I'm a huge fan of allegories, so reading the mc & ml's internal issues as an allegory for internalized homophobia was fun. Both experience this, but both treat the issue differently.
Mc saying stuff like how he was in relationships with women before but he always felt unfulfilled, saying "it sounded like some weird fetish" (how a lot of people used to think about homosexuality in the past), thinking that just because one sub (queer person) enjoyed getting hit, then that means all subs (queer people) must be masochists or perverts, generalizing Dynamics (homosexuality) as a 'fetish' rather than just being how people are built all because of how the environment he was raised in treated the issue.
Mc takes a more Avoidant approach to the issue, telling other people he's a Normal type, and not even really taking his meds because that would mean acknowledging the truth. "I was normal. I liked being in normal relationships." (Ch3) can be read as a gay man dating exclusively women to delude himself into feeling like a straight man just to avoid that part of himself.
Ml knowing more about Dynamics, acknowledging that he does have that Dynamic, and helping the mc to acknowledge that part of himself too.
But Ml still takes a self-loathing approach to the issue. He's also affected by how society views doms, but he doesn't avoid acknowledging himself as one. So, while he'll still help others to accept themselves, he still hates himself, the same way some homophobes like to villainize homosexuality and treat it like some disgusting, immoral existence. He's internalized that mindset of being treated like a villain, and it's led him to loathe himself.
So overall, the allegory is like this:
Mc's internalized homophobia stretches Outwards, leading him to judging others (avoiding including himself under the lgbt umbrella),
While Ml's internalized homophobia sinks Inwards, leading him to judge himself (while still supporting others under the lgbt umbrella).
I just like allegories ^-^
I'm already LOVING this portrayal of guideverse. Just a gate appearing can kill someone? A gate spawning on someone and taking half their body with it? Always imagined a story where that could be the case, and this might be the first one I've seen actually do that. Spectacular.
Also never knew the artist could draw such great monsters; they should seriously write a monster horror story
Crunchyroll announced SSSCSH anime January 2027, made by Studio fu.
Rejoice! They called him Kim Gongja and not Confucius Kim. We all cheered.
THANK GOD ITS GONGJA
Just saw major untagged spoiler from the novel below. Do NOT go down there.
Good thing u remind us. I hate fucking spoilers
Thank you! Been trying to avoid as many spoilers as possible but some people just have no manners:(
Writing after chapter 91:
Can't decide which is worse between these two possibilities:
1. After the Pope took in Isaac (Casablanca), he Gave him the name Isaac as a way of replacing his missing son Isaac out of grief of having lost him
2. He's just pretending his name was Isaac just to rename Sol Isaac JUST to fuck with Iana, or to replace Isaac C. because he's grieving his loss
Because I think grief is definitely a major motivation for the Pope, wanting to turn everyone into soul gems or whatever to avoid human mortality, and Isaac's death was the trigger for this new plot. But between the two above possibilities I can't decide which one would be more fucked up.
Option 3: Could also be all of the above...?
But I agree, it does seem like he's grief-driven.
Spoiler tagged to protect new readers since I mention the ending.
Hey I need a novel reader to confirm something. Was it just me, or was the ending rushed?
It felt like a lot of things were left unresolved.
It feels like Luvi was slowly cut out and became irrelevant around the end,
Melphis' end felt a little too open-ended, with us never even seeing him respond to the messages Vivi left on the mirror,
Dietrich I feel like we could've seen a bit more there, like maybe a reluctant Luvi awkwardly comforting her brother's first failed romance.
But we got none of that.
Like don't get me wrong, I'm fine the other 3 didn't end up with Vivi, I don't really care, and I'm actually happy Melphis and Dietrich were shown as being so mature, realizing Vivi wouldn't reciprocate their feelings and accepting that she would be happy with Ren. It's a fresh take on the usual men fighting over MC without considering her wishes trope.
But idk, it just felt kinda. Rushed? Lackluster? At the end. I want a novel reader to confirm if it really was rushed, and if the novel actually went more into Melphis, Dietrich, and Luvi's fates at the end. (If Luvi gets more content, I'm Going to be reading the novel, is why I'm asking.)
Ty novel readers in advance.
Do they know there isn't a shounen ai or romance tag? Are they aware of that? I don't think they know that. I think Sunghyun got the wrong script at some point and just went for it.
Good for him.