Finally got caught up and honestly, considering how good the art was and my expectation with that title, it was pretty disappointing. MC & ML both proved themselves to be kinda terrible and pathetic. I think there's a need, when you have a revenge story where you know the characters are going to be morally dubious, for them to at least have tenacity. What we get instead is Reinhardt losing her nerve about halfway through and being unable to commit, one way or the other, to what she wants while Will is obsessed but unable to get anywhere with that obsession. I usually love seeing that kind of intensity in a character and, honestly, I would have loved to see it followed through at literally any point- lock her up, politically maneuver her into marriage, kill yourself- anything so he didn't come across as completely toothless after he makes some seriously messed up, decisive, interesting choices. Granted, when they went back and explained why he was even about her, it was so shallow the whole thing felt pretty silly.
Also, I feel sorry for the children: they were born into a bad situation and more or less used to further the shallow motivations of their parents, who obviously didn't give a crap about their futures and only bothered with getting them legitimized once they had settled down. Deitrich was the only one with any sense to start off with, and I didn't even get to enjoy it because initially, I didn't trust his motivations since his character was setting off my Suzaku alarm bells. It's not done yet but I don't feel like I even have the energy to finish the side stories so rating it, reviewing it, and keeping it moving.
You worded it perfectly! That’s exactly what pissed me off too, the characters wouldn’t fully commit to one side or the other. And it was at points where I was like ??? This is really the hill you wanna take the moral high ground on? After everything you’ve already done?
Daaaamn thanks for the feedback, I left this marinating and came back to see the rating dropped by a lot. You saved me a lot of time and stress ovet it ╮(￣▽￣)╭
Well, I didn't before but damn... I might hafta actually consider now.
I barely even read this kind of thing but this is just some excellent character-building. The importance this couple has to each other considering the point in their lives they met is so realistic and while I don't like or sympathize with Na Seungwoo, he's pretty much just an animal, caught in a trap, searching for any possible way out. The vibe shift as he realizes it's not going to happen is perfect; I don't think I'd fully conceptualized someone as pitiful up until now.
Honestly, I love the art and how long the chapters were, I just wish that it was a bit longer. The character design really did give me big Legal Drug vibes, especially when they were in uniform.
While I love the art, and somewhat expect the MC to be the moral center, I am baffled by how all these guys just spring fully formed into the plot, only to be told how they were somehow in our MC's past already but are actually more significant than previously assumed. My expectation for an isekai-into-a-story-you-read type plot, is that you actually have enough foreknowledge to anticipate and change current and future outcomes and, so far, most of the subversion was done unknowingly, pre-story, while we've nothing to anticipate except for the vague, far flung future, and the most of the actual changes have been her... inspiring other characters to take action? I don't hate it, it's just a weird choice that most of her actionable foreknowledge comes down to just correctly identifying who or what someone is.
I will afford this author a bit of faith though; our MC is principled and it's the actions she's taken because of that which is have lead to most the love interests being interested. While she's stated her type, so far none of the guys clearly fit the bill, which makes her disinterest feel reasonable, especially since she's being set up so she's in a position where she doesn't have to bend (though we don't really have any other characters that seem to agree with her.) If she ends up with none of them I can't say I'd be surprised.
On another note, the amount of times in Manhwa I see married women completely beholden to the family of their birth despite them not being the more powerful than the one they've married into really makes me realize the western concept of marriage is probably way different due to those biblical undertones.
Ugh, Cedric is pretty great no messing around just straight 'don't try and hook me up with someone else,' 'I this to be a real marriage,' 'I know you plot, you don't have to explain, I trust you' that could easily have been angst and instead we get straight relationship building I love it
In the previous chapter someone provided me with the link to the novel, I haven't caught up to this part but I have read plenty and let me tell you I fucking love their relationship. He genuinely cares for her but she also genuinely believed she doesn't deserve anything and that she is ugly. All those words her horrible mother told her? She believed every single last one of them and she still does. And whenever Ced does something or says something nice she blushes and this little tiny hope and happiness inside of her grows and I love it (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
I was holding my judgement on the redhead and surprisingly... I don't hate him?
He knows the value of our girl and seems more interested in testing her than actually harming her. Definitely dangerous though, so I hope he doesn't do anything unforgivable in the future...
Value...... He only "loves" tia because of her ability. I believe no one deserves to be used just because of your power. Cedric is different. He loves tia for who she is not because of what she can do or her ability.
That's the thing though, he's not claiming he's in love with her... which would be setting off alarms since they weren't that close in their past life. He's wants her for her mind, has got a surprisingly good idea of the kind of person she is, seems interested in her romantically ("I also intended to dedicate myself as her husband",) and appealed to her in a way he thought she'd consider, which is pretty gutsy, considering she led to his death. He's not even that far off the mark, since she didn't marry for love (and technically neither did Cedric.)
That said, I don't like anyone butting into a marriage, especially since Cedric is a good guy and it's obvious they're falling for each other. However, I still love a wily, ambitious underdog, and Kadriol fits the bill while skirting the line of being an absolute villain (which would have been so easy to do.)
yesss he's so my type, although I love the FL and will be rooting for Cedric, the 2nd ML (can you even call him that lol?) the banter between is amazing, he's teasing, he funny, bold etc. bro if Cedric wasn't the ML, they would have been a perfect enemies to lovers type a beat, especially considering they both remember their past lives, its a nice twist too.
Ngl, I'm lowkey impressed that this one actually made me stop and think about it for a sec.
I feel like I see bratty characters like Aubery all the time but never where what they do is considered outside the context of whatever petty crap they have built up in their head and they have to the consequences for it.
Mad respect for Cedric tho, because sparing her family after the loss of his wife was a hell of a show of restraint, but dang do I feel bad for the them. Loyal your whole life and your youngest kid just sells out your whole community...
Really curious tho why the redhead ended up with memories of his past life. Tia is pretty crafty so I guess they had to up the difficulty this go around somehow?
That went a lot differently than what I expected. She said she wanted revenge and Dylan took that to heart, so he kinda does deserve praise...but then she started talking about public trials and peaceful transitions of power and I was like, sis that ain't revenge, that's just justice.Idk what happened to that destroy the kingdom spiel from earlier, but I think maybe she was lying to herself about how angry she was/is?
I'm intrigued how this is gonna play out; she treated Dylan like a tool and really had no regard for the whole kingdom so I can only be so invested in her 'escape.' At this point, she just reaping the fruits of her own labor.
Directionally, this headed where I was expecting but I'm wishing the best for these two and I kind of don't see the way forward with both of them getting what they want & need... I'm rooting for them but the last time I saw this setup, it didn't end in any way that was satisfying (though that might also be that the characters were also just terrible people.)