Ongoing
“Ordinary loser Maru Kang becomes obsessed with soccer and aims to transform into a talented player despite his reputation.”
The Build Up
빌드업
7.32
4,916 rank · 2,612 readers · 10 favorites
Team Sports
Sports
Would You Love or Hate This?
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Ordinary loser Maru Kang becomes obsessed with soccer and aims to transform into a talented player despite his reputation.
Maru Kang was just an ordinary kid with ordinary interests, until one day his father forces him to watch a soccer game on TV, sparking an obsession with the sport. Filled with determination, he sets a new goal for himself—to become an amazing soccer player! The only problem is, he has already been proclaimed the "King of the Losers" at his high school. Can Maru overcome the obstacles in his path and transform into a talented and successful soccer player? (Source: Webtoon Entertainment)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 2 sampled reviews
7.0
/10
What 2 readers settled on.
100%
recommend
Score distribution
median 7
mode 5
σ 2.00
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.00 · split reception
The polarity gap
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
Score over time
↑ 2.00
Running avg · Apr 2023 → Mar 2026
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 9 “I really enjoyed the characters and found the football mechanics to be superior to those in Blue Lock. However, the constant, oversaturated backstories and the jarring, unrealistic inclusion of...”
- 5 “The premise of this rags-to-riches soccer story is solid, and the art is acceptable while the pacing has shown some improvement in recent chapters. However, the initial pacing is slow and boring,...”
Verbosity
Short · 100%
Medium · 0%
Long · 0%
Read Order & Related
A self-contained story.
No sequels, spin-offs or alternate tellings — The Build Up begins and ends here.
Cast
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A Manhwa Publication
- Published Jul 2020 – ongoing
- Source Manhwa media type
- Ref. BS-M63155 catalog