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KOCHEI :
Thanks for submitting so many questions! And for the lovely compliments too, it makes me glad.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t answer every single one.
I have a pretty hard time sharing things online,
but I condensed as much information as I could into this first part!
PART 1 - THE AUTHOR
Q : Introduce yourself!
A : I never know what to say in introductions. (I’d rather not be perceived.)
- Chaotic career path
- Has been drawing since they were 8
- Doesn’t speak any Celt language but does a lot of research
- Is from Normandy (cue every Normand offended by my end-of-episode map crumbling to the floor)
And I read all your comments, as much as I can!
Q : Where does your passion for Arthurian legends come from? And why tell Percival’s story? Why “Gradalis”?
A : Gradalis comes from “Gradalis Sanctus”, which means Holy Grail in Latin. (How original.)
I’m very interested in legends and folklore as a whole!
Legends of the Round Table are really varied and dense, and there aren't two identical versions out there.
I simply wanted to make my own.
[ the books are labeled “arthur and his bros” and “gawain and his hoes” ]
Percival’s legend works perfectly as an introduction, since it’s about an outsider who learns to become part of this world little by little. That way, I can introduce you to my version through the eyes of someone who's actually clueless, without doing too much badly-timed exposition.
Q : How long have you been working on Gradalis? Is the whole story written out already? How many seasons will there be in total?
A : I started working on the idea in February of 2020! It took me around ten months to hash out the brunt of it.
So the story is mostly written out in broad strokes, despite some blurry patches.
As for the number of seasons, I only have a vague estimation for it, and I’d rather not think about it too much right now…
…because a series’ renewal (and therefore upcoming seasons) depend entirely on its success!
So don’t hesitate to like each episode and share Gradalis around as much as possible!
[ the shirt says : Did you know the exceptional and incredible Gradalis webtoon is available for free on the Webtoon France app without any restrictions and that you have to like and subscribe to see upcoming seasons! Wow! Great! Cool! We’re having so much fun here. ]
Here’s a cool idea for you if you'd like to spread the word.
Q : Regarding the characters : which one did you create/design first? Which one do you like to draw the most? Which one’s the hardest? Who are your favorite and least favorite?
A : Technically, Merlin is the first character I designed!
His design comes from another character of mine.
The first one to have been designed specifically for Gradalis is, ironically, Lancelot! (whom I can’t show you guys yet.)
The ones I like drawing the most would be Tristan or Aglovale. (I like straight hair.)
[ arrow : Welsh simplicity. ]
The hardest : every character I haven’t gotten used to the design of yet because they just showed up in the plot.
[ me trying to draw Guinevere ]
My favorites/least favorites : Since I know them all very well, I love them all for very different reasons.
I like making them more complex, so even those who seem rotten to the core have interesting aspects I really like.
Breuse :
Even me?
Kochei :
Even you, Breuse.
Breuse :
Awww!
Q : What impact did Kaamelott have on your work? Are you going to see the first movie in theaters?
A : I may make some enemies by saying this but while I enjoy Kaamelott, I’m not a diehard fan.
I really like its writing and the way it deals with some of the characters, which I think is its greatest strength.
I couldn’t say what sort of impact the series had on Gradalis, but I can’t deny it had one. ( I watched a lot of Kaamelott, after all! )
I’ll see if I get the chance to see it in theaters, but I won’t be rushing to do so.
Unlike The Green Knight, which I’m much more interested in!
That movie seems closer to the general aesthetic I’d like to work into Gradalis little by little.
It doesn’t have a French release date yet, though…
Q : Are you working on any other projects, like other webtoons?
A : Not actively, but I always have a few ideas lying around.
Some are very different, but some are also spin-offs for Gradalis!
About Arthur’s generation, Tristan’s, Merlin’s…
There are a lot of stories to tell in this world.
Q : Do you still feel human after making us wait so long with the suspense?
A : That would imply…
…that I felt human before…
Q : Do you like croissants?
A : …Yes.
