HOW DO YOU FUCK THINGS UP EVEN WORSE THAN BLACK LOTUS--THAT ONE IS LITERALLY TOXICITY TO THE MAX + ABUSE + GOING BACK TO SAID ABUSER. This one is just horrendous. Spoiler alert--the adoptive older brother WILLINGLY sleeps with the younger brother.
And--yes he is manipulated. So being SA'd is not his fault. The actions done to him by Minhyung are not his fault. Period. HOWEVER--Yijae is not blameless and I don't think this should be a crime to say. Our MC is so fucking pitiful that he's willing to take all the blame in the fucking word for Minhyung's problems.
"omg he's sad that's my fault" "omg he got hurt that's because of me" "he's not eating that's my fault"
AND YOUR SOLUTION IS TO LET HIM SLEEP WITH YOU??? The worst part is--Yijae at first KNOWS this is wrong. During the beginnings of season 1 he tries not to acknowledge it in any facet. But now--he ENABLES IT. That's what pisses me off so much, he rejects the director who is hot and loaded and isn't AS morally reprehensible, but has little qualms about sleeping with his own brother. The worst part is--we as the readers--have to endure season 2 making them out to be all cutesy and smut 2-chapter release every 3 episodes, like wtf dude.
Yijae wants to take blame for things HE CAN'T CONTROL--rather than take responsibility for things he actually could control. He could've set boundaries--he could've communicated that this was wrong--he could've sucked it up even if he knew it was hard. But instead he just wants to take responsibility for actions that are NOT HIS OWN. And I get why--narratively. It's a trauma response--but it makes this such a baffling read because we see this back and forth of him being guilt tripped and then they live in this romantic, cozy fantasy, for over 10 fucking chapters!!!! Yes we as the readers do know that Minhyung is insane--but it makes the read TORTUROUS.
Like I can deal with enemies to lovers hate f*cking, I can power my way through cheating angst, and I made it through BLACK LOTUS. But this manhwa is truly a combination of some of the most offputting and vile things--guilt tripping for sexual actions, INCEST, psychological conditioning, abuse, and that's not even all of it.
So someone who actually does finish this--tell me how it ends cause god damn. I will probably never get to the point where I can understand how this is an enjoyable read--cause I forced myself to power through what I could. Not saying anything about the READERS--we all have different tastes--I 100% get that. What I don't understand is who writes this and thinks yep--I'm ok with this being a representation of my work. 2/10 writing, romance in this is terrible coming from all sides except Mr. CEO where he's a 6.33/10 becauuse he does some weird things sometimes.
She could do what needs to be done. She has the drive, she could do it, and all of our problems would cease to exist. Just take it, and wack at the base of his neck. Go for the brain stem, the brain stem. Sylvia is the Empress we need and deserve, so do it queen, TAKE HIM OUT.
Listen, I like heart ache inducing MLs and regret more than anyone here, but bro is a homewrecker, a r4p!st, and literally ordered the execution of the girl's aunt. He needs to go, and Sylvia needs to ascend the throne.
istg yall have been reading other manhwas and somehow deluding yourselves into believing the FL is stupid. she's incredibly smart, she just happens not to be positive and ditzy and not willing to submit herself to the power of the men in her life. she actually knows how to use her power, the power of her husband, and she has incredible political and business sense.
yes she doesn't communicate with the ml, but the question is why should she? "OH HUSBAND IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE YOU BETRAYED ME AND TOLD ME YOU WANTED ME DEAD AND WISHED YOU COULD'VE HURT ME VARIOUS TIMES" like do you not see how crazy that sounds? like sorry she isn't one-dimensional and she's actually a decent reflection of a woman who has to survive in a patriarchal aristocratic society.
if you don't like relationships that are toxic and have complexity to them that's fine. but this is literally a story about healing from abuse and misunderstanding. if you cannot handle that, then go read fluff, that's perfectly valid. what's ridiculous is picking up a book that's deliberately dealing with the complex relationship between someone who is hurting and the person who she believes to be her abuser.
like i swear some of yall come here and act all high and mighty going "oh another dumb fl who can't communicate." it just seems impossible for so many people to make the connection that sometimes just communicating with someone who hurt you is difficult and real. and what was she supposed to ask the husband in the current timeline to justify his actions is a previous ALTERNATE timeline? like this isn't an isekai, its a revival story, she has no omniscient context, she only has her own.
"simple misunderstanding can be fixed with communication" he told her, he wished he couldve hurt her and that she died. he imprisoned her. if you as a real person can experience all of that and still believe that its a simple misunderstanding than you must be a doormat.
there is just no sense of empathy from some of yall readers and it baffles me. if you just want an easy pick up and put down, go read fluff again that's valid, but its stupid to me to pick up something that details complex relationships, abuse, and misunderstandings and say "oh the woman is being stupid" despite the fact she experienced real trauma and abuse that stays with her.
this is almost on par with black lotus, but just replace the physical abuse with sexual abuse (+ with elements of physical abuse as well)
like it's just so terrible. not to mention 1-2 chapters solely dedicated to smut, trash.
i read it to see if for some possible reason it could get better, when it doesn't. the worse part is, it's really close to real life, so i can't understand people who give the excuse: "it's just fantasy / work of fiction" like girl this is more real than those Shoujo Isekai Villainess Manhwas.