What a fucking masterpiece this story is. That last chapter, DAMN, how much I love the parallel of - you gave the wrong 'gift', the dead goose, said the wrong thing, you fucked it up and it's painful, like black tar covering your being. Brett seems painfully repressed in his emotions. And Hayden is his mirror - he is painfully repressed in his physical desires. Now that his desires are out, Brett's emotions, and especially emotional needs, will have to painfully come out. Brett hates this, so he backs up and breaks up. Makes sense. But also, I feel like he feels unable to feel what Hayden feels, almost as if he's powerless before authentic, true desire that comes for the sake of it, not because of needing to numb stuff, to achieve, to advance in some scheme. Just to be, and to love what is. This is too much for him. A problem he can't solve. Maybe THE one problem he can't solve
I feel like toxic masculinity is at play here as well. 'As a man, you have to know what gifts to give to people' as Brett's dad taught him after his mistake. To give people is to control people. When you control them, they're predictable.
Well, Brett's mistake with the dead goose is also interesting. He wants solutions, and he doesn't care about how they're presented or executed. To him, the thought counts. He wanted to make his brother happy and bring him a bird, the only way he could. He experienced rejection, therefore, learned his way of showing affection is wrong. Fast forward, and he brings his brother a Chinese sculpture of a bird. Brett has learned how to refine his gestures, but now, he's gone. He's lost, and hides behind expectations.
On the topic of expectations, it seems Brett himself feels like isn't enough, he has to give, to provide, to somehow be useful, exchange, buy and make up for things. Hayden loves him for who he is, and is unapologetic in that. It's his own decision, volition, and out of pure desire. I think this scares Brett, especially because it's difficult for him to bribe him and spin him around his little finger. Sure, Brett *seems* much more open in what he wants, but it might just as well be his unconscious search for emotional, personal desires he never comes in touch with. Pain, as in physical pain, is very straightforward, very easily digestible, and it makes you feel, without the deeper strings attached to it. The fact Brett loves it hints at his absolute fear of emotional pain. He loves the thrill, but not when it cuts deep mentally. He plays mind games, but has those brief moments where Hayden's almost naive straightforwardness and lack of second thoughts, double games, and hidden motives strikes him by surprise and makes him *feel*. Then, of course, he rationalizes, even compartmentalizes it. 'People like you exist, I have to remember that.', Brett comments as he realizes Hayden can't lie. Brett is smart, and his intelligence gets in the way of him letting go. Hayden is emotionally deep, artistic, and expressive, has this beast - like side to him that's hard to predict. This is the thrill Brett craves as everything else about him is calculated, planned, and self serving. But feelings, and a bond, those are unplanned for variables. The thrill becomes fear. Because this is what, imo, Brett can't prepare for. If he can't bribe, scheme, prepare - who is he? He's stripped off his layers, and what's underneath, maybe Brett doesn't want to face or can't face. Hayden wants to see it. Brett just has to let him see himself first to let Hayden in.
Brett's dad messed him up, but also, Brett carries that detached, emotionally stunted quality about him that his father must've amplified. I need to know even more about the family backstory, we had too little insights... But I'm sure Brett, as the healthy son, was burdened from an early age to perform, succeed, and grow up quickly. As he's smart and witty, he must've understood the back stabbing, cut-throat landscape of high society and the reality of the political world even back then. He's cynical. Hayden isn't. He still believes in old school love, in values, in truth being the virtue, honesty and integrity. Brett knows the world sadly doesn't work like that. But he wants to believe. In brief moments. Like Pandora's box. All the shit and the gutter must be in the way of a spark of hope
First of all, it’s so nice to see your comment and analysis because it’s so good. I agree with you with everything and what frustrates me the most is that due to all of the reasons you listed for Brett, they are unable to effectively communicate. So many things that he’s unwilling to reveal in the past are the reason that he portrays himself the way he does but I almost feel like Hayden is being too oblivious even without knowing what’s happened to him. Im glad that almost everything is out in the open now but I’m anticipating the moment they can actually understand each other.
And I really need to see Brett cry lol and not because of the deed..
He really needs to release these emotions and be comforted. It’s crazy that he’s just been pent up and alone with his feelings his whole life.
Wow, I literally cried reading your comment. You’ve nailed Brett (metaphorically). He’s so interesting, I don’t like him and he scares me but he’s such an interesting character to read. You’re so right when you say he’s scared of what he’s feeling, the things he can’t control and of the fact that maybe he can love “right”.
I don’t know which chapter it was but Hayden talked about how some people who never love are too scared that their love will never measure up to the idealized version. And Brett’s broken, let’s be real and his love is never going to be like Hayden’s and he’s extremely aware of that.
I love that you brought up that stuff about his family and the goose. I missed the significance of the jade duck. How it was a refined version of his past gift.
