Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight #54: The Four of Them

Have you ever read a webtoon that speaks to you? If so, I think you'll love The Four of Them by Mai Hirschfeld_.

Summary

All of his life, Grillo has been shown up by his younger sister Mica in practically everything. From sports to grades, it's a constant uphill battle for him. And unfortunately, this all boils over once his sister pronounces that she's not only gay but is currently in a relationship with Grillo's crush Mariel. So after a mess like that, where does Grillo go from here?

Characters

While The Four of them focus on a quartet, I believe it has five main characters. The last one is Mica, for anyone wondering.

    Grillo: At first, Grillo was a socially awkward introvert that forced himself into any scenario possible to escape Mariel, but after some time, he started to put himself out there more.

    Gabby: Grillo's best friend and confidant, Gabby is even more introverted than Grillo and far more irritable. He can't be bothered to hang out with exhausting people, but he is willing to know when he goes too far.

    Mariel: Mica's secret gf; while she never knew about Grillo's crush Mica has serious confidence issues. She is the main reason she and Mica aren't out and proud and seek to make more friends.

    Martina: Easily the friendliest out of the four, Martina is that one friend you can always turn to. She's outspoken, understanding, and extroverted, but she isn't looking for a relationship.

    Mica: Grillo's annoying little sister, Mica, is a girl who always knows what she wants. She is dominant, understanding, and honest but can still be a brat to others.

    Overview

I admit that The Four of Them has a weird art style that makes everyone look a little baggy and blocky, but I think it gets the job done. And after reading webtoons for over three years, I will happily state that this may very well be the most relatable and down-to-earth webtoon I've ever read. 

The series never forgets that these guys are just dumb teenagers doing things entirely out of their depth and handles all of their emotions and points of view well. This is very much a coming-of-age story as we see these kids get older and more assertive over who they are and what they want.

Multiple sexualities also get handled well since it makes sense that even in the open world we live in, it doesn't make it any easier. Being a teenager is a hard ass job, and the series doesn't shy away from all the bs we have to go through to find ourselves. 

I never feel like this series is overdramatic or over-sensationalized these problems, which is a godsend given the existence of shows like 13 Reasons Why and Riverdale exist in today's society. Ironically, being edgy makes you a joke, and I'm proud of The Four of Them for showing that.

Epilogue

The four of them are an underrated gem that deserves way more love and attention, and hopefully, it will as I, for now, must spin the spotlight to someone else.