Comic Review of ‘Let’s Play’ by Mongie

By: Lauren Rogers

“Let’s Play” by Leeanne Krecic (or Mongie as she is more commonly known) is the perfect romantic comedy webcomic for anyone interested in outstanding character backstories, love triangles and of course, gaming! Below is a synopsis of the story written by Mongie herself:

“She’s young, single and about to achieve her dream of creating incredible videogames. But then life throws her a one-two punch: a popular streamer gives her first game a scathing review. Even worse she finds out that same troublesome critic is now her new neighbor! A funny, sexy and all-too-real story about gaming, memes and social anxiety. Come for the plot, stay for the doggo. “

Right off the bat I would like to mention what an interesting set up for a story this is. Mongie herself stated that the inspiration for this comic came when she was watching a Youtuber do a let’s play of an amateur indie game. The streamer roasted the game on screen, and it made Mongie wonder what the creator of the game must be feeling if they watched this let’s play, and what would happen if they met in real life. Thus, the plot of Let’s Play was born, and I will say that it is the most intriguing premise for a comic about gaming I have ever come across.

The main thing I fell in love with in this comic was the characters. Every single character, main or side, has a unique story that defines who they are, and these stories are unlocked slowly over the course of the comic. I have a big appreciation for character development that isn’t always obvious at first, but rather all clicks into place after some time in the story. It is also worth noting that many of the main characters are all dealing with some kind of mental illness, from social anxiety to depression to PTSD. Usually, their symptoms are portrayed through visual metaphors (such as the manifestation of fear being a humongous muscular figure that looms in the shadows) and these images do a fantastic job of explaining what it’s like to deal with these problems on a daily basis.

The only thing that does bother me a bit about this comic is how oversaturated it is with fanservice, jokes about anime tropes and fourth wall breaks. I have no problem with these features in a comic, and in most cases I actually find them quite enjoyable. However, in the case of Let’s Play, a lot of these moments feel forced or out of place and interrupt the flow of the episode. The fanservice moments don’t seem to serve a purpose in the story in some cases and can actually be misleading as to who has a crush on who. The anime tropes and fourth wall breaks feel awkward at times and come off as trying too hard to be funny. Although, none of these annoyances have bothered me too much and I say the rest of the comic is well worth a few fanservice moments or quirky jokes.

All in all, Let’s Play has become a new obsession of mine. This fun, relatable and moving webcomic has stolen my heart and I highly recommend reading it on Webtoons!