PART 2 - TECHNICAL DETAILS
Q : How much time does it take to make one episode? Are you working alone?
A : It takes the whole week.
I work entirely alone.
[ person who has been living in a time blur for the past 6 months ]
I have quite a lot of panels to turn in every week, so I literally spend all my time working on them!
Q : What program/tools do you use?
A : I do everything in Clip Studio Paint, with an XP-Pen Innovator 16 tablet.
But don’t start thinking that an expensive tablet is necessary! I got started with a little Wacom Bamboo.
She passed after years of loyal service, forever in my heart.
Q : How do you draw backgrounds? Are they real places?
A : For the most part, they’re touched-up photos from real places.
For example, Camelot’s Great Hall is a picture of the one in Winchester!
I really like royalty-free picture banks.
But all of this is making me want to travel.
Q : Would it be possible to have more than one episode a week? Will there be other animated episodes? What about a paperback?
A : It won’t be possible, I already don't have time to do anything on top of one episode a week.
Plus, the episodes were designed for Webtoon’s format, so I’m afraid a paperback version wouldn’t look too good.
But I do have plans for physical publications for Gradalis in the future, when I can work on them.
PART 3 - THE LEGENDS
Q : What are your sources? Any recommendations?
A : To be honest, I found it difficult to get my hands on any exact sources, so most of my research was based on articles, modernized versions and transcriptions.
I’d like to insist on that point, because I’m pretty lazy, so despite my curiosity I’ll still go for the fastest and most concise thing I can find.
For books, my main sources were :
The Prose Tristan (1891 version) :
can be found in the public domain on archive.org as a PDF.
Skimmed through it I'm ngl
Made me appreciate Tristan and Dinadan’s extremely chaotic energy.
Has a lot of interesting notes and a glossary.
Perceval ou le conte du Graal (modernized) :
a middle school read, can be found anywhere for cheap.
Also skimmed.
In CH3, Percival sexually harasses some girl, cool.
Mostly read for Percival’s journey and character themes.
But! For concise and interesting descriptions of characters, items and places, I recommend Nightbringer. It’s in English, though.
Q : Do you plan to stick to Arthurian lore? Why change this or that in comparison to the books/legends?
A : I can’t even say “yes, I’ll stick to Arthurian lore”, because there are too many differences between sources.
I keep key elements here and there, but will you consider them important? I can’t say.
For example, you could say Percival or Lancelot have no business being here, since they’re a later creation of Chrétien de Troyes and not part of the original Welsh legends.
Chrétien de Troyes :
I’m going to create a knight. He’s gonna be French, sleep with the queen and be the best knight of the Round Table, copyright on my OC.
It would be annoying both pacing-wise and interest levels-wise to only do fanservice, without any picking and choosing or rewriting, just because “that’s how it happens in the legends”.
Q : Regarding the time period, why rewrite the story/legend by changing some of the knights’ genders, or portraying gay couples?
A : Long story short, I like having a diverse cast. Most of the central characters in these legends are male, so I decided to switch it up.
Changes to the characters’ genders often came up as negative criticism in the comments, which is perplexing to me. Why is that the most annoying thing, more than any other change I made?
And for those who are bothered by the fact it’s not period- accurate : I never set the story at a specific time, and if I’d done so, there would be many other anachronistic elements. These legends are based on Celt magical folklore, which had female warriors and openly gay/bisexual characters.
On top of it, this is a world where magic is a thing.
Why is it easier to accept magic, fay and giants, all of which do not exist…
than female knights or homosexual couples? These things exist and have always existed, even in the Middle Ages. Even more so before religion got involved, and I don’t mention it at all in Gradalis.
Some of you are trying to tell me about historical accuracy when the map I created is entirely made up, Great Britain never followed such borders
Estrangore means “East of Gore”, but this can’t be Gore since it should be Corbenic, and Lothian should be here instead of here, and⎯
^ me trying to make information that doesn’t make sense make sense
To sum it up, Gradalis isn’t based on any historical truth.
