beta
why am i kicking my feet and giggling and slapping my bed at two children hugging and dancing omgggg im sooo over ε=ε=(ノ≧∇≦)ノ
sooo I don't usually add str8 smut to my lists bcs they're usually harems with no plot or feelings which I don't like but there are exceptions of course and they are always top tier.
SO ANYWAY there was this manhwa about a college girl, I think she's studying law and living with her mom in an apartment and her next door neighbor is an older man with a daughter who is a masseur?? I forgootttttt ALL I KNOW IS THAT I LOVE THE VIBES FROM THE EARLY CHAPTERS and I wanna keep reading but I forgot the title （/TДT)/
Dunno if this manhua exists in Mangago but here we go.
Manhua description(memory-based): The seme is a big shot with a high profile and is a master. And the uke is a disciple that the seme dotes on. And then the uke became the seme's guardian which is called something like ‘guard’ or sumn. If you know the title, it'd be very appreciated.
Idk if its this, the description is kinda close:^
•Temper my blade:ᵒⁿᵍᵒⁱⁿᵍ
http://www.mangago.me/read-manga/my_blade/
Yes, it's this one! Thank you very much I spent the whole night racking my brain to remember it （/TДT)/
:: why would you drop it at ch58
: such a foolish reason im afraid...
:: tell me!!
: YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW? ITS BECAUSE SEONGWON DIED AT CH29 AND FROM CH59 THEREON HE'LL HAVE BEEN DEAD LONGER THAN HE WAS ALIVE AND I AM NOT READING PAST THAT IF THATS WHAT IT MEANS.
anyway hysterics aside, i had high, high, HIGH hope for this story. thankfully, i am not too disappointed as it truly isn't that bad, but it was far from being a revolutionary OI.
i genuinely expected this to be special. i mean... let's check the list:
1. korean historical era instead of inaccurate made-up western slop? check
2. mc is of low status instead of straight up marysue from birth? check
3. mc didn't have an abusive family in her past life or was an orphan all her life? check
4. mc had no prior knowledge if the reincarnation was either a story, a novel, or a game, or a transmigration even? check!
5. a bit of realism (in court) sprinkled in? check!
now, it had a good start. a solid start, even. but it started falling off when her mother died. yes, when her MOTHER died, not when her brother died.
her brother's death was almost unexpected, and i'm sure the story still could work even if he didn't die, but his death also helped the original story unfold. it's not an absolute necessity, but his death actually did something.
her mother's death on the other hand? i don't see much effect. there's no mourning or no mention of her. in 58 and backwards, there have been only two instances where she was mentioned. her MOTHER. her sister COME AGAIN!
but besides emotions, the pacing of the story started to become lame too. there was no clear goal in sight and no clear ending to pursue. it felt like we were running around in a goose chase, but we didn't HAVE a goose to chase in the first place, and if we did, it was something that randomly spawned as we were running.
sooo i want to talk about the deaths of her family and the "realism" the story tried to apply.
this is a transmigration story. see that? transmigration story. a transmigration story is just another way of the non-AO3 readers to write "fix-it." the fact that she transmigrated was supposed to be the start of a story of hope in a palace filled with dangerous vipers. i have no problem with the story adding deaths to feel more dangerous and more realistic, but it's simply annoying how for every other "dangerous incident", something or someone always comes to save the day, like some forebearing deus ex machina, but it seemingly disappeared when the crown prince and concubine yun were the ones who needed it.
it felt lazy and lame because it made the story seem like it was trying to prop itself up as a "unique" one from all the other OI. like it was trying to shove it in your face that "see? i'm different! i'm realistic because i kill my characters off, to add more trauma to the main character but my death has absolutely no weight in the story at all and neither will it occupy the main character's head except for making more angst because she has GONE THROUGH SO MUCH". it felt like it wanted it to be recognized as a serious manhwa, but it never really goes past that. especially with how the new chapters are dragging on with all these 'fluffy' side quests.
it makes the deaths seem like they were of no substance but to be emotional hinges for the mc to cry about every 50 chapters when the opportunity arises.
it would've been okay if, from there, the story started to slowly but steadily shift into something darker and more serious, or maybe even touch on other issues and topics that were accurate to the time period, but it never did anything like that.
the only historical drama story i've ever seen that was able to truly be a compelling story where the deaths, even the littlest ones, didn't feel meaningless was apothecary diaries, but i suppose i was expecting too much.
that aside, it's not a story that is all bad. it's good! just not something highly praise-worthy.
that's all, peace out. i'm never coming back unless crown prince or lady yun return.