I am sooo happy for them! They are beautiful. Haesoo looks so much happier and healthier, and he's pretty much glowing. We did not see this Haesoo in the story before, and I'm so glad to see him this way now!!
The most painful thing about Joohae was honestly the fact that they always freely wanted to tell each other 'I love you' but felt they could never. But we have come a looong way
╥﹏╥ ♡
It will never ever make sense to me ppl's fixation of painting Joowon as "the bad guy" in Joohae's relationship, when its not what LOH depicts AT ALL. "In hindsight, everyone is a perpetrator and victim” —Joowon, Chapter 2 // This quote right here has to be the most DEFINING quote for these two, and I wanted to write an essay about it (yes it's a literal ESSAY IM SORRY).
When the story starts, we see Haesoo feeling hurt, claiming Joowon doesnt care about them and projecting him in a bad light + we see JW's attitude & his *possessiveness*... But we quickly learn that Joowon acts that way because Haesoo manipulates his emotions. Haesoo says its the "relationship I manipulated because I craved an obsessive love”, and he "builds walls, so Joowon can tear them down”. Meanwhile Joowon is also in the wrong as he's immature, impulsive & acts on ALL of Haesoo’s provocations. They inflict these actions on each other because they're BOTH insecure about their r/s. Because defining a relationship usually gives parties a sense of security... so what happens in an UNDEFINED dynamic where they can’t officially be "lovers", and can’t voice their true feelings either?? Well: there's no security in the relationship. That’s why Joowon and Haesoo keep up this push/pull tactic. It's the only way they can affirm they're “each other’s”. The fact that Joowon only acts within the confines of their jealousy games/Haesoo's manipulation, is proven further when they break up: HS narrates, "the game is over", and we see Joowon actually give Haesoo SPACE cause he knows his boundaries and where the lines are drawn. He still clearly loves Haesoo though, so he tries to protect him in the background (eg: when leo told him shady stuff abt taku, the bullying scandal, etc.)
Now that leads to the question: why did Joohae stay in this sort of hurtful open relationship for so long, if they love each other?? Well in short: its cause of their PARENTS.
Haesoo’s reason for not wanting to define the relationship: he fears that he’ll lose his mom if he makes things serious with Joowon. His mom spent ages guilt tripping him for her divorce + tells him she can’t love him if he loves Joowon. The guilt Haesoo feels isn't JUST towards his mom though. It's towards Joowon too. Haesoo constantly projects Joowon's life as "perfect" and feels so inferior at the success of JW's career. So he thinks he's the "only one suffering" (hence painting JW as the asshole who doesnt care). He also seems to see himself as a hindrance to Joowon & thinks JW will be much happier with a marriage, kids, etc. And Haesoo's thoughts AREN'T really Joowon's fault. Joowon never said he wanted a "normal" life, or tried to make HS feel like a burden. He always called Haesoo, told him he missed him, tried to spend all his free time w him despite his busy work. So I think most of HS's insecurities stem from his mom acting like he doesnt deserve her love, and his mom making him think he's a burden ("Am I that much of a hindrance to you?"). It clearly left Haesoo emotionally broken.
Now... Joowon's reason for not wanting to define the relationship: It started, after Joohae were caught as teens and JW was hit with a harsh reality. He got slapped by HS's mom and Haesoo even said: "I’m scared of my feelings for you”. It made Joowon think Haesoo can’t handle their relationship getting serious. JW felt driven into a corner, so he said, “Don’t fall for me and I won’t fall for you”. This is Joowon's foolish attempt to PROTECT them from being separated. He wanted to frame their r/s as “nothing serious, we’re just fooling around” to make things less complicated. He was also trying to protect Haesoo, knowing he can’t make Haesoo lose his mom. Joowon's dad deeply affects his actions too. After the highschool fight issue, he tells Joowon that Haesoo is gonna abandon him, and he shouldn’t start things he'll fail. Joowon takes this to heart after the divorce, where the mom makes Haesoo leave without even telling Joowon. Ofc he now thinks he’s been “abandoned” cause things got too serious for Haesoo, and that everything his father said was TRUE. His father gaslights him for years that Haesoo will abandon him. So Joowon literally thinks the ONLY WAY Haesoo will be with him, is through this ambiguous relationship.
