nah, if u knew summer’s other works, you’d know it would never go that route. i actually find it so refreshing how much reverence this author has for the supernatural, yknow? i love how the supernatural isn’t just some obstacle to the romance that needs to be overcome, but something that’s deeply intertwined with who these characters are and how they love each other. i love how summer makes the two coexist without having to sacrifice one for the other. cos taking yoonhee’s god away from him would mean taking away a part of who he is, and that would honestly be such a tragic ending. i think that’s what i love most about how summer writes the supernatural. it’s not something that needs to be defeated or given up for love
I agree that love shouldn't require giving up the supernatural, but from a writing perspective, Yoonhee freeing himself while remaining connected to the supernatural would have brought both characters' arcs full circle. Seojin learned to stay and accept Yoonhee as he is, but Yoonhee never changed. Seojin could have inspired him to challenge not only his own circumstances but the entire household's way of life (the snake god literally restricts Yoonhee's and all the family heads' freedom) showing how love can change people and challenge the way they've always lived.
I don't think freeing himself means losing that part of who he is. To me, the ending falls short because it sets up the potential for Yoonhee's growth but doesn't follow through, leaving his character arc incomplete.
Having said all that, I understand your point. The title is literally "Bound to Be", so I can see why Yoonhee remaining bound to the snake god was intentional. Still, I don't think it was a satisfying ending from a writing perspective.
Tbh, I think a better ending would be Yoonhee leaving the Serpent God household to be with Seojin, and Seojin finding a way to free Yoonhee so they could be together. It would've brought their story full circle and shown how they've changed and made different choices now that they're older and more mature.
In the past, Yoonhee couldn't chase Seojin because he was bound by his family responsibilities, while Seojin left Yoonhee instead of finding a way for them to stay together. So I think Yoonhee choosing love over his family responsibilities, and Seojin doing everything he could to stay with Yoonhee instead of leaving him again, would've been a much more satisfying payoff.
The revelation about why the girl involved Seojin felt weak. I was like "Huh, that's it?" It would've made more sense if she had been obsessively in love with him.
The beginning was really good, but the ending is kind of bland.