It’s Haesoo’s birthday <333 Happy birthday to my favourite child! He’s beautiful and complicated, a bit tsundere, but kind and soft and I just wanted him to be happy the whole series ╥﹏╥ I’m glad he finally found that and was able to be honest with himself, face his feelings, and heal properly~
Happy birthday to Haesoo I'm gald his finally happy with the man he truly loves(⌒▽⌒)
awe cute post
Let’s see, he’s 26 now? Imagine getting Choi Joowon for your big present. He must be having the best birthday ever!
Happy birthday almost birthday twin! Hopefully, that sexy devil of yours is gifting you with that beautiful ring!
damn best present ever lol
im honestly still waiting for that ring to appear again (or like another ring LOL)
Cant believe I have to come here and say this: but Taku was blurred by the UPLOADER.
Not the author or artist. Yeongha and Bakdam dont do that. and would never do that either lol
Maybe yall should buy the official translation on lezhin to see the light yknowヾ(☆▽☆)
They should’ve used other pic where theres only Jowoon and Haesoo there..... Kinda sad and rude tbh
Which other pic are we talking abt? I cant recall lol
They should’ve used other pics like fanarts or something.... Or is the uploaded photo included in the update and the uploader blurred it out??
Damn thanks for telling. I was so triggered like it's so rude #takustan
There are lots of joowon X Haesoo pics originally drawn by the author tho especially the one which was drawn even before the story started properly.
It's amazing how some ppl claim Taku was with Haesoo out of the goodness of his heart, and wanted to "save" him from an unhealthy relationship i- like what now?? Reading comprehension where???
Taku got interested in Haesoo after seeing his story about his step brother: he wanted to mess with that relationship. Taku's exhibition themes were: Loss / Love —a choice he thought Haesoo would be so *perfect* for due to his relationship with Joowon. No, it was never about Haesoo's wellbeing lol. There’s literally a scene where he implicitly tells Haesoo to think of Joowon for the photoshoot, right after their breakup, and thinks: “I knew he was hurt, but I wanted to see something more”. He wasn't trying to make Haesoo feel better, but instead he was intrigued & captivated by Haesoo’s hurt and pain over Joowon. He even admits in the end, after he grew attached to Haesoo: "From the start Haesoo only had eyes for one person. Perhaps those unwavering eyes were what I loved most” -- proving how transfixed he was by Haesoo's feelings for Joowon.
Taku says in his character interview from the start that he's "opportunistic" when it comes to relationships. Example: him comforting Haesoo crying... it parallels Taku's ex-bf being comforted by him & getting upset cause Taku is just PRETENDING. It's the same w/ Haesoo. He didn't do that with genuine feelings, but just as a "habit" like Haesoo says. Taku also said, “it felt good to see you sad” and how he knows hes selfish but its cause he likes to feel needed. So him chasing after Haesoo wasnt sincere, but self-interest & intrigue (“I wanted to see the kind of story he writes when im gone” HELLO??).
There's multiple metaphors about it too (lmaoo not me writing about the metaphors when ppl can't even get the blatant text of Taku saying MULTIPLE TIMES how he's "not a good person" and that he likes Haesoo for selfish reasons... but anyway the metaphors are interesting to me <333). First his photography: Taku always focused on the frozen images and what's within the lenses, instead of life in the present. He captured what he wanted & ignored the rest. Second: the candy. He says all relationships are the same to him: just "sugar/additives despite the different colours". He doesn’t like the taste of bitterness, only the sweetness. It ALL shows how Taku only wanted the good and superficial things in life. He selfishly liked to be needed by someone else, but without any of the burden of real feelings. It’s only through letting himself get attached to Haesoo & realizing Haesoo’s pretend love isn’t enough for him, that he describes Haesoo’s kiss as "bitter".
Honestly I know how upsetting it is to see your ship sink. But if you step back and read carefully: you realize that Yeongha literally built Taku's character to GET HEARTBROKEN and experience the bitter things in life,, because he'd been so numb to that feeling otherwise. (It makes me curious abt Taku's backstory honestly. like what made him this way??)
bravo
this is the best taku character analysis i will ever read
thank you (☆▽☆)
OMFG- YOU DESCRIBED THAT PERFECTLY!!! I AGREE WITH YOU OMFG OMFG HHJJHHGH YES I LOVE U
omg I love this so much
I am a taku stan- but i know from the start that jowoon would be the endgame here.. When reading taku's arc where they both went in a relationship for a month. U can actually feel the ambiance of their story.. The coolness of colors in each panel was enough to make u feel uncomfy and unsettled. You can see how the chapters where they are together, the panels are kinda bluish and it sets the mood.
while if u look at jowoonxhaesoo's chapters, they were all warm as if it is trying to comfort you.. the opposite of taku's chapter. THIS IS WHY I LOVE READING LOH, everything in it was planned to very perfection.
