Han Da-Jeong on the left, Kim Min-Seong on the right.
A Korean Webtoon, written by LeeJun, stars Da-Jeong, a 19 year old girl with a physical disorder that makes her look like she's only around 7 and Min-Seong, a 17 year old boy who, though properly developed physically, has the mental capacity of a small boy due to a disorder of his own.
Basically a Boy Meets Girl story with some very unusual twists.
Tropes appearing in The Friendly Winter include:
- Alcoholic Parent: Yeong-Jun has a habit of overspending on alcohol and coming back late and drunk on his bad days.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Da-Jeong probably thinks of her father as this, seeing as to how he always brings back hand-me-downs from his friends' children for her as presents.
- Artistic License – Biology: Da-Jeong was born with a thyroid issue that left her unable to grow much. This wasn't noticed until several years later. By the time it was caught, it was too late for medicine to make major physical changes. There are cases of individuals lacking thyroids and looking immature, but it's usually not as pronounced as with Da-Jeong.
- Berserk Button: Though she doesn't show it, Da-Jeong gets very mad when people are insensitive to her disorder, even if out of ignorance. She doesn't hide her anger when it concerns Min-Seong though.
- Big Brother Instinct: Da-Jeong will be pissed-off if you hurt Min-Seong's feelings or talk behind his back.
- Bullying the Disabled: Da-Jeong's mother abandoned her because she didn't want a daughter who couldn't physically grow up.
- Bland-Name Product: Particularly the food products, from noodles to donuts to cheesecakes.
- Cool Big Sis: Or in this case, Cool Older Small Sis. Da-Jeong was this to Min-Seong at the start, and later, to Min-Seo as well.
- Cultural Cross-Reference: Da-Jeong references Harry Potter but Min-Seong doesn't get the reference.
- Good Stepmother: Min-Seong thinks his stepmother Seo-Ha is the sweetest and most beautiful woman on the planet.
- Grief-Induced Split: Da-Jeong's mother abandoned her and her father a decade prior to the story, unable to deal with the fact that her disabled daughter will always look less than nine years old.
- Happily Adopted: Min-Seong is stated to not be related to Seo-Ha by blood. (She is actually his stepmother.) And he thinks that she is the kindest and most beautiful person in the world.
- Holding Hands: A recurring image between Da-Jeong and Min-Seong.
- Imagine Spot: On the way to see the wizard of the play, Min-Seong daydreams of Da-Jeong having an adult body.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Da-Jeong and Min-Seong.
- Manchild:
- Kim Min-Seong is nearly an adult at 17 but acts younger because he has global developmental delay.
- Yeong-Jun could count as this as well, being gullible and having the household finances being managed by his daughter.
- Meaningful Name: The name Da-Jeong means kind-hearted.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Happens whenever Da-Jeong loses her temper and lashes out against her father or Min-Seong.
- Nice Guy: The wizard actor of the play is a surprisingly nice man, bothering to act like a magician to Min-Seong in order to make him go home on a winter night, and even helping him to look for Da-Jeong when his "magic" works.
- Not What It Looks Like: Played for Drama when Min-Seong is seen undressing an unconscious girl. (He was trying to change her out of her wet clothes.) Her parents misunderstood and beat him up.
- Older Than They Look: Da-Jeong, due to growth hormone deficiency caused by hypothyroidism
. - Parental Abandonment: Makes up the bulk of Da-Jeong's issues. Implied to have happened with Min-Seong as well.
- Parents as People: All of the parents shown. Especially both of Da-Jeong's parents Yeong-Jun and Eun-Gyeong as well as Min-Seong's grandfather.
- Perpetual Smiler: Min-Seong, mostly because he is truly simple-minded and easily please, or Trying Not to Cry.
- Precocious Crush: The girl that Min-Seong saves, Byeol, ends up having one on him at the end.
- Romancing the Widow: Implied to be what Yeong-Jun is attempting at the end with Seo-Ha.
- Shout-Out: To a wizarding school, a wise old wizard and a princess who was under a curse and turned into an ogre.
- Tender Tears: Da-Jeong remarks that she has not met one who cries as much for the someone else as Min-Seong.
- Title Drop: Min-Seong titles his drawing of him and Da-Jeong as "The Friendly Winter".
- Took a Level in Badass: Min-Seong finally learns to get angry when he finds an old man hurting a young girl and punches him.
- Tsundere: Da-Jeong for sure.