Now. Consider both perspectives: Joowon never insisted that he wanted an official r/s because he thinks Haesoo will drop him otherwise. And Haesoo never insisted on what he truly wanted either (an official r/s! the same thing! WOW~ lmao) because the guilt he felt towards his mother overtook all of that. They willingly chose this, and the ambiguity of their relationship hurts BOTH of them, but they endure it cause they love each other and they wanted to stay together no matter what. Haesoo confirms it when he says "It’s painful because we know we can’t have it, that’s why we kept it ambiguous for 10 years”. Haesoo kept going back to Joowon for years. That’s what made Joowon arrogant and had him thinking, “Haesoo is fine with this. Haesoo can’t live without me. I knew he'd never leave me if we keep our relationship ambiguous”, and Haesoo never communicated otherwise. The remarriage suddenly made all of HS's fears abt losing his mom too real: hence why he walks out first, leaving Joowon to rethink EVERYTHING about what Haesoo truly wanted.
So in the end: who's the victim, and who's the perpetrator? You could say both... or NEITHER. At the end of the day, Haesoo and Joowon were just 2 people who loved each other since they were teenagers, but could never communicate it for their own reasons. They BOTH willingly got into these roles of an ambiguous relationship and kept up unhealthy cycles of jealousy. And they did it to be with e/o without having to be honest about their feelings, or face the consequences of their relationship. Through distance and time spent apart: they realized they feared never telling eo their true feelings FAR MORE, than whatever they could lose as a result of their love. That’s why in the end Haesoo asks Joowon if he regrets their relationship due to Joowon’s career and dad and everything... Haesoo was always worried about that: that if they chose each other, they'd come to resent each other for their losses (he says it in their breakup). But Joowon being the ride or die man he is, says he regrets nothing & he doesnt care about that as long as he’s with Haesoo. These two possibly have the most conflicting relationship I’ve read in a while— but they way they make realizations, develop, and change their mindset all so realistically to reach the conclusion they do is quite beautiful to me <33
me: pressing the plus button and seeing the wall of text (⊙…⊙ )
also me: taking a deep breath and settling back into my chair, preparing myself to read this.
I AM CLAPPING
NOOO IM IN TEARS. YOU WROTE THIS SO WELL.
from explaining why both joowon and haesoo chose to keep up this kind of relationship, to explaining the cause of haesoo's insecurities and joowon's fears and how neither of them are any more at fault than the other. this was so beautiful, bless your soul <3
also that quote from the start of the story is *chefs kiss* and i think it defines taku x haesoo quite well too.
why are you so good with your words omggggg
this is not word vomit. this is word GOLD
ヾ(☆▽☆) ily for writing this!!
So beautifully put. From the start I didn’t feel Joowon was problematic. I saw the major communications issues hindering their relationship while it was obvious how much they cared about each other. I questioned Taku’s role in there. His own interest and sorta obsession with Haesoo. Every time he said things that added to the misunderstandings and dragged Haesoo further away from Joowon and into his arms I was confused where it was all going. Like it couldn’t possibly be the end game. Nothing is solved. Joowon is painted as the bad guy and Taku is suddenly the « right » choice. So I pretty satisfied with the end game and how they managed to push through everything external to find each other again, including Taku. In the end I’m not sure if Taku helped anything, he felt like an additional obstacle that surely drove Joowon crazy but perhaps Taku needed Haesoo to change himself and not the other way around.
wow this was definetly the longest comment that I ever seen in this site! This was such a beautiful review!
Love is really a difficult thing for itself irl, cause we are human beings with so much trouble in our heads, as much healthy and well we are, we still have lots of insecurities and stuff. And here we can see lovers who was caught in an unfortunate situation: two taboos in their relation, the one of being raise ""as brothers"" and the bigger one of being two men in love (because we know that if it was a girl and a boy things could have been different, as in the movie Clueless as an exemple). Anyway, I loved your analysis, please make a blog or something and give us more, I would love to read :D
Joowon never insisted that he wanted an official r/s because he thinks Haesoo will drop him otherwise. And Haesoo never insisted on what he truly wanted either (an official r/s! the same thing! WOW~ lmao) because the guilt he felt towards his mother overtook all of that.
Your analysis is beautiful, BUT THIS, THIS, THISSSSSSSSS is truly the heart of their problems is the lack of a defined relationship! Right, they are both guilty for acting out at times, but when you look at their intimate moments, you always see the love.
