7Fates: Chakho Vol. 1
7Fates: Chakho Vol. 1Writer/Artist: HYBE with BTSLetterer: Abigail BlackmanPublisher: Ize PressPublication Date: October 24, 2023Rating: TeenGenre: WEBTOON (S. Korea), Fantasy, Action and Adventure, Historical Fiction, Isekai
7Fates: Chakho is a fantasy action and adventure webcomic created by HYBE in collaboration with BTS. This story takes us to the near future in the fictional city of Sin-si where the main character, Zeha, embarks on his fateful journey.
If you’re like me, you might be curious about the meaning behind the title, 7Fates: Chakho. The 7Fates represents the seven members of the global K-pop sensation BTS. The main character is Zeha, inspired by Jungkook. We also have Haru inspired by Jimin, Do-Geon inspired by RM, Hwan inspired by Jin, Jooan inspired by V, Cein inspired by Suga, and Hosu inspired by J-Hope. If you’re unfamiliar with BTS, check out “Stay Alive,” a song produced by Suga of BTS and sung by Jungkook, exclusively for 7Fates: Chakho.
Below, from left to right, are the characters: Hosu (J-Hope), Haru (Jimin), Hwan (Jin), Zeha (Jungkook), Jooan (V), Cein (Suga), Do-Geon (RM).
I was interested to learn that the “Chakho” in 7Fates: Chakho came from a Korean folktale. Chakho comes from the word “chakhogapsa,” referring to a group of professional tiger hunters. Due to an increase in the tiger population, the people in the Joseon Kingdom were being attacked and killed. So, King Sejong trained the chakhogapsa to be elite tiger hunters to protect Joseon’s people. The king created a system where the chakhogapsa or hunters would be compensated for killing the tigers, the bigger tigers would be worth more. 7Fates: Chakho keeps the essence of the original folktale while introducing fantasy elements to give it a fresh new spin.
The story starts by introducing us to tiger-like creatures called Beom (tiger in Korean), who can only visit Earth once a year. We soon meet the main character, Zeha, and learn that he lost his parents as a child, but the adults in his life would avoid explaining what happened to them. Over time, he gives up on trying to find out more about their death.
One night, Zeha is convinced by a shadowy figure to visit Inwang Mountain, where he grew up. Through a hazy turn of events, he releases a seal placed on the Beom to keep them from staying on the earth longer than a day. With the Beom able to roam freely, they begin to attack and murder the people of Sin-si City. The Beom attacks become so frequent that the Yisal Group (a fictional group that has contributed to the development of Sin-si) rewards the hunters who kill the Beom. Similar to the chakhogapsa of the Joseon Kingdom, the bigger the Beom, the greater the reward.
Due to the Beom attacks, many people in Sin-si have lost their lives and loved ones. Some people have formed hunting groups and are hunting down the Beom to receive the Yisal Group’s reward. This story follows how fate brings Zeha, Haru, Do-Geon, Hwan, Jooan, Cein, and Hosu together.
VERDICT: Overall, I greatly enjoyed the first volume of this series and would recommend it. The art is clean and dynamic, and the color intensifies different moments throughout. The action scenes are easy to follow, and I appreciated how the lettering added severity to some contentious moments. Each character inspired by the members of BTS has their own type of weapon, which lends itself to varied fight scenes. I enjoyed the pacing of the series and the attention that was given to Zeha’s background story. I flew through the pages as I read about Zeha’s parents. I also wanted to know more about the Beom, where they come from, and the reason why they were sealed away from the earth. I’m excited to see Zeha’s growth and to continue to meet the rest of the seven chakho in the rest of the volumes that Ize Press will be releasing in the future.
With 2.6M likes and 33.7M views on WEBTOON, this series will sell quickly. If you’re a fan of fantasy with characters being drawn to each other through fate/destiny, make sure to pick up a copy on October 24, 2023. The volume has ten chapters and is $20.00.
