Quick Links
Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Tower of God Part 2 The Return of the Prince!!
The anime based on the acclaimed webtoon written by SIU,Tower of God, will finally make its long-awaited return after four years. Fans couldn’t be more excited thatTower of God’sSeason 2 has an official release date. The first season was mostly a faithful adaptation of Part 1 of the story; however, with only thirteen episodes covering 78 chapters of the webtoon,the anime unfortunately suffered pacing issues and made some changescompared to the source material, trying to highlight the most important aspects of the Tower.
Although most of the differences in the anime were related to overlooking scenes that elaborate more on the character relationships, two changes made in the final episode ofTower of God’sseason 1 represent a big underlying problem going forward with the story.
The anime not only made a significant change inBam’s final conversation with Hwaryun, but it also cut an important scene that could drastically alter the events of season 2. These changes in the anime could completely shift Bam’s motivation and character, which is a big mistake thatTower of Godseason 2 needs to fix.
10 Best Manhwa Fans of Tower of God Need to Read
Tower of God is one of the most highly regarded manhwa stories, and rightfully so. Fans looking for a similar experience need to check these titles.
The Anime Didn’t Adapt the Scene That Explains Bam’s Reason to Join FUG
Bam Joins FUG After His Friends Were Threatened
InTower of God’s webtoon, Han Sung Yu, the test director of the second floor, gifts each regular a ring before they leave the floor to climb the tower; this scene wasn’t adapted in the anime. This gift has proved to be a relevant plot point because in Part 2 of the webtoon, it’s shown thatBam was threatened by Han Sung Yu, who belongs to an organization called FUG, revealing that he put a tracker device on the rings he gave to Bam’s friends, and they will kill them all unless he trains and becomes a slayer for them.
This led to Bam adopting the name Jyu Viole Grace.The rings turned Bam’s friends into hostages of FUG, and protecting them was the only thing he cared about after being betrayed by Rachel. Bam willingly does everything that FUG tells him and undergoes special training that turns him into a powerful irregular. This means that unless the anime completely changes Bam’s character, season 2 must do a flashback to reveal that Hansung did give the tracking rings to the regulars, since without his friends as hostages, Bam doesn’t have a reason to become Jyu Viole Grace.
Tower of God’s First Season Finale Changed Bam’s Motivation to Climb the Tower
Bam Doesn’t Decide to Climb the Tower to Find the Answer to Rachel’s Betrayal.
In the final scenes ofTower of God’sseason 1, when Bam is found by Hwaryun after being pushed by Rachel, he gets up on his own and confidently declares thathe will climb the tower to find the answer to Rachel’s betrayal. Although it seems like the typical scene of the shōnen hero finding his resolution to move forward, it represents a huge change in Bam’s personality and motivation to climb the tower, since in the webtoon Bam was devastated and helpless; he just stayed on the ground, confused and unable to understand his feelings.
The moments after Rachel’s betrayal are the lowest point for Bam. Even if Bam does want to find the answer to Rachel’s actions on his own, he doesn’t have the motivation to follow Hwaryun. This is later revealed in Part 2, Chapter 28, of the Webtoon, where Han Sung Yu says that Bam still hasn’t made up his mind about what he will do, even after 4 days. That’s why FUG decided to threaten him.Bam only realized he needed strength after his friends became hostages, not because he wanted to gain power to climb the tower and find Rachel.
It would be a mistake for the anime to try to change Bam into the usual shōnen character with an idealistic mindset. He is a complex character with a slow and progressive change due to his previous seclusion and fragile and dependent state of mind at the beginning of the story. Bam changes from the good boy who only cared about Rachel to a character who is in constant evolution, and that is what makes him such a unique protagonist.
Tower of God’s Second Season Could Introduce Bigger Changes to the Story
Bam’s Characterization in the Anime Could Stray From the Original Webtoon.
Tower of God’sseason 2 could discard the tracking rings without completely changing the story, since there are still other ways FUG can threaten the lives of Bam’s friends, although it won’t be as impactful as in the source material. The lack of tracking rings means that Bam won’t be constantly worried about his friends’ safety.
Also, there is always a possibility that the anime could stray further from the original story and show Bam willing to train without being threatened. But that will take away from his character arc, as he wouldn’t have a reason to be depressed and struggling to find who he wants to become. Either way,Tower of Godanime made Bam a fan-favorite character, and most webtoon readers are intrigued to see how season 2, which will be released as a part of theCrunchyroll’s summer 2024 lineup, will present his identity as Jyu Viole Grace.
How season 2 will tackle the story may be the same or not as the source material. Nevertheless, whileToG’s season 2 needs to address these two problems, fans only want the anime to be a good version of SIU’s story. Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait long to see the new season sinceTower of God’s will have a special premiere at Anime Expo 2024, which will show the anticipated start of the Return of the Prince Arc.
Tower of God
Cast
Tower of God is an anime series based on the South Korean webtoon by SIU. It follows a young boy named Bam who embarks on a perilous journey to ascend a mysterious tower, where each floor presents unique challenges and tests. The tower promises to grant the deepest desires of those who reach its top. Along the way, Bam forms alliances and confronts adversaries while uncovering hidden truths about himself and the tower.