I said from jump that Joowon was being loud about he felt refusing to sleep with him because he was with someone else, the quiet moments where he tests Haesoo to see his reactions with either some form of intimacy or just simply saying the words I miss you, want to see you, I'm all yours, etc., and Haesoo, oh, our sensitive Haesoo who wants to put up walls but cries in agony every time he is separated from Joowon. He thought running into Taku's bed would solve everything and allow him to say goodbye to his so-called toxic relationship, but all it did was really give him time to look at their relationship and see the value in it and stop putting it in the bad category.
One of my favorite moments was in the hospital, and Haesoo finally cried in front of Joowon. Joowon's face looked like he was in another car accident. You could see he was in so much pain watching Haesoo look sad that he couldn't hold back another second without declaring his love right then and there.
I don't think I've ever cried more in a moment reading any piece of literature. That moment was perfect. It was the defining moment they needed to find some peace in their hearts because all of that holding back, all of that denying themselves of the love they felt was the only toxic part about their relationship.
I do think they will always have this push and pull dynamic to an extent which is why we see Joowon say I hope you ache for me in so many words because he can't help feeling that way, and now he's verbally telling Haesoo his feelings as well. Now Haesoo doesn't have to guess, and he can feel that love being said openly without reservation. That's the why we get to see Haesoo so open in the last Korean chapter which to me was such a beautiful gift to us who love them because we saw him fighting it for so long to Joowon's face, and now he's showing Joowon how much he loves him by allowing himself to be intimate and show vulnerability.
Still, I'm wanting the writer to fill in the missing pieces of the past because those flashbacks are just enough to make me want to see the whole picture. I am generally satisfied, but I don't know with them I want to hear more of their story. I feel like they always have these intimate moments like the one we saw right before Joowon went to China, and then, someone or something always made Haesoo second guess their relationship which would send him off to find an insignificant lover to start the cycle all over again.
I did, wooooooow very well said~
Thank you soooo much for this. THIS IS SO WELL THOUGHT OUT, ANALYZED, AND WRITTEN IM JEALOUS.
I feel like you would do yeongha proud with this lmao.
Anyway, I am definitely going to send this to every person from now on that talks shit about Joohae or Joowon or frankly just doesn't undertand their dynamic and feelings and why they hurt each other and what caused their conflict. Because some ppl just really cant seem to grasp it.
i honestly think joowon is the least "problematic" of the three because he's at least well intentioned lol. joowon only kept digging him and haesoo further into a hole, because he didn't realize how haesoo felt about anything, and he thought everything was fine. and haesoo was just standing saying absolutely nothing that could help them as joowon kept digging lol. thats why the breakup comes as such a shock to jw. in short what was truly problematic: was their relationship, and i'm so glad they mended it.
uhh taku...... lowkey agree with your last sentence there, because it's true that he did change cause of haesoo. But I also believe taku unintentionally helped haesoo through his exhibition. the exhibition was about "loss" and "love"... and it was from haesoo finally seeing those pictures of himself on display, and realizing he was thinking about joowon in them, that he knew he couldnt let joowon go. Basically the exhibition made him realize the gravity of his feelings for joowon. Also, it's so interesting how you say: "Every time he said things that added to the misunderstandings and dragged Haesoo further away from Joowon" -- totally true, but it's very ironic because I think the further he pulled Haesoo away, the closer Haesoo got to breaking and realizing how he couldnt let himself lose Joowon. The distance made Haesoo more and more anxious until we reached the exhibition. and the breaking point was Haesoo crying. This almost seemed like the tears he didn't cry during their breakup ;-;
Also there was some focus on how Haesoo viewed his relationship with Joowon as wrong and disgusting (it was his mom that made him feel that way). But it was being with Taku and having a seemingly "normal" relationship, that he realized the stuff they did together, he'd already experienced with Joowon... and perhaps their relationship wasn't so different and disgusting as he'd initially thought. Being with Taku seemed to shift his mindset about how he viewed his r/s with Joowon which would be the other purpose of Taku's role as far as I can see.