Im really bad at explaining but i hope you get it lmao
(づ￣ ³￣)づ
Ooh that’s a very nice observation!!
OMG I actually saw people on twitter talking about that!!
The pink tone theory. Haesoo and Joowon's moments, are so warm and doused with warm pink tones. While with Taku... even some of their sex scenes have a kind of paleness and coolness to them-- despite the fact that sex typically elicts the exact opposite response. It almost gives you this feeling of DETACHMENT? Yeah, that's the main feeling I get from it. It was the most blatant in their last sex scene, where Taku feels like Haesoo's mind is totally elsewhere and they call each other weird.
Yeongha is an amazing writer, but Bakdam also plays such a huge role in the delivery of the story through the art. They're very in tune with each other, and both so talented!
Also I respect you for liking Taku but understanding this lol. I actually come to appreciate Taku as a character when I think about him more. Even though I definitely don't want him with Haesoo and think he was a bad partner haha
a crown for you for saying all this:
BEST COMMENT
I agree 100%! I actually wanna see more present Joohae tho like how they deal with their relationship. In terms of Taku, i want his side story to be a back story instead of seeing who he ends up with cause his character seems to have a lot of layers too. He was never right for Haesoo but as a character, I actually like the way the authors wrote him and he has his own complexity :>
@hannietea yesss same!! i honestly want to see his backstory more than his new partner. Cause everything about Taku always leaves me thinking: but WHY? With Joowon and Haesoo, we know why they act the way they act stemming from their adolescence and parents. But Taku lacked that background depth. Like what made him opportunistic, or selfish and unfeeling in the first place??
I often think of that conversation Taku had about his uncle that died who taught him photography, and his lighter… it literally went nowhere. Like what was that supposed to be about, or intended to symbolize or represent?? Maybe you can help me understand it, if there was actually more meaning there that went over my head ^^" lol,, But that conversation really made me think Yeongha had Taku's backstory (related with his uncle) in the works, but cut it partway through cause it would make the manhwa unfocused from Joohae endgame, especially when we already spend so much time with Taku/Haesoo.
I actually think Yeongha was going somewhere with that conversation he had with his uncle but I have difficulty putting my analysis into words rn omg hahaha I’ll be getting back to this convo once I find that chap cause that was the one part that I found difficult to understand in terms of Taku’s view on life and photography in general when I first read it. It’s hard analyzing LoH with one read so I’m actually gonna reread the whole thing. Ahhh there’s so many to uncover but I understand the author’s concern though in terms of laying out the story. All of their backgrounds cannot be fit into this one segment and if they would, they could actually make Taku into another story. We will never know the reason for everyone’s actions which was what made this story beautiful in the first place. They tried incorporating a lot of issues and even gave detailed explanations but if they did continue Taku’s back story in the middle, the meaning of the story would have lost its essence ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄
Maybe Taku’s side story will include both his background and new relationship? Idk if they’ll be able to pull that off but I believe in the author’s skill in writing akhdjaha they might do a few flashbacks and incorporate the changes of what Taku has experienced from both past to his relationship with Haesoo and to present. I know it’s a lot to cover but I actually have hope for it (⊙…⊙ )
Say it louder! J squad was too "PERSECUTED" for nonsensical reasons for so many YEARS!
Excellent post!
I think the way in which he bought that ring for Haesoo is indicative of his character, as well. Just a flash of Haesoo’s hand in his mind without bothering to get a proper measurement shows how he doesn’t want to, or can’t be bothered with, putting the work in to get to know the whole person. Not just the sweet parts.
I guess I’m not necessarily convinced that he fell in love with Haesoo. I think it’s just the idea of all-consuming love that Haesoo had for Joowon, he wanted that version of Haesoo for himself. But not the real, complete Haesoo. So instead of feeling devastated, it could be the catalyst he needs to work at building a real relationship with someone.
I think we’re compelled to find answers or explanations as to why things are in life and in fiction, but I just assumed Taku was a sociopath and narcissist from the start. Which may or may not be what the author had in mind.
