It tried so hard to be sad and it's the biggest tragedy of all.
I didn't enjoy the inconsistency of the characters or how the plot was going with the reasons for the characters' decisions. My issue already stemmed from the first chapter. For a guy who reads so much books, how did changjo come to the conclusion that in order to save a guy from hypothermia, he had to suck him off??? I also think it was a missed opportunity to really develop their bond at the start. It would have been better if changjo was able to connect with yeonwha in a different way, instead of just having sexual activities with each other (which could have been added a bit later if the author wanted it to happen). Otherwise, their relationship kind of falls superficial, esp how they're both estranged from other people, be it in dissimilar ways. Another thing that feels so out of place is (at least because it hasn't been properly laid down in the story imo) yeonwha sacrificing himself. For someone who ran away in the first place, it doesn't make sense for him to do what he did for the village. Yeah, you could say he actually did it for changjo, but throughout the story, it didn't feel like changjo had strong enough feelings for wanting spring. It would have been nice if the author put flashbacks or a good enough reason for him to be kind of obsessed with the idea of having spring (esp with yeonwha in it). Imagine yeonwha giving up himself because changjo very much wanted spring to come only for him to realize before dying that the latter wanted it to come so he didn't have to offer his abilities (THAT WOULD HAVE MADE A PROPER TRAGEDY LOL). and also, it was confusing as hell how inconsistent the village people were. By the end the elder said they never planned to hurt changjo but previously they did. And who was the guy who hurt him anyway? He made it seem like the consequence of yeonwha running away was extreme but it was never really stated in the story, not even during changjo and the elder's conversation.
So I do think the story is not that bad, but it definitely tried to focus more on the smut rather than developing the characters and the story properly. It was a missed opportunity for a gut-wrenching tragic love story (and to think it already has all the ingredients needed!)
The strongest point of this story was in the earlier chapters. There's something soft and warm in confiding your truth on a stranger who will ultimately become your friend, regardless if you're two different personalities. Seeing how they're fumbling to become persons the younger them would be proud of made me want to cheer them on. It's youthful and lovely. I particularly like the arc with Jaehee, seeing him realize how much of a shithead he was with his bestie and with Junseo (unintentionally at first...the next few memories revealed def felt like his own decision to do so). I say this as a youth whose peers had a big influence on them growing up. I related with Jaehee, in the sense of discriminating what I cannot fully understand and choosing to be toxic even though I should have known better. It cannot be fully pardoned with immaturity and not knowing, but it pushes you to make ammends and slowly become a person who is worthy to be friends with lovely people (cont.)
Another thing I really like was the ambiguity of Junseo's past. I say this because we never really see his first love make ammends with him, not even be given a satisfying reason behind his shitty behavior. And I think it's quite realistic. Often than not, we don't get the ending we want for ourselves; sadly, we have to make peace with that. So, seeing Junseo struggling to make sense what happened to him, but still choosing to be soft (towards his sister), learning how not to hurt others (i.e. his mom), still choosing to navigate receiving an apology even after knowing it wouldn't soften the blow that already landed fill me with an immense pride. Him being the one to say that Jae Won is not weird for liking a guy made it so powerful, because we see that regardless of the pain he had endured, he never regretted accepting himself for who he is. He is unapologetic in his warmth and softness (a rare character development often only seen in people in their 20's after years of therapy haha). (Cont.)
I also like Jae Won, but keeping my opinions short, albeit struggling to draw boundaries, knows what he wants, tries although fails. that's where his strength comes from, though it might come off as indecisiveness; he cares. And this softness extends towards the other characters, giving them a soft place to land on, after what they had been through. And I like how this reflects his final decision. Him not answering to Karam's confession immediately because he thought of Junseo, not because Junseo liking him stirred his love for Karam, but because he cares enough about their friendship, loves Junseo as he is, and ultimately not want his friend to experience the same heartbreak he got (esp if it was coming from him). Often, there really isn't a way for everyone to have the happy ending they want for themselves, but this story did its best to stay true to this theme (as reflected on junseo and jae won's pasts). It may not be the satisfying ending everyone wants, but imo, it was truthful to the story's intention and i quite like how it went. (Cont.)
