The world of Morgana and Oz is a world where magic is unpredictable, alliances are vulnerable, and romance blooms in the most unlikely places. Created by author artist Miiuri, this fantasy romance webtoon captured readers’ hearts with its engaging characters, Gothic aesthetics, and a compelling blend of humor and high stakes.
Morgana and Oz: Volume 2 is printed so the story reaches a turning point. Morgana Winterberry, a young witch with a long line of magical users, needs to navigate the fallout of broken peace negotiations between her contract and the Red Vampire clan. Meanwhile, Oz, her passive vampire counterpart, finds herself in a rather unexpected predicament, only complicating their already turbulent relationship.
I recently caught up with Miyuli to discuss the evolution of Morgana and Oz’s relationship, the challenges of webtoon’s storytelling, and what readers can expect from the next arc of this fascinating series.
Courtesy of Webtoon.
AIPT: Morgana and Oz have a great mix of fantasy, romance and comedy. In Volume 2, stakes rise in Curse, Dark Magic and Brewing Wars. How did you approach the storyline conflict while maintaining the relationship between Morgana and Oz at its core?
Miyuli: I had a general overview from the beginning, but then I divided it into three seasons. Volume 2 concludes the first big arc. I hope that by keeping a complete story in mind, you will generally get a more consistent and complete reading experience. I wanted to give Morgana and Oz enough time to develop and establish their relationship with their characters and situations first. Stakes continue to increase a little, so we hope readers will enjoy where future stories go.
aipt:oz packs a part of this second volume as a cat. What inspired this magical disaster? Also, how will you challenge his dynamics at Morgana?
Miyuli: Oz already spends most of the volume 1 in cat shape and is reduced at all volumes. There are certain limitations to stuffing male lead into cat bodies for a long time, but it also gave us many opportunities to showcase their relationship from a healthy angle. Cat Oz also got a glimpse of what he normally didn’t see that quickly. I am excited to continue developing their relationship in his human form.
AIPT: Morgana’s powers become unpredictable, and her family has a dark magical secret. What can you tease about her magical evolution and how it affects her choices?
Miyuli: The magical evolution of Morgana is at the heart of this story. She and the main villain have a lot in common. I like to show how different people deal with their situations, so I’m excited to show you what Morgana does with her growing magical abilities. Thankfully, she will get a lot of help along the way.
AIPT: Witch and Vampire were classic fantasy pairings, but Morgana and Oz have such a fresh take. What was your biggest inspiration when you created their world? And how did you balance humor with high interests?
Miyuli: I have been a fan of fantasy, magic, vampire, witches for a very long time and have used many common ratios, but would be happy if it looked fresh and fun. As a teenager, I enjoyed a lot of TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I also really enjoy elements of European romanticism and Gothic style. Still, I wanted to make this story fun and brighter, like many of the (studio) Ghibli films I love. After being a reader for many years, things blend naturally in my inspiration pool.
Courtesy of Webtoon.
AIPT: Your artwork brings so many personality to each scene, from magical accidents to emotional moments. Was the particular panels and sequences in Volume 2 particularly fun or challenging to describe?
Miyuli: Volume 2 has many of my favorite scenes! Morgana finally achieved magical success, and her backstory with a particular character was a lot of fun to portray. I’m pleased to be able to update some of the panels in the printed version, as I don’t always have enough time to spend on the panels during online serialization.
AIPT: Webtoon storytelling is often performed at a different pace than traditional comics. Did your work with Morgana and Oz have an impact on how you build scenes and build tensions from episode to episode?
Miyuli: While drawing Morgana and Oz, I learned a lot about pacing. It was my first long webtoon and my editor, Eunice Baik, has been a huge help. Her insights and tips are amazing. The biggest thing that got me used to was how to properly portray the transitions in the scene. The gutter space is much larger in Webtoons. Instead of flipping the page, scrolling down helps to create a flow of time.
As for writing, I came up with “Page Turner” before heading to “Episode Turner.” I didn’t need to think about page layouts, but I tried to create an interesting panel flow. After every episode, I’m trying to give readers a reason to continue reading. Some of the episodes are combined into chapters, so I hope it’s good for both the reading experience and the print version.
aipt: The first volume was selected in the next list of kids indie – Congratulations! How did fans’ reactions to the series affect your approach to storytelling, and did readers’ responses surprise you?
Miiuri: Thank you! Online, I generally try not to be too distracted by readers’ reactions, but whenever I spend my time creating fanwork for my story, I am always incredibly happy and amazed. I’m also fortunate to have a signature session and am confused as to how many people will come to meet me. It feels a bit unrealistic and I am so grateful that I can tell this story.
aipt: Volume 2 has been printed recently, so what are readers looking forward to next? Any tips on where Morgana and Oz’s journey is heading in future chapters?
Miyuli: Volume 2 marks the end of the first big arc. The next arc will go into detail about the background of Oz and reveal a lot about the dark side of the Winterbury Witch family. We’re preparing the finale for the entire series, so we’re excited to see these volumes come out.
AIPT: If you had to explain the relationship between Morgana and Oz using only emojis, what would they be?
miyuli: 🌿✨️🐈
It seems like a suitable combination ☺️.
