Burning Hell (Webtoon)

## Image Gallery

**Burning Hell** is a semi-reboot Korean **YLAB** webtoon and the 4th Super String webtoon. It is a reboot of the original Japanese and Korean manga of the same name. The author is Inwan Youn, illustrator is Kyungil Yang and is produced by YLAB.

## Synopsis

This is the story of two murderers who take place on an exile island next to Dokdo, 'Great Heat Hell', where criminals and monsters from Joseon, Edo, Qing and Great Britain come to this island with their own desires.

## Release Schedule

As a manga, it originally released in Japan, 2008. Currently, on Naver Webtoon episodes released every Saturday and first serialized on May 2, 2015 and completed on July 5, 2015. On September 16, 2015, it is required to pay to read. As of now, there is no English Official Release.

## Reading Order

Due to the webtoon setting takes place during the Joseon Era, it would be considered to read this first. However due to it has the least connection in all of Superstring, you can read this wherever you want.

## Where to Read

**Official Links**

* Korean (Complete): https://comic.naver.com/webtoon/list?titleId=653857

**Unofficial Links**

***WARNING***: These links are provided for viewers to read and reference purposes for us. Due to being unofficial, exercise precaution at your own risk, as we cannot guarantee the security of these sites although we do use them without issues. However, this is mainly for any links besides English as English scans are usually safe. Regardless, be careful!

* Korean (Complete): https://newtoon186.com/toon/end/%EB%B2%84%EB%8B%9D%ED%97%AC
	+ *Note: There are some buggy-like placement of the panels somewhat throughout.*
* Chinese (Incomplete): https://comic.acgn.cc/view-235717.htm#show
* Original English (Complete): https://mangadex.org/title/5f916bdd-c70c-48fa-b43b-3d629cd1d423/the-kingdom-of-the-gods
	+ *As the remake is not too different from the original, you can consider reading the original in English scan.*

## Background

Burning Hell was originally a manga in Japanese and later reworked to become a Webtoon as well as updated to fit the Super String Universe, much like Island Part 1 and Blade of the Phantom Master. However, unlike the other two works (Island and BOPM), the Burning Hell Webtoon has a lot more differences between the two described below. As for the Webtoon, there is only one season with just nine episodes:

* Ep.1-2: Meeting Between Criminals
* Ep.3-9: Battle At Burning Hell

### Difference Between Manga and Webtoon Versions

Burning Hell is in a unique circumstance in that, due to the original being created before the idea of Superstring, it has little to no correlation with the rest of the universe. The updated version exist so the series would fit better with the lore of Superstring. However, assuming the fan translation is correct, below is all of the differences the original has which are changed in the updated version:

* The original look has the typical black and white colors but the webtoon has a sort of blue pastel tint to the whites.
* The original has only 4 episodes, whereas the webtoon splits it up into 9 with a mini epilogue.
* It seems that pirates were after McMahon's crew as well in the original instead of it only being the British like in the webtoon.
* The Karvan Pirates were initially named the "Red Skeletons".
* In the webtoon, apparently Eddie acted feminine while in the original, he doesn't.
* In the original, the source of Captain McMahon's powers is a type of black magic called "*Roar*", whereas in the webtoon it's a form of supernatural opium.
* Initially, McMahon's goal was to gain even more supernatural power instead of selling his opium to all around Asia to destroy from within.
* Isao Jeong was initially a Britain princess named Catherine with her hair being blond instead of black.
* She was initially a demonic sacrifice instead of just a captive to be killed to incentivize war between China and Britain.
* It seems that McMahon has a superior that sent him to capture Isao but in the original he didn't.
* During the final fight, when Jyu and Han Kim fought together, Catherine describes them as an Orthrus, a two-headed guard dog from Greek Mythology. However, in the webtoon version, this was changed to a mythical two-headed dragon.
* In the original ending, pirate ships come to the island while in the webtoon there was a new ending after it with Isao revealed to be a pirate captain and plans to recruit Jyu and Han Kim to save the Qing Dynasty from an unknown danger.

