Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"What happens when your entire life is ruled by a prophecy – your future foretold by people you’ve never met, who died long before you were born. Such is the story of two young sea creatures.
One believed to be a guiding light for his people, a Beacon who will lead them to a bright, prosperous future. The other is a teenage prince for who’s destiny is to KILL the Beacon so that HIS own people might thrive.
When both reject the course set for them, it leads to a raucous adventure as big and unpredictable as the ocean itself – and a romance that nobody could have predicted."
Castle Swimmer is a fantasy webtoon by Wendy Lian Martin.
Season 1 was fantastic, and Season 2 kept those emotions going because this was just as great. It is hard to keep the momentum going through a series but this didn't falter at all.
I think this goes without saying, but if you have no read S1, you probably shouldn't read this review as there are going to be spoilers for it.
Now, let's get into the details.
WRITING/ART
I have no complaints about the writing as it still does its purpose well at dispensing information. The art does go down a tiny bit when there are scenes with multiple characters who are not Kappa or Siren. The characters don't have details and are just blobs, but the author did say that they wanted to focus on getting the story out, for now, so I cannot fault them for that.
The transitions between chapters are a lot more abrupt as well because Kappa and Siren are no longer in the same space all the time. So, you end up with one character for a period of time before going back to the other with no buffer in between.
I also spied a spelling mistake but it was a single one so I could ignore it.
PLOT
This picks up right where S1 ends, with Kappa going on his way while Siren heals. Back on track though, unlike S1 where they were together the entire time, this season is a time for them to grow as characters by themselves, while also finding each other again. As we move out of the solitary location of Siren's home, we are now introduced to the outside world and a group of new characters.
As the world expands, we also start to get more answers about Siren's curse as well as more information about other clans and creatures. We also get answers that were alluded to in the first season which was both appreciated, and hard to read (so prepare yourself emotionally). That being said, you know it is a sign of a good story when you end up getting emotional, and not angry emotional but empathetic emotional.
This season also ends on a clear note and you know exactly what direction the next season is going to go in. It also leaves you with a good sense of intrigue as it leaves you hanging a bit with what is to come.
CHARACTERS
As I said before, with Siren and Kappa being apart, there leaves a lot of room for them to grow. Siren, although he bumbles around a lot and gets himself into trouble because he has had no training and has never been outside of his home, he does grow a lot more confident in himself. Kappa also grows as he faces the trauma from his past, and tries to learn how to say no to the prophecies.
Both Siren and Kappa find new people to travel with. Siren ends up with a mother and son, Pim and Pagoon, looking for a new home while Kappa helps out a group of 'very evil witches' consisting of Mucku, Mono and Queen Nethimir. Siren is also joined by Kappa's companion, an adorable axolotl he called Arp.
They were great additions to the story, and you end up caring about them instantly. If you like stories with found family, then this will hit the spot. Again, like S1, you even care about passing characters because they are fleshed out enough.
We also have some good representation in this series (besides Siren and Kappa), with Nee being trans and Neth being aroace, and a bunch of other minor LGBTQ characters as well.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Now that I have binged my way through both seasons, I now have to prepare myself for the long wait for another season to be completed. I usually don't start series that aren't finished because I hate waiting. This will be worth the wait though, and I can always reread the first two seasons while waiting anyway.
If you have any issues regarding trigger warnings, and there are some for blood/violence and mentions of suicide, the author makes a warning at the start of every chapter when it applies.