That’s an interesting take and in that aspect I guess it couldn’t have happened with someone other than Taku with how he helped Haesoo see himself through his lenses. I guess I didn’t see how Taku and all his particularities were key components for Haesoo and his « realizations ». I was kinda assuming anyone could have played that part unlike the way Haesoo helped him. But well Haesoo never really tried having a relationship before and was only playing around so perhaps it was Taku’s intensity that drew him in. Also he definitely wasn’t shy about asserting how he felt about Haesoo and Haesoo was able to get something he wasn’t getting with Joowon and figure out if that’ wasn’t really what he wanted? Frankly they were a peculiar pairing for me and I didn’t quite feel the chemistry though I know a lot of people did so mmm (It’s been interesting to read comments and see where everyone stand on this). Besides, and I know that’s just me being petty lol, every time Taku tried to « reason » with Haesoo by reaffirming his doubts and fear I wanted to throw something. Solely because it was oversimplifying everything and I was worried things would be left like that. This author really pleasantly surprised me with how everything turned out. I loved how after showing us how toxic the mom was, we finally get some revelations about the dad. Her perfect husband who got away yikes. And x
"our sensitive Haesoo who wants to put up walls but cries in agony every time he is separated from Joowon. He thought running into Taku's bed would solve everything and allow him to say goodbye to his so-called toxic relationship, but all it did was really give him time to look at their relationship and see the value in it and stop putting it in the bad category"
this is so TRUE!! Haesoo was just so in denial, and little did he know that going to Taku and stopping things with Joowon is what he needed for him to truly realize how much he loved Joowon. Also yes I totally agree that their push/pull dynamics will always be subtly present! it's unavoidable when haesoo is a tsundere hahah. I think this dynamic will be a lot softer and more affectionate now, and won't actually hurt them like it did in the past because they know how they truly feel about each other now ;^;
Omg the MISSING PIECES!!! 200% agree with you. I really badly want the full story on some flashbacks and further moments of their past relationship. Like: the entire things on them meeting up again after the divorce. And everything about when Joowon hit rock bottom in his career and Haesoo helped him through it. And more about their r/s was in the 7 years they kept up their "game". Like there's just SO MUCH you can explore here. I know the series is long as it is, but i feel like we need a whole other season just for joohae lol.
surprisingly i think i've seen longer, in the loh comment section itself (go to most "agreed" comments haha). ppl just have A LOT to say about this story i think haha
omg i've been thinking for a while, that I really needed to make a blog or something for all this loh analysis that i keep spitting out because i have so many THOUGHTS abt this story. and idk why i thought this is the best place to drop it (well mainly cause i couldnt think of where else lool). maybe i should make a tumblr or something. never used that site before buuuut :D
@wonuyaaa i mean... if it makes ppl understand the story better then by all means haha
hehe (⌒▽⌒)
This is literally everything I've been thinking about LoH for months, I love your word vomits. I would also love to read your thoughts on Joowon's famous phrase "In hindsight, everyone is a perpetrator and victim" because I think it represents every single character here, especially him. And also, I think this way of thinking plays a big role in his dynamic with Haesoo.
It's literally the essence of LoH, but no other character bodied that idiology like Joowon did. Not only because the narratieve presented him as the "bad guy" of the story, it's also because Joowon knew he was in the wrong and yet he didn't believe there was any better option for him and Haesoo to the point he started to make "evil" seem right (the secret and ambiguous relationship). He's the antagonist in someone else's story but he is, at the same time, the main protagonist of other's.
The amazing thing is that Joowon is the "villain" and the "hero" for the same person: Lee Haesoo. And this also happened with Joowon at some point, because he resented Haesoo for years about how he abandoned him and yet, Joowon went back to look up for him because he is the one he loves. It was insane how they started to twist themselves, not only because of the parents and the taboo itself but also, the perception of each other. A whole ass contradiction that antagonize their feelings :/
You wrote facts!
Who disliked this lol? You wrote nothing but the truth.
its the dumb tacos with no reading comprehension
Well written, absolutely understood the chapters well,, the story was just too toxic for me. I couldnt handle it.
you dropped this
I really can't stop rereading this because you wrote it so perfectly. I think it's my favourite comment on this hellsite! And the best analysis of LOH (beating your other analysis though those are wonderfully stated as well) hehe
somebody summarize it for me im not reading all that
usually i skip posts this long but i gave it a go... loved your essay.
just shows what a good story this is. the author really hit this one out of the park with beautiful art and a complex, interesting plot ♡
thank you for all those replies and praise! it made me really happy that you thought my analysis was that good lol :")
omg you are right. i believe yeongha definitely had HIM out of the 3 say that line for a clear purpose, especially with the way his character was written and revealed as the story went further. him being the "villain" and "hero" for the same person, is tied to the whole "love" or "hate" haesoo feels for joowon.