I actually didn't enjoy Karam's characterization that much. In comparison to the other characters, he was boring, and I wished we got more focus on his development (as a character and as the love interest). It felt abrupt, so I think this is also one reason why readers feel dissatisfied with him. Sadly, the biggest plot device of this story is Yoonsung, and up 'til the end, he was only introduced because it was convenient so that the main cp could end up together (there were a lot of times he was used as such i.e. he suddenly had somewhere to go so main cp could be alone). I think he was introduced because it was the easiest route for the story to progress, but it was also the biggest flaw of this story. That's why the storytelling (amazing at the start) fell flat as he was introduced and the build-up of the character motivations suddenly felt "off" the more he was there. In conclusion, the story had its moments and i enjoyed bits of it, but it definitely could work on a lot of things. Still, I commend how it did its best to reflect how we don't get all we want in life and that we can take time to accept this fact and move forward.
Considering how this fcking started, their relationship is surprisingly wholesome! It blurs the line between consensual and non-consenting at the start tho, and that goes both ways to the characters the in-between development is fluffy, and i love how they communicate their wants and dislikes, how giving in into the other's wants makes them feel, especially the way they let each other draw boundaries. They also reassure each other and that melts my heart. The friends are a plus points too! Kiumi's friends are fcking cute and funny i love them. Disclaimer that for the continuation of this review, i'd be yapping my a.. off and it's the reason why I rated this low (on top of romanticizing the sh.t at the start)
Now now we go to that specific shit with koh. God fucking dammnit was that part even necessary??? Yeah, okay, the author could have inserted that charac from the start, a snippet perhaps, just to establish that kiumi and koh hooked up before or just insert a shit that ml was in contact with him (i think they chatted but well i dont remember neways). They could have used other ways to emphasize his role in the development of the couple's relationship without making him THAT shitty you know. Like what was the fucking point?! Also, the shit that gets to me was how it was downplayed. Okay, ml was angry, but bro?? Bro?! Bro?! That was an assault! Straight up assault. And what's more fucked up? He was saying sorry for making them feel bad not about what he did was fucked up. Im so frustrated at that part and i know it was shitty because the author randomly introduced that character, and so it was none but a fucking plot device that was shittily written and portrayed. And the thing abt the trauma from blowjobs and the other position was so fcking random like, cmon! Shouldve integrated those in the earlier chapters. What was the fcking point revealing that at the latter part?! Just for a fcking smut scene that felt so out of place
And I still can't get over the fact that he's still friends with him! He assaulted your boyfriend!!
Eh. It's like the author knows the start and end of the story but didn't know how they'd get from point A to B. That's why the story feels superficial. It might be the storytelling itself, but the build up of the realization of their feelings was too shallow. Aside from that, the romanticizing of non-consenting acts is just not it bro. I dont even get gady's motivation for doing what he did near the end, like it was hastily put there just to push the mc and ml into a relationship development. It sucks coz the art style is cute and the premise (save for the fcked up things) itself is decent. Welp
Diving into the story, I knew it was gonna be traumatic, but heck by the second chapter, I was wondering how the characs would develop their relationship with such a short time frame. Given that the blue blood vampire's love language seemed to be trauma giving, I looked forward how it would play out. Wouldnt say I was disappointed per se, because nearing the end, I knew these characs will def not gonna fall in love with each other, hence the ending was a logical route. However! I think the storytelling didn't do justice to the vision of the author. The back and forth revelations of past events didn't really add to the tension, but made the story messily put together. (Cont.)
One thing the story struggled with definitely was with the motivation of the main character. It's probably for an impactful plot twist, but the way I saw it, it was none but inconsistent. He was impulsive, sure, but he didn't seem to be naive either. Youd think he would have learned from his last mistake (trying to battle a blue vamp and def not winning), so there's this annoying inconsistency with him that became a barrier in relating to his background story. Another thing to take note of, was how random the little vamp bro fit into the story. He was a ducking plot device. Because the relationship of the couple was too fucked up, the author didn't know where to go from chap three, so their answer was the little bro. Also, the little bro turning out to be the one who killed the adoptive father was ineffective because as i said, it served more as a plot device rather than a motivational urge for the main charac. (Cont.)
