beta
reread this and ima give yall the same opinions I had more than 2 years ago when the arguments on this site went crazy:
**Just a reminder to readers that yes, Haesoo and Joowon used to be stepbrothers (though, only for 3 years), and it is completely understandable if you might be uncomfortable with that. And if you are, don't read this manhwa. Their past is the driving force of this narrative, and to take their past away would mean that this story would not exist (if that makes any sense).**
In my eyes, each of the characters obtained a suitable ending based on their growth, self-reflection, and maturity throughout the manhwa. In short, they got what they deserved. Nearing the conclusion of this manhwa, they had all made important realizations:
Haesoo’s greatest obstacle was his lack of personal agency. Rather than prioritizing his own feelings, Haesoo took on the burden of considering what his mother wanted, what Jowoon’s father wanted, and what would be best for Joowon’s acting career. This burden made him miserable thinking his love for Joowon was wrong. Haesoo was under the misconception that he was the only one suffering throughout his relationship with Joowon. He assumed that Joowoon had it easy as he perceived his life to be “perfect.” This led him to feel inferior to the success of Joowon’s career, and as a result, Haesoo sought to make Joowoon suffer as well. Following Joowon’s declaration: “don’t fall for me, and I won’t fall for you,” Haesoo was unsure how else to feel loved. From that point on, Haesoo manipulated Joowoon’s emotions—making him feel angry/jealous for his sake. The hospital scene when he conclusively expressed how he felt towards Joowon, was the first time he truly followed his heart and expressed sincerity towards Joowon without any facade or manipulation. During his monologue, Haesoo demonstrated remorse, realizing he was wrong for being vindictive and wishing Joowon would suffer. He recognized he didn’t genuinely mean those things, because when Joowon actually got hurt, it broke him.
Joowon had commendable intentions as a teenager. He assumed that keeping their relationship undefined would protect what they had. On account of their taboo perpetually haunting him/them, this carried into adulthood. Not only was Joowon stuck in the past, but he had also feared abandonment as he believed Haesoo previously abandoned him once after the divorce. He deluded himself into thinking that pushing his idea of an undefined relationship was the best route for them because Haesoo would inevitably leave “if things got too serious.” Through their separation, Joowon reflected on his mistakes, acknowledging that regardless of his intentions, he hurt Haesoo through his words (“don’t fall for me, and I won’t fall for you”). He recognizes that he became arrogant thinking that Haesoo would never leave him due to the 10 years they shared with one another, and how he acted far too much upon Haesoo’s provocations on account of his immature attitude. Henceforth, Joowon strived to take responsibility for his mistakes, facing his own fears and realizing that he’d rather get hurt and abandoned by Haesoo than to not tell him he loved him. After all, love should be selfless like that.
From my judgment, Joowon had the most self-reflection and development in the manhwa, going from impulsive and arrogant to mature and braver with his feelings. I must add that both Haesoo and Joowon were constantly driven apart by external pressures that affected their actions (ex. their initial taboo, their parents, Joowon’s career, etc.), so I can’t blame the issues in their relationship solely on themselves. Ultimately, both of them learned that to make their relationship work, they had to set aside their personal fears/obstacles and prioritize each other.
Takekyung had a history of exes that he toyed around with and manipulated for his photography career and self-interest and began to see Haesoo with similar intentions. He willingly jumps into Haesoo’s story with ease as he, himself has never experienced heartbreak. However, Haesoo had exceeded his expectations consequently teaching Takekung a well-deserved lesson, that of which is: you can’t manipulate people’s emotions to make them love you. For instance, Taku’s quote: “I wanted to burrow inside that void [Joowon] left in you, and then I would kick him out in any way I could.” He thought he could make Haesoo love him, but now realizes he can’t.
Each of the characters presented in Love or Hate are carefully layered. Their actions throughout the story in hindsight are similar to the people we can see around us. They all exhibit selfish qualities and can show a degree of immaturity, possessiveness, or manipulation. In reality, that’s just how people are. They aren’t downright monsters, however, they aren’t saints either. When encountered with their feelings or trapped in complicated and difficult situations, characters tend to make mistakes and act irrationally just like regular people do. These are genuinely flawed characters with some ugly qualities and bad decision-making skills that reflect real people.