babao's Topics (22)

Got back home from my awful 10 hour shift work and seeing this update made me want to live again. No critique yapping or analysis at the moment. I'm just so happy one of the best manhwas is back running.

I have a feeling this was initially supposedly wholesome and warm because the art style and initial dynamic gave off that vibe but the progression is... well, no words.

I think Kangwoo knows something about Jeongwon which is why Jeongwon is anxious about leaving the two together alone but Kangwoo can't exactly say it because he may or may not have evidence.

Anyways, not the worst read, not the best either. I hope there's more development from the uke and more backstory from him especially regarding his noona. I think his side of the story is a bit too narrow, moreover he's so easily manipulated by Jeongwon on top of being a natural pushover. Jeongwon's backstory might start sooner or later considering the hints, but I really want to see more of Inhwee's development, I think he has potential but the story pacing is a bit too fast.

This is the worst-written ending I have read. It can't even be considered a decent open-ending with how many arcs are ridden with plot holes. The fact I am this venomous with my words is because I am in genuine shock at how much potential the characters and plot have, and yet it all boiled down to poor story writing one after the other.

The golden dragon was also underwhelming despite his hooking introduction, and the rest of the dragons were so shallow and unfleshed out it just looked like a circus of creatures instead of legendary and powerful beings. The temple held poor virtues, motives, and even poorly made characters despite the plot devices being good enough. The ideas are /good/, they are very good. The execution, however, is not.

I am so upset. Not to mention, Minhu's relationships with the maids and everyone else were really good and established, yet they could have done more. Minhu also had a spark of good chemistry with the Lian, it would have made a good doomed lovers trope until the end. But instead, Lian just became a plot device for the ending instead of substantial character development. We could even have an arc specifically

It's awful. I hope people who read the comments try to think twice in reading this story. If your aim is to daydream of possibilities or even write fanfiction, then by all means enjoy this story. But if your aim is to be pleased with a story executed completely, unfortunately this is not the story for you. It lacks plenty things, and the amount of disappointment is actually a bitter taste. Having to resort to my imagination to fill in the plot holes is so... Miserable. We were ripped off a story thay could be 4 to 5 seasons, with or without an open ending.

Should anyone come across my comment, if ever you know any other stories similar to this... Please share recommendations (please).

I actually have no particular words for this manhwa. I'm rendered speechless.

The fact of incest isn't even a problem, but the fact that MC is so thoroughly abused that he is better of dead. With a stature like that, he might as well have endured more and depraved torment the moment he was separated from his mother. The implied "creep" of a brother in his adoptive family was enough of a subtle hint of Yesong's past. People call him a cute fox and want his tail, how are we sure no one has hunted him before? Either way, all this speculation is moot considering it's all based from implications throughout the story.

Nonetheless, it doesn't change how unsettling his manhwa is. The art style and plain yet bright colors is contrasting to the theme. It leaves a bitter taste of thinking if it is simply an artistic preference, limitation, or a deliberate direction to downplay trauma that is so painfully obvious and heavy. I hate this manhwa in a way that I felt incredibly awful for Yesong.

I don't believe his love for Yesung was unconditional and as is. Yesong knew there was no hope between them, that it was doomed right from the start. Yesong only knows how to keep things fair, even if it means selling himself short. His declaration of courage is a result of a successful conditioning. Physically, emotionally, and psychologically, Yesong was conditioned to be in Yesung's control and affections. This is all thanks to the very core of Yesung's character, which is his love for his family. Yesung's filial piety was present throughout the series, and this filial piety of hid morphed into an inevitable change when his environment can no longer be satisfied with mere filial promises. Yesong had no choice but to reciprocate what Yesung gave him.

The genuine gasp I let out when the father was a carbon copy of Yesung was unexpected. I expected him to look old with a bit of difference in hair, but from mannerisms, tone, down to his appearance from head to toe was an exact copy. The father is the very definition of evil in this story. How he had driven his wife into the depths of her instincts, how she made her succumb to her violent nature and in turn left her to deal with the burden of a lifetime's worth of guilt was cruel. I found Suri and Yesong to have the most chemistry in terms of character dynamics in this story. They were foils of each other. One who has a nature of hurting others, and the other whose nature is keeping all the pain, yet both have always had a vision of protecting others. One protect by lashing out and pointing blades, and the other protect by bleeding his heart out.

Honestly, I really wish there would be a timeskip after story with Yesong and Suri meeting again. I feel like Suri could have been a warm woman had the situation been different, had the situation allowed space where Suri and Yesong could be there for each other. Suri had the ambiance of that indifferent yet cool and loving aunt that she could've been to Yesong. Suri beats herself up by seeing how she could never be Yesong's mother, that Suri could never be warm, obedient, loving and all that, but she never saw that she was strong, protective, and just as family-oriented.

