Please excuse my English.
This manga is pretty cute and the drawings are beautiful. However, I don’t think the ‘representation’ part is that good as people want to push and I want to focus on that aspect. Don’t get me wrong, is obvious a lot of research was done, I personally appreciate the focus in accessibility. And I think the mangaka put great care and love in here. I liked that.
What throws me away is this narrative that MC disability makes him somewhat 'incomplete'. Now, I know MC is pretty insecure, but is always able bodied people who help him overcome those feelings. In the first part, when he shows insecurity about flying for the first time, the lover tells him how 'wheelchair users are amazing and can do the same as others' and ‘he is not a burden’. This puts some blame in MC as, I’m pretty sure, making disabled people some kind of ‘superheroes’ is a pretty common ableist motif.
Another thing is that MC broke with his lover because he feels ‘he was too broken (as a disabled person) for him’. Now, this comes from a place of insecurity, but it would have been amazing if the mangaka put more care on this and acknowledge MC thinking as wrong so able bodied people (the main readers of this manga) understand the weight of this way of thinking. IDK, this conflict feels like a cheap way of creating drama. I feel the mangaka lost the opportunity of making this better, like if they fleshed those feelings a little more and focus in more context, where they come from and why they exist in the first place. I think is better to show how this way of thinking is part of something bigger: internalized hate than disabled people suffer and not just some individual insecurity from MC.
Lastly, the second volume gets a little better. However, still feels like MC relays in his husband and their relationship too much for validation, instead of himself. I don’t have that much problem in MC wishing to walk, but how those feelings get brushed under the rug when his lover gives him a ring. Again, he even says ‘There are more things I can’t do that things I can do’, I would prefer if the mangaka explore more the psyche of the MC. I feel it would make the story much better in terms of representation if MC gets to a point where he can love himself in a more fulfilling way.
At the end, I do like a lot of details and I think their love was crafted beautifully. Is just the ‘representation’ part that bothers me, as I think this mangaka has great potential. If you look at this manga for better representation, I don’t think this is the best example (though is way way better than other stories), but if you look for a cute love story between two people who respect each other, this is something you can enjoy. Just be aware.
Art 8/10
Representation 6/10
History 7/10
This was so well said, thank you. <3
There's a reason that there's the saying "Nothing about us, Without us". I do not know the author's personal life but I brought this up mainly for those who are unaware of how hard the disabled community has had to fight to be heard. Unfortunately many able bodied folks are not versed in disability history, politics, and life so the closest they get to it,,, is these fictional stories...
I highly encourage people to try to educate themselves more.
Fun reminder: you can become disabled at any point in your life and you absolutely should take that seriously and care about your disabled community members
While I don't know your specific situation I would like to argue that this was very real, very good representation of what it feels like to be someone with a disability. I am in the exact situation as the MC except my injury level is from the chest down but the internal struggles he was dealing with and how his outside world interacted with him reflected my experience.
I don't think there was a moment where he was made out to be a "superhero" for doing the basics of living and trying new things. Yes he was given encouragement from his loved ones but it was never in a condescending way that came out wrong. I've had my run-ins with the latter half of people and in this story I didn't see that happen.
When it comes to the insecurity aspect, I do agree maybe a deeper conversation between the MC and ML would've helped explain more of what it feels like to doubt forming relationships when you have so much baggage to bring. That's one of the main things I struggle with currently with my significant other, the ability to not feel like I'm bringing them down with me. Constantly I just want to run away from everything and break up with him as to avoid these awful feelings, much like how the MC did in the first half of the story which in all honestly I appreciated as I felt so represented in having those thoughts and feelings shown in a vulnerable way.
But I think by the end of the mangka, the MC is on the road to recovery, self-love, confidence, and most of all acceptance. He stops worrying over how he will adapt to different situations, like going on trips with his husband or friends. He stops worrying over things like riding in airplanes and going on trips with his parents. Yes you mention that you feel he relies too much on his husband for validation and it would be wonderful if he was confident in himself but the reality is that he needs that support. As much as we want him to be independent, having that love and reassurance is so essential when having to live with having a disability. Personally I do love myself and I try to live my life with my head held high, but I too depend on people I love to validate my feelings and existence. Especially when I live in a world that doesn't have me in mind, a world that I have to make it my own. And to be honest I think validation from others applies to everyone to some degree, disability or not. Maybe some need more of it than others, and maybe I'm just one of those people that need it more but I feel that what I read here was representation of my life.
