Sure, we can talk about Dan and Jaekyung's contract and whether or not Dan had a choice to leave...as well as things like if Jaekyung would be found liable in court. Personally I'm not so much worried about legality as I am these other questions of like, consent and ethics and stuff like that.
I personally don't think Dan had, at least at the beginning of the webtoon, any real choice in whether or not to be with Jaekyung. He was working three jobs already, got blacklisted from other places of work, was deep in financial debt, and was on the verge of becoming homeless. Not to mention his grandma is sick in the hospital. I find it really hard to look at his situation and just say he could've/should've done something else—it was either take Jaekyung's deal or starve on the streets, y'know? I don't know about the government programs in this world or in real life South Korea or anything to be able to say that maybe there was some other place he could've found good money and/or shelter, but...at least here in the US, we don't have strong programs like that at all. He would've needed help from SOMEONE. Unfortunately that someone turned out to be Jaekyung.
It's true though that he develops feelings for Jaekyung (though personally I find this to be superficial...haven't gotten back to that part of the webtoon yet though so maybe my mind will change). At that point, yes, things are more complicated. Even then, he does indeed just...leave. But that's only after his financial situation improve somewhat—and honestly we don't know how he's going to fair AFTER leaving Jaekyung. Will he be able to find employment that sustains him the same way? Will he be able to find somewhere else to live? Etc etc.
Besides,even if JK did not involved himself with Dan. Dan will still face the loan sharks who also caused him and his grandma much trauma and depression. I wonder why JJk is so temperamental? Is that a side effect of his jinx?
Well yeah man, you're the one who was saying there's no connection between what is depicted in this webtoon and the things that happen in real life. I simply wanted to show you that statement is demonstrably false. I like knowing and understanding the world around me and the people in it, I think it's important and worthwhile to do. Again if that's not something you want to do, that's fine, I guess. You can read and enjoy this webtoon without necessarily thinking about all those things, you can absolutely just turn your brain off if you like...but you don't get to outright deny that reality exists, as you have been trying to do.
But um, yeah, I...can't stop that comparison/connection thing. I mean putting aside that that's just how my brain works, it's something I enjoy doing, and like...you should always practice a healthy amount of skepticism...didn't we both already say that these stories tend to draw from some aspects of reality? Whether that be other stories or from a living person or a particular government or culture...it's natural to draw those connections if you're familiar with these things. There are people in these topics talking about the realism in how some aspects of the MMA fighting is portrayed in this webtoon. Honestly, I didn't know about that—but they do, and they felt like pointing it out because they have an understanding of the sport. Who am I to tell them not to make that connection? Frankly it makes me appreciate an aspect of the story I didn't think much about before, because now I know the author did do genuine research on the profession in order to portray it realistically + deepen her character/story a bit more.
Anyway, neither of us can say for sure what the intended "purpose" of this webtoon is. Only the author knows what they intended. And even then...just because an author says or intends one thing, doesn't mean that their work can't be shown to say another thing. Look up Death Of the Author if you're interested in literary theories and whatnot.
I could talk so much about this dude's jinx that's one thing where. Well. We will truly have to see what the author has in store and if she'll explain it any more than she has already but as of right now I think it's such a silly and unnecessary plot device as it is now.
I personally think that Jaekyung is temperamental because he's insecure. About what, we don't know yet. But as I was rereading I noticed in those first couple chapters, when he flips out at his first fuck buddy, it's particularly in reaction to the guy calling him "pathetic" lol.
This is a genuine question because I think that you're from the US according to your comment. Akaito,is there a loan sharks in your state or in the whole US? I'm reading bl manhwa and the real problem or the root problem of any mc like Dan ( not all but mostly) is these loan sharks. In my country there are people who proposed borrowed money but it's not actually like what the loan sharks are. There are no contracts only verbal. And the only institute to borrowed loan money is from the bank or the company we are working.
I don’t really know tbh! I don’t think so. I mean there are definitely like, gangs and stuff like that, where if you borrow money from them or something like that then you can get into seeerious seeious trouble but I don’t know about loan sharks. I’ve just looked it up and apparently these are “moneylenders who offer loans at extremely high or illegal interest rates, have strict terms of collection, and generally operate outside the law, often using the threat of violence or other illegal, aggressive, and extortionate actions when seeking to enforce the satisfaction of the debt.”
