pychological thriller bl romance in postapocalyptic world? They got my ass before I even started reading. Very good story, a part of me hopes for other works in the universe, the worldbuilding was solid. And don't get me started on the art. BLACK AND WHITE WITH THE USE OF COLOR FOR DETAILS????? bellissimo, no notes, it bought a permament spot in my memory
Yes the ML is the villain, you remember correctly. MC probably lied to avoid hurting him, especially since in the novel he is technically the reason why "MC" killed himself.
IN THE NOVEL MC REMEMBERS: Our current ML [Tae Seongjae, technically a cousin to the ogML Kang] fell for Jimin [the ogMC of the novel], used "MC" [the original Seo Sungwon, friend of Jimin] and confined him (to get leverage or sth), "MC" loved him but ML was only using him, that lead to "MC" killing himself, which served as a turning plotpoint for ogMC and his ogML [Kang, the obsessive creep] to join hands AGAINST our ML, ruining him in the process. It is also the catalyst for the ogMC and ogML to fall in love.
Rest of MC's explanation is truthful, and a diagram actually helps a lot to understand the dynamics.
It's hard to rate, BUT I like it. Two very mentally hurt people (especially the ML), who in their shared trauma "complement" each other in a way a sane person wouldn't understand. Seriously, I even laughed when the MC's addaptivness to the situation was so well, that the ML who confined him started accusing MC of having a stockholm syndeome and called a psychiatrist. It's a story about trauma, but not violence-porn-angst one might think. In a weird way it's really consensual
I mean the whole story was a rollercoaster without the rails, but this??????? Fuck no. It makes no sense. If the author wanted to go the 'they're both so fucked up that they only fit together, even if it ruins them' route then it should've ended on the confinment arc, wtf is this fake out-of-nowhere pseudo fluff ending??? Seriously ruins it for me. There are so many interesting ways to end this twisted story, from MC cutting him off for good, somebody's death volountary or not, 'from some point in the story it was only an imagined what if', the aforementioned 'ultimate toxic couple' montage of their ruin, hell, ANYTHING but this bloody diarrhoea
At this point, even an alien invasion would be better
You know, I really wanted to like it, but the more I think about the plot the worse this ick gets. Imagine for a moment the art isn't as pretty, and characters look like average people. She run away from stalking and sexual harassment (let's skip the fact that 'running away' means her hometown, even if she stayed inside news travel with a speed of light in such villages) and we are SUPPOSED to root for... her boss again? Like, the core power imbalance that ruined her life is the setup for our flowery romance? I get it, the narrative of "boss ceo knight in shining armor", normally I love trope of the guy falling first and falling HARD, but the girl is traumatized, her opressor showed up, and you confess your feelings???? While you're her boss??? Literally her only rope to survival?? 'No pressure' - oh wait, if she stalls you just HAVE TO push again. She rejected you? Asking for drinks in your bedroom in the middle of the night and picking them up only in the bathroom apparently isn't sexual harassment if you're the ML (despite you doing that to an EMPLOYEE who CLEARLY REJECTED YOU, who also has a trauma about sexual harassment by her boss at work). But no, MC is secretly super into him, so CEO coming onto her at work is now okay and not creepy at all (I get why they had to make the original stalker almost comicly evil with all this broken glass and evil laughter [and -GASP- TATTOOS!!!], otherwise some people would notice more easily that him and the ML have actually more in common than the average viewer would like. And don't get me started on ML doing all the revange himself, without so much as consulting MC beforehand, u go girl, he's coming, go serve him tea and FACE YOUR FEARS. I had super high hopes, especially for the MC, but she ends up bland, her trauma is magically erased when ML is the one doing things, and she doesn't have to actually do much and decide for herself, as he apparently can do that for her. Gods, when she once has the guts to draw a line and reject him because she isn't ready for a relationship, the ML doesn't last a day before coming onto her even stronger. Big disappointment hidden in pretty art and ML's yearny monologues, which would be hot, if not only EVERYTHING I'VE WRITTEN ABOVE
Tl;dl - the title didn't lie, ML is a villain.
EXACTLY. Thank you! like... I feel this is meant to be a short story. How else could you explain this rush? I do think there's a point to be taken here, given that ML is CLEARLY being displayed as the "better of two evils" here. "Villains pure love" yet no "villainous" behavior yet? The FL's very early inner dialogue of how surely, his love is of pure intention and he's so much better? It definitely feels like he's going to turn into your standard red flag CEO.
It doesn't even feel like the revenge was for FL, it was just to eliminate the first stalker, make him the white knight, and speed up the pressure for FL to like him. She clearly wants to take it slow EVEN IF her affection for him is real, but he's already dreaming of the day she meets his family. He's already extremely clingy towards her and guiding the choices she makes. There's no doubt in my mind that if she were any other attractive woman in a similar vulnerable position, he'd like her instead. She just happened to be the first one. The only difference is that the first stalker already had several victims.
I was planning for my review to say "it'd be less gayer if they actually kissed" but those past chapters proved sodomy is well and flourishing
Idk, I don't like how when an ugly esper was forcing himself on MC it was bad, but when a hot one does way worse things to him we're meant to root for him as an audience. Literally in 99% scenes things are done to MC against his will, his protests are ignored, and the esper twists everything to their whims. It's not even about the principle (love me a good angst/enemies to lovers), I just think this manhwa did it meh
As nietzsche once said “Morals have aesthetics”
Questionable BL smut's comment section is the last place I'd expect to be quoted Nietzsche
Mark me impressed
I hate SA being used as a romantic trope too, HOWEVER for this case (guideverse) I think it’s a little different, sex is used for healing and it’s one of the most important jobs in their universe so I don’t think it should be considered exactly like how it is in our society, for example in an emergency, a random guide might be forced to have sex with a stranger esper as part of medical procedure, so even if it’s “forcing” it’s not the same as in our society where it’s meant for either procreation or pleasure or other lesser known reasons. Also this story seems to be really exaggerated for the comedy, eg. Mc’s violent tendencies are also criminal in our society, so I’d say to just enjoy the pretty art and story just as a fictional piece since it’s not meant to be relatable in any sense ╮(￣▽￣)╭
(▰˘◡˘▰) let’s be friends
(≧∀≦)
their flirting was so intense my cheeks were burning half the time!! Seriously, that slowburn was HOT. Lawyer talk edging unlike any other. The overarching plot is interesting, character development is great, and their chemistry changes my brain