The way u conveyed taku’s is amazing
It's kinda hard to say if he actually fell in love with haesoo or not. I dont think there's a concrete answer to that and I feel like you could argue from both sides (as I've seen people do hahah)...
Also yeah, I thought taku exhibited some sociopathic tendencies whether the author intended it or not: especially in how he couldn't separate his photography subjects from his lovers (im pretty sure his friend at one point asks him if he likes haesoo as a subject or romantically, and taku responds with asking if there's a difference or something like that). It shows his clear emotional detachment from all his past partners. But I think there was a definite change in his character as he started going out with Haesoo, and that this relationship was different from how he viewed or treated all his past relationships.
It true there might not be any deeper reason for how he behaves, but the author made me feel like there was when the conversation with Taku about his uncle and the lighter came up lol. Ofc that's just my personal opinion.
I think I'm inclined towards your interpertation about Taku's feelings for Haesoo though. I think he fell in love with the IDEA of Haesoo (mainly in how HS loves Joowon for over a decade) rather than Haesoo himself...
But again, it's debatable ig. i'm not an expert at love lol
I’m an eternal amateur at love, myself! But yeah, I think there are multiple ways the reader could interpret it, with the most palatable and popular being that it was true love. And there’s nothing wrong with that view, of course, it’s totally valid! I just imagine that if they had continued on, traveling around the world and what all he was thinking, he would have been dissatisfied when it didn’t live up to his romantic ideals, because he didn’t really even know Haesoo. And that ring wouldn’t have fit on Haesoo’s finger because he guessed at the size.
yeah no, i cant see them working out in the long term either lol
he never fully got to know haesoo as he was beyond his heartbreak and writing... and he made a lot of assumptions along the way. which i guess was due to the circumstance of their relationship and all.
also, the only time we can see haesoo actually relax a little and stop being all polite and meek was with joowon. imo that banter and dynamic wouldnt work with taku.
well said
oh late reply, but the chapter where taku talks about his uncle and the lighter is chapter 38! honestly to me joohae is the priority ofc. like I want to see so much more of their new relationship... so I really hope the author delivers side stories of them when LOH ends. Really hoping yh is not sick of her own story by now cause that would be TRAGIC T^T lol,, along with joohae side stories, I would also be interested in a Taku one too. I really like your idea of incorporating his backstory with his new relationship in some way, since we never got to see it!! That might turn out quite impactful :o anyway, the sky is the limit. i just want joohae side stories the most abhsfdhshd yh i trust in you pls <3
haha thank you :")
this is such a good analysis of taku wow. i dont like him as a character but i appreciate the thought put into him.
Nice analysis
The new raw chapter... idc idc JOOWON DESERVES EVERYTHING GOOD
ಥ__ಥ
He really went through the most in this manhwa. His father gaslit him for YEARS, convincing him that Haesoo will abandon him, that Haesoo will eventually move onto other ppl. He did it to keep them apart, and Joowon admitted that he always believed his father's words. In a flashback he told Joowon regarding Haesoo: "don't start anything, and then you'll never fail". This must be the main reason why Joowon always believed it was better to not start anything serious with Haesoo (especially after HS said stuff like "I'm scared of my feelings for you", and left him after the divorce).
Joowon has in fact been suffering, keeping silent abt his love for Haesoo in their ambiguous relationship,, but ppl want to make it seem like Haesoo was the only one hurt ><
So, it was so nice seeing him be so open with his feelings for Haesoo in this chapter, telling him he loves him and that he missed him, and expressing how happy he is when they can actually be together.
That’s quite the revelation about the relationship between Joowon and his dad, and how twisted and confused everything became from his perspective. Each parent really did a number on their respective son! Like we already know how Haesoo’s mom threatened to withhold her “love” if Haesoo continued with Joowon, and tried her best to sully their union and make it “wrong” in his mind. It’s been awhile since I read it, but I thought the parents’ original marriage was only about status, social climbing, opportunism. Everything was only about themselves and their own interests. They should learn something in their old age and do whatever it takes to salvage a relationship with their sons, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Joohae to cut ties with them.
Also, it’s nice to see someone correctly using the term “gaslighting”. The way people throw that word around the World Wide Web without understanding what it means gets old.
As a psych major, god it drives me up a wall to see the word "gaslighting" used improperly all over the internet!
Yep yep, what Joowon's dad did, was ACTUAL gaslighting.
