Warning Label Review

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Warning Label is a webtoon by Thomas F. Zahler following Danielle, a woman working at a board game company in Austin, who is cursed by her ex-boyfriend with a literal warning label showing her flaws. Her new boyfriend Jeff, who works at a movie theater, tries helping her acknowledge and fix these flaws while trying to confront his own ones.

My Thoughts: Although many of the stories I read contain romantic subplots, only a small handful of them have the romance aspect as the core front and center of the plot and this one of the few I wholeheartedly enjoyed which falls into the latter category with some magical realism thrown in. Unlike most romances, Warning Label contains very little (if any) melodramatic elements with the main characters handling their conflicts in honest and practical ways without not constantly playing frivolous mind games and keeping dirty secrets from each other, giving the story more plausibility. The side characters also have unique personalities and quirks which captivate the readers' attention so it does not feel like they are just there for the plot's sake. There is some solid humor as well throughout the series rife with fun, geeky pop-cultural references along with well-paced situational comedy that adds a strong sitcom-esque vibe to it in a positive way. Another element worthy of a laudatory mention is the subtle use of color palette in the backgrounds, those being a somewhat humble mix of red, yellow, brown shading which give out a jazzy atmosphere to the webtoon's urban landscape and, according to one the author's Q&A, convey the Southwestern setting's hot to tepid weather. While some characters do have their unlikable moments, in the end, they evolve and move past them.

Final Thoughts: Warning Label is an entertaining, believable romantic comedy worth giving a shot even if you don't like romance. On a slightly off-topic note, Zahler's new ongoing webtoon, Cupid Arrows, is another work worth looking into which mixes romance and mythological facets to create an interesting plot.

The series can be read here: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/w..