Before Chayaporn Puapanich, better known as Mu, started serialising her comic Loveless Heroine on Webtoon, she was once a teacher-in-training contemplating the uncertainties of a burgeoning freelance artistic career.

Turning these experiences into published comics set the stage for her debut as a full-time artist, a job she’s dreamt of having since childhood. Here’s a look at her smash-hit webtoon and how it came to be.

Read all released episodes in Webtoon, new episodes drop Friday evenings.

Loveless Heroine began as a submission for a Webtoon contest, an annual event that gives promising comics a chance to be turned into TV series, films and merchandise, promoted internationally.

Mu’s entry didn’t make it past the first round, but it did catch the attention of the Webtoon team.

“They put me in touch with a producer, and we have worked together on this story ever since,” Mu recalls. “They help screen for sensitivities in my artwork and coordinate other projects, such as brand collaborations, events and even being a guest speaker in the classroom.”

So how she come up with Loveless Heroine in the first place? Mu explains that she loves reading Chinese novels with an isekai theme, referencing a fiction genre in which the main character is transposed into a different timeline or a strange world. “In some instances, the main character can time travel back to the past and change their own fates,” says Mu.

Under this concept, Mu reimagines the classic Thai tale Khun Chang Khun Phaen to give its protagonist newfound autonomy.

In the traditional telling of the story, Wanthong, the heroine, is caught in a tragic love triangle and sentenced to death by the King when she fails to choose between two men when ordered.

“The fact that Wanthong is so often manipulated in the story upsets me. That’s why I created Loveless Heroine, where an ordinary university student who wakes up in Wanthong’s life can take control of her life and decide her future.”

Extensive research on the history and lifestyle of Ayuthaya Era Thailand forms the backbone of Mu’s illustrations. She uses one main colour for each character and their costume, drawing from a floral-inspired palette that has its roots in traditional Thai art.

Wanthong, for example, wears rose cactus pink which represents the strength in women. Prongthong is dressed in Arabian jasmine white to represent her cuteness.

She also uses colours to represent love and relationships, as was the case in season 3 for two female characters, Prongthong and Jian.

These colour choices not only give insight into who the cast is, but also the culture they come from.

For those who love drawing as Mu does and want to pursue it professionally, she has a few suggestions:

1. Find your drawing style – this may mean trying out all the different aesthetics you commonly see or even creating your own.
2. Once you identify your preference, start small by creating mini-stories, listen to your audience’s feedback and make adjustments from there.

Next stop: your first fully fledged Webtoon!