This manhwa was still ongoing when I first picked it up, but with how long it took to finish, I eventually dropped it and completely forgot it existed. Then somehow, the manhwa literally found its way back to me by pure coincidence. The plot is super dark and heavy with drama, tackling a ton of sensitive issues -even political ones- and setting it in a really delicate historical era. But it still had its moments of comedy and lively vibes, which honestly gave me the mental breaks I needed to recover from the constant tension and heartbreak in the story.
Choi Kiho’s karma was so satisfying. He wronged and tortured so many people during interrogations and abused his power non-stop, so it was about damn time he reaped what he sowed. That said, his punishment felt way too rushed and brushed over..I really wished the author showed his downfall in more detail so we could get that full closure. The thing that set me off the most was when he really called Yoon and Sehwan shameless gays! Like, bro??? You're literally a queerphobe, a rapist, a pedophile, and whatever other sin you can think of…you’ve committed it! The audacity of this man made my blood boil!!!! On the other hand, words can't even describe how happy I am that Choi Taejoo and Choi Hoyoon got their happy ending! I’m especially thrilled that the author actually took her time exploring their relationship and showing the stability and peace the family finally got to enjoy.
Lee Sehwan is a straight-up vile character. He has zero concept of love and just treats everyone like pawns... honestly one of the absolute worst MLs I’ve ever read. I didn't shed a single tear over his death; he was damaged and corrupted beyond repair. He was toxic to himself and everyone around him, and even his love language was completely unhinged and unbearable! I think it was totally intentional that the author didn't dive deep into his personal tragedy because he wasn't written as someone we were supposed to empathize with, unlike Yoon and Taejoo. His existence was basically a catalyst to help us understand the psychological trauma weighing on the main characters and where their actions -both before and after- were coming from. The story didn't care about him as an independent character, but he was vital for driving the plot and creating conflict for the MC, both internally and with the world around him. It was super obvious to me from the start that he wouldn't end up with either of them, and I’m so glad he’s permanently out of the picture. There was no way those two could ever find their happy ending with a toxic parasite like him around.
The female characters were also used as a plot device to tie events together. The author clearly just needed them as placeholders..they weren't written as fully fleshed-out human beings with independent desires, feelings, or identities you could actually connect with. They were basically just stepping stones for the MLs on their path through the conflict, or bridges connecting the MC. Their roles felt more like drama tools than actual complete characters.
Side note: The art is insanely good, but what really bugged me was that the MC looked way more like a literal child than a grown adult, which was so irritating. It wasn't even just about the height difference compared to the MLs..it was his face and body too. I also really hated how explicit the old man's sexual assault on Yoon was. Just implying that it happened would've been so much better. That said, I loved side characters like the young servant Sooncheol and Prosecutor Sasaki! And the cat was such a cute, lively addition, but I missed him after the move…like, where did he even go?? ╥﹏╥ Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this manhwa.
This manhwa was still ongoing when I first picked it up, but with how long it took to finish, I eventually dropped it and completely forgot it existed. Then somehow, the manhwa literally found its way back to me by pure coincidence. The plot is super dark and heavy with drama, tackling a ton of sensitive issues -even political ones- and setting it in a really delicate historical era. But it still had its moments of comedy and lively vibes, which honestly gave me the mental breaks I needed to recover from the constant tension and heartbreak in the story.
Choi Kiho’s karma was so satisfying. He wronged and tortured so many people during interrogations and abused his power non-stop, so it was about damn time he reaped what he sowed. That said, his punishment felt way too rushed and brushed over..I really wished the author showed his downfall in more detail so we could get that full closure. The thing that set me off the most was when he really called Yoon and Sehwan shameless gays! Like, bro??? You're literally a queerphobe, a rapist, a pedophile, and whatever other sin you can think of…you’ve committed it! The audacity of this man made my blood boil!!!! On the other hand, words can't even describe how happy I am that Choi Taejoo and Choi Hoyoon got their happy ending! I’m especially thrilled that the author actually took her time exploring their relationship and showing the stability and peace the family finally got to enjoy.
Lee Sehwan is a straight-up vile character. He has zero concept of love and just treats everyone like pawns... honestly one of the absolute worst MLs I’ve ever read. I didn't shed a single tear over his death; he was damaged and corrupted beyond repair. He was toxic to himself and everyone around him, and even his love language was completely unhinged and unbearable! I think it was totally intentional that the author didn't dive deep into his personal tragedy because he wasn't written as someone we were supposed to empathize with, unlike Yoon and Taejoo. His existence was basically a catalyst to help us understand the psychological trauma weighing on the main characters and where their actions -both before and after- were coming from. The story didn't care about him as an independent character, but he was vital for driving the plot and creating conflict for the MC, both internally and with the world around him. It was super obvious to me from the start that he wouldn't end up with either of them, and I’m so glad he’s permanently out of the picture. There was no way those two could ever find their happy ending with a toxic parasite like him around.
The female characters were also used as a plot device to tie events together. The author clearly just needed them as placeholders..they weren't written as fully fleshed-out human beings with independent desires, feelings, or identities you could actually connect with. They were basically just stepping stones for the MLs on their path through the conflict, or bridges connecting the MC. Their roles felt more like drama tools than actual complete characters.
Side note: The art is insanely good, but what really bugged me was that the MC looked way more like a literal child than a grown adult, which was so irritating. It wasn't even just about the height difference compared to the MLs..it was his face and body too. I also really hated how explicit the old man's sexual assault on Yoon was. Just implying that it happened would've been so much better. That said, I loved side characters like the young servant Sooncheol and Prosecutor Sasaki! And the cat was such a cute, lively addition, but I missed him after the move…like, where did he even go?? ╥﹏╥
Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this manhwa.