Why couldn't we have just ONE non-toxic, sane healthy couple...? The start was so sweet and wholesome that this last chapter really jumps cared me with the sudden tonal change
Lol start was not wholesome nor sweet.
did yeonwoo not threaten suicide in the first chapter what r u talking about
It started on a suicide threat. The actual relationship was cute at first but let’s be real, it was never going to be a sweet healthy and wholesome relationship. Might be at the end after all the miscommunication and all but until then…
My bad. I must have gaslighted myself into thinking it was loveydovey and cute from the start. Well, now this is even more ass than I thought thanks for alerting me guys
LMAO it tricked you into thinking it started healthily and wholesomely bc hwibun was always super giving and sweet to yeonwoo and going along his whims after they started dating
When it seemed like he was finally changing in some way, the ending comes in and scars me for life!! What is with manga artists and the child to wife pipeline???? Bro is a pedophile and has the nerve to be like 'whatever happens, happens'?? And it's the child of the woman he cheated with as well which makes it seem semi incestuous. Irredeemable trash.
Everything was going really well until the rape. There are thousands of ways to create tension and conflict between the ML and the FL, so why must these authors always resort to rape as a plot point? Not only is it poor story telling, it literally makes me feel so disgusted towards the ML and fear for the FL. A man or woman who turns to sexual violence when they are 'under stress' is not pitiful, nor attractive, and certainly not forgivable. Never mind that there was not even a proper apology!
The comment below who says they are not defending rape and then literally defends it by framing it as a 'sudden change in dynamic' that people should get over is the reason why this is a problem in media. The normalisation and even romanticisation of these types of rape in relationships is disgusting and harmful and truly makes me feel sick to the stomach. I hope people who read this manga don't think that this type of relationship is romantic or beautiful. If someone does this to you in real life, get the hell away from them.
Dont take my words and put it on your mouth. I said 1 word and you assumed 10. Your critical thinking really shined through. The point i was making was the fact that there are so many other stories that was built way worse than this. Never did i ever literally DEFENDED this story. Is it not true that the rape is a plot point which also equates to a sudden change in dynamic? Its just a literary way to say something similar like this "if yall cant even handle a story that suddenly glorified rape..." Theres no hidden meaning behind it.
You dont have to put on a bravado of being the most morale human being on this website. Not when thats how you generalized literally everything that i said, painting me as the people who normalized and romanticized rape. Thank you.
Thanks for complimenting my critical thinking!
Whether you intended to or not, your language comes off to others as defending rape. Your original comment saying it's just a 'slight change in dynamic' is using language that minimises the act. How can you take rape, something that is so emotionally traumatic and deeply gross and think it's okay that the author uses it as a mere plot device? You are also downplaying rape in your response to me. Saying that 'other stories are built worse', you're once again downplaying rape as just another plot device that's being used all the time again. Does it make it okay if its used in other stories all the time? No!
You imply that me, and others are overreacting by suggesting rape is unnecessary and bad? How is pointing this out having bravado about being moral? Instead of shifting blame and claiming generalised, reflect on your own statements and view on rape. Thank you!
I may have used the wrong expression by saying 'slight' as i did not take my time through when commenting that. Therefore, i apologize for that statement but never have i ever said that using rape as a plot point as okay. Once again you're taking my words into your own mouth. Im saying how other stories are way worse because its true. I invite you to read my previous comments on other stories, find me what I said that could ever point out to me thinking that rape is fine. You'll find me being hella against it (for eg; sadistic beauty bl side story, jinx and etc). But its also true that people did get way too sensitive and overreacted to this story, which makes me wonder how they would handle or even survive being OUT there. Then again, its my harmless curiousity since I've had my fair share of worse stories ever, built for porn and rape, etc. You can say, i got tired of all those bullshits but seeing people overly triggered in this story particularly makes me think they havent seen the worse. And thats all there is to it. Still doesnt make me a rape defender or whatevs u thought i am. You havent walked a mile in my shoe, how about you reflect on that first? Your welcome.
You are still missing the point. No rape is worse than another. People who suffer trauma related to SA will be triggered regardless of how “little” or “not bad” you think this display of rape is. ALL rape is worse. The reaction to the inclusion of rape is completely valid regardless of whether you think this tape isn’t as bad as others. Rape is Rape.
You are still missing the point. No rape is worse than another. People who suffer trauma related to SA will be triggered regardless of how “little” or “not bad” you think this display of rape is. ALL rape is worse. The reaction to the inclusion of rape is completely valid regardless of whether you think this rape isn’t as bad as others. Rape is Rape.
I didn't say this rape is better than the other. I said, other story was built worser than this. Worser in terms of build up, characters, settings and of course, even more extreme traumatizing scenarios. Just because i said other stories are worser doesnt mean that rape in this story can be dismissed. You're just another person putting my words into your own sentences.