PS : If these topics bother you because “it wasn’t possible at the time”, ask yourself why the hairstyles, armor, map, etc. don’t bother you overmuch despite being anachronistic themselves.
PART 4 - GRADALIS LORE!
Q : Will there be romance? Will Percival get his own?
A : There is indeed some romance in the works for Percival. I’m not sure it’ll get that developed over the first season, but…
I’d say it’s already started.
Q : Are we going to see this or that character? (especially Iseult)
A : My plans are to show every important character in Season 1. They may not have a huge role to play for now, but they’ll have visuals, at least.
So yes, you’ll be seeing Iseult!
Tristan :
My sweet! No one else matters!
Q : We know Lancelot is excellent with a sword, that Tristan’s second best and that Dinadan is the best musician, but is he the worst fighter of the Round Table?
Dinadan :
Ah! I’m not even the best musician, ya thought?
Not with Boy Wonder over there.
Tristan :
[ excels at archery, swordsmanship, jousting, melee combat, etc. / speaks 5 languages / just handsome fr / plays the harp and writes his own music ]
Dinadan :
Sometimes you’ve just got to accept you’re average at everything.
Tristan :
But you’re very good too! You almost won the tourney at Sorelois, you just got your ass handed to you by Lancelot!
Q : Who’s flirted with the most ladies in Camelot, Gawain or Tristan?
Gawain :
Tristan’s calmed down some in the last few years, so probably me.
Tristan :
But if you count gentlemen, I’m in the lead!
Q : Is Percival neurodivergent?
A : Indeed!
Percival was written with the idea that he was somewhere on the autism spectrum, and he’s not the only one! For example, Tristan has a bipolar disorder.
However, it’s a topic I’d rather not elaborate on too much, because I'm not knowledgeable enough on the matter. So I keep it in mind when I’m writing, but it doesn’t always influence the scenes or the scenario.
Q : Is Lamorak, who was referred to with she/her by his mother in the early chapters, a man or a woman? Is he trans?
A : [ indeed he is! trans flag! ]
Q : What does Bedivere see in Kay? How did they meet and how did they get married?
Bedivere :
We met when all the different kings there were at the time were still deciding whether or not to support Arthur’s advent.
The king of Surgales was on the fence, so he sent me over as an observer of sorts.
Kay and I didn’t get along at all at first. But some time spent serving and protecting Arthur made us grow closer.
Kay is very strict with the things and people he cares about, and he cares about many things.
Truth is, he likes it when people stand up to him.
Kay :
What are you talking about?
Bedivere :
Oh, just the fact I only married you so you could be my personal space heater. ( And your baking. )
Kay :
Of course. [ radiates warmth ]
Given my shitty proposal and the ceremony that followed just because Arthur realized he could marry us…
I would’ve bet my hand on it. [ lulz so funny ]
Bedivere :
Seriously? You’ve been cracking the same jokes for twenty years.
Q : Are all characters LGBT+? Is it well-accepted in their society? Is it a personal choice?
A : It was definitely my choice to tell a story that just happened to have LGBT characters, and where such a thing is considered normal. So it’s not a huge theme in this story, but it’s still close to my heart.
It’s entirely accepted in their society, and no one gives it much thought. As such, many of them are LGBT+ according to our own labels, even if I don’t use those precise terms in this world.
I haven’t thought about each and every one, or figured out the details in some cases, but here are a few examples with today’s labels :
Bi/pan : Percival, Tristan, Bedivere
Gay/lesbian : Mordred, Kay, Gawain
Aroace : Dinadan
Q : Percival, who gives the best hugs?
Percival :
Hm, it’s hard to choose, and I haven’t hugged everyone yet.
So far, I’d say Lamorak. [ somft... ]
…I’d like to hug Arthur too. Something tells me his hugs must be perfect. [ also somft… ]
… [ just realized why ]
And we’ve reached the end of this FAQ!
Thank you again for your questions and your interest in Gradalis!
Some topics are certainly worth digging into some more.
Maybe some other time, I’ll focus on other aspects.
See you next week for the next episode!
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