### Characters

* Jyu - The protagonist, he is a cannibalistic samurai from Japan who was imprison on a desolated island.
* Han Kim - The deuteragonist, a serial killer from Korea who kills people to make artistic sculptures.
* Captain McMahon - The antagonist and leader of the Karvan Pirates, he desires to overpower the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire through supernatural opium.
* Isao Jeong - A woman kidnaped by McMahon, she's secretly a pirate captain.

Full Character List

**All Characters with Pages**

**Eddie****Han Kim****Han Kim's Sister****Isao Jeong****Jyu****McMahon**

### Organizations

* Karvan Pirates
* Qing Dynasty
* British Empire
* Isao's Pirate Group (unnamed)

### Setting/Locations

The events of Burning Hell occur during the Edo period of Japan and Joseon Period of Korea. The Island to which Jyu and Han Kim are cast onto is not mentioned by name, but is given the nickname "Burning Hell". Pretty much all the events occur on the island and partly on McMahon's ship as the two try to use it to sail away.

## Super String Universe

Since it takes place in the Joseon era, and considering that it is about the Opium War which is from 1839 to 1842. Thus, it is before every Superstring Webtoon that is in the main dimension. Meaning this webtoon is 1st in the main timeline.
**Crossovers**
* Revealed in the Superstring Encyclopedia, Han Kim's Sister is a friend of Suki Kang during the Joseon Era.
* In the same resource, it is mentioned that McMahon's necromancy through opium is similar to Euitae Yoo's necromancy.

## Plot Overview

#### Meeting Between Criminals

Between the Japanese Archipelago and the Korean Peninsula were a desolated island. An Imperial Japanese ship arrived as some soldiers leave with a huge wooden box. The officer onboard warns his men of any pirates and the captive inside. He explains the danger of the captive; Jyu, a Japanese cannibal samurai who thirst for hunger and battles as he slain over thousand of warriors and eaten their corpses. Suddenly, Jyu breaks out of his containment and starts to kill everyone on the island. The officer then orders their ship to turn around to leave him but he was killed when Jyu throws the katana. He chases them but to no avail. On the cliffs was a mysterious stranger looking at him. Jyu then turns around and yells any criminals to face forward but none shown up. He then felt hungry and was about to eat the soldier's corpse when he smells something delicious. He approaches and sees cooked whole pig and runs towards it but fell into a spike trap. He saves himself and climbs back up but he was then hit by a large boulder and knocked out.

At night, Jyu wakes up and sees multiple people but soon to find it was a group of dead skinned corpses sculptures posed with weapons. Soon someone approaches him. A Korean medical doctor, Han Kim, who was abandoned here due to being branded as a serial killer for his "autopsies." They began to talk but they don't understand each other. Han began to carve him as he sliced his right eye and then opens his autopsy tools as he talked about immortality and his last victim. Angered, Jyu breaks his chain and attacks him; grabbing a katana and sliced his left eye. Also angered, both began to fight with their katanas.

#### Battle At Burning Hell

A year later, a large pirate ship arrived on the island and many if its crew unload a lot of cargo. On the shore some hears something in the forest but resumes unloading. In the ship, Captain McMahon, the Captain of the Karvans was arguing a member. The member was worried what they had done had gotten the whole British Empire to chase them because of what they had stolen and their opium. McMahon was not worried but the member refused. McMahon then uses his power which exploded the member and warn them not to rebel. Then he hears a commotion outside. Jyu had started to kill them as he wants to get off the island. The pirates were about to attack but Jyu trips a trap which killed some of the pirates. However, Han also wanted to get off the island and so they fought each other again. The pirates attempt to attack but were killed as Jyu and Han handled them as they fought. Han halted him and noticed that perhaps the ship had some sort of valuable inside as usually any treasure are unloaded first. They then join up and kill the pirates. On board, McMahon was observing and sends in Eddie, his second in command to fight.

