Kinda solid world building, interesting character backgrounds and motives, a dystopian world where no faction is moral or ethical, enough action to make it an immersive guideverse... Just to have constant rape in it. Yeah, we get it, this is a rather dark guideverse where there are no established codes of conduct in the esper-guide relationship, no regulations and regulating organizations, but rather privatized groups competing for profit and power while working towards the same goal of eradicating the anomalies (which, as a system, could've been touched on more; I think it's a realistic depiction of a guideverse happening in the end stage of capitalism so I like the concept). Yeah, guides in this world are treated like trash because of the sheer anarchy going on, because of that feeling that it's all about to end any day, so might as well do whatever we want, but why try and push a narrative of the "likeable" rapists who grow to care for and treat the MC "right" while actively abusing him? Why make the rape scenes so steamy, so hot?Doesn't sit right with me.
Not just that, but the fact it's completely impractical to share a single guide as a group of awakened, especially given the sexual nature of guiding, yet the story decides to make a seemingly obsessive ML be okay with sharing him with the rest of the rapists. So really, the story tells us - those are actual sadists, but root for them, be sorry for them cause they're broken lil boys deep inside, wait for them to start showing remorse; look at how panther dude has feefees now and he's a bit sowwy after brutally raping him with the illusionist prick (the mind fucker was probably the most disgusting character, close to the ML himself who roped MC into the mess in the first place). The thing with rape is, there is no redemption for that behavior, and authors who go on this impossible quest inevitably fail. It's icky how they attempted to make the abusers somehow likeable, to put the MC in the position of having to sympathize and bond with them. Also, very out of character for him how quickly after MC' brother's death, he trauma bonded with blondie, again, while he was raping him (not a single consensual scene in this manhwa, must break some record for most non con) and only a bit after was there the first ever enthusiastic consent from him, and even then, he wants to be fucked just to forget the emotional pain from his loss, almost like he's using self harm as he's experienced sex as violent and harmful so far. MC consistently showed how much pain he was in, how he knew he was victimized, how much he hated all of his abusers, how he, rightfully , wanted to kill the ML, just to cling onto the one who brought him in there and opened the gates of hell for him... He lost everything in that moment, so he wanted the scumbag ML to be forever indebted to him, but it still ended as a cute lovey romance (the way they ran on that bridge like in some romcom...) And what was that god thing about? Who treats a god by raping him? The ML made no sense in that moment, even the flashback where he supposedly noticed the MC for the first time during the bridge accident didn't feel believable as up to that point, the ML never had a reason to be that sentimental about it. It was just some kid to him back then, and it wasn't reflected in any way in his treatment of the MC.
Also, we saw instances where the MC guided without the need for intercourse or any intimacy, but the story treats guiding as if it's only possible through sex. Why make the guiding exclusively through sex, where's the guiding skill or element in that? Even visually, it's boring. Other guideverse delivers so much more in that regard. Still, I understand how it fits the dystopian theme where in a world with zero laws, rights and protections for guides, the fact guiding also happens only within actions that require a framework of consent would create a lot of pain and angst as there is no such framework to begin with. Yet I wish it was shown more tastefully. I wish this wasn't used as the perfect setting to just let loose and draw "hot" rape. It almost feels like some sort of gang rape fantasy, the way it's depicted, with the hot bodies and the saliva, the blushing, the positioning and where the panels zoom in during the abuse. "Isn't it hot how the MC is a cum dumpster for his hot looking esper abusers?" It leaves us with this ambiguity by making the MC blush and moan through all of it, as if to tell us - he's getting raped, but maybe he's enjoying it? It's drawn beautifully, sexy and steamy for us, readers, but it's still rape. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Knowing the tone of the story, those scenes felt displaced in such a dark world with such twisted characters.
The concept is still interesting. It could've been a powerful story about the circumstances of abuse, about the unbreakable spirit of a survivor who did what he had to do to save his brother, about the complicated relationship between the abusers and the abused as well as the survival of that abuse, about finding true purpose after the single goal that kept the MC alive was reached (in failure), and eventually leaving or killing (off) the abuser, but it turned into a rapist "love" redemption story where the constantly abused MC, only logically explained by some sort of Stockholm syndrome, falls for the main perpetrator AND bonds with the rest of them, too. It turned into complete slop, and put the MC in the position of caring for and bonding with rapists who, at the end of the day, didn't even have to have sex with him to be guided, yet chose to violate him and treat him as lesser just because they were stronger and they could. For this, the story is a solid 2.5/5.
What I did like tho - very grotesque monsters, scary situations, lots of combat action, that made the story fun to read. It felt like actual guideverse with bloody fights and lots at stake. The exploration of a world where the gates are overcome and the espers are no longer needed so they lose their powers was also an interesting touch. This story had a lot to offer, but it fell into the same shitty tropes I just don't enjoy, and failed to convey depth and take risks where it could've.
