beta
As a mere CHILD, Chang-geon was:
1. Chronically exposed to the elements i.e had no shelter
2. Chronically starved
3. Begrudged even rotten non-nutritious scraps to eat occasionally
4. Verbally, emotionally and physically abused regularly
5. Hung by the neck ubntil nearly dead, whilst forced to watch what was considered abnormal by society at large
6. Deprived of human company
7. Deprived of family
8. Deprived of affection
9. Held captive
ALL with the full knowledge of the entire court including, it seems, the crown prince, with no-one to speak up for him.
Blame the author all you want for subjecting him to so much, but you can hardly blame him. Junmo has the right if it. He wasnt just abused, he was horribly, repeatedly BRUTALISED before, during and after his formative years.
Do you think those dark circles are for fun, that insomnia is fun??? That is a soul in torment who has clawed back and is clinging to the one flawed ray of light he has ever known.
The worst of it js that humans do treat children this way. Still, today!
Sam-Myeong showed him human kindness, but did abandon him to live his life, albeit unhappily. Now he's acting like his misfortune is unbearable, unforgiveable?
I hope he is the man Chang-geon believes and needs him to be. He will not find hapoiness without Chang-geon
Sam was happy without Chang. Now that they’ve reunited the man has been sexually abused, drugged, threatened, raped, manipulated, held hostage, kidnapped, beat up in the street, gaslighted, and been through numerous suicidal thoughts/depression. Chang is not the only victim in this story, while yes he’s been through a lot it’s not an excuse to enable his abusive actions. You’re only highlighting Changs suffering but not the suffering he’s forced Sam to go through.
Maybe it would be easier to sympathize with him if he hadn’t also done most of those things to Sam-myeong. Also, Sam-myeong didn’t abandon him, you talk as if he was his child to take care of. He wasn’t his responsibility.
I guess we forgiving criminals irl then cause most of them have a rough childhood, fucked up parents and burdened by poverty. Society failed them. Is that right?
BL/YAOI started in 70s Japan amongst female mangaka for female audiences. Observers/academics have theorised that whilst female fans love to see love and intimacy between beautiful boys and men, the repeated/widespread inclusion of emotional and sexual violence is a reflection of the female hetero experience superimposed onto the characters they create.
Understandably, male gay observers have not been hugely impressed, since they feel it is their experience being misappropriated. I guess as they were not the primary target audience, things have been slow to change, plus "Bara" was their antidote, with, at least initially, mainly male (+/- gay) mangaka for male gay audiences.
Ive read that there is still. a degree of misogynism in East/SE Asia, so this may also be why female mangaka continue with this tone.
Now, years later, the audiences for both are more mixed not only in gender, but also in sexuality and region, and the personal morals of readers are more easily expressed and communicated.
I guess, if there is any "answer", its to read what you want to, and avoid what you dislike. I avoid shotacon, so I'm supremely uncomfortable when artists draw what are supposed to be consenting uke.adults with childlike proportions/faces/bodies.
Then again, one of the most attractive things about manga/manhwa/manua is the art, which can be mesmerising in any sub-genre, like it is here. How beautiful are Hunter and Yujin????!!!
Thankfully, guys, its just fiction (?)
While that theory holds and i do agree, the same reoccurring taboos seen in yaoi like rape, teenage school boys and incest are common in bara too. It’s just presented less angsty and instead like pure fetish in bara. I think seeing abusive dynamics portrayed pornographically but also trying to be emotionally provocative at the same time is what puts a lot of people off including gay men who consume the same themes in bara just more lighthearted without the insisted trauma or drama.