As much as I enjoy this as a BL, I've seen a lot of comments before saying that is just a dumb nonsensical r*pe/sexual harassment BL, and like yeh, can't deny that's definitely there, but if you're really reading, it actually does have an interesting story.
I cut this post into parts, because it turns out I'm not allowed to post very long comments. So pls excuse me.
Read posts below if you'd like or else just skip them hahah (posting these while the comment section is still inactive) ↓ ↓ ↓
not tryna excuse rape by any means but this does take place in a prison, meaning they’re criminals also meaning they done something illegal to be in prison. I mean there is a saying “don’t drop the soap,” and i think that tells you enough what inmates do to other inmates without any remorse. totally agree with you though
Here's some examples of those creative storytelling scenes:
- Jingi explains their job to Myeong-il (both through what's said in the newspaper and by explaining): [Ch.13 p.3]
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/prison_dogs/uu/br_chapter-211084/pg-3/
- Jingi has an abstract nightmare (presumably about visiting his mom in jail): [Ch.17 p.22]
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/prison_dogs/uu/br_chapter-215495/pg-22/
- Jingi explaining to Heonjae about Myeong-il's gambling addiction. The pen he throws visually becomes a severed finger on top of playing cards implying that Myeong-il is a hopeless gambler that won't stop even if his fingers are cut, which is also referencing that time when Myeong-il did attempt to cut off his own fingers due to a major loss from gambling in a flashback once but even now he hasn't stopped or learned his lesson: [Ch.27 p.6]
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/prison_dogs/uu/br_chapter-227146/pg-6/
- The chapter starts with a vague flashback just filled with colors as it was through the perspective of the blind Noona. (something about pictures? I assume that's what in the letters Jingi refuses to open or show Myeong-il): [Ch.34 p.2-8]
- Myeongyoo (Myeong-il's sister) having an anxiety attack as she's scratching herself from fear, though it feels like being scratched all over, then thinking the voice that spoke next was Myeong-il because she wished he was there to protect them :'(( : [Ch.34 p.22]
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/prison_dogs/uu/br_chapter-236200/pg-22/
- Jingi explaining why Heonjae and Myeong-il together won't work. Myeong-il is a puzzle that Heonjae won't be able to solve (bc Heonjae generally can't understand people much, and Myeong-il is also f-ed up in his own way) (also the puzzle is made of the stamps Myeong-il won, not sure what that means.): [Ch.35 p.19]
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/prison_dogs/uu/br_chapter-237252/pg-19/
Wow I was so curious what’s in the letter didn’t think they would be the photos but that’s the most believable theory! Love your analysis and break down btw.❀
Thnxxxx!! Yeahh, I honestly had to backtrack through the chapters to realize there might be a connection to the letter Jingi sent to the Noona in the end of Ch.20 "please send the thing on the 5th" and the flashback about the photos in the beginning of Ch.34.
- In the beginning, Ch.1, Myeong-il arrives, transferred from his old prison to Ochon prison. You can see that he has his old prison number on his uniform 7903 before putting on his new one with the number 1420.
- On the right of his uniform the room number was prison room 8, the first room he was put in, and is later changed to prison room 2 as he moves in with Jingi and Heonjae at Ch.7. (An obvious and important detail to change, but still appreciate the effort for continuity). (But it did error once in a panel though, and it said room 4 instead of 8 on his shirt).
- In Ch.27, when Jingi explains how deep Myeong-il's gambling addiction lies subconsciously as he shows playing cards Myeong-il drew, and you can actually see him drawing it back in Ch.21.
- The logs for Jingi and Heonjae are dated very specifically in Ch.24. From the current date (February 2008) then going as far back as Myeong-il could read (July 2000).
- Guard Lee is the designated guard that mostly does everything for and against Jingi and Heonjae, inlcuding bringing items, keeping track of their logs, and disposing the letters sent to Jingi.
Aah so there must be a time skip to the present time of today?
Ah nopp, there's no time skip. The current year in the manhwa is set on 2008. Chapter 1 to Chapter 16 is around late January.
Then it becomes February 1st on Chapter 17.
And right now for the latest, on Chapter 36 it's February 8.
Profile: Lee Myeong-il
Age: 27
Charges: Theft and Assault (penalized for violence and gambling during his detention.)
Serving time left: 5 months
Notes:
- Was framed for robbery and assault due to some angry thugs that lost gambling money to Myeong-il.