He intentionally manipulated Joowon's perception and beliefs for his own desire to keep the two away from each other. He made Joowon believe, contrary to reality, that Haesoo will abandon and leave him, so he shouldn't try to start anything with the other. Also in the hospital after the accident, he literally LIES to Joowon saying that he saw Haesoo having a great time at the exhibition. This time Joowon catches the lie because Haesoo actually came running to the hospital to see him and wasn't at the exhibition.
It also made more obvious why Joowon was so scared of confronting the problems. Why his motto was "If it never starts, it never ends" and why he belived the ambiguity of their relationship was the only way to protect their feelings. I was so shaken by how much abuse their parents actually did to them. I used to believe that the mother was the one who gaslighted them the most but it was actually Joowon's dad! ! ! It took me a second to realize his discourse went from "You shouldn't act as a kid anymore" to "The only way of resolving this if you do nothing, Haesoo will leave you" omg He really did mess up with his head, and when we take into account how he was the one who told Haesoo about the marriage to test him (he really despise Haesoo) and how he didn't care how his son during his scandal... I hate their parents, glad they are no longer in contact.
I do think they married for love (or their version of it) initially and stability too for Haesoo because her ex abandoned his son, but of course, I don't think they delved too much into that just to say that Haesoo thought he was still in love with his mother, but of course, he was missing a lot of what JW's dad was doing even telling JW that he needed to become an adult if he wanted to pursue Haesoo all the while probably keeping them apart sending Haesoo off to who knows where. Then, he threw in the daggers that Haesoo probably already forgot you and has moved on to others, which means that fear every time Haesoo was with someone else was eating him alive.
She said she deserved to be happy. What about your son, and what kills ME is that, that mother knew it was more than sex. Her first instinct was to ask if they were DATING. She knew it was deeper than that, but instead, she labeled it disgusting and let her son be miserable to satisfy her inability to accept him loving and wanting Joowon.
She KNEW if Haesoo were to say goodbye to Joowon when she ran off like a thief in the night, it would have been them leaving those miserable people behind and declaring his love. I truly believe it would have happened, and she knew it too which is why she was that selfish to take away their last moment together.
I am eager to see what BS she spews to JW's dad after that hospital visit with JW. When is enough, enough, people? My mom was so good to my sister who came out as gay who has had some majorly dysfunctional partners, so this hits home in a lot of ways. What did Joowon do that was so wrong, fall in love with your SON? Please, the ONLY person to love Haesoo unconditionally was Joowon, and thank god for that.
This development is just another example of how well the author has done at peeling back the layers to show influences upon, and motivations of the characters. Like at this stage in the story, right near the end, it’s quite the bomb and I wasn’t anticipating just how much Joowon’s dad hurt and confused him.
Remember when Joowon told Taku that Haesoo is very fickle? How he also believed that Haesoo gets bored easily to the point he internalize making sure he is his first priority and that nobody gets into his level? How much he feared being abandoned? Now, we know that it was not only consequences of the past. Someone else also put these ideas in his head. Joowon and Haesoo were victims of their parents, Haesoo's mom also emotionally abused her son for years. Their parents are a major reason why they were such a mess as people and as a couple. The parents were so stupid and cruel for thinking they could control their ADULT sons, especially if they couldn't do it when they were adolescent. I also didn't expect this revelation at this point but after knowing how much they actually abused their kids, even tho I'm not a super fan of Joohae, it feels so good that they are together.
Ayo, Joowon's dad mentality is so funny: Son, don't act like a kid. You only make things difficult for Haesoo. In fact, why bother? He is a b i t c h. It's better if you do nothing because then you will not fail :D I'm worried about how much he affects you, so I'll marry this woman I don't love to impose a taboo once again and ruin your life because I love you despite that I neglected you almost all your life and I was just a father on paper
I hate everyone is this manhwa wtf
Yes, I remember that part! Pretty meticulously and masterfully planned by the author. I also had the startling realization that Joowon’s words (which were in fact his father’s lies) in this scene heavily influenced my own negative perception of Haesoo’s character.
In my first time seeing the translations, when he said “Haesoo is fickle” I LITERALLY GASPED
I remember so clearly when Joowon said the same thing to Taku. He really fully internalized what his father wanted him to believe about Haesoo
Joowon's writing is * chef's kiss *
yes agreed. i love his character so much!
Read this on Lezhin years ago, and rereading it now... and oh this manhwa is so bittersweet to me. It just makes me feel oddly empty.
