Mythical creatures and folklore have long captivated and unsettled audiences, forming the foundation for some of the most enduring fantasies in history. Whether through the timeless epics of Greek mythology or modern interpretations in works like The Ancient Magus’ Bride and Harry Potter, these stories continue to draw interest through their mysterious beings and rich backstories. While there are countless variations across cultures, many share a common thread: the dangerous lure of temptation and the complex search for identity.
From sirens to the fae, creator instantmiso is well known for her slow-burn romances and creative interpretations of folklore. Her previous works, including Where Tangents Meet, Siren’s Lament, and Eaternal Nocturnal, have helped pave the way for her fourth and newest series, Fae Trapped. By incorporating themes such as body-swapping and layered foreshadowing, she presents a fresh perspective on these classic legends. In this article, I explore the journey of instantmiso, her creative process, and her future goals for Fae Trapped.
Portions of this interview have been lightly edited. Spoilers ahead. Thank you to the team at WEBTOON for arranging this interview.
Q: Are you able to share the journey behind creating Fae Trapped? How has it impacted you?
Instantmiso: Honestly, it’s been a huge privilege. That’s what I mostly think of, just being able to go for this long. I didn’t think I’d be able to tell this many stories on the same platform, but WEBTOON has been very kind to me, and it’s been really fun being able to challenge myself and build an actual readership on the platform that’s been super supportive. I’m still learning so much, even at like 10 years in, I find a lot of fun in challenging myself.
I still work with the same editor that I’ve had since my very first series. He’s been even more hands on with this series, more so than like my other ones because we do like weekly editorial sort of things for Fae Trapped. I feel really privileged because I feel that he knows me as a writer, artist, and what I’m capable of doing. I know how he works as an editor, so there’s this really cool collaborative process behind it. Fae Trapped is also the first series that I’ve actually taken on assistance. I was mostly soloing it for my other series, but I feel like Fae Trapped has been like a bigger shift into a collaborative process.
Not only that, recently, WEBTOON has adapted like video episodes, right? So, there’s like another really cool element that’s being put into like storytelling, and I get to work with really amazing people, like the animation team and voice actors. While I don’t work, like face to face with the voice actors, it’s just really cool seeing my stories being adapted in that way, you know? It’s been a really cool process over the years, it just keeps evolving, I’m having a lot of fun with it, and I’m really lucky.
Q: Do you have any favorite folktales growing up?
Instantmiso: I don’t particularly have a favorite. I think probably Little Mermaid would be an obvious one. But when I think about folktales, right, I think of a specific Filipino folktale that my grandma used to tell me like, you know, before bed. It was basically about a young girl who gets turned into a pineapple. (The Legend of the Pineapple)
Fun Fact: The Legend of the Pineapple tells the story of Pinang, a young girl who constantly avoided chores. When her sick mother asked for help, Pinang was so lazy she wouldn’t even look for a cooking ladle. In a moment of frustration, her mother wished Pinang had “a thousand eyes” so she could finally find things herself. Pinang vanished, and in her place grew the first pineapple—a fruit covered in “eyes.” This classic Filipino tale remains a popular way to teach children about responsibility and thoughtfulness.
Luke: She’s not the one in Spongebob Squarepants by any chance, right?
Instantmiso: Maybe she could be (Haha). But that story always sort of stuck with me, because I felt that transformation was really funny, but also really traumatizing and scary, especially with the way that my grandma told it. Maybe subconsciously, that’s what inspired me to make Fae Trapped, you know, the whole transformation and body swap.
The question that came up for me was, “what would fairies want to do with humans?” Like, they have magic and stuff, but I took that concept of the question and I built a story revolving around the entirety of that. I don’t know if that’s a spoiler or anything, but, you know, obviously, West is an important character (Haha). But basically, that question will be answered.
Q: Were there any folklores that freaked you out? I heard that folklore is actually more scary than it’s supposed to be written, right?
Instantmiso: They’re actually a lot more dark, like very, very grim. Another one that pops up in my head is a very popular Filipino folklore that my grandma would also tell me, called the Tortoise and the Monkey, I believe. I remember retelling that to my husband recently and by the end of it, he was like, “that’s three minutes of my life I’m not gonna get back” (Haha).
I think the story was about not being stingy or something and like, I don’t know, it’s a really silly story. I can’t really tell it right now, but essentially, it’s about betraying another person. Like, don’t be stingy and you’re gonna get what’s coming for you and stuff like that. Like eye for an eye type of thing.
Fun Fact: The Tortoise and the Monkey is a classic tale of wit over greed. After a selfish monkey repeatedly betrays his patient friend, the ‘kind’ turtle finally uses the monkey’s own ego against him—tricking him twice to get the last laugh and a splash of sweet revenge.
Luke: Kind of like what’s going on in Fae Trapped with Elowen like, “who took my wings? I’m gonna find out.”
Instantmiso: Oh, shoot. Well, you know what? Maybe, maybe that subconsciously woven itself into the story.