- His principle is to just move on from a loss because dwelling doesn't solve anything (though it ironically does not apply to his gambling addiction).
- Has suicidal and self-harm tendencies from the guilt of suffering huge losses from gambling.
- Sends all his labor money made in jail to his grandmother and siblings (based on Ch. 1).
- Had to raise both his young siblings (Myeongyoo when she was 2, and Myeonghoon when he was a baby). Caring and cooking for them since they were infants while he was in middle school.
- His parents refuse to talk to him, though he wishes they'd answer his calls. It's so far unknown why they left his siblings all to him and his grandma's care.
- As a highschool dropout with no brains and no connections, refusing to live poor and small, rather than working a minimum wage job, Myeong-il resorts to gambling as he believes in order to live comfortably with his siblings and grandmother, he has to risk big to make it big.
- Left with middle school education, Myeong-il struggles to even spell correctly when writing.
- Apparently has been having s*x with girls since middle school, but has never kissed them (because the girls say they didn't want that from him).
- [extra] low-key a masochist based on instances when Jingi hits him then him getting hard from it (⊙_⊙;) [Ch. 19, Ch. 29]
- [extra 2] is a sucker for small caring gestures. He likes being taken care of (maybe because of his role of having to be responsible in his family he feels more grateful when someone takes care of him for a change).
-----------------------------------------
Profile: Choi Heonjae
Age: 32
Charges: Murder
Serving time left: 4 months
Notes:
- Originally sentenced to 20 years in prison, but was reduced to 10 years by Jingi pulling some strings.
- Kicked out of the rehabilitation program.
- Athlete runner for track and field in his highschool days, having won gold several times before tearing a ligament in his knee, and needing surgery to fix.
- Certified masseur. Is good at building woodcraft. Former construction worker.
- Raised under a different household from Jingi. Lived with his relatives with no bed of his own and slept on the floor.
- Has an attachment to bears. Teddy bear, bear stitched blanket, bear tattoos.
- Had a job working as a construction worker before Jingi offered him to start working as an "Evictions Expert", or as the newspapers would call, a gangster.
- Youngest child among his siblings.
- [extra] has one mole on his chest. not sure if that's important, but his character design had it since the beginning and onwards every time he's shirtless (don't ask why i notice （*゜ー゜*）).
-----------------------------------------
Profile: Choi Jingi
Age: 37 (estimate, 10 years older than Myeong-il)
Charges: ???
Serving time left: 1 year
Notes:
- One of his goals is to get Heonjae out of prison safely without any more increased sentences.
- Raised under his uncle's guardianship, and was hired by him to work in his construction company as an "Evictions Expert".
- Has suicidal and self-harm tendencies. Attempted suicide during the first year(s) of his incarceration (perhaps before Heonjae was transferred to the same prison, maybe Heonjae doesn't know about it).
- Has a recurring nightmare in where he visits someone in prison asking how he's doing, and him replying he's doing okay, with several glass windows that say [Quiet], the dream causes him to grind his teeth at night and mutter about his mother in his sleep. (refuses to share with Myeong-il).
- Is afraid of his uncle (again, won't share why). ((Heonjae might be unpredictable but Jingi is so mysterious because he refuses to tell anything about himself)).
- Avoids any questions directed towards him. Stops in his words everytime he's about to say more.
- [extra] Gets turned on whenever Myeong-il shows any sign of being a good responsible person (when Myeong-il talks about having to do childcare or doing the cooking at home) or when Myeong-il helps him out unprompted, but is also somewhat glad Myeong-il is kinda trash, that way he can treat him roughly and not feel bad about it.
- [extra 2] Gets upset when Myeong-il only regards Heonjae. (Myeong-il always going "Hyung" which is what Myeong-il only calls Heonjae (but then Heonjae also thinks Myeong-il only ever shows interest in Jingi when talking (is love triangle tagged here?))).
Tysmm!
No probss! Hope you guys got some good info from this hehe.
- The story takes place in January 2008.
- Jingi and Heonjae have a 3rd sibling that has yet to appear in the story.
- Heonjae has been in prison for around a decade now, therefore was imprisoned around 1998 or 1999.
- According to the logs, about when Jingi had just been imprisoned in the year 2000, Jingi was inflicting self-harm on himself when he first came in.
- During that time, presumably, Heonjae was not yet transferred into the same prison as Jingi, and so, is not aware of his brother's suicidal attempts in the beginning years of Jingi's imprisonment.