I really wasn't rooting for any pair in this and just accepting whatever happens, and things turned out okay in the end.
Still, there's always this uncertain feeling left the end of every chapter in this story, even till last pages. Just like how you could feel that sense of regret from Hyunwoo even at the end. It somehow makes me uneasy, but I think that's just life and relationships. There's no real sense of completion or end. It just keeps going until it doesnt.
Hence the final words "I've decided to love you until I can't".
I honestly can appreciate Taku as a fictional character because I do find him interesting and layered. But I am TIRED of ppl claiming he was incredibly sincere and cared about Haesoo so much. Idk if some of y’all skipped these parts, or chose to ignore it... but pls do see the following examples of Taku's manipulative and selfish behavior, and taking advantage of Haesoo:
Exhibit 1 - He wanted to use his sex tape to guilt trip Haesoo in their relationship. He said: “I hoped that guilt would bring you to me”. It only didn't happen cause Haesoo turned down publishing the sex tape. It was not that Taku backed away and stopped himself because he realized how fcked up his actions were. It made Haesoo uncomfortable and weirded out too,, pretty sure this can count as sexual/workplace harassment lmao
Exhibit 2 - In chapter 96’s flashback Taku says "i just want to read the story he writes about me when i'm gone” (his friend calls him an asshole too lol). This is a throwback to Leo telling Joowon over the phone about how Taku uses his models for his work, and then tosses them aside with little regard. He was planning the same with Haesoo, until he later got “attached”. that’s karma ig~
Exhibit 3 - Haesoo expressed that he was unsure/not ready for a relationship. Yet literally RIGHT AFTER his quasi breakup with Joowon, Taku is pressuring him like, "I'm still waiting for an answer". It's weird cause Haesoo's wounds are fresh from his breakup, and Taku is NOT stupid. He knew this and persisted. Haesoo shouldn't have agreed and that's his own fault (HS is not entirely a victim here lets make that clear). Meanwhile Taku? He was flat out taking advantage of Haesoo's broken emotions.
Exhibit 4 - Quote: “It must have been painful for him no doubt, but I still wanted to see more". This was Taku's thought during a photoshoot with Haesoo, which later made Haesoo cry at the exhibition (Chapter 92/93). Taku told Haesoo: "think about having sex with someone you love, but you can never see them again". This was RIGHT AFTER Joowon and Haesoo's big separation. To inflict emotional pain in your partner, and then say you were interested in seeing more? Bruh no… just no.
Exhibit 5 - Quotes: “Every time I saw how sad you were, it felt good.” “You were lonely. You need me because of your unhappiness.” —Chapter 58. This is from Taku's monologue of how Haesoo’s unhappiness made him feel good, because he felt depended on by Haesoo for comfort // hs get away from this man pls haha
Exhibit 6 - Another quote: “If I can’t beat him [jw] one-on-one, then I at least want you [hs] to feel bad” —Chapter 66 ...Can Taku stop wishing for Haesoo depression, like he's already sad jfc
Exhibit 7 - "I want to bury inside the void he [jw] left in you. And later I'll push him aside however I can." ...honestly this quote struck me as Taku taking advantage of Haesoo's heartbreak and being hella 'opportunistic' (btw: Taku called HIMSELF that in his interview in chapter 5 so I mean... lol). Maybe that's just me though idk.
Exhibit 8 - In Chapter 84 when Joowon's scandal broke out, notice how Taku starts texting "are you okay?" to Haesoo, then deletes it and instead tells him to stop caring about Joowon? This moment said a lot to me, because it's the fact that Taku is SO AWARE of how Haesoo must be feeling, but he purposely chooses to ignore that and cares more about winning and keeping him away from Joowon. Kinda struck me as the opposite from Joowon's phone call after Haesoo's modelling news dropped in chapter 68. JW asked Haesoo to not do the exhibition because he knew its not what HS wanted (he is right: haesoo always wanted to be known for his writing not his face, and felt crappy abt it all day). But when Haesoo said he was fine, JW told him he'll always be on Haesoo's side even as a hyung/friend. He made it so clear how he cares the most about HS simply being okay, even after Haesoo left him.