It was difficult to piece the story itself, honestly speaking. It tried to get away with this unpolished storyboard with the level of its gruesome and its attempt on romanticizing the meaning of life. So yeah, def could be better
A feel good story and its straightforwardness and simplicity are its charm. I can't say much abt the overall story and its characters because both were written with a light-hearted tone, albeit trying to swim through serious and heavy topics like ageing, societal expectations, and homophobia. So, I really appreciate how the story kept the story easy to digest and light. (If u wanna read something similar, I really rec Old-fashioned cupcake.)
There are a few stuffs that kept me from rating it higher than 4 though. The build up leading to their resolution, as well as the resolution itself, is lackluster. Maybe it's because the story was meant to be light-hearted, but it sadly became its weakest point. Since the story didn't delve deeper into these interplaying factors that had ultimately woven into the characters' identity, there's not much weight into that arc. Aside from it, maybe it's only me, but I wish the start of their relationship played out differently. Althought I get that Keishi was meant to be pushy, to parallel Suzume, it was bordering on workplace harassment. Esp that a subordinate called out Tanaka abt it on a later chapter, it made the main characters' "first encounter" uncomfortable.
this story normalized sexual curiosity and well-regarded it as part of youth and self-exploration. Honestly, it feels personally intimate--the learning about yourself and accepting how it feels to be comfortable with your feelings (even if that meant the main charac getting turned on by a male senpai). It was just starting to slowly flesh out the motivations of the characters and it's sad it wasn't picked by translators. Setting that aside, lackluster impact in its plotline, I still think the story's charm is in its quiet self-discovery, in how the curiosity as a teenager was gently handled, and how the former emotion sweetly mingles with a swelling warmth at the act of reciprocity from both characters. Im quite intrigued how mizuki's childhood trauma would interplay with the story, given how much he was already aware of his circumstances, and how softly he threads his relationship with kentarou, esp in that honeymoon stage. Ngl, him recalling his mom when they were doing that in the apt made my heart ache. Just really have so many unanswered question tho. Like whyd he kept going to the infirmary? Is it really to just skip classes? Kentarou viraling on socmed from his classmates uploading a vid of him was for what? Hopefully that influences the story in the future coz the freak was it introduced in the first place.
Hmmm...specifically the very first part is too fucking fast-paced. They hated each other then the following page they're having sex. It feels so out of place, and honestly? That took too much from a nice relationship development. As I see it, Leo just "losing control" when they were in the hotel room was out of character, seeing how he takes his priorities seriously and abides by his principles. Heck, that's even the reason why he didn't like eito in the first place: because the latter had rumors abt him being a fuck boy. So, it really doesn't make sense that they had sex right after meeting each other for the very first time. (Continue)
Another thing Im really weirded out by, and im def disturbed by this, was how little care eito had at the start abt himself being an omega. Thinking abt it, knowing hes an omega and leo being an alpha, why would he be okay with being alone with the guy in a fucking hotel room? For someone who hid his 2nd gender for so long, why would he even fcking disclose his secondary gender to a guy he barely knows and who dislikes him? Actually, I understand he told the public he was an alpha, but it would have been logical for him to disclose the truth with his manager. Dang, that person would have arranged better set-ups for him? Made sure he was fine with whom he was filming with and def wouldnt have let him be alone with an alpha. Another thing that's bothering me were the rumors abt eito playing around. I assume sexually, because he mentioned during a flashback with natsume that it was coz of the "heats" and that's quite questionable. With how famous he was, there would have bound to be rumors of him being an omega way before the start of his project with leo if he slept around. So, him just getting caught by the paparazzi by the end feels convenient to the plot; not properly foreshadowed by integrating it into the earlier chaps. (Continue)
Oh oh although i love natsume and eito's friendship, another thing that didn't sit right with me was how natsume fcking let leo in the room when eito was in heat. Girl, your friend wasnt thinking straight at that time and you weren't even sure if leo is indeed your friend's fated partner. Without Eito explicitly telling him, when he was rational and clear-headed, that he would have wanted Leo to bite him should he go into heat, Natsume, no matter how good a friend he is, does not have the right to make such life-changing decision. It would have put both parties, whom at that time were in a vulnerable state, in a harmful, irreversible situation.