- Not yet known what happened to Jingi just before getting imprisoned for him to become suicidal. (Guilt or trauma? both?).
- Jingi has beads embedded under the skin of his penis, something done in prison called "pearling". It's generally said to be added for the pleasure of the partner or to count the years spent in prison (but my personal theory is that Jingi put it on himself to hurt others and make them bleed when he fxcks them, specifically the pigs, maybe because of a related trauma.)
- From conversations, Jingi and Heonjae's dad seems to get violent when angry, and their mom is said to be weird (maybe in a ditzy and low EQ way like Heonjae).
- Jingi has been visiting his mom in prison since he was a child, which seems to relate to his recurring nightmare. At one point, Jingi seems to have become reluctant in contacting their parents.
- Myeong-il's siblings mirror both Jingi and Heonjae's personalities. Myeongyoo, the sister with long hair, imitates Jingi's rough attitude and leadership. Myeonghoon, the timid little brother, is even more obviously similar to Heonjae's shy and timid behaviour, also being talented but unnoticed because of their bashfulness.
- There's a change in the appearance of Myeong-il's siblings. They were brunette in the first few chapters, but were later changed to have black hair like Myeong-il's (they used to look so different before, maybe Myeong-il is only half-siblings with them :00).
- and Myeongyoo had visible freckles on her face (a facial feature that was maybe to mirror Jingi's moles on his face) but was also removed later on.
- Both Jingi and Heonjae's eyes were more obviously green in the beginning chapters (which I kinda liked more, because it made them look more alike as biological brothers) (they're still green, but you can't see it too obviously anymore, you'd have to zoom in).
- There seems to be a surge of several transfers to Ochon prison. The story starts when Myeong-il's batch is transferred from the former prison to Ochon prison, and another batch of transfers arrives again in Ch.18.
- Ochon prison is apparently for hardened criminals, but Myeong-il, having a lighter crime in comparison, does not seem to belong there but was transferred there regardless due to an overcrowding in detention centers.
As ridiculous as this manhwa might seem to others (because of the crazy weird sex), it's actually a very well-thought out story with a lot of effort into details, build-up, and it's characters.
It doesn't seem like it was just made on a whim or for the kinks.
There's too much thought and details put into the storytelling for it to be that shallow.
And the main characters' personalities and designs are rare and unique to see than most stories. (No pretty boy face around here, but honestly I like it.) (but also kinda liked Jingi and Heonjae's smaller faces in the first chapters too, and the lighter coloring.)
So, I'm confident to say that Slammer Dogs is more than just a BL manhwa.
If anyone asks if it's worth the read, I'd say yes, definitely (as long as you're okay with explicit smut, but other than that, it's a really good story). I hope this manhwa gets the good amount of chapters it needs to tell it's story (been here since chapter 1 uploaded, and I'm glad I was, and will stay until this story completes).
someone cooked here
I really love your analysis, am impressed!(๑•ㅂ•)و✧
YOU'RE AMAZING, I read everything you posted. & that's what I've been saying too! IT HAS GOOD STORYTELLING!!
It's because this manhwa is already so delicious, it needed to be cooked hehe ლ(´ڡ`ლ)
I hope they were helpful!! The story just has so much details they're laying out for us, it feels like they want us to analyze them (┛✧Д✧))┛
TYSMM!!!!!! Yessss, truuuueee, it has such good storytelling, it shouldn't go unnoticed. And thanks for reading the posts, I'm glad other people like you feel the same way I do about this manhwa, it's so good.
Wow wow, I read all of your analysis and you have such an astute eye, so many things I failed to notice you condensed so well!!! I always wonder when there’s such detail oriented people in comments if they’re a little autistic (in a savant special ability kind of way), but regardless Thanks for taking the time to do that!!
I don't understand the meanness towards sunbae. He's been called creep and ugly, but like, he's actually a decent person from what they've shown so far, why is he being bashed on each chapter
I love the blonde guy ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄ why do we even need the supposed "ML", we already have a hottie after all.
I know exactly what they should do.
ML teacher should impregnate FL queen then she can continue her pregnancy for real, so she doesn't have to take the suspicious contraceptive medicine AND no one will think she lost the royal heir. Perfect (❀╹◡╹)
Ive been saying it as a joke all along: she's got a way better chance passing off a bastard by the kings brother as the heir, than the dumb mistress who seems to not comprehend the obvious problem with her giant ginger woodcutter.