no, this isn’t the best psychological bl i’ve come across, nor is the plot super well developed, but each character is actually very well written. i love a conflict where both sides can be understood, and this is exactly that. but there is no point in ‘siding’ with either party because neither's actions are defendable in any way lmao. you can feel eunsung’s desperation for hyunwoo’s attention through all of his actions, and the same thing can be said for the latter’s annoyance with his clinginess. both characters stayed consistent from beginning to end, and tbh even that is a rare achievement in today’s world of slop manhwa (and this is anything but slop). the supernatural reincarnation/body double thing leaves much room for reader interpretation, and the ambiguous ending is so fitting for their unclear relationship. i hate that nobody is simply hating on the work for the toxicity aspect instead of theorizing about the body double mystery when that’s the main plot point that differentiates this from any other bl.
onto critiques: the story could’ve been shorter, with a heavier emphasis the supernatural aspect. it starts with a dual murder, and we see the couple (presumably) kill each other again in the end, perhaps hinting that they’re stuck in a loop of violence and toxicity. also, the sex scenes could’ve been cut shorter and showed the audience more about each character’s inner thoughts, and it would’ve been the perfect opportunity to show eunsung’s dark thoughts and obsession as well as hyunwoo’s fear of him through body language. lots of readers are shitting on the rape. all i have to say to that is if it’s not your cup of tea then don’t read it instead of hating on the story? the trigger warnings are right there and your ass chose to ignore them. on the contrary, the rapey aspect could be played up as a physical manifestation of emotional turmoil between the characters instead of downplayed.
overall it’s a realistic interpretation of what a toxic relationship can look like; dual sided, uncomfortable, and anything but romanticized.
note: the author and artist are different people. the artist has two separate psychological works that are much better than this one. i fully believe that the author was the one holding back the storyline. please do read ‘smoke screen’ and ‘the sea of falling ash’ if you are able.
no, this isn’t the best psychological bl i’ve come across, nor is the plot super well developed, but each character is actually very well written. i love a conflict where both sides can be understood, and this is exactly that. but there is no point in ‘siding’ with either party because neither's actions are defendable in any way lmao.
you can feel eunsung’s desperation for hyunwoo’s attention through all of his actions, and the same thing can be said for the latter’s annoyance with his clinginess. both characters stayed consistent from beginning to end, and tbh even that is a rare achievement in today’s world of slop manhwa (and this is anything but slop). the supernatural reincarnation/body double thing leaves much room for reader interpretation, and the ambiguous ending is so fitting for their unclear relationship. i hate that nobody is simply hating on the work for the toxicity aspect instead of theorizing about the body double mystery when that’s the main plot point that differentiates this from any other bl.
onto critiques: the story could’ve been shorter, with a heavier emphasis the supernatural aspect. it starts with a dual murder, and we see the couple (presumably) kill each other again in the end, perhaps hinting that they’re stuck in a loop of violence and toxicity.
also, the sex scenes could’ve been cut shorter and showed the audience more about each character’s inner thoughts, and it would’ve been the perfect opportunity to show eunsung’s dark thoughts and obsession as well as hyunwoo’s fear of him through body language. lots of readers are shitting on the rape. all i have to say to that is if it’s not your cup of tea then don’t read it instead of hating on the story? the trigger warnings are right there and your ass chose to ignore them. on the contrary, the rapey aspect could be played up as a physical manifestation of emotional turmoil between the characters instead of downplayed.
overall it’s a realistic interpretation of what a toxic relationship can look like; dual sided, uncomfortable, and anything but romanticized.
note: the author and artist are different people. the artist has two separate psychological works that are much better than this one. i fully believe that the author was the one holding back the storyline. please do read ‘smoke screen’ and ‘the sea of falling ash’ if you are able.