This analysis is AMAZINGGG, it really made my understanding of certain things which I didnt get earlier. Also, I wish u the best in life
Holy peak analysis dude
Have a read "master-peace"? It's not exactly a bl, it follows a very mature theme and it's sooo cinematic, it feels like watching a movie. I don't understand ANY of that socio-politic shit, it would be great if u ever made an analysis for this manhwa
Been avoiding this manhwa cause I knew it'll cause me to have strong opinions and feelings, but I will read it for you hdjdufn
Wow! Love your analysis for Mokyeon, I know he has gotten a lot of hate and I'm not saying he's perfect or that he didn't do wrong because he did, but he's fun to analyze on a psychological or just from a writing standpoint. He feels very human and it's possible to somehow relate to his highs and lows. I agree with what you said about Mokyeon wanting to pick apart that devotion he saw in Nanjo when he tried to save Sunwha, cause he wanted that devotion and dedication for himself and no one has ever saved him. Even tho Nanjo might be attracted to his vulnerable side cause he has that nurturing side to him, I don't think his attraction to Mokyeon stems just from that because it began in s1 when Mokyeon was still playing his cocky, smug persona, so rn Nanjo is lying to himself and trying to justify his feelings.
I also agree with what you said about Mokyeon needing therapy and finding self worth without relying on others...but to be fair he hasn't been able to rely on anyone most of his life, he's always been fending for himself so finding a safe harbor in Nanjo would bring much needed stability in his life. He also has more people in his corner than he thinks cause his friends seem pretty good and caring, but when he gets caught up in his head he can't see it.
Still he'll suffer more if he doesn't admit that he actually wants an exclusive relationship with Nanjo, if he goes along with a fwb rs, knowing now that he actually wants love, is going to crush him even if he's happy to have Nanjo with him for now. And Nanjo has to actually speak his mind or show his pov fr, because Mokyeon has been frantically searching for proof that he cares about him and instead he was getting front row seats to Nanjo's "affection" for Sunwha.
That said I like Nanjo, he's ultimately a good person and I don't blame him for trying to get a bit of control back after being at the mercy of Mok's whims in s1, and I'm a firm believer that Nanjo cares and he's not indifferent as he seems even tho he's just showing it through lust, because that's the part he can't control, his body. It's a big component of how their relationship started so I honestly think it's part of their "communication".
He said he couldn't trust Mok in their conversation on that veranda and imo that's what's keeping him closed off, but Mok being such a mess and earnestly apologizing and confessing must've got to him even just a bit. And imo it also stroked his ego to see a former shameless playboy reduced to tears because he can't leave without him lol
As for the Sunwha part Mokyeon let Nanjo read his messages with Sunwha where I'm assuming Sunwha admitted he didn't give a shit about Nanjo and was just using him, but he didn't seem to care because that was just Mokyeon shifting the blame, idk if it's going to be discussed more than that.
Thanks guys for thinking I wrote well cause I still feel I haven't been able to properly put my thoughts into words. There have been so many scenes where you can see Mokyeon shifting from his hard made up and spiteful outside shell to just a child in need of embracing.
Every time Nanjo showed interest in who Mokyeon is or asked him questions about himself, Mokyeon would get that innocent surprised look on his face that just breaks me. It's not that no one has ever been interested in him before or asked him about himself since he dated before, but because it was coming from the same Nanjo who devoted himself to Sunhwa and is sacrificing and going up and beyond for Sunhwa. It's like Mok keeps thinking "it's my turn? Is it my turn?" And it's just so sad. I believe Mokyeon needs someone else to be with who can honestly embrace that part of him and allow him to heal instead of feeding into it, because what Nanjo is doing is feeding into that part of Mokyeon even by being with him, because Nanjo needs someone exactly like Mokyeon to feel good: someone obsessed with him, reliant on him, and thinks the whole word smiles on him when Nanjo says his name.
Hah... I hope they at least talk it out. And maybe I'll be able to understand or empathize with Nanjo better if he verbalizes his thoughts or we see his pov, but so far he really just gives me nothing but prudish attitude.
About Sunhwa yes I remember that.
Now that I think deeper about it—
I used to be angrier, saying how could Nanjo be so angry at Mokyeon enough to rain punches and ignore him when Mokyeon has mostly been honest, but not show same level of disdain or anger towards Sunhwa even after Mok showed him the messages.
I'm starting to see it now as Nanjo not caring about Sunhwa's involvement as much as Mok because he stopped caring that much about Sunhwa to begin with from a point way earlier than their last threesome. He's not even angry at Mokyeon. He's angry at himself, and he's projecting it on Mokyeon because Mok is the reason Nanjo is angry at himself. Mok
1) showed him Sunhwa was a liar
2) showed him that he is a prude
3) showed him a different kind of pleasure he's loath to admit he enjoys and wants
4) showed him that he enjoys not being in control sometimes, which probably is a soure of shame for Nanjo in addition to bottoming I suppose.
It's not exactly that what Mokyeon did in that last threesome that made Nanjo angry, it was that Nanjo was discovered getting off on it by Sunhwa, who Nanjo unconsciously probably viewed as ... Someone on a lower pedestal than him? In terms of hierarchy, he viewed himself a provider, nurturer, and one in control in that relationship. So to be reduced to the same position that Sunhwa is in, in front of him, probably hit him pretty hard. Which really it isn't a hierarchy anyone of them sees except himself. Literally Sunhwa doesn't care if Nanjo is a switch as long as he's the center of attention, and Mokyeon would probably bend over if Nanjo asked him to and wouldn't think it has any meaning beyond sex and pleasure and intimacy.