This manhwa was a good premise, it simply is lackluster due to the lack of better writing. The arcs are well defined but not well constructed, there are plot holes and there are some loose ends. Character dynamics are established but not well fleshed out aside from a few. There are plenty things left unanswered, but overall, it was a good read. It was not the best, but I have enjoyed a good bit of this story. Seeing its potential just shows that there will be more stories like this that may even grow to be better.

Should anyone see my comment and have recommendations of a story with a similar premise, please do share them.

Words can't describe how happy I am to know there is some sort of progress in their relationship and it started off with the truth with Charles. Charles is a living evidence of Sasya's guilt and affections. He chose to immortalize his sin and his guilt by taking in a child that bore semblance to the lover he abandoned. I find it so pitiful and heart wrenching Sasya lived the way he did. I don't think anyone who lived a troubled and unloved life could process Karel's affections.

Karel's love was domineering and raw, someone like Sasya wouldn't be able to comprehend that. After having lived all his life that everything has a price, it was Sasya's first time to be consumed whole with Karel's love. Like food, should it ever be sentient, it does nothing but satiate our hunger. We eat food as a whole, we don't expect anything more from it but to quell our appetite. It was similar for Karel, all he wanted was Sasya in his entirety, he wanted to devour Sasya for himself without thinking asking for anything else: "just be devoured by me and be mine". But Sasya never lived to understand that.

Considering the sacrifices and tragedies Karel had to go through, it's understandable that people perceive Sasya as a scum of the earth. What he has done is unforgivable, it's immoral and truly horrible. But it isn't anything surprising. It would have been more surprising is Sasya stayed still and waiting, but no. He lived his life rotting away in temporary alcoholism and drugs, with only a moment's of peace when he is on stage or when Charles is in his arms. In addition, what Karel has become is pitiful but just as unforgivable.

To subject Sasya in the same torment is immoral. Sasya, who has never understood love, is subjected to feel something he never knew. He was forced to cling and grovel for love when he never understood what it was in the first place. I don't think there'll ever be a chance to change Sasya. In the end, his language of love has always been transactional, something more materialistic and visual. Over the years, it's simply changed how it looks. It used to be staying with Karel, lying that things were okay, making sure that Karel gets what he "paid for". And when Karel was gone, Sasya needed to continue the transaction. There came Charles who became the collector of Sasya's debt of love.

At present, Sasya still thinks of it as a transaction. He stays for what Karel as paid for. Sasya sells his heart out because he wants to be of value. In the future, it might be the same. I don't think there's anything wrong in perceiving love as such. But it is this way of living that makes people so vulnerable.

In the same way, Karel hasn't changed. His love is all-consuming and all-devouring. He is domineering and carnal. He shows his love in a way the traps and suffocates others. Back then it was a slow-damaging kind of love. It was as if Sasya was being drowned in honey. This time, Karel is drowning Sasya in love akin to hot lava.

Karel's love that asks for nothing but complete submission and devotion, whereas Sasya's love that immortalized evidence and mutual transactions. It was bound to be a tragedy. The way they perceive what love and relationships are were are opposite ends but I do believe that someday they'll come to understand each other.

I can't wait to see a happy ending between them, they deserve it after everything that's happened.

Something about this is so refreshing. The porn wasn't obscene and raunchy, instead was really romantic and raw. I love their chemistry and development, the art style also matched the overall tone of this story. Individually, the characters are all admirable and even the side characters are memorable. They're all given a screentime that's 'just right'. This is definitely one of the few manhwas with really good control of writing and pacing. Each arc was well thought out on how it'll flow and how the next arc connects.

I've reread this a few times because of how good it is, and the little dose of angst was so good too. I don't know if it's just me and a few, but I definitely teared up a bit when it was the Jungoh Nightmare Seedling Arc.

NS Jungoh was so sincere I actually felt hurt when he was desperate for Ibeom to choose him. When NS Jungoh said "I thought you'd choose me." Or "But you loved them all." (regarding the memories), I actually felt my heart twist and cry. I feel like a good part of our subconscious is aware of our coping mechanisms and inner desires. That's why they stay, because it's what keeps us sane and alive. NS Jungoh was a manifestation of Ibeom's insecurity, loneliness, and greed to possess Real Jungoh's affections.

NS Jungoh definitely doesn't belong to the 'human nature' category, but his actions spoke of raw instinct and affection. He loved Ibeom, he wanted Ibeom to be happy. He only wanted Ibeom to stay, and for Ibeom to stay and be happy meant to indulge in the dreams and fantasies that has kept him afloat in the past. In a way, I felt that NS Jungoh being quiet and locked in a keychain was fitting, but a part of me hoped we could've heard more from him. The ending scene was nonetheless fitting with NS Jungoh protecting Ibeom and telling Ibeom to call Jungoh. No matter what, NS Jungoh only wanted Ibeom to be happy and safe. He just wanted Ibeom's heart and affections.

