I like the “Suddenly, monsters!” genre of Korean action manhwa. They all start the same way: everyone walking around in the city, suddenly a rift appears in the skies and monsters pour out. Waah, whatever will we do? But some people awaken powers and save the day, hurray, tralala~ It’s the same every time and I’m super here for it.
However, because there are so many in the genre, every series has to find a gimmick to distinguish itself. In the case of Warrior High School: Dungeon Raid Department, our subject for today, the gimmick is that there’s a… warrior high school. An exclusive high school for elite future adventurers. Our hero, Yoo Jaryong, badly needs money and items to save his ailing ex-adventurer father. A rich girl offers to fund him in exchange for Jaryong enrolling in Warrior High School to protect and party with her.
So far, so easy to understand. Except… I’ve been reading for 31 chapters and Jaryong hasn’t even taken the high school exam, much less enrolled, much less set foot in its hallowed halls. “Dungeon Raid Department”? What’s that, is it a food? I like a good, detailed setup, but come oooon now.
What’s been happening instead makes it look like the author lacks clear direction. First Yoo Jaryong is introduced as this super strong, experienced adventurer/smuggler… then no, he’s not actually that strong. This is to justify his need to enroll in a school and benefit from actual training. Fair enough.
Then we’re introduced to his background, his father, his financial issues. Also fair enough, so we can understand why he would need to trade his skills for money, and also why he would take the exam. Then he takes an unofficial exam, which is largely pointless except to introduce him to two former acquaintances of his father. Which IMO could have been done in a speedier way, because the excess focus on Yoo Seung (the father) makes him seem like a far more interesting and exciting character to follow.
Then finally, the exam….? Nope! Having been introduced as an aloof high-schooler obsessed with making money, Jaryong is now painted as an ordinary kid who enjoys gaming and kills time in a PC room where he just happens to make friends with an elite but lonely student from Warrior High School. The place he still hasn’t enrolled in or taken the exam but he totally will. I wanted to nitpick a little more on this, but his friendship with Tir/Cheolkang is pretty sweet and they make a good team, so I’ll let it pass.
Not that I have time to nitpick because suddenly! the place is attacked by monsters! And there are absolutely no adventurers nearby except Jaryong and Tir! Wao, what a coinkidink. But like I said, they make a great team.
And when all seems lost despite their efforts, suddenly! Jaryong awakens a super power! Noooooooooooo! I mean, yes, it’s the author’s right but nooooooooo. I liked him as a diamond in the rough, without the Naruto-style bloodline whatever hogwash attached. Waaahhh. And that’s around how far we got before I caught up to chapter 31. Oh yeah, Jaryong also found out the name of the enemy he needs to beat to save his dad, so that’s progress.
Long story short, it looks like Warrior High School is going to be a long story, not short. 30-something chapters just to take the exam to enter the titular school is the author’s way of saying “Get ready for the long haul.” I’m all on board for it, to be honest. I like Jaryong, I feel sorry for his dad, the other characters are not bad and the action is easy to follow.
The slow pace isn’t something I’m used to in these action manhwa, but I can make it work. That said, there’s no need to follow Warrior High School on a weekly basis. Checking in once every February should be enough. Binge-reading for the win..
