Poppy

No you're right though, wtf does he mean he wanted to sleep with her even when she was all whipped and bloody?? Tf??

Right? Like, does no one see what's wrong with this?? I already know I'm going to get a wave of angry readers telling me Maxi and Riftan’s words and actions are "realistic" or have some "deeper meaning," but I call horseshit, lol. The author clearly set out to write a smut-driven romance but also tried stuffing in heavy angst without really knowing how to balance the two. So you end up with moments like this recent chapter that are supposed to feel serious being undercut by characters acting completely out of sync with how they're usually written, or saying genuinely questionable things—like wanting to raw dog your wife right after witnessing the bloody aftermath of her father beating her. 

About which scene are we talking about the one where we saw that Riftan first got encountered with maxi being whipped ? Or is it the very first meeting of them where she had those whip scars on her back? Because I think it’s related to when they met not the newest encounter because that would be VERY DISGUSTING even for him I know he’s a total mess to her but I hope he changes that

Uhm... What are you getting at?

Uhm... Don't worry about it?

"This shit"? "The smut"?
If that’s genuinely all you noticed, then yeah... I get why you think that’s the reason for its rating. ╮(￣▽￣)╭
And calling this ‘smut’ is kind of funny, honestly. The manga barely shows anything explicit... it’s soft, romantic, and mostly implied.
UTOT isn’t perfect, but it has emotional depth, character growth, and a story people connect with. But sure, reduce it to ‘smut’ if that’s the only lens you’ve got.
It says more about your reading than about the story.

Okay, you want the real reason I think the story is bad? Because clearly I struck a nerve deep enough for you to start psychoanalyzing what my opinion of a romance novel supposedly says about me as a person, lol.

UTOT is a poorly written romance because the author relies heavily on sex and grand romantic gestures as a substitute for actual communication between the main couple, and she drags this out for basically the majority of the story. If the point was to depict two broken people growing through mutual love and understanding, then why the hell is it that only one of the protagonists actually develops? And no, Riftan's "character arc" isn't just around the corner because he basically doesn't HAVE one. He stagnates throughout Book 1 and arguably regresses in Book 2. His so-called arc culminates in him stonewalling Maxi for most of Book 2, pushes her away while forcing her to carry the emotional despair he felt during her absence as if she's at all responsible for his feelings, and ultimately ends with him pathetically begging and groveling for Maxi not to leave him again after spending an entire week sexual assaulting her and forcing reconciliation on his own terms. Rather than deconstructing his behavior, the story repeatedly explains his actions through his trauma, abandonment issues, and obsessive attachment to Maxi. Instead of challenging Riftan, his actions are contextualized, softened, and framed as sympathetic, and the readers are just expected to somehow feel sorry for a character that refuses to slef-reflect and grow up, lol.

The story has good moments. I've never denied that. Where it completely falls apart, however, is in the romance, which is kind of a problem when the romance is the central pillar of the entire narrative. The relationship is already built on a shaky foundation because what we're constantly told through the story is "love" often comes across as little more than physical attraction and obsession. THAT'S why I narrowed down my assessment to "it's just smut," BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS BUILT ON.

Tell me, what does Riftan actually like about Maxi beyond her physical appearance? You can't say he loves her independence or anything relating to her personality because every time Maxi asserts her agency or tries to make decisions for herself, it results in conflict between the two. You can't say he respects her autonomy because the story repeatedly shows otherwise. Ffs, Princess Agnes has to literally spell it out to Maxi that Riftan treats her more like a child than a wife. So what exactly is this supposedly profound love built on?

I guess the only aspect of her personality he genuinely likes is his perception of her innocence and naivety, which, frankly, feels pretty misogynistic of him. He seems most comfortable when she's meek, dependent, and obedient. The moment she starts developing confidence, asserting herself, or making choices he doesn't approve of, their relationship begins to unravel. I'm sure I don't have to spell out why this is a problem? If your love only functions when your partner is passive and compliant, while constantly forcing sex onto them, what exactly are you in love with: the person, or the version of them that's easiest to control?

And that's ultimately why the story fails. The story sucks because the romance sucks. If that bothers you, tell someone who cares. Just don't act like criticism of a fictional character is some deep reflection of my moral character. Don't bother responding with your own essay about why you personally love the series because I don't care, lol.

this is so nicely put. riftan has the potential to be such amazing character if only they’d hold him accountable. it’s the fact that it’s literally explained to us why the way he is and even acknowledged that the way he treats maximillian is flawed and yet they do nothing substantial to sort him out! just the weird justification of “oh it’s cause he’s super protective”

THANK YOU! Someone gets it. Zero accountability, zero character growth, and the author expects the ready to sympathize with him because his problematic actions all stem from his unresolved trauma and abandonment issues? Bro, fuck off with that mess and fix yourself! There's only so much sympathy I can feel for a character before the narrative starts using trauma as an excuse for their appalling behavior. Why the hell is it Maxi's responsibility to manage not only Riftan's emotional volatility but also his own personal baggage when she's already had to undergo her own self-improvement IN SPITE of her husband! Why does it always have to be Maxi that has to meant this fucking manchild halfway?

Wow why r u getting jelly here? Everyone have their own preferences. Why r u talking shit here while praising your own fave. Rude.

Did you just ask why someone is sharing their opinion in a comment section

Yes. Why would you talk about other manhwa in this comment section. Their fave is not even that good.

Alr sure

I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE SAYING THIS LMAOAO i’m so tired of some utot fans < saying this as one myself! mind you. i adore maxi, imo she and some other characters are so well written which is why it baffles me that the same grace isn’t extended to riftan. i think another huge problem with this adaptation is that they love to tell you and not show you. like you’re telling me there’s this grand romance and you’re taking me through the motions but i do not see Sshiitttttt. what i do see is an insecure man micromanaging his wife!

Because I fucking can?? Like, walk away from my comment if it bothers you, lol. Keep enjoying your dub-con/non-con smut slop if you want, lol, but saying MBO isn't "that good" compared to Under the Oak Tree is some heavy copium, hon.