also Damn idk about others but if a character has 'epic wife guy' as one of their defining character traits it endears me to them endlessly... Erden 'don't breathe near my wife' Halstead is an absolute unit
this has been adapted from a short story which is also funny as fuck to read so in case anyone wants, the English translations can be found here: https://blackbox-tl.com/novels/ismm/
if you want to read a story where the FL becomes a stronger person herself, independent and courageous, and there's no abusive POS ML who now behaves differently with her bc she's so interesting or whatever the Fuck, read 'Untouchable Lady'. "I'll be the matriarch in this life' or 'the princess imprints the traitor.'
If you want a story where the ML makes actual effort towards addressing his past actions (tho he wasn't disgusting enough to rape, emotionally and physically abuse or kill the loved ones of the FL in the last life), read 'The emperor reverses time', which is a fresh take on this 'twist' but done better. At no point does the narrative make excuses for his behavior, and he always has to confront his past mistakes and tries to be a better person.
For general goodness try 'beware of the villainess' (taking down tropey/creepy LIs, addressing treatment of FLs in shit otomes and being a meme fest fun as fuck read at once), 'the way to protect the female lead's older brother' (lets go wlw and villain fuckers lets fucking go <333), 'is it fortune or is it woe' (for a 'mutual annoyance to lovers' couple with really good banter), 'a way to protect you, sweetheart' (for one of the most well constructed beginnings I've ever read in a turn back time romance manhwa, in that it characterizes and is able to flesh out the leads in 2 FUCKING CHAPTERS and the situation they find themselves in), 'your throne (on webtoon)/ I want to be you, just for a day' (two women with many misunderstandings reckon with each other's place in the world and come out of it better, more confident people) and 'A stepmother's marchen' (the reccs so far should be enough for you to trust me on this).
I'm so glad Estira made bank from the sale of the balm as all creators/inventors deserve... idk if patents exist in this world so this kind of fair payment on the part of the sponsor is a really good deal
see with reincarnation stories I tend to read them without thinking too much but this story... it's making me feel stupid for not using my brain. it's understandable but I need to put in effort.
p.s. if the novel cover is anything to go by the 2nd prince is the ML
everytime Ancia thinks something along the lines of 'how can the protagonist of an r-18 novel do that/act like that' I crack up bestie Blake's fucking 8 y/o rn.
seriously this manhwa has been burrowing in my brain for a near month now for 2 reasons:
1. the fact that the bitch chang liu had the audacity to lecture Glen about making profit off his and Ed's porn literally a single day after sexually assaulting Ed And at this point, financially exploiting him for years. Hell would be too kind a fate for this asshole. (it also infuriates me that people in the comments wish him well (or an uke/ a story of his own) even tho he's a rapist bc he's hot... but that's not something I can influence to each their own I guess)
2. Glen making the movie with Ryan about the serial rapist... that fucked me up. Whether the rape itself in the movie was eroticized it or not, the sexual content was graphic enough to be chosen by porn industry awards.. it made me fucking sick to my stomach and I could really feel what it was like in Ed's headspace when he found out. It also strongly affected my eventual affection for the couple bc although they ended up happier now being in each other's lives... the thought of that movie still lingers and leaves a bad taste in my mouth
the set up is fucking great. here's how
>characters: backstory, motivations and personal conflicts are definited within the first two chapters. Leticia, a girl who has recieved abuse at the hands of the person considered the holiest entity, wants to do better by the person she loves now that's she's travelled back in time. Ditrian, duty bound by the his position which came at the cost of his parents and elder brother, presently, is driven by the desire to protect his principality.
> romance: immediately clarifies the couple and their dynamic. Makes you question if ditrian treated her well in the past because to harm her would mean to give the empire an excuse to destroy their principality, but it becomes evident that he connects the 'blonde maid' to his wife, and truly came to care for and love her.
>conflict: sets up the following political and religious issues that hopefully are addressed through the novel:
- the looming shadow of the empire over the principality, and if they can break free or defeat the empire somehow to stop the oppression they face
- the corruption of faith/religion, and 'god' involving themselves to make things right
- delivering the villain (here, saintess and the currently corrupted order of faith) their just dues for their tyranny
this looks so promising and the art is cool as fuck. I hope this manhwa maintains its story quality too.
for someone who clearly knows she's mentally 37 y/o, FL sure can't connect cause to effect or guage how to treat jade... honestly who thinks 'i should pull pranks on him/bully him to toughen him up for when he becomes a cruel tyrant eventually' initially in the second go at the life they isekai'd into? Maybe prevent tons of blood shed/death from tyranny by not dying? I mean does a happy ending for the ML after becoming a tyrant really matter at the cost of all the things he would do?
FL knows this was a novel (which she didn't get to finish since she doesn't know if jade and saintess had a happy ever after) so I'm reasonably assuming she's a reader. Any reader can figure out in this situation that going with the flow in first life didn't work out if they've been thrown back into the past after its end. It's like... all this age and no common sense still?
Agia seems to think it's a given ken will love him because of the prophecy and outright disregards his wants. He's controlling and forces himself on ken repeatedly.
Divericke wants ken because he's apparently Cain, a person he loved, and uses manipulation and deceit to corner him and spells to make him compliant to assault.
And honestly, 'good guy' Ian is so fucked up too. Putting Ken repeatedly in harms way and within divericke's reach only so he can be 'brought in' and kept with the two of them. Loving someone doesn't mean using shoddy means to harm and entrap them.
ken deserves much better than all three, and there's so much rape in this story it's nauseating. It's a shame because 'like the tidal wave' was one of the few abos I liked because of the characters' easy chemistry, dynamic and enthusiastic consent. It's almost entirely opposite of that here, an unequal power dynamic with whatever flavor of the month guy assaulting ken while actively taking away his agency.