Interesting.
As for the rest of what you said I agree with you! Though I never said Nanjo only cares for Mok because he thinks he's saving him, even during Mok's asshole era he did show some weaknesses and dependency on Nanjo's decisions. Mokyeon was showing such bravado with his words, but it was obvious even to Nanjo that he's practically clawing at straws to keep Nanjo around and I suppose that interested Nanjo enough to keep seeing him. I still have no idea for what true reason did Nanjo go through such lengths with Mokyeon. Why did he even agree to bottom for the first time. Why didn't he talk it out with Sunhwa? And after the first time where it was that bad, why return?
Ah well. I hope the author shows us more of Nanjo's thoughts later.
I just reread this again and I have so many thoughts about Mokyeon as a character that I fear going into it would get me so many dislikes, but it's honestly been food for my brain to analyze.
I think it wasn't as clear before as it is now for me the core issue with Mokyeon's character now that we've seen his past and the environment he was raised in. Idk why this seems like a recurrent theme in multiple manhwas I've been reading recently, but I'm pretty sure Mokeyon has borderline personality disorder. He's been chasing a high and self harming, even if it's in sexual form, for so long hoping he'd fill that void inside of him that he wasn't sure what it's longing for until he met Nanjo.
At first, it wasn't that Nanjo was anything in essence different from the other people Mok met, it was Nanjo's savior complex (yes he really does have it) towards Sunhwa that irked him, and it wasn't because he felt it pretentious, it was because deep down Mok knows his friend and knows that Sunhwa is a slut (not slut shaming) and to him Nanjo is just a fuck, but Nanjo is too devoted to him that Mok can't help but wonder why Sunhwa. It's not jealousy per se... Maybe a little envious? Spiteful? About the fact Sunhwa gets someone to be this devoted when Mok thinks he too deserves it when he's "kinder" and "better" than Sunhwa as a person.
This becomes further apparent when pushes it by asking Nanjo if he'd take Sunhwa's place, thinking he'd never do it but still asking just to prove to himself that such devotion or "love" doesn't exist. But Nanjo accepts, and keeps accepting, and even though Nanjo could've walked away so many times and nothing was forcing him to actually accept all of this instead of talking it out with Sunhwa like a normal person he still kept meeting up with Mokyeon and accepting their arrangement. Such display of "sacrifice" and the illusion that Nanjo is doing all of this for Sunhwa's sake (I personally believe it wasn't) was everything Mok has been looking for forever; unconditional love, sacrificial love, being chosen and fought for, someone to hold on to him even if he's flawed and not a good person. He's been abandoned so many times as he grew up that he's been starved for such forms of affections.
Now don't get me wrong, he was an ass and his methods were terrible, but the moment he realized what he felt for Nanjo he kept trying to communicate it in an amateur way, knowing he's not exactly vocalizing to Nanjo his feelings and still hoping Nanjo would reciprocate, but also afraid to actually voice his feelings and lose it all.
"Why Sunhwa and not me? He's not a better person, he's been lying to Nanjo, he doesn't care about or love Nanjo but I do. Why does Nanjo not see that and still sacrifices himself and endure being in that arrangement with me just for someone who thinks of him as a doormat and doesn't care what he likes or wants or who he really is and just wants him as a dildo? When I care. I'd never do that. I'd kill for a smile from him." That's probably all that went through his head, and when he realized that Nanjo has not actually been spending time or having sex with Sunhwa he got confused and hopeful. If Nanjo wasn't "enduring" for Sunhwa then what did he sleep with me for?
Yeah anyway, while I acknowledge Mokyeon had so many fuck ups in everything that happened, I somehow like him more than Nanjo. Nanjo always struck me as a prude, arrogant, hypocrite, and with a savior complex. He stuck to Sunhwa because he believed he's saving him, and he became more interested early on in Mokyeon when Mok showed weak sides. He's now interested when he feels like he's Mok's savior. I'm not saying he has no feelings for him, but ultimately the reason that sparked the interest was the shifting saving from Sunhwa to Mok, because Mokyeon has always been the one in need of saving. Sunhwa was where he wanted to be all along.
I just wish Mokyeon gets therapy or better and stops relying so emotionally heavy on others to feel like his existence has a meaning. I know what it's like because I have been diagnosed with the same, and it gets really hard. I'm proud of him for vocalizing finally and for admitting and realizing what it's all been like for him and his intentions, and how his methods were wrong. So far, we've only had Mokyeon owning up to his mistakes, but Nanjo is sticking to his own stance of being stoic, arrogant, and visibly annoyed by Mok's presence. And then when he actually foes something to Mok, it's not talking it out like Mok has been doing, but jumping him instead. Man... Idk.
I'm glad they're coming back together because as much as I dislike Nanjo, Mokyeon really loves him and wants him and will be haply with him (hopefully) but goddamit Nanjo makes it hard for me to view him in a good light. I thought I'd be happier about their reunion but with Nanjo taking it into that direction without a proper talking with, especially that the topic of Sunhwa using and lying to Nanjo all along hasn't been brought up ever, it's just... Yeah.
Anyway. My two cents.