their false perceptions of each other was DEFINITELY what perpetuated their actions further. it's cause they could never sit down and talk honestly to each other... as the whole basis of their undefined relationship is literally NOT COMMUNICATING. Like they're supposed to pretend like their love and deeper feelings for each other dont really exist... and so they can never talk about any of their problems or even acknowledge it without addressing the elephant in the room: their feelings. It was incredibly ironic yet fitting how Joowon thought he was the "only one stuck in the past", while Haesoo was literally thinking similar thing, thinking that he was the "only one suffering". Their thoughts are completely on the same wavelength, but they dont know it and assume the opposite for each other. dumbass mfs lolol. I love them though.
honestly summarizing it won't do it justice at all.... i strongly recommend you just read it, especially if youre a taku stan (not cause this essay has anything to do with taku, but because i dont think many of yall dont even get the NATURE of the toxicity in joohae's relationship and go around saying they should never ever be together... when not being officially together, and not being able to say "i love you", is what honestly caused them the most pain)
Summary:
- there whole point of the essay is that there's no victim or perpetrator in joohae's relationship. everything they did, they inflicted equally on each other, and it was a self-imposed mutual choice for them.
- haesoo manipulates joowon's emotions to make him possessive and joowon always immaturely acts on haesoo's manipulation when provoked. they do this to each other so they can feel secure in their ambiguous relationship and believe they are "each others" without actually being tgt
- having this ambiguous relationship was a mutual decision between them, and it hurts them a lot as they can't tell each other their true feelings. But they love eo so they at least want to stay together. (hs: "It’s painful because we know we can’t have it, that’s why we kept it ambiguous for 10 years”)
- why haesoo chose to keep their r/s ambiguous: he was scared to lose his mom, and his mom guilt tripped him for many years for her divorce + made him feel like a burden. as a result of his insecurities: he felt guilty towards joowon thinking he cant be with jw, and jw should have a normal life with marriage and kids and everything
- why joowon chose to keep their r/s ambiguous: he didn't want to make him choose between him and his mom. he also didn't want them to be separated. he thought haesoo would drop him if things got too serious due to the events when they were teens and haesoo saying "im scared of my feelings for you". his father also convinced him that haesoo would abandon him if he starts anything with him. so joowon wanted to pass off their relationship as "nothing serious", thinking haesoo will stay with him in that case.
- they realize from being apart though: they would rather face the consequences of their relationship, and tell each other their true feelings, because they love each other more than they fear whatever they may lose as a result of their love.
- it's why in chapter 101, Haesoo asks Joowon if he regrets their relationship due to Joowon’s career and dad and everything... Haesoo was always worried about that: that if they chose each other, they'd come to resent each other for their losses. But Joowon says he regrets nothing & he doesnt care about that as long as he’s with Haesoo
In my eyes, Taehae is a pretty crappy pairing and to this day I will never understand why some ppl cheer for it. Even if I loved Taku to MOST, I dont think I would want Taehae ever. Like. It was a relationship with little sincerity and one party did not reciprocate at all. With Joowon and Haesoo everything was a two way street. They had this push and pull between them: yes a painful dynamic, but it was all for the sake of their love and keeping them together. With Taehae there was no genuine emotions and the monologues completely expose that. How they're just "pretending", "acting like this is real", etc. And not to mention the fact that Taku started this whole thing just to use Haesoo for his own selfish curiosity, and Haesoo used him as a rebound. That's its own kind of unhealthy that cant be fixed unlike Joohae, because the feelings just arent there. I honestly think the appeal of Taehae is only that it's an alternative to the "past incest" relationship that left Haesoo hurt, and they think Taku is a uwu soft boy that's trying to "save" Haesoo because they dont read his monologues or character properly at all. That's really it. (Oh and if people like the smut scenes more than the writing and plot lol). Because frankly the feelings aren't there, and their personalities don't mesh either. It's an ongoing joke for ages that Haesoo lost all his personality going out with Taku. and it's TRUE! like with Joowon he would always openly banter, and joke, and was bratty, and kinda tsundere... with Taku he's this quiet, polite, stone wall lol. He never really showed his true personality to Taku, maybe cause he wasnt comfortable enough to, and that bantering dynamic would never work with him.