Maybe Dan’s grandma got targeted by these guys—I was about to say it must’ve been Dan himself who got targeted to begin with + took out a loan from them, but Dan and his grandma were impoverished even when Dan was just a kid. Was rereading and caught that detail of one of Dan’s birthday cakes being a convenience store red bean bread his grandma bought…my poor fucking boy
That silly and unnecessary plot device will be used to redeem jk,I know it already. I know from reading experience lol.
Maybe JK wasn't into men but someone put cursed on him. Maybe he was insecure because of that reason. Just maybe, it's just my imagination lol. Well,Diddy is also a straight guy and his victims as well or am I wrong? I also accept corrections lol. And is jinx or curses still exist in modern era?
I agree,Maybe these loan sharks were targeted Dan from the beginning. They want to sell him if his grandma can't pay them or they want him to work as their sex sl*ves.
Ummm....you know that both the manhwa plot Jinx AND the "jinx" that you speak of are fictions, right?? If you do, what's the point of your question, "And is jinx or curses still exist in modern era?"
I know very well babe. Since this manhwa was set in modern era my question about jinx and curses is valid to the fiction world and not in our world. If this manhwa is historical,ofc it's natural to have magics and curses. The omegaverse is different as well. Me and Akaito were talking about jk and his jinx. I just also want to emphasize that even irl straight men are into men as well,so I put d*ddy as an example. There's no negative intentions in my comment. It's just an assumption of mine and an answer to Akaito's comment that jk's jinx will be used as a method to redeem him. I think there's nothing wrong with that.
Honestly I don’t know the specifics of the Diddy situation. He might be straight, he might be gay, he might be bi, whatever. Rape and sexual assault don’t necessarily have to do with sexuality so sometimes you will see otherwise straight people going after those who wouldn’t fit into that sexuality.
No way bro said JK was cursed into being gay now THAT would have real problematic implications LMFAOOOOO. But see that’s the thing…for a webtoon that is grounded in realism (as in does not have other fantastical/speculative elements), I find it so ridiculous that Jaekyung has this “jinx” and that it’s treated like a serious magical spell or curse he’s been put under. That’s the first thing. The second thing is that it’s hard to buy into it as something that’s actually real because at least up till now, we haven’t seen what happens if/when he doesn’t have a fuckbuddy…he could just be lying and/or it could all be in his head for all we know. Either way the fact that we haven’t at least seen any real ramifications of his jinx not being fulfilled makes it seem more ridiculous
Personally I think the “jinx” would make more sense and/or be more compelling if it appeared in a different way. Like if it was really just that Jaekyung likes the happy chemicals that come from sex. Or if he was lying about the jinx and just using it as a way to manipulate guys into having sex with him. Or yeah, if it was all in his head…but that one is less satisfying to me/doesn’t feel like it makes much sense for his character (like why would he convince himself that he needs to have sex in order to win? or why would someone else convince him of that?). Or even if it was real—it’d be fun to see him actually freak out more at the idea of losing Dan because he knows it’ll impact his performance.
Akaito I'm a natural born woman so it's just my imagination that jk is a straight man cursed to eat another man. I'm sorry about that silliness of mine lol. About his jinx, that's one of the reasons why I keep on reading this manhwa. You know,I really love talking with you. You are really realistic and your comments really rocks. I can't refute them because they are true. Tsk, you're a professor so it's natural for you. I love jinx and jk( please do not hate me for this, call me bitch I will accept ). Maybe the one who's lying is the person who put jinx on jk. Maybe he only deceived jk from the start because like you said,if the jinx is true then why did his last match was a draw?
It's been fun talking with you too. I'm glad you find my comments worthwhile lolol I just...have so many thoughts about this webtoon and how people respond to it. And nothing's wrong with liking this webtoon or even Jaekyung as a character, again, not inherently lol. As much as I critique its writing, I'm also willing to praise it for what it does well. The art is quite nice, for one—I like how the author colors and shades, and I like the facial expressions as well. And Jaekyung, even though we could get more out of him (again, still rereading), is a more interesting character than I think I initially gave him credit for. Or at least, he has the potential to be. Again from what I see so far I think he's a deeply insecure person and acts the way he does in order to mask whatever underlying insecurities he has. In that way, he's quite realistic. It's not enough for me to buy that he (at least as of now) secretly likes Dan yet, though. Or that he and Dan should be in a romantic relationship with one another.
