YouTube culture, memes and themes of social anxiety meet diversity and relationships of different variety in the webcomic “Let’s Play” written and illustrated by Mongie.

Available on WebToon, “Let’s Play” tells the story of Sam, a shy and introverted gamer who has finally developed her own puzzle game. But before her game can gain any real popularity, a famous online gamer posts a video of himself playing her game and gives it a bad review, causing many fans of the online personality to shoot down her game and give it a bad reputation.

Angry and crestfallen, Sam tries her best to ignore the hate comments on her game and anything that has to do with the famous gamer, until he moves in right next to her.

“Let’s Play” is all about relatable-ness and character development. From the noticeable and amusing references to YouTube culture and memes to the steady and slow build of friendships and romance, and then the showcasing of diversity and themes of social anxiety, the webcomic has plenty to offer.

Each character is unlike any other. Each character is unique and brings something new to the table.

There are all sorts of colorful people introduced into the story that get to share themselves and the beauty of diversity without being there simply for the sake of being diverse. Sam battles anxiety and is a very shy and kind character, while characters such as Marshall and Link display the loneliness of fame and the greatness of kindness and hard work.

While the webcomic is genred as a romance, the relationship between the two main characters is a slow burn full of character development. There is a hint of a spark in the beginning, but just as in any realistic situation, there are sometimes complications.

The comic shows that love doesn’t automatically happen. The longer the comic gets, the more the audience will see that the eventual “get together” will be so worth the wait. Besides, forgiveness and friendship need to ensue first way before romance.

People have to grow and experience certain things in order to find their way. They have to discover and understand themselves first before they can commit themselves fully to another person. Sometimes you have to go through a few thorns before you can get to the rose. “Let’s Play” does a great job with addressing this without having to spell it out.

Colorful and fun artwork is also featured in the comic. The dialogue and storytelling is wonderfully detailed, but the art is what truly drives the story.

The artist sketches characters in memes at certain areas of the story to further emphasize certain emotions and thoughts, while also illustrating such detailed facial expressions and actions that add even further entertainment to the story.

Graphics of personified anxiety, fear and depression really nail in the effects the mental influences have on the human mind and especially on characters such as Sam, who has severe anxiety. It is heartwarming and riveting to be able to go on the journey of self-discovery and healing with Sam and other characters like Marshall.

“Let’s Play” is a very entertaining and diverse webcomic that is nothing but enjoyable to follow along with.

It may be frustrating to have to wait for a new chapter each week, but when the new chapter is released, it proves to be worthy of the suspense. Webcomics bring in fun new elements when it comes to reading, and there’s no doubt that “Let’s Play” exhibits all of those elements.