Thank you, it was a very spontaneous purge of words after having my jaw drop to the floor at 5 am while binging the story and going 'wait, this is actually incredible' lmao.
You're so righttt, I also have this expectation of seeing Brett finally kinda fall apart, just so he can learn how to do it before his lover and trust Hayden even more. This would definetly advance their relationship from a sexual thing to something real, a 'proper' relationship. I'm expecting a lot of turbulence before that happens, though... And I'm sure Hayden will go through his own changes and growth before it happens. The fact he wants to hold his lover tenderly yet his body and pheromones don't let him is a whole other interesting dilemma, and I'd have to reread the story to focus more on Hayden.
Brett crying would be the most cathartic thing ever lmfao
Oh my thanks, I'm touched by the fact you're touched haha. He really is very interesting, it's rare to see a character with that much depth in an omegaverse BL lol. And you're absolutely right, he's afraid of love, and the prospect of not being as (emotionally) broken as he thinks he is, which means he *could* love, and the stark realization he's very imperfect behind the polished, calculated facade. Maybe he's afraid of the expectations (that he anticipates, not that Hayden actually expects any perfection from him), and letting his loved one down in the process? (Just like his brother and the dead goose situation) Whatever it is, it would be so satisfying to see it resolved, and maybe get a glimpse of Brett beyond his defense mechanisms.
Oh, that's an interesting point, and it hints at the fact Brett thinks he doesn't deserve Hayden's love. Man, this story can be peeled off like an onion
thanks, I'm glad it added to your experience of the story.
Hayden is too oblivious, you're right, because he's kinda in the eye of the storm growth-wise. Maybe this makes him a bit self centered, lost in his own world, and of course, he sees Brett though rose colored glasses cause he's freshly in love with him. I'd be so interesting to see Hayden recognize the internal struggle Brett is going through, and maybe recognize himself in it. Or even better, use his new gained acceptance of his primal, beastly urge to aid Brett in the acceptance of his emotionally imperfect, yet deserving of love, self.
wow, this was such a phenomenal analysis that really nailed the writing of brett's character and his issues like God he really is The emotionally repressed man of all time huh. side note, this comment was also what convinced me to give this webtoon a go and pushed me to look beyond the "just another generic omegaverse blslop manhwa" i thought it was at first glance, and i just wanted to say i'm very glad i did because the depth and intent put into this story's narrative, character arcs, and even the omegaverse worldbuilding knock most omegaverse blslop on here outta the park.
your writing on brett's defense mechanism, the whole thing brought about after the whole wrong goose gift, and it being like being covered in black tar - expertly put. i feel like this was brought about into play most explicitly in his and hayden's last and most recent interaction, and i can't help but feel it echoes the whole conversation/interaction brett has with the detective vis-a-vis the whole being assaulted and filmed against his consent incident. like in his conversation with the detective, he revealed he was actually being truthful the first time he called them over and reported about a suspected break-in (the fact that he was being truthful here actually took me by surprise, a testament to how well-crafted brett's persona is that it even fooled me, the reader) - it mirrors how he was also being truthful about not wanting hayden involved in the aftermath, both for his sake and brett's own and as a means of keeping hayden safe. his defense mechanism kicks in here - whether it's by pre-emptively setting expectations that the other party wouldn't have believed him/"liked his gift" anyways and behaving based on this assumption (the detective), or/and by leaving an exit trail for him to take it back and confirming the other party's worst assumption of him (hayden).
in the end, in both instances brett has a way of managing the fallout in a way that he can still be in control and shield himself from the worst of the pain so he doesn't have to go through the experience of giving the wrong gift and having his intentions be misconstrued; it becomes self-sabotage, in a way. to brett, it's not that he HAS expectations that the other party is able to take him at his words in good faith and truly see him and his true intentions, but he wants to leave that as an option and see whether the other party would ever take that route whilst behaving in a way contrary to that and not actively revealing his vulnerabilities. it's brett managing his expectations as his own defense mechanism - he's not surprised if the other party ends up not trusting him and not really seeing him for who he is, and it's him convincing himself that he's not gonna be hurt by it because it's only the logical choice to make when brett himself wasn't doing his own self any favors in front of the other party, and besides, it's not like he loses out on anything since he didn't let his walls down and be vulnerable in the process. however, this is where the coping mechanism breaks down with hayden, because at this point he has already begun trusting hayden when dude says he wants brett wholly, wants his feelings and affections with no caveat. he was already slowly beginning to let down his walls and showing hayden what he's like when he's stripped bare of his persona, so it made it all the more painful when he received what he perceived was a rejection and a misreading from hayden of his act of affection and of being truthful. all this time and effort, deliberately and subconsciously, crafting and shaping himself to be a person where he'll never once again give the "wrong gift" like with his brother, he still finds himself in this same exact position in the end.
sorry for this whole rambling talk! your analysis about brett, about his flaws and patterns and defense mechanism, and about him and expectations - it all just made something click in my brain when i think about how he's just stuck in a constant cycle of convincing himself that constantly presenting himself according to people's expectations and assumptions is more bearable than having your authentic self be rejected and misinterpreted, and then when i think about his reaction going through this with someone he doesn't trust and keep in arm's length (the detective) versus someone he, even subconsciously, trust or have started trusting (hayden, his elder brother way back when). it just made me wanna add to the conversation hehe.