I read that rape isn't about the desire, it's about dominance and violence. Rape in romance media is so romanticized that you think that'll it's a form of "love", when all it was is abuse.
I skipped to the last chapter and thought that the ML was a woman because of that cleavage. Imagine my shock when I started from the beginning and found out the owner of those breasts was the ML
THIS IS SO GOOD SO FAR!!! The MC is smart, resourceful and resilient!! And very funny as well!! The ML is the type that makes these stories the most fun. He's funny, sweet and goes along with the MCs shenanigans. This is a must read so far probably one of the best I've seen this year!
Why the MC gotta be so powerful and act like she knows everything that's going on, then completely fail some way or another and need to be rescued multiple times. Sometimes its not even the character's fault more like deus ex machina from the author.
Exhibit A: chapter 3 when she's trying to save the other girl from drowning she's so overconfident that she neglects to take into account how weak she is and nearly drowns but is rescued by some guy
Exhibit B: she gets lost in the alleyway, and she's about to enact revenge when her past fiance swoops in and rescues her. Also ew why is he blushing at her she a CHILD. (Not her fault this time)
Exhibit C: at the ball she's about to whoop some ass when suddenly two guys jump in front of her to protect her and she's frozen in shock and anger and ends up doing nothing. Bad guy escapes and she shivers in anger.
Exhibit D: when attacked she says 'now that you know who I am there's no way u can win against me' then immediately gets pulled into the mirror realm.
Exhibit E: latest chapter when she gets kidnapped. Bro with all that experience you had in ur past life u didn't think the shady alleyway would do something shady and hit you from the back?! Also her overconfidence once again puts her in a situation where she's stuck in a cage that nullifies her magic.
Why... I don't mind if this happens once or even twice, but why is the author using this as a plot point. It's so unsatisfying. I like everything abt the MCs middle schooler syndrome except for this part. I also realise this is so stupid to complain about. The last chapter really ignited something in me DAMN.
Out of curiosity, I read the novel. Let me just say if you love cheating, narcissistic, shallow, asshole, irredeemable male leads, you should read on! The ML is a sex-addicted depraved nut job and doesn't feel bad for anything he's ever done, don't expect any groveling from him :) . The second ML is also a high society dick head so don't expect anything from him either. The FL is spineless and wallows in her self pity, stuck between a bad choice and an even worse choice. Also... spoilers.....
She's a mermaid?! What the actual fuck. Literally revealed in the last two chapters of the novel. Anyways, don't waste your time if you're expecting a redemption arc, a good ML, a strong FL, a plot that makes sense, characters that are likeable, or a feel good story, DO NOT READ THIS.
Hi, where did you read the novel?
I read it on ridibooks in korean! I think there may be an English translation if you search around on novelupdates though.
Mermaid...
Thanks for the spoiler
Since when did he cheat on her? From reading the novel spoilers on the website, there was none of that. He is shitty but I heard he gets better not fully bc his personality is bad LOL but yea
After the FL refuses his advances he decides to go back to his old habits of sleeping and playing around with other women. You can argue the technicalities that they weren't together, etc. but I believe there was an expectation from both parties and that he knew he was in love with her yet decided to sleep with other people. He turns from scum to dickhead so yeah I guess he's gets better...
Girl that’s not cheating, he’s not obligated to stay chaste there’s no expectations when you aren’t together or official. Of course I’m not arguing with you that it’s still disgusting nonetheless (I’m not one to judge but I don’t like loose ppl). Disappointed but not surprise considering his personality but at least the author makes his character consistently awful LMAO. It’s always crazy to me when MLs do a whole 360 change.
I’m guessing the FL stays a virgin till him tho which is lame tho boooo. Thank you for the spoilers tho and for the head ups with him sleeping tendencies. It’s nice to know what to expect so my hopes aren’t too high even if I’m still going to read this toxic mess ( I eat it up every time HAHA)
Have a good day!
If you like it then you should definitely continue! It's just not for me. I know it's not technically cheating but to me it is a betrayal of their trust, so I did not like that aspect. I don't like how the ML expects the FL to be a virgin for him but he gets to sleep with whoever he wants. He's a hypocrite. It's toxic but it was a page turner for sure. Enjoy reading!
Thank you :) <3
Why couldn't they have this talk at the start though... instead we had to sit through 30+ chapters of painful and frankly mind numbing misunderstandings that were fabricated by the author for no particular reason except to torture us. Sigrid was so likeable at the beginning when we got to see her develop as a person but now I'm just tolerating her presence. Also why is Veramoud acting like an angsty teenager and refusing to listen to what she says. If they confessed asap they could have killed the emperor by now, achieved world peace, gotten married, and etc. LIKE PLEASE move the plot along now.