Soon, all of the pirates had been killed by the duo. Eddie suddenly ambushes them. They noticed his awful spell before they fight, McMahon monologues that Eddie had killed 3,000 Portuguese soldiers by himself. Shortly, a female captive was inside the ship. The fight continues as Han decided to fight him alone. He pinpoint his attacks on his body and rips away his skin; killing Eddie. They then noticed that Eddie was an undead as his body had been decomposing. McMahon then enters the fight and announced himself. Jyu sliced his arm but it regenerated in a second. He explain his power was through demonic opium and he plans to sell and reproduce it in China and make Asia a living hell. His back sprout out crab spider legs and attacks the duo. Jyu runs to the ship but McMahon stops him but Han assists him. At the right opportunity, they runs towards the ship managing to out run him. Jyu boosts Han up and the he cuts a rope for him but it was severed leaving him against McMahon.

Han enters inside the the lower decks to find Isao Jeong, daughter of the Qing Dynasty. Isao asks who is he but Han was immersed by her beautiful skin. He then cuts her ropes as she explained that McMahon plans to kill her in order to start a war between the Qing and the British. She ask him for help so that she can get back to her home. Han then asked for her age as she replied she is 16 years old. The youngest he ever met, he planned to kill her for his sculpture but her beauty reminded him of his sister. Bringing a painful memory, he stops as the ship suddenly was partially destroyed. Both of them went above and Han showed Jyu the captive. Enraged, McMahon grabs Isao and monologues that in a few weeks there will be a war between China and British when he kills Isao which will result in even more opium. As Isao screams, it reminded Han of his sister's tears and runs towards him; cutting him and saved Isao. He gave her to Jyu to run but he refused and helps him. As they fought, Isao noticed how they fought with each other like mythological dragons. They over power McMahon as Jyu lands the final blow, decapitating his head but he attempts a final attack but Han stops him. Defeated, McMahon warns them that more people will come to kill Isao for the opium just before he died. The ship then scuttled as the trio was on the shores. Isao thanks them both again but then they both fights each other to take Isao. As the storm appears, seemingly other ships approaches the island. Seemingly sometime later a pirate speaks to Isao if it is wise to use those two for their benefit. Isao, revealed to be a pirate captain, explains that it will be fine as she needs them to save the Qing Dynasty from the opium.

## Evaluation

Currently, there is no evaluation or criticsim from Korean readers as presumbably because of how short it is.

## Trivia

* Apparently, censorship for the webtoon version was very strict.
* The official book and Naver series are on sale with the combination of "**Kingdom of God**." another YLAB webtoon that is unrelated to Superstring.
	+ However there is a character that looks like Jyu from the cover
* It is assumed that if "Parako," a suspended/canceled Superstring webtoon, was to be in progress, the characters of "Burning Hell" will be introduce at a high chance due to their similar time period.
* With just a measly nine episodes, it is by far the shortest Superstring Work.
* McMahon's goal in causing a war between Britain and China with opium is a direct historical reference with the opium war.
* The webtoon is one of the few to include different languages in the text bubbles while a translation is off to the sides. The languages used were: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and English.
* The name "Burning Hell" is a direct reference to one of the eight hells of Buddhism.

## References

1. ↑ https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%B2%84%EB%8B%9D%ED%97%AC
2. ↑ https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%97%90%EB%94%94(%EC%8A%88%ED%8D%BC%EC%8A%A4%ED%8A%B8%EB%A7%81)#s-4
3. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthrus
4. ↑ Burning Hell, Ep.9
5. ↑ Burning Hell, Ep.9
6. ↑ Burning Hell, Ep.1
7. ↑ https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%B2%84%EB%8B%9D%ED%97%AC#s-6
8. ↑ https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%B2%84%EB%8B%9D%ED%97%AC
9. ↑ https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/opium-war-1839-1842#:~:text=Between%201839%20and%201842%2C%20British,on%20the%20Canton%20River%2C%201840