[Sungchan-eol’s Comic Book] The “Happy” Adventure of Circus Cutie Donuts, “Donuts and the Circus”

If I had to make a small personal statement that doesn’t quite fit the job of a movie reporter: there are times when I see a comic or an anime and instantly think, “That’s totally my style.” What I mean is that, compared to movies or dramas that depict reality, comics or anime express images of the world the author—or the work—wants to draw more intensely through the artwork. So when I first saw Naver Webtoon’s “Donuts and the Circus,” I immediately felt a conviction like, “This is totally going to be my taste.” Of course, when I actually read “Donuts and the Circus,” it targeted the writer’s taste in a different way.

“Donuts and the Circus,” which began serialization in November 2025 and wrapped up in March 2026, is Oven’s debut work. It kicks off the story with Donuts, a member of the Cake Circus, as the protagonist. “Master,” Apple the aunt, Pie the uncle, Soda the older sister, Mokha the uncle, and Jjinppang—Donuts, who lives with them as a traveling circus unit member, is working as a ticket seller because he hasn’t learned any tricks yet. Every day, he pleads and begs to learn tricks, but the other unit members have no intention of teaching him. Then, Donuts starts to turn his gaze to a world beyond the circus.

The reason I knew I had to read “Donuts and the Circus” the moment I saw it was simply the unbelievably adorable artwork. Not only the look of Donuts, the dog full of clumsiness and charm, but also Soda, always smiling and grinning; Mokha, secretly warm even though he keeps acting like he’s casually lovable; Pie, a timid one who may look like the cutest beast, and who isn’t nearly as shy as he should be; and even Apple, who shows the image of a leader by both controlling the unit members and acting like the responsible one. The way the characters’ personality and the circus backdrop are made even more “aww-dorable” with gentle, subtle coloring—everything comes together. “Donuts and the Circus” is like a fairy tale drawn in the style of a clumsy kid, and it shoots straight into the reader’s eyes.

But of course, this is a post introducing the webtoon—so at this point I’d honestly love for you to jump right into the webtoon. “Donuts and the Circus” has a lot of fascinating parts the less you know, the more interesting it gets. The artwork I mentioned at the start is the work’s twist point. When the gap between the world inside the story and the world that Donuts is looking at suddenly becomes visible through a shift in the work’s drawing style, an impact no one could have imagined lands on the reader’s head. In fact, the circus unit members aren’t animals. This isn’t a fantasy world where animals live like people. It’s revealed early on, but they’re all human beings who are controlled by the existence called “Master.”

That’s right—“Donuts and the Circus” may have this super cute, adorable artwork, but in reality it borrows from a post-apocalyptic setting. With artwork that gives off something cute or pure-looking, and the contrast—the gap between this violent, destructive world—“Donuts and the Circus” perhaps deals with a cliché you might think is inevitable, using the artwork, and then completes it as a cruel fairy tale. Even the protagonists wearing the guise of animals don’t stay only within this kind of twist device. A group of protagonists controlled by an inhuman being and forced to wear their “masks” makes the moment the reader feels the fear of being ruled even stronger. On the other hand, you can also read it as satire of how humanity consumes countless animals for selfish reasons.

From the perspective of someone who keeps up with various webtoons, “Donuts and the Circus” was a work that, after a long time, lets you feel the essence of comics rather than webtoons. It doesn’t copy the style of hit works, and it doesn’t focus only on the outstanding artwork or story alone. “Donuts and the Circus,” which delivers the twist narrative and the core of the work through artwork that captures the image of the world, makes you realize once again that comics are also truly the author’s creation. Of course, depending on the viewer, this style might feel a bit scattered instead. The way it offers strong images and then puts off whatever needs further explanation might be a barrier for readers who want an immediate, unfolding plot. Still, there’s one thing that’s certain: now that it’s fully finished—now that you can binge it—“Donuts and the Circus” is, in my opinion, the best kind of device that makes you have to watch the next episode.

“Donuts and the Circus” has now ended with episode 22. In less than a half-day—or really, just a day—you can meet a sticky, sweet post-apocalyptic fairy tale where hope and resignation are mixed together. Please watch along and cheer to see whether this cute Donuts will learn amazing tricks, and how he’ll live with the unit members in this absurd world. (And please, let’s also cheer together that Oven will return soon with a brand-new story.)

Starting with the “overly meaningful” treatment of objects in movies—beginning with “Sungchan-eol’s Locker”—a user manual for actors who are hoping for a rise in popularity, “Jin-yeon Kim’s Jewel Case,” a listening room for movie music that moved my heart, “Chua-young Choo’s Music Box,” and even the purchase log of a subculture junkie, “Sungchan-eol’s Comic Book”—all Cineplay reporters begin their serialization every other week, each with their own tastes and viewpoints.