This is truly how I feel... well said
The story was hot but I didn't like Shirotani's father. He was sleeping with a school girl, even though he was way older and also his teacher. And they make it seem like the girl was a bitch (she kinda is towards little Shiro but YK, traumatized kids often traumatize younger kids, she was very obvious groomed and looking for approval) but never adressed the grooming his father inflicted towards her. Like she is annoying but he is a predator and that is way worst. Or how she is old now and never found any sort of justice but everything is ok because she still is a bitch. And at the end, Shiro contacts his father again after many years in this scene that is supposed to be emotional (?), as if nothing happened, as if he wasn't sleeping with a minor, as if the past didn't matter. IDK feels kinda simplistic and gross...
Like you can have mature themes in your manga, but at least be consistent FFS
He was a cram school teacher not an actual teacher if I remember correctly so she could have very well been 18 and prepping for college exams.
She had mommy issues and grew up with only having a father figure so she was attracted towards older men. These issues don't justify her mistreating and purposefully traumatizing a child only to show up years later and then try to gossip about him as an adult when he never blamed her for how fucked up he became.
But since we don't know everyone's ages anything on the subject is just speculation.
At the end of the day, it's fiction. Who tf cares.
Hey! IDK Maybe don't leave alone the already bullied boy and communicate with him in a healthy way. You know, so he doesn't get extremely guilty, depressed and gets more traumatized and lonely.
I want to do a review, but my english is very bad, sorry. About the story: I don't know. The art is very well done, so I give it points for that. But, it was a big drop in quality from the first part to the last two. The mother story was interesting, raw but realistic and sweet. It also give room to breathe and has a good peace. The second part feels kinda unnecesary, with all the characters who don't have much purpose. The two friends don't have much agency, and I feel they only exist to show how good the main character is. The third part was pretty much rushed, wanting to show the lost sister soquick and also getting rid of the brother in such a way, like he wasn't important, even though he was present since the beggining.
Also, is kinda weird how the author want to propose this idea of pure love. There is no justice in this manhwa. The point is so fixated that, the story kinda stops being believable. The rapist has a epiphany and basically kills himself (yeah, I know he give the weapon to the sister, but you get the point), his wife tries to kill a person but is also forgived. Worst of all, they hold hands in the dream and everyone is happy. I get the point that the author is trying to make, but, c'mon.
Finally, what I liked in the first part was how direct it was. Woman has a tragedy and has to learn to live/love again, deal with the problems and be happy. Discovers love and has a family again after losing one. And she made it. Every chapter, she have a new insecurity but also a new way to deal with her problems. It was very cool. However, the second and third part was basically tragedies after tragedies: girl lost, father dead, deaf sister, rape, abduction, child abuse, almost-incest, and the list keep going. There is not room to breath. It was basically yelling "This is Misery porn, look how sad all this is, that means is more realistic". I could swear that there is almost not chapter in the last two part where a tragedy or a problem is happening. And the worst part is that there is not resolution. In the first part there is clearly a begining, middle and end. But, here, everything is unresolved for the characters. The father dies without find her daughter, brother leaves and return at the end because he realize what he did was wrong, everything in less than a chapter. The rapist dies and her wife almost kill someone, but is alright, they are forgived. The lost sister never gets real justice, not her father. The two friends apear at the end just because.
I think the author is very talented, but he should plan better his stories. Also, I think because the chapters were so short, there was little room to breathe after every tragedy. I hope seing him in a bigger book, where he can plan better and have a better peace. And also, he needs to understand that not every tragedy in the world is going to happen to only one person and her relatives. When you show so many sad things in a prolonged amount of chapters, the happy ending feels forced. Is worst when this happy ending is less than 10 panels short. Overall, I think the first part works as a standalone work, even better than all the manhwa. That is only my opinion, though.
OMG Chanwoo is pansexual! I think I'm about to cry! (づ￣ ³￣)づ
Maybe is just me, but I have a bad feeling about that old man. I feel like he will do something bad or maybe he will be killed by Seungho. I don't know but is interesting.
Maybe he'll reveal Yoon's secrets((( （￣へ￣）
Fuck, after seeing this, all I want is Na-kyum to escape and find love and confidence by himself, without rapist and assholes hurting him.
I need the author to give my girl Kirino an ending where she can transition in peace and be happy as a woman┗( T﹏T )┛ ┗( T﹏T )┛