I think this story has a lot of potential, but it needs to work on things. Although I did enjoy some parts (like how eito addressed leo's insecurity), personally, I think a story becomes lazily written if all it takes is one sxual encounter for the characters to immediately fall in love and throw all the supposed motivations out of the window, especially if this kind of physical intimacy isnt carefully integrated to the overall intent of story and characters' development.
It's boring. Good premise but execution wise, it was full of random conveniences, ranging from how many times they trip so one of them ends up on top of the other or so theyd accidentally kiss to the other characters just popping out of nowhere to be included in the scene. The characters are so uninteresting pacing is inconsistent it could have had a good revelation of their past but it felt so sloppily put together because stuffs were only being given as snippets a few chaps away from the ending and only one chapter before the revelation, if not on the same chap.
Heads-up these qs contain spoilers:
1. How does choosing the celestiality work? Does it make you an immortal? Was the half angel not immortal in the first place? If he wasnt since he seemed to be growing old in the flashbacks, i dont get his body development. Coz when his friends grew old, he seemed to still be around in his early 20s but when his friends were young, he looked to be in the same age. So how does that fcking work???
2. The fck was that supposed arc of the angel's sister? Lol
3. So it's forbidden for an angel to fall in love with someone because it has a consequence. So where was the fcking consequence?
4. Why does the angel keep getting sick? Sure, coz angel and demon together makes the air around them toxic, so how did he stop being sick when they got together?
5. Actually, i also dont get the angel being in a mission. If he went to heaven but came down, did it mean they tinkered with the people's memories in the hospital? If by chance they said he was just a new doctor, i doubt the hospital would not have made a bg check on him so like???
6. Speaking of memories, so yuchan put the curse in the chocolate. To mess with the angel's memories, sure. But...for what? What was his fcking reason?
7. Another thing, if the demon was able to mess with the angel's memories before (when they first met and the period they lived together) why wasn't he able to mess with it now and make the angel forget abt him?
OMG i thought im the only who feel bored with this manhwa.
It feels like an indie movie, in the way it almost feels like a biography of someone's youth. It feels slow, spacious, but weirdly connected in certain ways I can't fully put into words, like a moment of breath amidst a busy life. Sometimes the yearning echoes loud, sometimes the answer grasped before let go again, but the reminder of what's there, of what could be never leaves you. Maybe I am one to read into things, but Kyouji and Satomi's meals, to me, symbolize a commitment only known to them. It's brought up in one of the chapters, but unlike in the prequel, where they're connected via "karaoke", arranging meetings to have meals even when they didn't have to always feel like an attempt to connect; always a deliberate choice towards each other. Moreover, I think the meals could be read as their satisfaction in their relationship. Sure, you get to sate your hunger after one meal, feel satisfied at the moment. But the thing about hunger is it comes back, over and over, no matter how much you think you're far from being famished. Much like Satomi, there will always be a lingering yearning for more, even if not said loudly, a hunger that will never be sated.
Also I like how the story shows other characters' lives. They mostly surprise readers (and Satomi) when they show a side dissonant of their outward appearances. And in their quiet, weird ways, they are shown to also eat/visit restaurant, ergo shown to yearn connection, be it in career purposes, in familial reconnection, in wanting to be understood, or in finding a place of comfort. It's always in connection that people discover parts of themselves, even in acts as simple as eating with others. And this story pays homage to a culture of collectivism, of coincidences stemming from wanting relations.
It's befitting of the genre slice of life, but also goddang the pining is making want to commit atrocities (ノ｀Д´)ノ彡┻━┻