just had a stray thought while reading this. I ended up wondering if korean authors include rape in their fiction as a means of coping or if this is all they know how to sell queer stories. Although I do know there are bl manhwa out there that don't necessarily have rape it in, most of them are non-explicit stories.
It's quite common to see dubious consent to outright rape and sexual assault in explicit korean bl manhwa (tbh, even in heteronormative ones). Yes, there are some stories that that don't brush it completely under the rug and act like it never happened (this manha being one, low tide in twilight also comes to mind) but others do dismiss the atrocious acts done to their characters and the happy ending feels undesereved. The latter, i think, happens more often under the omegaverse tag.
For this story, particularly, while the rape and assault aren't completely brushed aside, it isn't completely discussed except in scattered bits and pieces and in tense moments so the ending (for me at least) feels a little bit rushed. Maybe that gets remedied in the side stories, if this manhwa is one of those that have them. But yeah the ending feels less than satisfactory for me.
Asil though has been fun to read as a character. He's strong-willed and contemplative. He's self-aware enough as a character that the decisions he chose aren't all too surprising, even if I, as a reader, don't agree with his choices.
If this does get side stories, I do wish we get to see more of Valerie's redemption cos that ending truly feels a little too rushed and we didn't get to see enough of his yearning and suffering.
just had a stray thought while reading this. I ended up wondering if korean authors include rape in their fiction as a means of coping or if this is all they know how to sell queer stories. Although I do know there are bl manhwa out there that don't necessarily have rape it in, most of them are non-explicit stories.
It's quite common to see dubious consent to outright rape and sexual assault in explicit korean bl manhwa (tbh, even in heteronormative ones). Yes, there are some stories that that don't brush it completely under the rug and act like it never happened (this manha being one, low tide in twilight also comes to mind) but others do dismiss the atrocious acts done to their characters and the happy ending feels undesereved. The latter, i think, happens more often under the omegaverse tag.
For this story, particularly, while the rape and assault aren't completely brushed aside, it isn't completely discussed except in scattered bits and pieces and in tense moments so the ending (for me at least) feels a little bit rushed. Maybe that gets remedied in the side stories, if this manhwa is one of those that have them. But yeah the ending feels less than satisfactory for me.
Asil though has been fun to read as a character. He's strong-willed and contemplative. He's self-aware enough as a character that the decisions he chose aren't all too surprising, even if I, as a reader, don't agree with his choices.
If this does get side stories, I do wish we get to see more of Valerie's redemption cos that ending truly feels a little too rushed and we didn't get to see enough of his yearning and suffering.