THIS is how you portray sex between two alphas.
Also, I can't begin to describe how much I love the trope of a repressed, timid character who gets batshit crazy and overly dominant with his lover. The fact his pheromones make Brett puke and shudder is just GOSH, so fucking hot.
The writing in this story is just great. I'm used to mindless BL slop, but this is actually interesting and the characters have layers to them. The circumstances and issues the characters face feel so relatable. Anxiety and fearing yourself, just to become what you fear more and more. Masochism that gets into borderline self harm territory . What a great fucking story, the person who suggested this be BLESSED
You know what? This is absolutely sick. I was probably sleep deprived when I gave this a high score, but behind the facade of a shallow understanding of BDSM, the author sprinkled in a lot of unnecessary abuse that's not real bdsm play, and there's incredibly toxic codependency at play. It's not about bdsm anymore. The Dom has severe issues that go beyond that. The art style is beautiful and some aspects of the story are very intriguing and nice, but there are tons of issues as well. Sigh
I would like to hear you out on the shallow understanding of bdsm in this manwha ? I agree that there is something wrong with the dom
From using a piercing gun without sanitizing on his nipples to introducing extreme public or otherwise play, if I remember correctly, without any prior consent or at least, a warning. The BDSM play in this manhwa can get extreme, so good representation would mean the dom has prior consent from the sub and a conversation with all the 'dos ', 'donts' and 'maybes'. The sub also has a say in what he expects from the dom, and the dom has their boundaries, too. Now, in this manhwa, the dom is kinda unhinged so he's down to whatever (apart from sharing his sub), but you'd still need to communicate what you're okay with, capable of, and want, it goes both ways in S/M, Sub/Dom dynamics.
Don't get me started on the scene (on the desk) where the dom got jealous and wanted the sub to basically quit his job, and you could even see the sub wasn't blushing or liking whatever was happening, he was genuinely frightened. I think at that point, the boundary of play is crossed, it's not BDSM anymore, it's straight up abuse and intimidation. There was no prior consent from the sub that the sub/dom dynamic should be 24/7, and transcend sexual activities (so total submission - including life style and life decisions). This is an extreme form of submission and has to be very, very thoroughly planned, consented to, etc.
Also, emotional after care is non existent in this manhwa
I'd like to know, what is it you find wrong with the dom? Cause there's a lot lol, I'm curious to read your perspective
Wow so basically the author straights up calls the dom’s abuses “plays” . Also, I just have a feeling that he is not really into bdsm and more into the control or something because of his past that I don’t think is clear yet. He is not stable clearing tho
Also I’m not so sure how BDSM is supposed to work but your explanation made it a more understandable of its rules , thank you :D
Yeah, you're right. His possessiveness definetly oversteps the role of a Dom in a bdsm dynamic and it's clear he projects some unresolved issues onto his sub. Hence why it's so important to be in a mentally healthy space when practicing bdsm, or at least, be open about not doing okay and setting boundaries so things don't get... Like they do in this manhwa. It had so much potential at the beginning,.too. oh well
BDSM in general, as any sexual activity or practice, is based on consent from all parties involved. Every play, every kink, it has to be spoken about, some people even write lists with all the dos, donts and maybes, a safe word has to be set in place, and everyone has to talk about their expectations, possible triggers, and boundaries. Of course, it's not sexy and can be a rather lengthy process so many authors leave this out, for the sake of plot advancement, fluidity of story telling, I get it. But a brief - hey, is this okay? Or - I'm about to do XYZ, tell me if that's fine with you, these things can go a long way in presenting bdsm not as this deprived, chaotic practice of spamming random stuff for shock and coomer value, but as a genuine system with its rules set in place to create a safe, yet thrilling, hot environment.
Btw, a lot of abusers and shitty people get into bdsm or pretend to like bdsm just to overstep boundaries and abuse. I had a friend who was a sub and would self harm through shitty 'doms '.
Sadly, some authors take inspiration from that and maybe think that's just how bdsm goes - a dom does whatever he wants, and a sub has to take it. But in the real world, a truly good dom wouldn't feel turned on by doing something their sub hates. That's how sex between consenting parties work - they do things they all like, and get enjoyment from that.