I do wonder if it could have been anyone else or even Haesoo's past partners to make him realize he loved Joowon though. I strongly believe Haesoo broke things off with Joowon cause of the remarriage. BUT... I think Taku's exhibit, and Taku's personality is what really might've brought Haesoo to Joowon. Like the only reason Haesoo actually got into something "serious" (though temporary) with Taku is because Haesoo said he saw HIMSELF in Taku. That was the chapter they made things official. Taku's selfishness and manipulative actions (as he revealed with the sex tape) literally reminded Haesoo of himself and how he craved this obsessive love and pushed Joowon's emotions back in their own relationship. So Haesoo went out with Taku out pity seeing himself in Taku... and because he had grown to respect Taku's photography that had intrigued him from the start. I think otherwise, it would've been hard for Haesoo to have a serious relationship with someone else who he didn't love. lolll i wrote way too much but anyway!!
see mmm valid. Wow. Yeah they must have really be ignoring everything that was being said and just focusing on the smut. Because like you said there was nothing exciting about that relationship. Nothing. It was so bland to me. In a way the smut was the attempt to spice things up I guess? Haesoo and Joowon started us with such intensity and passion and interesting dynamics. Not the healthiest but something was there to draw us in the story but then with Taku it was just... well there. Like there was more going on in Taku's mind like his own story and development and with Haesoo's struggle and flashbacks than between the two of them. It's a good point that indeed Haesoo was closed off with Taku. With Joowon it was like fire and with Taku like I don't even know water? Lol I couldn't fall for their relationship at all and I honestly skimmed through most of the smut as well.
I suppose people find it easier to categorize a story from the start. There is a villain, a victim and a savior. It's apparently irrelevant that the victim is not a victim and the savior is not saving anyone and the villain is no more a villain than the rest. It's like the complexity of the story and the author's intentions flew over their heads. No shade but I feel like that's the kind of stories I crave and it's weird how people just Ughh. Perhaps it's just that some like simple stories and it's more comfortable to polarize things.
The way Haesoo with all his flaws and shortcomings was a victim is the most baffling like did they skip the way he treated his other lovers? I'm confused. Perhaps it's the tendency to make the top/dominant the bad guy and the bottom the victim or because Joowon was the "Hyung". Or maybe they just fell for Taku's looks over Joowon's. I'm guilty of the opposite so no judgment there.
I Still, I suppose it had to be Taku because only someone with such single minded focus would try to jump in those muddy waters. Like for Taku to try to come in between two people that have so much history. Kudos to him for trying. I'm always impressed with second love interest confidently stepping into relationships with such heavy shit. Like how do you even make a space for yourself there. And yeah Haesoo never opened up. It's almost as if the whole time he was running away from Joowon and never really starting anything with Taku. Maybe almost as if he was studying or analyzing his own self by being with Taku, now that you reminded me of how he saw himself in Taku it made me think of that possible scenario.
And haha you're fine thanks for your response! I'm rambling a lot too haha and I keep seeing people having silly fights in the comments. It's fascinating how divided people are over this lol. I wish more people read your comment. They may disagree with some things but it would at least give them a different perspective.
tbh i dont stan taku nor joowon, im just too lazy
thx, ig i rlly wasnt paying attention to the story if i didnt notice this
oh okay then i thought i remembered seeing you in the comments and you struck me as a taku, but it was either someone else or i was rlly paying attention. anywayyy the summary gardenfairy gave to you is decent, but there's a lot more that was said in the actual comment (plus it's way better framed and explained), so if you ever feel unlazy you should still read :D it :D
also... Loh is the type of story that you even if you read it slowly you can still manage to miss stuff. most ppl need to read it at least twice to grasp everything abt it anyway~
a taku *stan
*wasnt rlly paying attention
ill probably get to it, but re-reading it? yea might need to do that too
lol yeah wonuyaaa is right that its easy to miss things in this story. definitely took me some rereads to fully get it, and not overlook all the details
i wrote a few more things on the story if youre ever do reread and need summaries lol:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/9496997/
http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/9517513/?page=4
This analysis is very very well written! It’s so interesting to see others having the same thought process on things. Thank you for putting the words out of my mind. What’s more, the way joohae’s relationship relate to their parents, and how their parents manipulate them into calling it a quit, to me there’s no victim or perpetrator. Both sides were just trying to be with their significant other. Love makes us greedy. But it failed to make joohae fight for their love when they were teens because of the guilt trip game their parents push into their faces.
