zenny's activites

"Wanting to forget something that had happened, Hikaru jumps off a building. Right before he hi...

"Wanting to forget something that had happened, Hikaru jumps off a building. Right before he hi...

I don't think I've found an author capable of capturing a character learning to move on from his guilt in just a single chapter. It's quite a feat, I must say. But that's not the only incredible thing to this story—the visuals are spectacular, the pacing of the storytelling couldn't be any better, and of course, the entire atmosphere of it all is just heartcrushing yet so, undeniably poetic and beautiful.

Guilt. It's something we all feel from time to time. Whether it be you feel bad for putting the blame on your sister when it was really you who made the mess, or whether it be you feel you could have prevented certain past events from happening, it's a feeling we as humans all universally share. Guilt is a strange emotion because we all feel it differently. Much like grief, we all cope with the feeling of guilt depending on how "bad" it is, and we all cope with it in different ways. For some, we can learn to push it aside and move on with our lives, and for others, we let it fester and eat us alive until we can't take it anymore.

Not only does the author capture such a complex emotion so well with just a single chapter, their artwork is immaculate. It's beautiful—very fitting for the theme of this story. Their style gives the panels an almost air-light, whimsy feel. The panelling is done wonderfully, the dialogue carries the story and is coherent enough for the reader to understand what happened in the past to cause what was currently happening in the present.

Because these themes are so deep, it makes the characters feel so human. We know next to nothing about them besides what's shown in the oneshot, and yet it feels like we know the ins-and-outs of their entire being. We see them at their happiest, we see them at their lowest. Joy, sadness, grief, they're all mortal things we all share, but these two gentlemen in this story share it with us. They're fleshed out wonderfully so in this way.

Of course, it's hard to learn to move on on your own. Sometimes, you'll need someone to help you. With the help of his partner, the main character learns to overcome his grief and guilt. He comes to terms with the fact that it's not his fault. He's given another chance to live the life his partner dreamed for him to have. He knows it's all in the past now, but he decides to stay strong and overcome his sorrow because that's what his lover would have wanted for him.

Don't let the feeling of guilt eat you alive. Sometimes, you might just need a little outside help to ensure you overcome your hardship. When you worry, you don't have time to remain your happiest version of yourself—the version people wish for you to have. When that guilt is gone, you'll be at peace; you can finally smell the scent of life.

My final rating for this oneshot is a 9/10.

Thank you for reading my review! Zenny out! ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~

Enlisted to a hellish military life of sexual harrassment due to senior Yoo-hyuk.After seeing Yoo-hy...

Why do I torture myself so? I'm sure you all ask yourselves the same thing.

This review is quite different from all my other reviews. Usually, I focus on certain aspects of the story and then rate how well it is overall on a scale of 1 to 10. I feel like I can't follow my typical review formula with Sheep's Mask. It stands out from the rest, and not really in a good way.

Even though this is just a short story, we learn how screwed up both of the main characters are. One is able to move on from the trauma he inflicted onto another, and one thinks the only way to deal with his trauma is to inflict it back on his abuser. Both are not in a healthy mindset, but both mindsets are quite common in reality.

I've never been introduced to Paskim's art prior to this. Their art style is phenominal—the dull colors of the environment and the dimness of the surroundings envelop the entire story in a sense of hopelessness and despair. It's prevalent from the start, and remains strong in its presence even towards the end chapters. From the get go, you know what kind of story you're in for.

The 2023 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey found that around 29,000 service members (6.8% of active-duty women and 1.3% of men) experienced unwanted sexual contact, yet the Department of Defense received only about 7,300 formal reports in FY2023. Military sexual trauma is a lot more common than people tend to think.

The problem I see with a lot of yaoi nowadays is that rape and sexual assault are not depicted as scary and frightening. Rape and sexual assault are probably some of the most terrible things people can go through, and Sheep's Mask depicts this terror incredibly well. There is nothing cute and wholesome to this story; the events of Sheep's Mask are incredibly realistic. This kind of stuff happens everywhere, like school, work, and the military included. Enjoy Sheep's Mask as a story that depicts these horrible things accurately.

Thank you for reading my review. Zenny out.

Mori, a child found in an abandoned house, opens his eyes in a shelter by a rescue team. One day, wh...

“On the Way to Meet Mom” plays out similarly to a children’s book. Despite it’s friendly, childish surface, it tackles many deep personal and psychological subjects and concepts, such as “What does it mean to be a mother?” and “What does it mean to have a mother?” Set in a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic world where the dwellers on Earth are human and alien, many different characters learn what it is like to be a parental figure of a human child, and the joys and sacrifices of being a “mother.” The main character, Mori, learns to understand what a “mother” is through the journey he takes with the other characters throughout this beautiful, wonderfully crafted masterpiece of a story.

STORYTELLING - On the Way to Meet Mom has a story that is short and sweet, yet it manages to dive into topics and a world so extremely complex. The first 2 chapters are some of the strongest initial chapters written. They establish everything you need to know about the main character, Mori, and help you understand him as a person. The elaborate descriptions of the alien-run Earth, paired with Mori’s perspective of hardly any dialogue, evens out the complicated worldbuilding and prevents overloads of information. The dialogue is minimal and used for worldbuilding and character insight. 10/10.

CHARACTERS - All of the characters are entertaining, diverse, and fleshed out. It’s enjoyable seeing how they interact with each other and how they react to Mori, all treating him as more than just a human child, but with undying love and affection. Mori himself is a great character. Silly, curious, and very expressive (to make up for his lack of dialogue), it’s so fun seeing him in every panel he's depicted! 9/10.

WORLDBUILDING - The worldbuilding of On the Way to Meet Mom is phenomenal. The author unravels the futuristic, post-apocalyptic world in the most captivating, breathtaking way possible. Once you (and Mori) get to see the world, you'll be thrown into a wonderland of sorts, seeing places and buildings you've never seen before, wanting to touch and look at everything up close. The other non-humans add to this almost surreal environment. The sheer novelty of it takes you back to a time when everything was bright and new, like you're a child again. 10/10.

ART - The art in this manhwa is so charming. You’ll get heartburn every time you look at Mori's adorable, sweet little face. The author is amazing at depicting emotions; every character is so expressive in their distinctive way. The art style blends and fits perfectly with the theme and setting of the story. There are cute, silly characters, and there are intimidating, surreal, powerful characters. The art is consistent, beautiful, and eye candy to look at! The author often switches to a watercolor-esque way of depiction, which creates a childish, kid’s-book look to the art on occasion. 10/10.

I believe that On the Way to Meet Mom is a beautiful metaphor for motherhood and childbirth. Those two concepts go hand-in-hand, and come with many sacrifices, difficulties, and possible consequences. But in the end, if truly desired, it’s worth it. My final rating for On The Way to Meet Mom would be a 10/10.

Thank you for reading my review! Zenny out! ヾ(☆▽☆)