It would be interesting to see a manga/manhwa with commentary on abusers instrumentalizing bdsm, but that's too complex for porn lol. Instead, we have unsafe and question practices shown as regular bdsm
What are your thoughts on “ basic guidebook to bdsm” ? I think that couple practiced it safely.
I'll read it and give you my opinion
I think you are being a bit too harsh on this manhwa. First, sex if a fluid thing, when you are at it in the flow of the moment you might want to try something that you won't necessarily discuss. The key is, to trust your Dom and for the Dom to know the limits of what the sub can tolerate/be into. In this case, lets not forget that the Sub is a mercenary, used to extreme violence and torture, he says it himself multiple times that he is into severe things, often even going as far as wishing the Dom would take it further.
Now I'm not arguing that this Dom does not have issues. He needs a therapist asap no doubt.
But to go as far as saying that this is a horrible representation of BDSM and plays are just abuse is a bit of a stretch. It's not the best out there, sure. But it's far, very very far, from being the worst.
Between the MCs there is play, there is love and there certainly is emotional aftercare???? On the other hand there is also miscommunication on both parts, and a get to know of your partner which is normal for any relationship BDSM or not.
Also these is not a contracted BDSM situation like 50 shades (which is atrocious), it's a relationship that organically evolves. The sub trusts the Dom fully, and the Dom is constantly worried about his sub and his limits. You can see that the Dom, despite being turned on by violence and power, loves his sub very much.
The Dom here is a greener flag than half of the most common male leads (Zhenya, Seungho, jjk, taeju, wtv....)
The bar is in hell, that's why this dom might seem 'green' (he's not lmao).
It's not the worst representation, but it's bad enough. The fact there's much worse doesn't make this any better. Also, as someone else pointed out somewhere, I don't remember anymore what platform, BDSM is an art form. It's a skill. It takes time, communication, and precision. Going with the flow and being fluid can happen as you really get to know each other. But the dom started out this way from day one basically.
Yeah, the sub is a mercenary and he's used to this, but does this make the dom's behavior alright? What if the sub wasn't a mercenary? I get what you mean, I agree to an extent with your points, but it still doesn't make this manhwa look any better. I've seen this trend in manhwa just missing the mark on bdsm representation.
I agree with you on bad rep for a lot of other mangas, but here. It ain't that deep, imo. ╮(￣▽￣)╭
I don't think basic analysis is deep, but we shall agree to disagree
Sure. To each their own ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I agree with you he's more on " I want control. Your mine " since we see that top have been like that since he was a kid he wants control he doesn't care about the consequences the BDSM is just a disguise that he want control and yeah he's the worse but if we're to compering him with different manwha he's not the worse if I say so?? I'm referring to block tops and some dark flag top eh ╮(￣▽￣)╭ that just my opinion
I reread this religiously. An omegaverse masterpiece. Gimme more bratty, confident, wealthy omegas and BABY BUMPS ffs
Amongst all the omegaverse garbage, there are masterpieces like this. What a story! Fate stronger than pheromones
Damn, what a cinematic sex scene! I love the juxtaposition of images and the parallels of cumming/finishing, and blood splattered all over a tree/death. Sinister and intriguing
I finally got to read this super over hyped story, and I have to say, at first glance, there are countless cliches and tropes seen in every BL ever, from the redemption arc of a tyrant ML, to the Cinderella plot, the forceful sex, the sprinkling of way too much drama and hysterically sociopathic side villains, the 'MC is about to die and only now do I realize my feelings'-type of ML... But there's a charm to it. There is originality in the execution, and coherence. Coherence in how a painter stirs up not just affection in the ML, but rightful rebellion against a homophobic, bat shit crazy father who traumatized his son for the sake of norms and lineage continuation. In how the emotional castration of the ML does make sense, and isn't just there to create drama and angst out of nowhere. In how, the MC knows he has no one else and is cornered enough to fall in love with an emotionally unstable, abusive man, yet can't help it. Sure, the redemption is in typical dramatic BL fashion, but it makes sense within the story, and paves the way to an endearing ending for both of them. Two, under different circumstances, abandoned souls who find each other at last. I surprisingly liked the overall plot, apart from the, at times, unnecessary abuse. Given the historic setting and the caste system tho, it makes sense.
Okay, a movie apology, it's mid, whatever, but the story would've been actually cute if it wasn't for the first scene. SA is such a lazy way to build 'angst' and start things off difficult. There are endless possibilities to make a rocky first encounter without SA. Sigh. And there are funny moments in this. It could've had it all. But definitely not a one star story
Bro why does this start with sexual assault, I feel so bad for the MC cause he's such a romantic as well... Man, I now know why I gave this a one star a long time ago... I'll give it a chance just because I'm curious what type of whack redemption arc the ML will get.
This story is luke warm. It's not too cold, not too hot. It's meh. But cute