Exhibit 9 - Taku tells Haesoo he hopes he has a hard time with Joowon after their breakup (Chapter 99). It felt wrong to me cause Haesoo genuinely apologized and gently let him down in their breakup... but Taku tries to make Haesoo feel worse. I honestly understand being spiteful towards exes who mistreated you in some way. HOWEVER with this relationship: it seemed to highlight Taku’s selfishness. Taku is out here acting like Haesoo wronged him for simply not liking him back in a 1 month TRIAL relationship. As if he wasnt the one who initiated and *insisted* on their relationship. As if he was unaware of Haesoo’s feelings for Joowon. As if Taku didnt say it was better that they use each other. Him wanting to make Haesoo feel bad over this is wild considering all the conditions of their relationship and his past manipulation too.
((Also, Taku in this scene to Haesoo: “Sorry I told you I'm not a good person” … Like sir, if you know you’re not a good person, THEN FIX IT. Joowon spent almost 40 chapters self-reflecting n trying to correct the mistakes he made, when he never *intentionally* wanted to hurt Haesoo lol. Meanwhile some Taku fans: “omg he’s a good person that was wronged. haesoo never deserved him!” lmaooo))
///end of examples
Anyway I’m gonna have to start sending this to some of y’all who selectively read Taku’s character to all hell. He was really manipulative with Haesoo and had some bad intentions. And when Taku grew to stop being a robot and showed “real feelings” getting all attached to Haesoo and liking him more than he expected, he was STILL selfish and wanted Haesoo to suffer for him. He didn’t get enough development to stray away from that, but imo that’s exactly why he’s the second lead
╮(￣▽￣)╭
Agreed 100% well said my friend!
As always amazing analysis. Unfortunately many readers doesn't care about actual plotline, character's development etc.
It's just sad how some people discredit a good story because their ship didn't make it
wonderfully written and analyzed~
yeah. i feel like im becoming one of them tbh and im dissapointed in myself. i think the arguments in the comments are getting me carried away, when i just want to go with the flow, and feel all the feels that the author wants me to.
yeah... its really better to pick and choose who you engage with in the comments/arguments. there are some flat out trolls and dumb readers, and then there are the ones that you can actually hold a conversation with without losing your braincells. engage with the latter lol
or like yknow, not engage at all at times when you just want to enjoy the story
PREACH PREACH. you always give the best and most logical arguments <333
Honestly, this is the best advice.
This is perfect. Everyone see joowon as the toxic one and Taku as the perfect boyfriend one; in reality every character have the “good” and the “bad” things, no one is perfect no one is trash. I really love when people are able to see the story and the characters how they are, without filter
@Mikovi thank you! :) yeah all the character in LOH have their flaws and downfalls. I felt that Taku had the least development in the story (not none, but not enough for my liking). But for some reason, I feel like the audience, especially the younger stans (which taku has a lot of) don't really read the story carefully enough, to pick out his manipulative or selfish behavior. perhaps because it isn't quite "in your face" like the way joowon's aggressiveness is in the first half of the story lol. instead taku physically comforts haesoo and says sweet nothings to him. his pretty and gentle actions are wrapped in manipulative thoughts and monologues that go over people's heads haha
Thank you for this! I've noticed a lot of (young?) readers think of him as this flawless baby angel and it always makes me wonder if we're even reading the same story lol. Hope those readers read this (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
yeah its younger readers. i notice on social media that its the younger ones that tend to act more as SJWs, basically calling ppl who support Joohae "incest supporters" and they loove to virtue signal readers. so by extension they somehow think Taku is the "better" choice.
also cause they probably buy way too much into those "prince-charming saving mc from an abusive relationship" romance stories, and from the start they been projecting joowon as an "abuser" and taku as the "saviour" lmaoo
.
omg people really be exaggerating sm
i feel like haesoo has had some character development too, but i cant pinpoint exactly what
What am i exaggerating? i gave you literal quotes. He was selfish or emotionally manipulative and most ppl seem to agree with me. Like they're vvv human traits and Haesoo exhibits them a lot too (the manipulation part mainly). i'm not saying taku is a monster lol. He just has some things he should ~work on~
haesoo characterization and development: http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/9422483/
He didn't develop as much as joowon though. Spoilers for raws ahead:
I think the fact that Haesoo decided to go abroad for 3 years after breaking up with taku is another big point of his development, that I dont even talk about in that comment since it hadn't happened yet when I made the comment. His 3 years are not something we see on screen... but im assuming he made that decision to go abroad because he realized he had a lot of "self" issues he needed to work on in order to actually be good to Joowon in a new/healthy relationship, and that they shouldnt rush into things like before.
