The world of Morgana and Oz is one where magic is unpredictable, alliances are fragile, and romance blooms in the unlikeliest of places. Created by writer-artist Miyuli, this fantasy romance WEBTOON has captured the hearts of readers with its charming characters, gothic aesthetics, and a compelling blend of humor and high stakes.
With Morgana and Oz: Volume 2 now in print, the story reaches a turning point — Morgana Winterberry, a young witch from a long line of magic users, must navigate the fallout of broken peace negotiations between her coven and the Red Vampire clan. Meanwhile, Oz, her reluctant vampire counterpart, finds himself in a rather unexpected predicament that only complicates their already tumultuous relationship.
I caught up recently with Miyuli to discuss the evolution of Morgana and Oz’s relationship, the challenges of WEBTOON storytelling, and what readers can expect from the next arc of this spellbinding series, among other topics.
Courtesy of WEBTOON.
AIPT: Morgana and Oz has such a great mix of fantasy, romance, and comedy. With volume two, we see the stakes rise with curses, dark magic, and brewing war. How did you approach deepening the story’s conflicts while keeping the heart of Morgana and Oz’s relationship at the center?
Miyuli: I had a general outline from the very beginning which I then divided into three seasons. With volume 2 the first big arc ends. I hope having the complete story in mind will make for a generally more coherent and complete reading experience. I wanted to give Morgana and Oz’s relationship plenty of time to develop and establish their characters and circumstances first. The stakes will keep increasing bit by bit so I hope the readers will enjoy where the story goes in the future.
AIPT: Oz spends part of this second volume stuck as a cat — an unexpected but fun twist! What inspired this magical mishap, and how does it challenge his dynamic with Morgana?
Miyuli: Oz has spent most of volume one in cat form already which will be reduced in every volume. There are certain limitations to having the male lead stuck in a cat’s body for so long, but it also gave me a lot of opportunities to showcase their relationship from a wholesome angle. Cat Oz was also able to get a glimpse of things he would normally not have seen so quickly. I’m excited to keep developing their relationship in his human form.
AIPT: Morgana’s powers are becoming more unpredictable, and her family has some dark magic secrets. What can you tease about her magical evolution and how it affects her choices moving forward?
Miyuli: Morgana’s magical evolution is at the center of this story. She and the main villain have a lot of things in common. I like showing how different people deal with their circumstances, so I’m excited to show what Morgana will do with her growing magical abilities. Thankfully, she will have a lot of help along the way.
AIPT: Witches and vampires have been a classic pairing in fantasy, but Morgana and Oz has such a fresh take. What were your biggest inspirations when crafting their world, and how did you go about balancing humor with high stakes?
Miyuli: I have been a fan of fantasy, magic, vampires, and witches for a very long time, and I’m using a lot of common tropes, but I’m glad if they seem fresh and enjoyable. As a teenager, I enjoyed TV series like Buffy The Vampire Slayer a lot, from which I might have gotten some of my vampire inspirations.
I also really enjoy European romanticism and gothic elements. Still, I wanted to keep this story fun and bright like a lot of the [Studio] Ghibli movies I love. After being a reader for so many years, things naturally fuse in my inspiration pool.
Courtesy of WEBTOON.
AIPT: Your artwork brings so much personality to each scene, from magical mishaps to emotional moments. Were there any specific panels or sequences in volume two that were particularly fun — or challenging— to illustrate?
Miyuli: Volume two has a lot of my favorite scenes! Morgana finally having some magical success and her backstory with a certain character were so fun to draw. I’m glad I got to update some panels for the printed edition as I don’t always have enough time to spend on the panels during the online serialization.
AIPT: WEBTOON storytelling often plays with pacing differently than traditional comics. How did working on Morgana and Oz influence the way you structure scenes or build tension from episode to episode?
Miyuli: I learned a lot about pacing while drawing Morgana and Oz. It’s my first longer WEBTOON and my editor Eunice Baik has been a huge help. Her insights and tips are amazing. The biggest thing to get used to for me was how to properly draw scene transitions. Gutter space is a lot bigger in WEBTOONs. Instead of flipping the page, scrolling down helps create time flow.
As for the writing, I went from thinking of “page turners” to “episode turners.” I didn’t have to think of page layouts, but I did try to create an interesting flow of panels. After every episode, I’m trying to give the readers a reason to keep reading. Some of the episodes are combined into chapters, so I hope the reading experience is also good with the printed edition.
AIPT: The first volume was selected for the Kids’ Indie Next List — congrats! How has the fan response to the series influenced your approach to storytelling, and have any reader reactions surprised you?
Miyuli: Thank you! Online, I generally try not to get too distracted by reader reactions, but I’m always incredibly happy and surprised when readers spend time to create fan-work for my story. I have also been lucky to do some signing sessions and I’m baffled by how many people come by to see me. It feels a little unreal and I’m very grateful I get to tell this story.
AIPT: With volume two now recently out in print, what can readers look forward to next? Any hints about where Morgana and Oz’s journey might be headed in future chapters?
Miyuli: Volume two marks the end of the first big arc. The next arc will show us more about Oz’s background and reveal many things about the darker side of the Winterberry witch family. I’m excited for these volumes to come out as I’m preparing the finale of the entire series.
AIPT: If you had to describe Morgana and Oz’s relationship using only emojis, what would they be?
Miyuli: 🌿✨️🐈
Seems like a fitting combination ☺️.
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