pluckaduck's Manga

the stories were intersting, tho not necessarily enjoyable. the mangaka just created short stories out of various unconventional ideas and tropes that elicit angst... and yall just call it "brilliant, realistic, etc"? yall, it doesnt equate to story execution. the downside of short stories is that there's not enough space to flesh out the charas and give nuance to make readers actually feel, and this story encapsulates that; while it's psychological, i don't understand the motivations of the old men-- why not just confess and stop draggin people into your mess? and the ending-- are the three in a poly relationship or smth? the dark-haired old man's confession of love feels very abrupt. and random

entertaining, cute and funny, but the cover design gave me the wrong impression that it'll be a love triangel, but it's not. sehun's role and personality is pretty different from what i expected on the cover. and not really a viable love rival in the first place bc mc never even considered him an option and he got his own lover later on. he barely gave the ml trouble or inconvenience at all; if anything, he helped him a lot and was a good friend most of the time, so yeah, it's misleading.

i pity the mother to some extent bc she simply didn't have the mental fortitude to deal with raising two kids, but it does not justify her abuse at all. she victimizes herself, is timid and immature, cannot own up to her mistakes, and vents her frustration and anger on innocent kids. she's a pretty nuanced chara; instead of simply being an abusive cruel parent, she just emotionally immature and too weak-minded with a victim complex to juggle the responsibility of raising two children and being the breadwinner.

i wonder if every historical GL will have most of the male cast as POS. this is the second story I've read with that sort of dynamic.

each of the three mcs are relatable yet the problems and angst are also rather standard cliche. it's relatively fleshed out, but there is minimal chara development. the paneling and camera shots are great, and really invoked some emotions.

ch 70. this is where i shall stop. the crossdressing aspect is barely plot-relevant; it seems more like the author inserting their fetishes. the mc, shiwoo, is not necessarily treated with kid gloves. his friend, the doctor, always scold him about his promiscuity and his inability to cut off ties with his abuser, hyun. but i agree that mc had some degree of fault for his abuser's change, but nevertheless, the narrative doesn't acknowledge that thru the other charas' words, who instead, never mentioned it. ofc, it would be awful if the doctor and yujin actually blamed him for the abuse, but yeah, the mc should acknowledge this. in the end, he really should've gone to therapy. the part about the mc going back to his abuser, while realizing his love for yujin felt dragged. i know that a shorter plotline would not have given enough angsty feels, but throughout those chapters, all the mc did was self-wallow in self-hatred, pity, and longing for yujin. it felt rather shoved down our throats. also, there's more sex than necessary for this kind of story. i know it's supposed to showcase his promiscuity, but there shouldn't be a sex scene every chapter, yk?

the second couple is just as multi-faceted and endearing as the primary couple. i love how hiro is just so blase to his gf's fujoshi hobbies and even helps her with them. and kaba, even tho he's uncomfortable, he ultimately just gives in to his wife's hobbies as well. the third couple didn't really clicked for me, probably bc there was no explanation as to why the girl had such crippling social anxiety, which was the main obstacle for their miscommunication that stymied them from getting together. but their dynamic is very cute as well. also, i felt the story dragged a bit in the latter half, but nevertheless, it's still great

i think this has one of the best and most grounded take on the found family trope with a lot of nuanced charas. at first, they all were using each other and are uninterested in each other's past and stories, but bc of masa'a entry, that gradually changed to the point they will all leave together to accompany yaichi. the art is ngl messy, but it kinda adds to the charm? also the fact that matsu is in love with yaichi? i think that should be touched upon? ...or maybe that's just a mistranslation.

as i write this right now, im sobbing my eyes out. i came here expecting the two mcs to be canonically in love with each other, but it turns out ash is more like the protagonist, and eiji is more like his driving force that advances the story, and at best it's stated they perhaps loved each other like lovers, but that's just speculation. still, the story's fucking amazing, and the action is fast-paced, and ash is one of the most resilient mcs I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. i knew it was a tragic ending, and i was prepared to get teary-eyed, but i did not expect that ending. it just made it a lot more sad, bittersweet, and painful, the fact that he could've lived, but chose not to. the author really ripped my heart out in this one.