Honestly, I didn't expect I'd sympathize the Nightmare Seedling as much, but this story really made a good 'villain' and with such charming and loveable main couple, it wasn't hard to have this manhwa as my top faves. I hope we can read another masterpiece like this again.

On a real note, Jueun can't exactly be blamed. He's literally acting like any normal child would which is to fawn over a parental figure. To be honest, even his memory is pretty realistic, most children don't remember details of their youth of 5 or 6 and below and it's just hazy snapshots of it.

Even so, I can't blame Jiheon either. Being an older child in an orphanage can be mind breaking. The more a child grows up in an orphanage means the more he witnesses children come and go. Not to mention, he has been praying obsessively for family. To be given Jueun was the ultimate catalyst of if he'll stay sane or not. Overcome by his loneliness and obsession, he doesn't take into account what a normal child is and thinks only about his own pain.

Personally, Jiheon is repulsive, but I can't 100% blame him either. I don't think he lived an easy childhood upon being adopted as well. On top of having an inborn mentally unstable disposition, there was nothing healthy that could stabilize him as he grew up. I feel awful for him.

I feel just as awful for Jueun who became Jiheon's object of obsession and affections. They were both just children who wanted to be loved.

On a more critical note, I wish the writing was a bit better . I think the characters have potential but I guess this is the pitfall of Korean BL Manhwas and the excessive porn scenes...

Reread this after a while and I can just say that the emotions remain to be raw as ever.

A part of me knew that Jungwon being left behind in a miserable state was the right course of action, but another part of me hoped he could've had a chance.

There's a difference between sincerity and integrity, Jungwon has always been sincere with how he wanted Yoowol. He wanted him, loved him, looked out for him in a way so twisted and violent. But what can we say about it, Jungwon learned that affection was so closely tied to fear and power. Without fear and power, it was difficult to weigh what love was.

I think one of the pivotal scenes that had me secretly root for Jungwon was when Yoowol went missing and his first response was to check the rooftop. He knew Yoowol inside out, or at least rhe Yoowol prior Yoongyeol's influences. I found myself pitying Jungwon so much, he wanted to do everything he could to be different from his father, but he was never at an advantage. He grew up to survive in a cruel world. He was taken in by gangsters, he killed to be in the position he was in now. He never lived a privileged life. It was all dirty conditions.

If only Jungwon had a chance to live a life without those gangsters, maybe he and Yoowol could've crossed paths on a better note. I find Jungwon's chemistry with Yoowol good. It reminded me a lot of Daon and Soohyun from Secret Relationships. Their relationship was raw and intense just like Jungwon and Yoowol.

But, in the end, this was what's meant to be. Jungwon knew they'd never be happy. It was all about being miserable together. He believed in himself he killed Yoowol. The Yoowol who was so miserable he was begging for death. Now, that miserable Yoowol is gone. The Yoowol that lives to this day was different, and Jungwon knew that he had no place in that Yoowol's life. All that was left of him was to live out whatever is left of his life and one day he'd meet the Yoowol he killed.

This author did Jungwon's character so well and give a fitting ending, this is one of the best love triangles I've ever seen and everyone's endings were served just right. I know this is a closed series but in my head there's an AU for a happy post-canon Jungwon.

This changed the trajectory of my life.

I love the ending, I love who Daon ended up with. But there was definitely this small voice in my heart that hoped Soohyun would've been endgame.

Nothing could ever compare to the heartache of seeing a romance so innocent, raw, and beautiful be defiled by a possessive and jealous man. What Soohyun and Daon shared was a romance that was raw, reciprocated, and beloved. Nothing could replace the love and affection Daon felt for Soohyun and in the same way, nothing could ever replace the raw intensity of emotion, affection, and the desire to protect Daon that Soohyun felt.

He was ready to love him whole regardless of their future, of their past, and of their messy present. Soohyun loved Daon like a part of himself, like an extension of his soul, like a half of his heart. I wish we could've seen their love whole.

I feel that Daon never loved Jaemin the way he loved Soohyun. Maybe that was the case when Daon was younger but definitely it changed as they grew older. Daon saw Jaemin as someone higher than hope, he was salvation that was irreplaceable. That was why a part of him could never confess—it was almost like blasphemy to him. How could he confess to possess a man like a God to him? And the sly Jaemin knew this. Knew that Daon saw him as a concept—salvation.

Now I should go to my corner and cry my heart out for a romance that could've been. I just know Soohyun would've given the world and the high heavens to Daon had they had the chance to blossom their love.

I know it'll be that Psycho who'll be the endgame but it's so unfair how the the Director is just so fine and perfect. I should probably stop reading this until it's complete but... The Director. Reading it for him ...

Rooting for him is like helplessly watching a car crash before my eyes. I just know it's going downhill. I am begging for the route where Minhyung ends up alone and locked away in an asylum