Q: If you were stuck on an island among any mythical creatures (Sirens, Dream Eaters, Faes, etc), who would you live with and why?
Instantmiso: Hmmm, Fae’s are pretty mischievous, right? They would like, play tricks on you. Meanwhile, like in Fae Trapped, I don’t think Faes’ are like tricksters in my universe. They’re more like, “oh, we got to preserve our own realm and stuff like that”, but then, Sirens, for instance, they’re essentially evil. But I guess in my version, they would just be like depressed, sad people.
That was a good question. Who would I pick? Well, I always like mermaids and have always been like a mermaid girl. What about you? I’m curious what you would pick.
Luke: If I had to choose, I might choose between the Fae or with the Dream Eaters, because I think seeing Dream Eaters inside your dreams, it’s very exhilarating. When you wake up, you tend to forget about your dreams, but for those vivid encounters, it’s spectacular. It’s like something you can’t really explain, but it’s a breathtaking experience to look forward to.
For Sirens, well, at least I could swim. I won’t have to worry about sharks or anything. Regarding the Fae, like, I know they’re mischievous, but I think Nickelodeon has influenced me with The Fairly OddParents.
Instantmiso: Wish granting! That’s great!
Q: What were some other ideas before deciding on Fae?
Instantmiso: To be completely honest, like when I’m going from one comic to the next, like between stories, I don’t think of too many options. I usually like to set myself to like one concept. But another one that I was entertaining was like alternate universes and the title would have been like ‘Alter/mate’ or something.
It would have been like two people meeting from alternate universes, but I guess that is kind of like Fae Trapped, except for like different realms and stuff. But yeah, that was the only other one. But I really wanted to get into the Fairy concept and kind of stick with that sort of theme and like mystical creature sort of deal.
Q: When creating Fae Trapped, did you have any goals that you reflected and aimed towards?
Instantmiso: So something that I kind of reflected on going into my fourth series was the themes of each consecutive work. I realized that they kind of aligned with my idea of what love is like in each series and, you know, obviously I’m a romance creator. I feel like every one of those series reflects like a point in my life and what I basically perceive love as. For example,
- Where Tangents Meet was like a high school love story and to be honest, I wrote that with a bunch of friends as a teenager. I had no idea of what love was, but basically it was the concept of, “oh, yeah, it’s like finding your other half”. I mean, like opposites attract and stuff like that.
- Siren’s Lament was a shift into self-love, learning how to put your heart first before anything else, and before being super in love with anyone else.
- Eaternal Nocturnal was a shift into following your heart and learning how to accept love.
- Fae Trapped. Now I’m in my era of like, understanding that love is, it’s not just about finding or accepting someone. It’s about learning to coexist alongside someone, changing and influencing each other sometimes in a way that you didn’t expect in the process. So that right now, that is my definition of love and what I feel like Fae Trapped encapsulates.
Instantmiso: I think my overall goal for Fae Trapped is to also get a publishing deal. But you know, it’s still a baby, it’s still new. I’m really hoping for a print publish edition of Fae Trapped because I honestly think it would make a beautiful print book, and if anything, I feel like it might translate a lot better into a book form.
I’m known for slow burn romances and I feel like the readers can get a bit impatient with the weekly updates, like, “oh no, I want more! Like that’s it?!”. But I feel like if it was in a book format, it would be received like even better almost, if it makes sense, like you read it and binge read it, you know. But that is my overall objective or goal for Fae Trapped is to have it in my hands.
Q: What were some inspirations behind the Body Swaps in Fae Trapped?
Instantmiso: I was inspired by Kimi no Nawa and Secret Garden (Cultural Phenomenon Korean Drama). I also finished a book this week by Brandon Sanderson called Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. It’s also a body swap and a romance too.
I feel like, what’s really interesting and challenging at the same time too; is the fact that at least the body swap that I’m doing isn’t very gender focused. A lot of body swaps you would think like, “oh no, I’m a boy. Oh no, I’m a girl and stuff”, trying to navigate through a boy and girl’s world. But it’s more like challenging identity. I feel like that’s what Yumi and the Nightmare Painter also does.
Readers always joke that like, “well, how do you do a romance with a body swap sort of thing? Wouldn’t that lead to some form of narcissism or something?” That’s the reason why they swap back at night, kind of reflect on themselves, and not be attracted to their own selves.
Q: What message do you have for the fans reading in?
Instantmiso: Thank you for sticking around, trusting my process, and that I’ll give you guys a good story. To the new readers, thank you for giving Fae Trapped the chance and I hope you’ll enjoy where the story goes next.
Conclusion
Thank you to instantmiso for the interview. What were some of your favorite moments from this feature, or from any of her series? Readers can follow her on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to stay updated on her latest posts and work. With Fae Trapped returning this May, many are eager to see how the story continues to expand. Recent teasers featuring the cave and a mysterious figure suggest that more details about the land’s mythology and the history of the Fae may soon be revealed.
Images: Fae Trapped
© Instantmiso, WEBTOON
Participate In Discussions