I haven't read too far in yet. Only upto where you find out that the MC's lost his best fr...

I will give you unsolicited advice as someone who has finished the novel -- don't stop reading here. Youll get what you're asking for, much more than that, I assure you, and the romantic aspect is not just an afterthought but is genuinely part of their character growth. My only gripe here is that this smut chapter should not have been shown here YET although we have already seen them have so much tension between them. It was probably an editor decision to show smut here just to please the readers who are looking for that kind of action

Please so you have the novel link

From what I’ve seen in the novel and what’s out so far, the romance feels very organic and ties into the plot very well thematically.
I’ll be honest though, immediately discounting this story because it has romance makes no sense especially since the relationship between characters IS a crucial part of character development.
I don’t mean to be accusatory when I say this too, but nobody would be making this complaint if this was a heterosexual romance. There are plenty of popular AND well written shounen serieses with heterosexual romance and people don’t immediately chalk it up to being bad. I understand BL stories with a plot can have a stigma but if you’ve seen the writing so far and it’s proven to you that it is competent, shouldnt you trust that over inherent biases?

Scroll a bit further down the older comments, you'll see someone posted it already

Ok thank you

I get this so much. I don't mind romance I just hope it doesn't completely overshadow the plot (I don't think it will) but I mean, I just hope it's well balanced and doesn't feel like it's leaning too much on one side

Gurl the Shounen genre exists, just read that then

BL Manhwas is SEVERELY lacking with plots like this so taking it the romance, while the plot being superb as it is, wouldn't really distinguish itself to others with the same genre. And i am thankful they managed to balance the amazing plot AND the development of their romance.

I get why people are feeling conflicted here. It's not as simple as just go read shounen. Obviously, they read shounen. They read shounen and romance for different reasons. Just like people watch documentaries and soap operas for different reasons. If you went to watch a soap opera, and it was a soap opera, then it makes no sense to complain why it wasn't a documentary. But, when you went in expecting a certain thing, but are given something better (better, of course, being subjective), you too, would feel a little scared at the potential of your luck running out and it going back to being a soap opera.

I mean, BL audience is famous for their tendency to pick up a classic shounen written by male mangaka from a heteronormative background, with nearly all main characters not showing any homosexual interest, written with a similarly non-homosexual, largely male, target audience in mind and still complain about it not being a romance, specifically same-sex romance. Your bretheren have had such an illustrious history being so vocal about their complaining, that over the last decade, editorial departments for any genre that isn't exclusively about female characters, have probably put up banners everywhere in the office, reminding them to keep the fujoshis/fudanshis happy. Shouldn't you guys, out of everyone, understand when the vice versa comes to knock on your door? At least, the vice versais being a super courteous, respectful guest who is an equal opportunity hater for all iterations of romance, not just the ones about mlm relationships.

To the OP, I haven't read the novel. Only the manhua. And while these guys are right in that the romantic relationship is well-written, I'm willing to bet that it won't matter to you. Because, at the end of the day, it is still a romance. Not an action drama with romance, but a romance with action-drama. If really can't stand romantic relationships suddenly taking over and driving the story just because, instead of motivations that would make more sense, don't bother. You will not enjoy it.

I read both. What I am saying is that I hope the romance doesn't overshadow the plot to the extent that the plot doesn't move forward for multiple chapters at a time (like 10-20 chapters with barely any relevance of continuation) *this only stands for the beginning-middle and not the end ofc

I have read many stories where it's both romance with a well written story and the authors are capable enough to balance between the two perfectly. Never a dull moment. Just the right amount of both (gotta love wuxia)

However I have also read the opposite and it's very frustrating reading something weekly (and even letting it marinate for months at a time) only to come back and we are still at square one. It drives me insane when the story was literally being sold to us as something that can do both. So that is what I mean when I say I hope it doesn't overshadow the writing

If I wanted to read a bl without a storyline then I would read smt that isn't sold to us with a plotline to begin with I swear

I've read multiple stories like this (esp novels, which this one has, and I plan to read it soon) and it's an ongoing theme for these types of stories authors to sell their work to their viewers as both an action/storyline based and a romance all together. If we were to go into metaphors per say, imagine seeing a show being sold as a cooking drama. You'd go into it expecting both, now imagine you go in and there is pretty much zero cooking? (this was unintentional but damn) Lol


Basically meaning it should have balance. If it's too heavily lop sided those reading would feel that the writing is a bit unfocused (I'm just talking in general, not this story in particular)