oh no, i meant people who call jxh supporters "incest supporters" and think taku is a "prince-charming saving mc from an abusive relationship". they are exaggerating.
thanks for the link btw, i really wanted to read something about haesoo. it feels like in the midst of the joowon vs taku, everyone is forgetting about haesoo, the mc
all i hope for now is that each character becomes mentally healthier and their romantic relationships are strong (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
im starting to resent taku, but i just crave a happy, clean ending so much.
ohhh i see lol. you were replying to my reply, not my original comment haha
and yeah they are exaggerating. and not reading the story properly lmao
no problem! ^^ ppl get so caught up in the heated joowon vs taku fanwars. and then haesoo my precious son gets either neglected... or trashed by EITHER side. they'll go like "he mistreated joowon!" (he kinda did though, but it was clearly a two way thing i mean come on),, or "he played taku!" (no the fuck he didn't) lol.
im sticking to light hearted shounen ais from now on, this one really squeezed out all of my emotional energy (￣∇￣")
honestly hahaha
LOH was always anxiety inducing lol
^^^ lol true, this story gave me anxiety too. But it was worth it
yesh (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
wow okay so you definitely made me realize how I feel now about Taku. Before, I was on Taku's side more than joowon's. I also never could really tell if he genuinely had feelings for haesoo as time went on or he just liked using him because he knew haesoo loved Joowon and wanted someone to depend on him. I was always on and off with thinking Taku is a good/bad guy because one second he seems manipulative the other he seems nice. I did feel sad for him and wanted him to deserve better, but not now after realizing how shitty he treated haesoo. as well as Taku expected this to happen and said haesoo could use him so. as for Joowon we can all see that he has had a LOT of character development. but I do think he genuinely was very shitting and aggressive towards haesoo as well. I just didn't want them to be together because of the whole "past step-brothers" thing. don't get me started on haesoo's character lmao. but in the end I just wanted all of them to move on and grow from their past and find happiness but I mean Joowon and haesoo were going to end up together no matter what.
I'm glad I could solidify your perspective a bit! I think it's easy to go back and forth between thinking taku is sweet vs manipulative, because his flaws arent quite "in your face" like joowon's aggression is in the first half of the story?? his manipulative thoughts and monologues are wrapped in pretty words and gentle actions, so its very easy for it go over ppl's heads yknow?
I think being turned off by joohae's past is valid... it's something engrained in our society though the perception of the taboo varies by culture. I personally dont have a problem with it because of the age they met each other. knowing they were strangers who met as teens (16, almost adults) and not young or impressionable enough to actually see each other as siblings just because their parents told them so... made sense to me on some level. anywayyy that aside, i believe both joowon and haesoo were shitty to each other. haesoo was emotionally manipulative towards joowon trying to make him jealous or angry, and joowon always took his bait and was too aggressive + became arrogant. with these two, I wanted them to fix their ways and I could sympathize with them because I felt their problematic relationship was less due to their inherent personalities, but their circumstances and external pressures that shaped their actions/emotions. i talk about the developments n flaws of all 3 characters in here if you want to take a look lol: http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/9496997/
hello! ok sooo this isn't really related to your post (great analysis btw!) but i feel like you've read a lot with a similar genre. is there any more stories like this that you could recommend?? romance manga/manhwas with interesting and layered characters and angsty (?) well-written plot. i personally enjoyed reading their monologues and analyzing their thought process. i tried searching under josei tags but i just can't find any (/TДT)/
thank you! and honestly i genuinely dont know hahha T A T I do like my angst, but i've never read another story quite like Love or Hate? I feel like no story spends as much time going into the psyche and mentality of characters, as much as LOH does lol. Among BL... I say the closest might be Lover Boy, or Raising a bat? The main character of both those stories has a lot of flaws and well characterized with good depth. And both are very angsty.
errr correction: no ROMANCE goes that far into the psyche and mentality of characters like LOH does. there are definitely psychological thrillers, but those tend to be extremely messed up and dark on a whole other kind of level, rather than what loh delivered. the characters of LOH are more or less just regular ppl with flaws at the end of the day
Copy and pasting this to literally everybody
Yeah yeah!! This is how to describe it perfectly!! People got so caught up on stepbrothers taboo and ships that they missed the story narrative. It's so sad when all people could talk about was how toxic the relationship between Joowon and Haesoo is but couldn't see their growth and still clutching onto that "toxic relationship, author made tushed ending,,,etc." ┗( T﹏T )┛
i wasn't initially sure how to describe what i was looking for but this sums it up perfectly!! miss maam how r u so good with words,, and yeah sadly, you're right ┗( T﹏T )┛another story that i could think of is prolly scum's wish but im not really a fan of its characters. anyway lover boy and raising a bat look interesting,, will check them out hehe tysm!!
