Like I rather want to read about him overcoming getting raped by the uke and losing his fiancé, and eventually finding happiness. Bc ngl the uke and the black haired seme both give me the creeps. One is a rapist and the other a creepy fuckboi stalker and blackmailer.
He's just so lame, spineless and undeserving of the Empress for all the shit he's done. He's the perfect example of a man-child. He looks like an egg head with that slicked back hair too.
I don't think the author will manage to make me root for the two tbh.
To be fair, he didn't grow up in a healthy environment either, abuse grows with you, the fact that he's still sane in itself is an achievement, usually people who grew up the same way he did tend to take a more dark route
I wouldn't be sane to after my girlfriend (who I love with all my heart) tried to kill my legal wife and nearly started a war. It's realistic, no one would be Able to stand strong after what had happened to the emperor. I think it will take a long time for the empress to fall in love with the emperor because he really isn't in the right mental state
Yeah I get that, but the way the author portrays him is still just so unattractive and bland it's really hard to root for him and the empress.
I hate guys like him, who pursue someone just bc they want to get in their pants as a form of "conquest". Disgustang.
The new translation makes such a difference. I now better understand the story and find the characters more sympathetic. Thanks you so much translator!!!!
Excuse my small rant, but I'm just really disappointed with how the story is developing bc at first I was super excited for this plot. A story about people breaking up and moving on sounded really fresh and angsty to me (I love a good slow-burn).
My first critique is that the author isn't doing a very good job at giving us both sides of the breakup story and painting Taejung in a sympathetic light, even though it feels like they want us to feel bad for both of them and not actually hate Taejung. Which is really important bc it's obvious Taejung's role in the story isn't over yet. He's still in love with Joyoon, but feels emotionally indebted to his new lover Youngwoo (whom he doesn't actually love) and I assume that's why he's pushing Joyoon away.
The problem is that we see the Joyoon suffering so much, but don't really get to experience the pain the ex went (or is still currently going) through. We only briefly hear about how it was hard for him to move on without Joyoon, but that's just not enough when we repeatedly see him treat Joyoon like absolute shit in the present day. We're talking ZERO concern for Joyoon's feelings every damn time they meet. And it makes me hate and despise him, even when that's not what the author wants.
My second and biggest critique is of Kwonjoo as a romance candidate.
His character design is great, at first glance you'd think he'd be the perfect candidate to take Joyoon away from all the ex bullshit, and give him the love and respect he deserves. BUT, the author is imo making a great mistake by not setting up a romantic connection between the two of them from the start, and instead just has them jump into a sex-without-strings relationship to get over their exes.
I love a good slow-burn story as much as the next, but this one is already super unsatisfying because of the lack of romance. Joyoon is still completely in love with Taejung and not romantically interested in Kwonjoo at all, he's just using him as a rebound. And the same thing seems to be true for Kwonjoo. It doesn't get more unromantic than that. And what's worse is that I don't think it's doing any good for Joyoon, I'm pretty sure it's only gonna end up hurting him more. How am I supposed to ship that? Almost makes it easier to root for Joyoon to get back together with his asshole ex.
I really wish the author would have set up their relationship differently. Like instead of making Kwonjoo an old acquaintance Joyoon was never attracted to, making him a new face that enters his life when he most needs it, and for the two to develop at least a small secret crush on each other before starting their sex-without-strings relationship.
You really voiced all my thoughts.
I disagree. It makes sense that the start between Joyoon and Kwonjoo has not been super romantic seeing as Joyoon is still in love with his ex and still sees his ex as his lover. It wouldn’t make sense for him to quickly become romantic with someone else. As someone who knows people who broke out, starting relationships with just sex makes sense. I am thinking the story is not long and there would be a lot more chapters to make the transition to romance more realistic.
The story is long*
I'm not talking about "super" romantic, I'm talking about just any tiny little thing to actually make you root for them as a couple, like a little blushing here or there, or even something as subtle as them not being able to leave each other's minds. Even when you write slice of life it's important to steer the readers in the right direction to make them support the romance you're planning. And I feel as connected to their romance as I do to a dead fish.
Also I forgot to say that one of the reasons this lack of ANY romance in their relationship makes it so hard to support them as a couple is bc Joyoon is deeply scarred by what happened with his ex. He needs love and companionship, not someone who makes him feel like they only want sex from him.
If he wasn't as scarred as he is, I wouldn't have a problem with a sex-to-love story.
i agree. the plot is amazing, but i feel like it would be better if we had both/all sides of the story instead of one. i don’t think his ex is a bad guy, but definitely plays the part when we know little to nothing about him.
you say you love slow-burn, so pls just wait. around almost 20 chapters you'll see why the director is a better match. besides the ml rubs people the wrong way because of his choice of words, but his actions reveal that he actually cares. (he's quite the tsundere) and i think someone who seems callous and doesn't care fits joyoon more than a guy who cares/loves him, because just as you said, joyoon still can't move on, and when one exits such a long relationship as that, casual sex with strangers unexpectedly helps them cope and forget, so yeah. maybe stick around for chapter 25-ish and you might like it more.
