Westwood Vibrato is a different sort of manhwa that I would recommend to readers who appreciate some variety in their reading. I did not know anything about it when I started reading it, so did not know what to expect but I’m glad as that made me pleasantly surprised. This is an ongoing so I will not be reviewing the whole thing or the end. First of all, it is set in South Africa. Next, it involves music. If anything, I would say the theme is the healing power of music.There are separate stories, but also a main story. The main character is a young woman who is a renowned musical instrument repair person. So, she wants to know the story of the different instruments she repairs from all over the world. But often it’s the owner of the instrument in need of repair or healing as much as the instrument itself. The stories take us to different places such as concentration camps, the streets of NY or villages in South Africa. But the main story of the mc and her doctor forms a backbone to the story as well. I like reading stories with music and art myself, but I know some others hesitate because they cannot hear the scores. Well the writer does us the service of telling us what pieces go with the stories. Most of the music in this is old school jazz or classical music so you could youtube it if you don’t know the pieces and are curious. Most of the instruments are wind ones like trumpets, saxs or flutes and most of the stories are rather sad and bittersweet like blues.

I liked most of the stories but my one criticism is that some of them are a bit too much of the peace and love variety for my tastes but that could be my own jaded viewpoint. Most of them I enjoyed but some seemed to be pushing a pacifist viewpoint However overall, I really do enjoy this and I found most of the stories quite moving.

The characterization is the type that slowly builds throughout the reading as we get to know her, the past and her doctor more through her approach and through flashbacks and current interactions.

The art is not comical or flat like some webtoons although it is full color, but it’s emotive and it handles some of the sensitive subject matter that this brings up quite well.

I guess you would think of this as a seinen or josei although those terms do not really apply to webtoons or manhwa. Also it is free of the typical moods of those genres. Overall, I would rate this an 8.
Reviewed by Inzaratha for reviews for the unreviewed.