ngl i feel bad for the little brother 😃

Well i don't, he grow up so sheltered that he doesn't even know what's happening around him. For someone who dreamed of being a leader, he should do some reality check first

No... I do pity him. You see there's a BIG difference between growing sheltered and growing manipulated. He wasn't sheltered out of love but so he would become a puppet for his mother's family. And his own mother did that.

It's because he grew up so sheltered and manipulated that I feel bad for him. He only knows what everyone else has been feeding him, he believed in what he was being told because he never had any reason to doubt people he trusts like his mother. I'm usually indifferent towards these sorts of characters, but you have to admit that he's wonderfully written; he's still a child, we've seen him make mistakes, he's naive and innocent and doesn't know any better truthfully. It's because he's a child that's naive + innocent why I believe he doesn't dream of being the successor, rather he's been told for so long that he WILL be the successor the reason why he's internalised this seemingly resolute decision.

Yes. And he seems to care about the mc too. Even the talk about her marriage felt more like he was worried than wanting to get rid of her or something. And people don't really understand how bad a parent's brainwashing can be. Even more so if they aren't the abusive stereotype.

I wholeheartedly agree with your comment.

As someone who was raised by someone with BPD who would often swing between being manipulative, guilty tripping, narcissistic, and overall a mess... whom almost drove me and my sister to insanity, even while loving us and trying to raise us the best they could... it baffles me how people refuse to see this kind of emotional abuse as abuse. Even more so when they dislike the character going through it.

It's an unpopular opinion but it's like what I see about Sirius, Draco and Regulus in HP. People often compare the first 2, saying Draco went through no abuse unlike Sirius. When he should be compared to Regulus. Both where under tremendous pressure from their parents to be the perfect heir. How can people not notice that Draco's catchphrase of my dad will hear about this means that everything he does is under his father's scrunity? Even his defense mechanisms are ignored because he is an antagonist. And honestly pointing those out is not defending his actions, not that many would see it that way.

So yeah... is not exactly the brothers case but he was definitely manipulated by his mother. And she probably believes that's the best for him too.
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Thank you for sharing that part of yourself, I resonated with it honestly. I myself grew up with all sorts of varying forms of trauma from my parents too that I'm coming to terms with so I understand. And to add to that emotional abuse IS abuse, people that say otherwise fact are just ignorant + lucky that they haven't experienced it and how horrific it can truly be - just like any other form of abuse there is.

I haven't been able to get into the whole Harry Potter series (nor do I remember much about it since it's been ages since I've watched it admittedly), but that analysis was really insightful and again I find myself agreeing with your eloquently put opinion.

And as you put it, there are links between HP and the little brother in this series - another sort of analogy I was thinking of at the time was also Jeanette from 'Who Made Me a Princess.' I personally found myself not really liking her character from time to time because the story is set up in Athy's perspective, but it also perplexes me how people dismiss the manipulation and trauma Jeanette experiences just because it doesn't seem to compare to what Athy has been through + because she 'should've known better' and not let herself be manipulated by her father??

There's this intrinsic notion that abusive behavior is associated with dislike so many people don't understand people can be abusive even while genuinely loving the person they are abusing. And oftentimes they aren't even aware that they behavior is abusive... thankfully we both were abe to grow up despise problematic parenting.

It's always nice to see the different perspectives from people about any work. I did drop HMAP for now and am waiting until it is finished before reading but I agree with you. Jeanette's naivety on her wish to approach Athy and be part of her life can be annoying at times but as you said we see it from Athy's POV. Poor Jeanette has really been manipulated real badly her whole life. By everyone around her and not just her father tbh... u.u

Indeed, we're both testament to the fact that abuse doesn't always correlate to dislike. Although I've always known this fact unconsciously, it was really interesting for me to have this line of thought actually verbalised.

And yes! I'm glad that you understand what I'm talking about. I get why you've put it on hold, I've wanted to multiple times when reading it - but it's starting to pick up a bit again finally and thankfully. But yeah, I fully agree with what you've said. Although she's (to put it bluntly) annoying, she's really naive and innocent + is a victim (not only used by her father but literally everyone around her just as you've said), very much reminiscent of Haewon's brother.