I do love slow-burn, but that's not what this is (even though that might be what the author is attempting?), and that's why I'm disappointed. Because in order for you to have slow-burn, you need to have characters that are actually longing for each other romantically, but for one reason or another can't be together the way they want to.
I just think the story had more potential that's all.
We do see them sneaking glances at each other and I like that Joyoon tends to stare at him and thinks how good he smells. I think this is one of those things that takes time. Like you said, he is scarred so it makes sense if the romance is not super quick.
I totally agree with everything you said. The director has shown that he cares, he just has an aloof exterior.
oh so your slow-burn is different from mine then, i can see why you're disappointed. my slow-burn is when two characters take forever to fall in love, especially if it's the enemies-to-lovers genre. so if you expect the ml and mc to already show romantic affection then i guess it won't fit your slow-burn, but it definitely fits mine which is why i love their chemistry so much. for me every time they interact there's just so much sexual tension idk why
I'm curious how y'all would like this story to end. Like what needs to happen for y'all to be completely satisfied?
For me, because of all the trauma and abuse, I don't think I can consider Nakyum and Seungho ending up together a happy ending the way things are now. There's just too much baggage. Especially since Seungho still hasn't changed AT ALL despite claiming to be in love with Nakyum. His psycho ass still has no problem abusing and raping him.
My perfect ending would probably be Seungho getting severely punished and Nakyum leaving, forcing him to finally realize that HE is the problem, that he doesn't deserve Nakyum and that he has literally traumatized the person he "loves". Then he dies protecting Nakyum or smth, and the two get reincarnated into modern day Korea and can finally start a HEALTHY relationship WITHOUT any trauma or baggage. A completely clean slate.
I would rather have the story end as Nakyum leaving, and an epilogue where Seungho becomes a better person and Nakyum comes back or something. And hopefully for the side stories we’d get a modern version of POT.
I don’t think this story was supposed to portray a healthy romance, but a very unhealthy relationship between two broken people. So my bet is that they will end up together, up tumult old age even though they do have an unhealthy dynamic. Maybe they can meet in another life when they die and start again but with no abuse.
I don't think I will ever be able to view Nakyum's feelings for Seungho as anything but stockholm syndrome. I fully agree with Heena noona (except the part about Inhun being a good romantic choice, bc he is not). Their relationship is just not it.
Like his personality is somehow just so bland to me, and he feels like a spineless push-over. His dynamic with the MC feels more like a mother and child, than two potential lovers. Like he's incapable of taking care of anything, even himself, so she has to do it for him. He's just super unsexy to me.
...... Ur not the only one...... (≧∀≦)
he IS a spineless push-over lol but he has his cute moments i guess ..
Yeah .... Kinda
The author still hasn't shown us how their relationship used to be or how it even came to be, we've only been told little details in passing when Elena narrates her past life. We know she loved him, but we still don't know if he loved her. I personally can't blame him if he DIDN'T love her, or if he secretly did fall for her but PRETENDED not to, because:
1. We know the Duke schemed to have Elena marry the Prince, even killed the Prince's first wife to do it. How much of this 'scheme' was the Prince aware of? Was the Prince blackmailed into marrying her? Was it an arranged business transaction? Or was Elena made to seduce the Prince on the Duke's orders? We don't know what this "scheme" entailed yet.
2. We know Elena never told the Prince her real identity, and pretended to be Veronica the entire time. Trying to act like her as best as she could. Veronica was a beautiful but terrible person, infamous at school for bullying people. That's who the Prince thought he married, even if Elena would maybe sometimes let her real personality shine through.
3. Elena never told the Prince that the Duke killed his first wife even though she knew, so she didn't completely treat the Prince fairly either imo. He deserved to know that, and who Elena really is. And who knows? Maybe he actually did know her "father" killed his first wife, but pretended not to?
Elena/Veronica was kinda his political enemy in their previous life. If he managed to fall for her despite that, secretly or not, I personally think that rather romantic.
This was the past life. And now when he doesn't even know her he does this???? Don't defend someone just cause he's hot
Pfft he just show his face in this chapter and its not like they're defending him, I think they're waiting for the plot to go deeper. And did u read their comment? There's a lot of questions need to be answered. Honestly, readers this days quick to judge. Smh.
Yes there are people defending him. The past life he had reasons to hate her. But out of nowhere he goes and bullies a random girl for nothing and I am quick to judge? Pfft readers these days...
What are you talking about lol? What has he done in this life besides only just meeting her and catching her when she was about to faint? Bullying who? And where?
Lol Didn't you see he got her to fall onto the ground??
Eye-
Honey, that's not the Prince! That's Ren! Asadfgahjakla
Thats not the prince? Lolol now I see why this discussion doesn't make sense. So who is Ren don't remember I through he was the prince because he was chasing the 1 empress
Lol that's ok. Makes sense why you'd hate the prince if you thought he was Ren. Ren is the red haired guy, he's Veronica's distant cousin. Which is why Elena and Leabric are worried he might figure out she's not really Veronica. He has an obnoxious entitled and sadistic personality and basically mistreats everyone he meets. He's also the one she embarrassed at the ball by making him trip in front of everyone XD
AHHHHHH I remember now. The ch of the ball was so fucking funny (づ￣ ³￣)づ