I don't remember about his last match though, I'll have to see when I get there. But hm, about someone cursing Jaekyung—if this were a more fantastical story then I could very easily buy that he'd get cursed LMFAOOO. I mean look at his attitude, and look at his interaction with his previous fuck buddy. If that guy had magic powers he'd 100% fuck Jaekyung's life up. It wouldn't have been that Jaekyung was perfectly innocent before, and someone who just had it out for him cursed him. It would've been that he was and always has been an entitled asshole, and someone who he wronged cursed him because of it, maybe to teach him a lesson, or maybe just to make him suffer (although, really...it's Jaekyung's partners who seem to suffer the most). And Jaekyung, instead of actually learning his lesson, just decided he was going to tough it out/take out his frustration on everyone else, instead of doing what he needs to actually do to break the curse. I could buy that kind of thing.
Exactly! It's an escape from reality, as you said. It contains factual things that happen irl, but it's NOT real life. That's the whole entire point that some readers don't seem to get.
To me, he has many redeeming qualities. I'm surprised you can't see them. Examples include how he protected Dan from the loan sharks, he paid off Dan's debts, he let Dan live with him, he visited Dan's grandmother and kindly talked with her for hours, he paid ahead to cover Granny's hospital bills, he gives to charities, he's kind and patient with his fans (e.g. one scene shows him spending his own personal time with a fan when he didn't have to), he respects his elders and puts up with the coach talking to him the way he does and hitting him (interesting considering that Jaekyung is Namwook's employer and could fire his ass in two seconds). And yes, he's also dedicated to his career and hardworking, as you said, which is a redeeming trait. I agree with you that he has insecurities, and I think they play a role in how he presents himself to the world. I don't agree that he has "brainrot rich people seem to get." He likes to showcase his wealth, but I find him to be very generous and not selfish when it comes to money.
You mentioned that you have issues with how some readers interpret certain elements of the story. However, imo, that shouldn't concern you. Since it's fiction that is for the purpose of entertainment, it doesn't matter how they interpret things. For instance, I accept things and view them very differently when it comes to fiction. In no way does this reflect how I truly interpret them irl :)
I couldn't say no more. I respect your honest reviews. I appreciate how you give critique and praise for this manhwa. And I agree that Jk is an insecure person and that we don't know what is the root caused of that insecurity. If he was born insecure or there's a big reason out of it. I also agree with you about Jk being secretly into Danny boi (≧∀≦).My poor hamham.. Maybe this season he will realize his insecurities and learn his lessons.Thank you for listening/ reading my comments without being rude. Thank you Akaito,I've learn a lot from talking to you and reading your comments.
I love this comment!! You stated my own thoughts perfectly :)
I completely agree with what you said about readers enjoying fantasies, like being whisked away by some handsome guy or being kissed awake by the prince. Anything goes in fantasy! For the next season, I'm fantasizing about Jaekyung becoming obsessed with Dan and stalking him. I wouldn't even mind it if he kidnapped him. I still want to see some toxicity because it's not believable if Jaekyung becomes a green flag right away. All the morally righteous readers and the ones who can't differentiate between fiction and reality would gasp and say "you're sick because you like stalking and kidnapping!" lmao
Babe,these are the reasons why I love Jk . Yes,he is insecure and violent but I wanna know why is he being like that. Is that a side effect of his jinx? What is the root caused of that insecurity? There is a manhwa " Kiss me liar" where Kieth the ml is insecure because he's a straight guy and was kissed by mc in the past. He was disgusted of it so much that he promised to himself that if ever he found that man he will never forgive him. And Kieth is also toxic. I guessed he is more toxic than jk.
Heesung also knew about jk's jinx. Maybe Heesung also knew the person behind his jinx.
I haven’t gotten to all those parts on my reread so my views on these things + what what they say about Jaekyung’s character might change, but I do remember some of what I thought about each of these things the first time around.