Looking at the war in the comment below, I wanted to yap a little concerning the main issue with this manwha. This manwha is quite similar to some other titles such as The Dragon King's Bride, When the Counts Illegitimate Daughter gets married and etc. The male lead is dark-skinned, masculine, of a high social standing, and most importantly, good in bed. Contrast this to the female leads who have pale skin, white hair, in weak positions and living generally shitty lives so that the male lead can save them.
If we use our critical thinking skills, we can see a clear theme here right? The main reason they are so attracted to each other is because of their physical characteristics, and how different they look. The man is wild, sexy, mysterious and barbaric, while the woman is pure, innocent, and submissive. These kinds of potrayals suggests that dark skinned individuals are inherently aggressive and primitive and white individuals are civilised and pure. I mean, just look at the title... Predatory marriage... really...? Who's the predator and who's the prey should be very clear.
The main problem with these brainless manwhas is that the race of the male lead is highlighted, emphasised and yes, fetishised. In this case, this is called racialised sexual fetishism, as certain characteristics of a race become target of sexual desire. Korean manwhas and Japanese mangas also have a problem with exoticisation. Why is this a problem if I'm just here to read smut and go about my merry way? It's objectifying people using their physical characteristics. It's depicting these characteristics as negative. It reinforces existing racial stereotypes and packages them up nicely in a brain dead smut for us to read. And judging from the brain rot comments its doing a good job.
A good example of a dark skinned male lead is a Stepmother's Marchen. The male leads skin colour is not highlighted as an attractive feature, but rather his personality and actions are the main feature. He is just like the other characters in his depth and personality.
Check the content you're consuming online. Don't get offended when others critique your Pulitzer prize winning smut lmao.
PREACH
So many manhwas and Mangas like this have such a huge problem with racial fetishism and orientalism. Like not only do they portray dark skinned people in a horrible light, they also make the ignorant choice to mesh a bunch of cultures together without even doing a small bit of research. Like I can go read a random manhwa that deals with this problem and find one character wearing a takshita and the other wearing a dastār. Or not even using actual cultural garments but stuff you'd see from a party city Aladdin, which isn't even accurate .
So true... and further consider that if someone is dark skinned in real life in these Asian countries, especially Korea, Japan and China, its not seen as an attractive trait and even shamed. How many kpop idols have undergone skin bleaching? How many Asian women want to look as pale as possible? Why do people associate dark skin with poverty and lower social class? This all stems from the highly regarded aesthetics of euro-centric beauty and social values of Asian countries such as colorism and xenophobia. It's so hypocritical and shameful that they are sexualising and fetishizing the very racial traits that are vilified. Plus... according to these manwhas, dark skin only works on attractive men.
SOOO TRUE im so sick of this trope
Speaking of colorism and xenophobia, when they aren't making the dark-skinned character a sexualized or animalistic male lead, they'll make the dark-skinned characters the villains. Like having all the robbers, bullies, etc. have dark skin with a large nose while the person who helps them has pale white skin, small nose, and more. It's such a common trope in manhwas it's insane
it's so refreshing to see people actually understanding the problem instead of just dismissing everything and saying that it's "not that deep", thank you.
Ong bruh ppl are just sex craving idiots with the desire for sexual activities in their boring lives that they have rotted. Many readers like this get annoying. It’s not ignorance, just people not giving a fuck. Smut would be so awesome if it is done properly. There’s the internet now, but Asia is so far behind in their social ideals and premises. This really highlights how dark to light skin is really thought about in Asia and by readers from different parts of the world accepting this.
Racial stereotyping and Fetishization is so common in these reads that I could have liked this if they could change it up a whole lot. Make the person orange or fucking green or blue. I get that so many kingdoms have hierarchies but maybe change up the stereotypes and who is where.
THIS!!!! THIIIISSSSSSSS!!!!!
I wanted to also highlight the use of the word "g*psy" to describe the Tomari people.
It's especially heinous in the context of the story since the word is considered a racial slur or perceived problematic by those who are ethnically Romani. It doesn't help that it was once "slang" for Egyptians even though their cultures are vastly different. The fact that the story pushes the harmful stereotypes of them being shady antagonists and being hunted down by the Kurkans when they're related by blood?????.
A few things I'm finding annoying so far.
1) the ML and how he won't stfu and leave the MC alone
2) Middle aged boomer old man romance with highschool teenager
3) 5 seconds of 'revenge' then old man MC acting all buddy buddy with the bully who drove bro to suicide
4) old man MC not even trying to act like a teenager and calling everyone student or kid then acting surprised when people think he's a different person.
5) so many weird set ups that are just ridiculous and hard to believe.