Freaking Romance Creator Snailords on Inspiration, Creative Process, Film Adaptation
Aidyn Arroyal aka Snailords talks to IGN India about the interdimensional love story of Freaking Romance and more.
Editor's note: MPRM Communications gave IGN India access to Aidyn Arroyal for this interview.
Freaking Romance, a popular WEBTOON series, was announced in April to be getting a live-action film adaptation by Skybound Entertainment. The comic by Snailords (aka Aidyn Arroyal) is a hit on Wattpad’s WEBTOON platform, amassing over 468 million global views online. It has also received a physical graphic novel by WEBTOON Unscrolled.
The story of Freaking Romance revolves around Lily, who moves into a decrepit, haunted apartment — the only one she can afford. She notices the usual signs of a haunting, such as things moving on their own; however, it turns out that the “ghost” is actually a man from another dimension. Thus begins the love story in an unlikely way.
IGN India caught up with Snailords over email to talk about his comics, inspirations, work process, and the live-action adaptation of Freaking Romance.
Can you tell us about yourself and the story of the webcomic Freaking Romance?
Hi, I’m Aidyn/Snailords, father of 2 dogs, drinker of boba and creator of a few series, Snailogy, Death: Rescheduled: and most known for Freaking Romance. Freaking Romance is a story about a girl renting a haunted apartment... with a twist.
Was there any inspiration behind the creation of Freaking Romance? How did you develop the concept of mixing romance with elements of supernatural and other dimensions?
I actually didn’t read or watch romance movies prior to making Freaking Romance. I thought it would be fun to challenge myself into writing romance, a genre I was unfamiliar with. After pitching Freaking Romance, the few romances I read were for research to write Freaking Romance. I also love supernatural types of stories. It seemed fun to combine the two genres.
Creating a successful webcomic like Freaking Romance requires dedication and creativity. Can you tell us about some of the rewarding aspects of the process, and what challenges have you encountered along the way?
At one of my book signings, a reader walked up to me in Zylith’s cat ears and said, “I love Freaking Romance.”
“Why?” I asked her.
She told me that she grew up struggling with the concept of love due to experiences that she lived through. The struggles that the main character, Zylith, faced felt like someone was drawing a stolen chapter from her life, relatable. “Freaking Romance allowed me to escape reality, daydream, and hope. I hope I’ll find love one day too.” She smiled.
At that moment, I thought about a conversation I had with my therapist, a day after bringing my dog home.
My therapist: “Yes, dogs do give you unconditional love!”
Me: “That's not true. You have to keep them alive… that's the condition to receive their love. It’s not unconditional love.”
She was appalled… “You… don’t know what unconditional love… is?”
You see, the writing of Freaking Romance was difficult for me. I had to fight the urge of snapping my pen in half at the concept of “unconditional love.” Unconditional love felt as fiction as the monsters under some kid’s bed, to me. Writing Freaking Romance got me to realise I had some abnormal resentment toward love. It landed me in therapy. Thanks to therapy, I definitely have a healthier view of love now. But all the (abnormal) hatred I felt toward love, writing each panel, back then... turned into someone else’s hope. I’m glad the story helped someone else.
PS: Fast forward, 3 years after owning a dog, I finally understood what giving and receiving unconditional love feels like. Bless Freaking Romance for landing me in therapy, again, haha.
Freaking Romance has amassed a significant online following, with millions of views worldwide. How do you engage with your readership, and do you incorporate feedback from your audience into your creative process?
It depends. Some readers ask very interesting questions that do help with the world building of the series in the drafting stage. But once a series is finalised, being released weekly, there is less wiggle room to adjust the main plot lines. I used to read the comment section to adjust the technical side of the series, “Which parts confused them?” Or to learn things like “Which parts did they like and why? Which parts did the readers engage with less and why?” Though, ultimately, I still have to adhere to my original vision of the story and pilot it where it needs to go. Even if it means crashing into the side of a mountain.
;-; OmL. May we have Cha Eun Woo for Zelan? 😂🙏 https://t.co/MaA9o6AcA1 — Aidyn Arroyal (@SnaiLords) April 16, 2024
As the live action adaptation of Freaking Romance moves forward, what are your expectations for how the story will be translated to the big screen? Are there any specific scenes or elements you’re particularly excited to see brought to life in the film?
I can’t wait for all the spooky elements in motion. Honestly, if the film adheres to the original series, then Zelan sings. I’m looking forward to the soundtracks.
In addition to Freaking Romance, you’re also known for your other works, such as Death: Rescheduled. Can you share any information about what to expect/your upcoming projects or collaborations that fans can look forward to?
I have so many new ideas that I can’t wait to share with my audience. My upcoming one is Dead on First Date. A guy with resurrection powers, waking up a serial killer, to find the whereabouts of his dead soulmate. It’s a thriller, romance and comedy. The other is How Did I Die? The world has 7 days to kill one man, or the entire world ends.
What advice would you offer to aspiring comic artists and writers who are looking to create their own webcomics or graphic novels? Any lessons you've learned along your journey that you believe would be valuable for newcomers in the industry?
Don’t try to write “the perfect story.” Don’t wait until you know how to perfectly draw human anatomy, how to perfectly craft every sentence and have drawn every leaf perfectly, in that soon to be blurred out background. Write a lot of stories. Every “imperfect” story that you write and finish, they add points toward your skills stats. The more “flaws and strengths” you’ve discovered from hands-on experience, writing those multiple stories, the faster you'll learn. The more overpowered you will be.
Don’t tie your self-worth to the outcome/performance of your series. Tie your self-worth to the effort and struggles you’ve overcome, in order to complete your stories.
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Rayan Sayyed is a staff writer for IGN India with a primary focus on Asian entertainment spanning from anime, manga, games to films and dramas from the East. You can reach out to him at rayan_sayyed@ign.com, or find him on Twitter @rayanaver and Instagram @rayansayyed.