I’ll be fair and say that just because Jaekyung says or does one thing, doesn’t mean he necessarily means it wholeheartedly. And some of his actions, though they seem purely self-serving on the surface, can be viewed as being done out of genuine “kindness” and/or out of some underlying desire for Dan. Like I said, when I get there, I’ll get there. But when I think about Jaekyung paying of Dan’s debts, for example—first of all, I remember thinking that that scene was contrived. Like, rather than giving Jaekyung an organic reason to have appeared at Dan’s apartment right at that moment, the scene was specifically set up for the sake of making Jaekyung out to be more of this savior figure for Dan, kinder than he actually is. I could go into further detail about the idea that oh, it’s okay for Jaekyung to force Dan to have sex he doesn’t ultimately want, but these loan sharks…but whatever.
The thing that REALLY sticks out to me about that scene though is how Jaekyung, after paying Dan’s debt, says almost word for word “I just bought you with cold hard cash.” Now you really could read this in a couple ways—you can say that Jaekyung is just, I guess, being a little shit here but doesn’t actually think he owns Dan but just wants to get under his skin, or you can read it as him indeed believing he now owns Dan, or you can read it as him trying to emotionally manipulate Dan into feeling more indebted to him so that he’ll comply with him more. There’s a bit of a range here but…none of these options are great, are they? And like, what is more likely, based off of what else we know about Jaekyung? Either way, the point is—yes, he pays of Dan’s debts, which I’ll admit, he didn’t have to do. But it’s hard for me to look at the broader context of that moment and see it as “redeeming.”
This isn’t even to mention all the times Jaekyung blatantly ignores Dan’s wellbeing for the sake of his own pleasure…
Anyway, when I say Jaekyung suffers from rich people brainrot, I mean that he is deeply disconnected from the reality and humanity of people less wealthy than he is, and seems to like, have little to no sympathy or sensitivity with regards to it. In chapter 10, when he sees Dan’s apartment, he comments on how filthy it is, and how it reeks of poverty (“It reeks in here. The overpowering stench of poverty. You live like this? Isn’t it suffocating?”). He can’t understand why Dan gets upset at him when he asks Dan why he lives the way he does (“…What’s the problem? Am I wrong?”). I’ll give him points for seeming…curious, maybe, and for bringing Dan to his apartment that night, but LMFAOOO. It reminds me of that “It's One Banana, Michael. What Could It Cost, $10?” meme.
Look, as long as you recognize that Jaekyung does rape Dan at least once, and that their relationship is founded on an insane power dynamic and exploitation, then fine. Bon voyage. That is the specific subsection of readers I have beef with. If you don’t recognize those things I pointed out, or outright reject them as truths, then I’m concerned. Because yeah, actually, the way you interpret a story can say something about how you think about certain things in real life. If I look at a blatantly racist caricature of a black person, for example, and I don’t recognize that its racist—or worst yet, I agree with the depiction…you can see how that might just mean I have prejudice against black people. Right?
Like I get suspending your disbelief and all and talking about things relative to the context the story is actually taking place in. I know I oppose the death penalty and all that but I’ll still say a character just needs to die LMAO. But like, you know. If there was, hypothetically, some scene in an anime where an evil woman gets raped as like. Revenge or something, and one of your friends was like “haha, that bitch deserved it,” and then when you ask them what they meant by that/if they could expand on that thought/if they actually Mean that and they doubled-down saying something like “well no she doesn’t DESERVE it but she asked for it and you know, women never really take any responsibility for their actions, sometimes people need to be shown their place”…you’re telling me you wouldn’t be at least a liiiitle bit concerned?
What happened to reading for enjoyment? Dan x JK ain't it but shit ain't real. Why can't people just drop these stories instead of condemning enjoyers of such stories? Some of y'all's inability to accept that we don't ingest these stories the same is jarring. Some people like this toxic stuff and they're the main target audience. You who doesn't with your consistent complaining are not even welcomed here. I think the morally righteous readers are just addicts who can't cope that they're addicted to violent toxic smut.They yap on here only to be like flies to shit when there are uploads. It's getting pathetic ATP. Post pandemic readers have ruined this site with their pretentious Jehovah's witness bs.