LOVE THISSSS
FACTS.
ahh i forgot to reply to this BUT I AGREE WITH THIS SO MUCH— that whole thing you said about how people find it easier to categorize characters into boxes of villain, victim, saviour.... and thats why they read the story all backwards and dont pay attention to everything that makes Haesoo most definitely NOT a victim (at least not joowon’s, i’d say he is a victim of his mom’s words though). And Taku is someone pretty selfish and out here to get what he wants from the start— not a saviour either. It baffles me how people will read this but flat out ignore all the chapters explaining the nature of joohae’s relationship and haesoo’s role in it, and then the of the characterization of taku.
“Maybe almost as if he was studying or analyzing his own self by being with Taku” —omg if you say it like that, its really interesting. Perhaps being with Taku made him so self aware and finally come to terms with his petty actions against Joowon lol.
Thank you for liking my analysis! ^^ i’m glad you found it worthwhile for even others to read
Actually in kr version, Haesoo never said “I love you too” in this chapter. He said “me too”. We havent actually seen him say the words to Joowon in the story,, tho im sure he has off screen lol. Since at the end of chapter 94, we dont know who said the last speech bubble that read ‘I love you’ (was it Joowon repeating himself, or Haesoo saying “I love you” back? lol idk)
I’m pretty sure it’s cause the author is planning something, which is why we havent seen Haesoo say it yet.
Maybe they translated it that way because it sounds awkward in English for him to reply “me too” to Joowon? Like we already knew from Haesoo’s thoughts at least back to the breakup that he was in love with Joowon, his love is abundantly clear. The awkwardness of the phrasing is the only rationale I can think of, otherwise it’s sorta stealing author’s thunder for what I would suppose to be an outpouring of Haesoo’s endearment along with the mystery present.
yeah idk.... i do think it kinda took the author's clear build up lol
but its fine ig, it wont change the fact we already know
I love this chapter a lot cause it addresses some main points of conflict that was holding both Joowon and Haesoo back from telling each other their true feelings. And it shows their clear growth, plus them COMMUNICATING (finally!!) to overcome their obstacles.
Like first it showed with a lot more depth: WHY Joowon was so hung up on Haesoo abandoning him, enough to not even try to start any relationship... ofc it all went back to his father’s manipulative words and lies saying: Haesoo will abandon him, he shouldnt start anything if he doesnt want to fail, etc. But I’m glad Joowon really stood up to his dad here, showing that he no longer believes what he said despite being gaslit like this for years. Also its sad how Joowon realizes his father might have never really loved him and how he was neglected as a child/teen... he was given a lot of luxury, but no love or affection, and he only realized over the years that material things =/= love :(( But I do think this fact made it easier for Joowon to be with Haesoo who genuinely does love him and care about him.
And then there’s Haesoo. Haesoo didnt just leave and break things off with jw because he was scared to lose his mom (though i believe that was the main reason). He also feared that Joowon will come to regret their relationship because its gonna mess things up like his career and his r/s with his father. HAESOO CLEARLY VOICES THIS in the chapter by asking if Joowon regrets being with him due to having to compromise things in his life, and how he was worried about that. And ofc we already know Joowon’s answer to due to what this story shows time and time again :’) this man would literally give up anything for Haesoo. So yeah... Just good to see them communicating and addressing some of their problems that pulled them apart in the first place. And ofcourse them finally being able to openly say ‘I love you’ to each other is beautiful and makes all the pain and everything worth it.
Ugh, the whole scene with his father, seeing the complete translation is so important to further understanding Joowon’s fear and hesitation all this time. I really appreciate how author kept that thread of Joowon’s vulnerability and abandonment issues running through the story. During the breakup, when they were separated by the parents, even the little panel showing Joowon sitting by himself in front of the tv, how he grew up alone most of the time.
And more insight on the other half of the “perfectionist” parents- caught up in chasing status, making deals and getting ahead materially, not understanding love or emotional well-being.
I was also thinking about how Haesoo must’ve felt like it was a major sacrifice for Joowon to forgo a conventional family life, with wife and kids, because the idea of family was so important to him. I feel Joowon re-emphasizing that it’s Haesoo that he’s always wanted, no matter the cost, is also important for the reader. Especially since some people still have trouble understanding the depth of that love.
