Rad Palet, and Julia Norza, and you’ve got a story worth obsessing over. So here are 7 reasons why you should be reading Here There Be Dragons!
Note: Scenes pictured below are only from episodes 1 through 10.
Read Here There Be Dragons on Webtoon.
1. The Dragonspeaker Bree
Bree isn’t just going on a physical journey. She’s also going on a life-defining journey where she’ll come to discover new facets of herself, work through some trauma, and find great friends along the way. The writing in Here There Be Dragons also gives her the space to make mistakes, get angry, and have fun. There’s layers with Bree.
Also, she’s absolutely stunning in every frame she’s in. Just look at the frame below. Face card has never been declined.
2. The LGBTQ+ representation is normalized
Here There Be Dragons has trans, non-binary, and queer representation all over. And it’s not a big deal. It’s a normal part of their lives, so the story doesn’t make it the central focus. The adventure and friendship is the focus. The knights going on this adventure just happen to be LGBTQ+. And it’s refreshing. That and it’s kind of wonderful to learn about a cultural practice centered around queer themes and gender expression.
Fair warning, there are multiple kingdoms within this story. And just because LGBTQ+ roles and culture are normalized, doesn’t mean there aren’t those who see being queer in a negative light. But even then, that’s not the center of this story. The adventure and friendship remain the focus.
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3. It’s exploration of different cultures
In the reason to read Here There Be Dragons above, I mentioned how this webtoon explores gender expression. There’s this really cool moment in the webtoon where Kaya and Axe go through a cultural practice that is gender affirming. And it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It was beautiful, so intimate, and a great example as to how this webtoon explores the different cultures of this world.
As the webtoon progresses, we get glimpses of all these knights homes. And each of them are unique in their own ways, with distinct clothing, customs, and problems. It makes for rich world-building with enough layers that could take years to explore. And those layers are reflected in our main gang of Bree, Kaya, Axe, Demetrius, and Adrian.
4. The art style is stunning
The artwork by Disteal, Rad Palet, and Julia Norza is vibrant, full of this rich depth that brings everything to life, and complements each character. Even the monsters and magical elements have these distinct artistic styles that add to the story. And when Bree gets into her Dragonspeaker powers… oh, she goes through a stunning transformation that is the personification of the title Here There Be Dragons.
5. It balances adventure with humor
You can’t have adventure without hijinks and humor. And Here There Be Dragons balances that out perfectly, especially when it comes to the artistic style. The frame below is a great example of how this webtoon handles comedy while keeping your right in the middle of the action. Because yes, they’ve got a tough mission ahead of them. But they’re becoming friends. And in that space is tenderness, vulnerability, and laughs.
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6. The friendships
Adrian, Demetrius, Bree, Kaya, and Axe are vastly different people. But they work in Here There Be Dragons. The complement each other, lift each other up when need be, and grow as people at each others side. And it’s not easy. There will be fights and disagreements because they’re so different. But as a seasoned reader and watcher of TV and film, I could spot these people becoming found family from the very start. And they do become just that.
7. The smallest details like haircare matter
While this story focuses on adventure and friendship, it’s the little details that really enrich Here There Be Dragons. Case in point, Bree’s hair routine. Bree is a Black woman. And this small scene below of her taking care of her hair mid-adventure or her hair wrapped in the morning, it’s a form of representation that feels genuine and like it came from a place of love and understanding. This is what we want when we ask for representation. Simple moments that validate the life experiences of others and treat it like it’s normal. Because it is.
Read Here There Be Dragons on Webtoon.
Queerly Not Straight posts Saturdays on Fangirlish with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latine community since I am Latine.)
