“This story is so unique,” thought every single Can I Take It Back fan. Too bad they were wrong. Probably, at least.
While we can’t speak for the author about her intentions, the Can I Take It Back webtoon is currently under fire for allegedly plagiarizing a Japanese manga. The Korean webtoon reached its original publisher’s platform, Naver, in February 2022 and garnered an immense following of fans who have become absolutely obsessed with this slice-of-life rom-com since then.
More than a year after its release, the story has been suddenly accused of plagiarism after several fans spotted eerie similarities between the Korean webtoon by shinmae and the Japanese manga To Be Next to You by Atsuko Namba. Here’s why.
Why was Can I Take It Back accused of plagiarism?
webtoon <can i take it bake> is under plagiarism controversy.
— em 🦖 (@jangheewon) September 15, 2023
a member of dc kr cartoon gallery posted in the forum some pics where the webtoon allegedly plagiarised various composition such as character settings, lines, scenes that are similar to manga <to be next to you>. pic.twitter.com/Z6QVRojnyH
The allegations first surfaced through a user on Dcinside, a South Korean forum. The original poster posted several side-by-side comparisons of the 2022 Korean manhwa Can I Take it Back and the 2008 Japanese manga To Be Next To You. Obviously, this generated quite an uproar among fans of both stories, each defending their favorite comic.
Oh godd. Tonari No atashi was one of my favourite manga. This is not at all a simple coincidence now. Pretty clear.
— 🌸(☝◞‸◟)☞ 𝕊𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖🌸🪺🐦 (@Dusky_shiJie) September 15, 2023
Unfortunately, we can’t say for sure whether shinmae’s Can I Take It Back plagiarized Namba’s manga, but the fact that the manhwa is currently being removed from several of its platforms, including Naver and WTina, should be enough evidence that something was definitely wrong – even if we don’t exactly know what that something might be.
What are the similarities between Can I Take It Back and To Be Next To You?
OMG THIS IS ALMOST FRAME BY FRAME https://t.co/G1ac75Izjd pic.twitter.com/AMsOXwtP66
— mia (@_hana_megumi) September 15, 2023
For anyone who may be unfamiliar with these stories, you may notice the webtoon’s character designs are quite similar to the Japanese manga in question – which isn’t saying a lot considering quite a few Shojo stories do tend to have somewhat similar art styles. However, very few have the exact same art angles and plot points, like these two seem to share.
Of course, neither the author nor any of the platforms have come forward to confirm or deny the allegations. However, according to a Naweb official, the author and the story are going to be thoroughly inspected in the upcoming months.
Can I Take it Back is still available to read in English on WEBTOON.