Kinda solid world building, interesting character backgrounds and motives, a dystopian world where no faction is moral or ethical, enough action to make it an immersive guideverse... Just to have constant rape in it. Yeah, we get it, this is a rather dark guideverse where there are no established codes of conduct in the esper-guide relationship, no regulations and regulating organizations, but rather privatized groups competing for profit and power while working towards the same goal of eradicating the anomalies (which, as a system, could've been touched on more; I think it's a realistic depiction of a guideverse happening in the end stage of capitalism so I like the concept). Yeah, guides in this world are treated like trash because of the sheer anarchy going on, because of that feeling that it's all about to end any day, so might as well do whatever we want, but why try and push a narrative of the "likeable" rapists who grow to care for and treat the MC "right" while actively abusing him? Why make the rape scenes so steamy, so hot?Doesn't sit right with me.
Not just that, but the fact it's completely impractical to share a single guide as a group of awakened, especially given the sexual nature of guiding, yet the story decides to make a seemingly obsessive ML be okay with sharing him with the rest of the rapists. So really, the story tells us - those are actual sadists, but root for them, be sorry for them cause they're broken lil boys deep inside, wait for them to start showing remorse; look at how panther dude has feefees now and he's a bit sowwy after brutally raping him with the illusionist prick (the mind fucker was probably the most disgusting character, close to the ML himself who roped MC into the mess in the first place). The thing with rape is, there is no redemption for that behavior, and authors who go on this impossible quest inevitably fail. It's icky how they attempted to make the abusers somehow likeable, to put the MC in the position of having to sympathize and bond with them. Also, very out of character for him how quickly after MC' brother's death, he trauma bonded with blondie, again, while he was raping him (not a single consensual scene in this manhwa, must break some record for most non con) and only a bit after was there the first ever enthusiastic consent from him, and even then, he wants to be fucked just to forget the emotional pain from his loss, almost like he's using self harm as he's experienced sex as violent and harmful so far. MC consistently showed how much pain he was in, how he knew he was victimized, how much he hated all of his abusers, how he, rightfully , wanted to kill the ML, just to cling onto the one who brought him in there and opened the gates of hell for him... He lost everything in that moment, so he wanted the scumbag ML to be forever indebted to him, but it still ended as a cute lovey romance (the way they ran on that bridge like in some romcom...) And what was that god thing about? Who treats a god by raping him? The ML made no sense in that moment, even the flashback where he supposedly noticed the MC for the first time during the bridge accident didn't feel believable as up to that point, the ML never had a reason to be that sentimental about it. It was just some kid to him back then, and it wasn't reflected in any way in his treatment of the MC.
Also, we saw instances where the MC guided without the need for intercourse or any intimacy, but the story treats guiding as if it's only possible through sex. Why make the guiding exclusively through sex, where's the guiding skill or element in that? Even visually, it's boring. Other guideverse delivers so much more in that regard. Still, I understand how it fits the dystopian theme where in a world with zero laws, rights and protections for guides, the fact guiding also happens only within actions that require a framework of consent would create a lot of pain and angst as there is no such framework to begin with. Yet I wish it was shown more tastefully. I wish this wasn't used as the perfect setting to just let loose and draw "hot" rape. It almost feels like some sort of gang rape fantasy, the way it's depicted, with the hot bodies and the saliva, the blushing, the positioning and where the panels zoom in during the abuse. "Isn't it hot how the MC is a cum dumpster for his hot looking esper abusers?" It leaves us with this ambiguity by making the MC blush and moan through all of it, as if to tell us - he's getting raped, but maybe he's enjoying it? It's drawn beautifully, sexy and steamy for us, readers, but it's still rape. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Knowing the tone of the story, those scenes felt displaced in such a dark world with such twisted characters.
The concept is still interesting. It could've been a powerful story about the circumstances of abuse, about the unbreakable spirit of a survivor who did what he had to do to save his brother, about the complicated relationship between the abusers and the abused as well as the survival of that abuse, about finding true purpose after the single goal that kept the MC alive was reached (in failure), and eventually leaving or killing (off) the abuser, but it turned into a rapist "love" redemption story where the constantly abused MC, only logically explained by some sort of Stockholm syndrome, falls for the main perpetrator AND bonds with the rest of them, too. It turned into complete slop, and put the MC in the position of caring for and bonding with rapists who, at the end of the day, didn't even have to have sex with him to be guided, yet chose to violate him and treat him as lesser just because they were stronger and they could. For this, the story is a solid 2.5/5.
What I did like tho - very grotesque monsters, scary situations, lots of combat action, that made the story fun to read. It felt like actual guideverse with bloody fights and lots at stake. The exploration of a world where the gates are overcome and the espers are no longer needed so they lose their powers was also an interesting touch. This story had a lot to offer, but it fell into the same shitty tropes I just don't enjoy, and failed to convey depth and take risks where it could've.