Hello readers. If you are looking for an illustrated retelling of Shakespeare’s iconic Romeo and Juliet, you are in luck!
In January 2023, the romantic drama webcomic Go Away Romeo was released to the public as part of the WEBTOON ORIGINALS collection. Two years later, in May 2025, Go Away Romeo concluded after two seasons and 101 episodes. In my opinion, Go Away Romeo beautifully explores the emotional betrayal, trauma, and generational tensions that Shakespeare alludes to in his original play. But it also showcases how love can simultaneously bring us to tears of joy and tear open fresh and old wounds.
Based on the English poet William Shakespeare’s original tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Go Away Romeo is told from the perspective of Romeo Montague’s first love, Rosaline Capulet, who (in this version) was pregnant with his child at the time of his “death.” Minor spoiler alert. In this retelling, Romeo and Juliet fake their deaths and run away from Verona, leaving Rosaline behind to raise Romeo’s son, Mino, and face the malicious courts of Verona as a single mother. As years pass, Rosaline works to protect herself and her son and collects unlikely allies in Prince Escalus and Juliet’s former fiancé, Paris.
Rosaline has spent years building walls and keeping others at arm’s length, but when she becomes closer to Paris, she quickly learns both of them have faced abandonment and have consciously closed themselves off to the idea of new love. Can Rosaline and Paris break down each other’s walls in the hope of finding new love? What will happen between them when Romeo and Juliet resurface in Verona? Consider reading the series to find out.
If you want to learn more about the webcomic Go Away Romeo and its creators, then keep reading because I was provided the privilege of interviewing the creative studio that created Go Away Romeo, Paintword.
How would you pitch your initial WEBTOON ORIGINALS series, Go Away Romeo, to new readers?
Cyberink99 (lead artist): That’s a great question! Simply put, Go Away Romeo gives a fresh twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet tale by asking: What if Romeo and Juliet didn’t die in the end? What if they successfully faked their deaths—and in doing so, Romeo unknowingly left behind a child with his first love, Rosaline?
Aoiyuki (head writer): Go Away Romeo follows Rosaline, a woman who is used to living in the shadows, unheard of and ignored. It’s when she finally decides to rise up and make a mark on the world in order to protect her son that her story really begins. It’s for readers who want to connect with someone who slowly finds strength and chooses to confront the pains caused by Romeo’s betrayal. All the while forgiving not just those who wronged her, but also herself. However, if they just want to read a classic revenge story with intense drama, Go Away Romeo can promise them that, too. We think this version will resonate with readers who are drawn to stories of personal growth, resilience, and the triumph of a woman finding her voice after being silenced.
As a Shakespeare retelling, what compelled you to this particular story?
Minty (co-writer): At the time, we were really into Remarried Empress and drawn to stories centered around betrayal and emotional fallout. That definitely planted the seed for wanting to explore similar themes. We were also binge-watching Downton Abbey, which inspired us to layer in elements of family drama and generational tension. There were definitely a lot of different influences coming together.
We then started thinking about the most iconic romance stories in literature, and Romeo and Juliet naturally came to mind. But instead of retelling the same tragic love story, we wanted to put a twist on it and explore it through Rosaline’s perspective.
Most importantly, we were really into the themes of becoming empowered, but also family. So yeah, there are themes involving connections, as well as the betrayals that break that connection, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the end—there’s always love and family that reforms those connections.
With Go Away Romeo concluded, what do you anticipate doing next?
Cyberink99: Our studio, Paintword, is currently working on a new project with WEBTOON called Till Crimes Do Us Part, which is a romance story between an investigator and a criminal heiress who are trapped in a deadly game as fated enemies. This is a great story for readers who are into enemies-to-lovers, as well as romance with some action. Feel free to check it out in the WEBTOON app, which updates every Tuesday!
Meanwhile, for fans of Go Away Romeo and its writer, Aoiyuki, we will be coming out soon with a new modern romance concept on WEBTOON CANVAS, so stay tuned! Readers can follow us on our Instagram (@paintword_art) or our creator profile on WEBTOON for more updates in the future.
What originally led you to use WEBTOON as a platform to publish your comics?
Cyberink99: We first got into WEBTOON by publishing our work, Every Rose Has A Death Flag, on CANVAS around 2021. We did have many options for platforms to choose from, as well as offers from various publishers at that time, but WEBTOON felt like the best choice because it had the largest readership base for webcomic readership, as well as amazing community support from WEBTOON CANVAS.
You can find various support through promotions, events, the WEBTOON Summit, as well as educational material that they provide for aspiring creators. We would highly recommend this platform to anyone wanting to start their comics career and to hone their skills.
What was your experience using WEBTOON CANVAS initially, then having Go Away Romeo greenlit to become a WEBTOON ORIGINAL?
Cyberink99: Working with WEBTOON CANVAS initially, it was like we were still trying to create the comics for ourselves, and then creating what we like, while also taking pleasure in seeing the reader’s feedback.
When we finally received an offer for a WEBTOON Originals comic, we were definitely so excited for it. For us, it was hard to fall asleep after just getting that milestone. Because it meant that we would be able to fulfil something unimaginable to us before, which is to create comics on a large platform like WEBTOON and to do it professionally. We felt like it was an honor.
What changed from working with Go Away Romeo in Originals was being able to work with WEBTOON editors and polishing the story more. We also needed to master a weekly schedule, which was definitely a whole learning curve of its own, but it was worth it knowing that our story would be reaching a wider audience. We went from passion creators to professional creators, and WEBTOON gave a good foundation for that.
How has working directly with WEBTOON affected you as a creator?
Aoiyuki (head writer): As a writer, it really pushed me to adapt. While sometimes I let the characters write themselves, it’s also important to keep the readers happy with your work so that they’ll want to stay and continue to anticipate the weekly releases. Although I have also learned the essentiality of giving your story the justice it deserves, more than anything.
Cyberink99 (lead artist): For me, working with WEBTOON has definitely made me a better artist and creator. It hasn’t been easy, but any great project takes a lot of passion and dedication. Having a great experience with the platform and in any place requires the openness to collaborate and exchange ideas and solutions, and to prioritize depending on the needs of our team or the story in each situation.
Overall, I think it’s such a humbling and wonderful experience working with our fellow creators in Paintword and WEBTOON, as we strive to give our best works to our readers. Definitely for our whole team, it’s not just a story we make for ourselves, but we’re doing it for our readers, too. We believe that the process of making a story involves forming a sort of relationship with the readers. It’s like writing letters to them almost.
Is there anything you would like to say to your fans now that Go Away Romeo has concluded?
Aoiyuki: To the fans, thank you for sticking with us on this journey with Paintword and Rosaline. You have been the best people we’ve met, and we feel like we’ve grown with you as well. You’ve been with us through thick and thin, so we hope that never changes. The appreciation we feel for you is insurmountable. Really, we can’t believe that we’ve found such amazing readers who continuously support our work. It’s been an awesome two years of bringing this story to life. Please stay tuned for more amazing stories from us in the future, and follow us on our socials (Instagram).
Cyberink99: If you want more from us, you can also check out our other series, Till Crimes Do Us Part. There are even more stories to come, as well!
With Go Away Romeo officially concluded, Paintword starts a new chapter in their creative journey, so let’s wish them well, show support, and binge-read some webcomics!
