There, you said it — it was meant to be a story about a power struggle, and that’s exactly why a lot of people tuned in. But since the end of last season, and even more now, that dynamic is basically gone because the imbalance has become too overwhelming.
Nobody's saying Enzo is acting out of character. The issue is that Enzo being a mafia guy with a twisted view of love doesn't automatically make the dynamic interesting or balanced. Right now, it feels like Enzo holds all the cards while Rian is forced to react and endure.
The appeal wasn’t just Enzo being dangerous or unhinged, it was that Rian was supposed to be someone who could genuinely push back and challenge him.
At this point, it’s no longer really about two characters actively fighting for control anymore, which is what originally made it engaging and interesting in the first place.
Now, the power is almost entirely skewed to one side, leaving Rian with very little room to influence what happens.
That’s why it feels less like a mutual struggle and more like the usual “dominant psycho / powerless bottom” setup people were hoping this story wouldn’t fall into.
That’s actually fair, and I get what you mean now. I was mostly talking about Enzo’s characterization itself rather than whether the current dynamic is satisfying to read.
I do agree the imbalance feels much heavier right now compared to earlier chapters, especially since Rian used to push back more. I guess I’m personally viewing this arc as a low point before the power dynamic eventually shifts again, rather than the story permanently becoming that trope. But if it stays this one-sided for too long, I can understand why people would lose interest.
but!! I also think, from a structural standpoint, stories usually need a major low point for the eventual payoff to actually feel impactful. Hence why I'm not too concerned of their current dynamic- If the dynamic stayed in a constant cycle push and pull, eventually the tension would probably start feeling repetitive.
So while I do agree the imbalance is extreme right now, I’m personally viewing it as buildup for a future shift in the power dynamic rather than the story abandoning the original premise entirely. I trust Hanse, you should try reading her other works ^^ and besides- it's only chapter 32 im sure they have a lot of plans for this story (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
the way enzo is acting makes sense and is completely in character... besides it's too early for Enzo to be all lovey dovey, born into a life were survival meant conquering his environment ( he's literally mafia!)- and how his grandfather drilled into his mind that the real gems are the one you've bled for... his idea of love would twisted obviously- maybe he doesn't even know what that means, and I think that's the beauty of it- an imperfect character, slowly being taught what love means by an entirely reluctant partner... But I'm not sure why people are complaining, if you've read until now this type of behaviour was always hinted if not obvious up until now! The creator even said this was a story about a power struggle between two men, though right now Unos getting the shorter end of the stick... I have hopes for the future that Enzo will also have a taste of his own medicine ^^