I can’t wait for next week, for the next translated chapter! We can finally talk about Joowon and his father and what literally caused and influenced Joowon’s actions in the past to keep their relationship ambiguous. Seeing the fan translations of it those few weeks ago just hit me how much I love Joowon and the complexities of his character, plus how real n well written his development is!! He only truly deserves the best~
omggg thank you for reminding me of this!! ppl might be disappointed that no sexy times next chapter, but I value the explanation we’re gonna get about joowon and seeing him stand up for himself and haesoo so much more!
where did you get the fan translatiom? i wanna read
ah sorry for the late reply i didnt see this til now >.< i cant find the specific tweets, but @joohaes on twitter translates for LOH every week. So if you have the energy, you can scroll down through their account until you hit their tweets on Jan 16 lol (the date that chapter released)
Me, too! People really need to slow down to take everything in when reading this story overall. I’m planning on reading the whole thing again once its complete, to pick up on stuff I overlooked, new insights/connections, and full immersion into the range of feelings of it.
thanks really appreciate your reply
Well this chapter spells it out. The "hate" Haesoo thought he felt for Joowon was never hate at all. It was just him hating the fact that he LIKED this redhead lol. Haesoo knew from the moment they met that he was attracted to Joowon and would come to like him very much. But with their families being pushed together like this, haesoo even wanted to stop the marriage and he had to do anything he could to shove down his feelings.
Their relationship from this flashback point was set up to fail from the start. Which is why I'm glad once it was confirmed the remarriage would never happen, Haesoo and Joowon first spent time apart and Haesoo especially healed emotionally. They broke out of their unhealthy cycles, and are now starting a new, better relationship together. And now they can express the love they felt for each other all along, that they could never put into words before due to their taboo.
you speak nothing but the truth!! and some ppl want to bash those who like joohae as being "incest shippers"... when the context about their relationship and everything with the conflict in this story is so important in order to understand and accept Joohae
Those covers of Love or Hate at the end though,, haesoo is STUNNING
He is breathtaking, truly the face to launch a thousand ships. Those sea-green eyes!
i am in loooove with his design. yh said that joowon's favourite part of him is his eyes btw hehe
“I love you”
— ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
“You know what Haesoo? You’re my dream. It’s been that way since I first met you.”
“You’re the hero of my story. It was you from the start.”
— ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Are you tryna make me cry ri? Hello???
hehe mayyybe
HS: Why do you keep staring at me?
JW: Cause it’s strange... you being here.
HS gets up threateningly: Do you want me to leave then?
JW: Come on Haesoo! Sit down! (￣Д ￣)
LMAO I MISSED THIS SO MUCH! Their funny n cute banter!! :’) This existed between them in the first quarter of the story when they were together too!! But while dating Taku, Haesoo was more so this meek sad boy, all attitude and brattiness pushed down... probably cause he wasnt comfortable enough around Taku to act like that. Plus considering their personalities, it would never really make sense for them to banter this way >.<
Anyway that aside, I LOVE how yh realistically writes Joohae’s change as a couple, but still retains their dynamics like this!!! It feels so authentic, because in reality its not as if the way you interact with someone totally gets erased and replaced, just because there were changes between you two. I love how subtle and nuanced the writing is in LOH to depict that. Simple example: around the beginning of the story there was a scene where Joowon just assumed how Haesoo likes the furniture rearranged in his apartment without even asking him and Haesoo didnt look that impressed lol— vs now: where he asked for Haesoo’s input and wanted him to pick out the furniture and everything. Haesoo looks a bit surprised yet pleased there awe ;^; Its the little things dammit!!
Anyway love this chapter cause of how it depicts how much has changed, yet how little too. Its beautiful :’)
Does it ever strike you the irony of readers who claim Haesoo and Joowon shouldn't be together since they hurt each other? ...It's the fact that they hurt each other due to people in their lives telling them they can't be together. And so they never expressed their true feelings for each other-- THIS is what actually hurts them.
You want them to be apart... but it's being apart and not truly together that is the main problem here. LOL
YOU TELL THEM
//claps//
UPPP!
Then there is Taku who basically gets off on Haesoo's misery
lmao literallyyyy
He never once cared abt seeing haesoo happy. he just wanted to beat joowon smh
It was a losing battle from the get go The fact that both Taku and Haesoo were thinking about Joowon during their trial date speaks volumes
Yes, definitely a salient point.
I think the fact that so many readers, or non-readers, are opposed to Joohae being together gives their relationship an even greater feeling of lovers against all odds. It heightens the drama and romance of their union, drawing us further in to fiercely defend them.
non-readers who talk about LOH (mainly to insult joohae) have to be the stupidest ones around. they really think they need to give their useless two cents on a story they didnt even read-- like pls gtfo no one invited you here. but yeah, it makes me defend joohae even more intensely. i love these two so much ;-; <333