haha thank you~ perhaps its cause i'm a literary/psychology major? idk if that has to do with anything but I'm sure it contributes to something lol
OMG I THOUGHT OF SCUM'S WISH TOO. But I didn't type it cause it ends kinda sad lmaooo
This was marvelously written and expressed. You literally wrote everything that showed how toxic taku was, wish all those immature readers would read this and be a little educated about their 'Baby, best boy/seme,sweet' Taku XD
Honestly they can love him as much as they want... but lets not completely twist his character and make him into something he’s not. We gotta acknowledge these points about him which is very overlooked by readers.
I'm a taku Stan but i totally agree. Thanks for making me realize that but i still wish he would find happiness tho
I'm glad you understand! I simply wish we got to see him owning up to his shit more, like the way Joowon especially did (and Haesoo)
Still, its good that he seems to in a happy and healthy relationship post timeskip, meaning he did probably change for the better through his heartbreak with haesoo
Thank goodness other people noticed. I was like this guy doesn’t really care about you he just wants to make himself feel better, haesoo pls
ooh you really went hard here. this is something that really needed to be pointed out~
I completely agree ! Thanks for taking your time to write this (づ￣ ³￣)づ
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yeah exactly. that was my full sense of taku majority of this story too
more ppl SHOULD notice, like seriously lol. there's so much dialogue around it
I was a taku stan at the start but then started to notice his unusual behaviors by being manipulative and guilt-tripping haesoo into having a relationship with him.He has faults that I pray he'll own up to and I hope for his own happiness.People have been blinded bcs some have been normalizing toxicity and manipulation on some relationships which led them to think taku was somewhat normal, which he isn't.I rly hope he would've gotten a bigger character development tho he did a little bit but ye it wasn't really enough to justify anything he's ever done.And thank you for the explanation bcs you have opened my eyes and made me aware of other kinds of manipulations by giving examples. Thank you and I hope you have a good day :)
@愛 thats what i thought too. if he cared so much abt haesoo like readers claim, would he have tried to use his sex tape to guilt haesoo into a relationship in the first place??? or said those words to hs during their breakup?? just my perspective though, ppl can disagree.
you wanna be my english tutor likei fr need you in my life
this was too perfect
well i do part time tutor high schoolers for english soooo :) hahaha
yeah exactly.
honestly joowon/haesoo's relationship starting out in the series was NEVER normalized by the fandom and treated as unhealthy and everyone thought they needed fixing if they were ever going to work. but it appalls me how many people think taku/haesoo's relationship IS desirable and how normalized their toxicity is. pressuring someone to go out with you despite multiple rejections, a guilt tripping ploy, and literally trying to use each other isn't "healthy" or something to cheer for. it's only when joowon gets a lot of development and haesoo follows suit and has important realizations himself, that I fully supported Joohae.
I honestly think Taku was underdeveloped, though obviously he did have some growth. But a big part of his development might have actually happened off screen because he's seen happy and probably in a relationship with a "mystery person". So like... if we later see that taku's new r/s is pretty genuine, it may show how he has changed post breakup with haesoo, leaving his manipulative tactics behind and all.
gad bless u for this. so good and so worth reading. this is why ive been not bothering with this comment section. the bizarre way people paint Joowon as toxic. (he's not, but he is flawed, as is haesoo!) and Taku as a poor neglected Nice Boy and like he's...not nice? he's not a bad person imo but he is a Selfish and very self motivated person. its like his whole THING? being the cool detached artist, who will use people and toss aside relationship all for his Art~ but haesoo was Different and thats p much cause Haesoo was never as invested in Taku as he was in Haesoo and THATS why imo Taku latched onto him so hard. if Haesoo had been alot more devoted and invested with Taku i bet my left boob he woulda got bored of him and broke it off all on his own. Taku needs to grow and change or he wont be able to have actual healthy long term relationships. it will always be flings. like i totally saw why Haesoo did try to have a thing with Taku and Taku was esp early on very sexy and mysterious but then his childish side started to show more and more. all while joowon was becoming more mature, more thoughtful, more considerate of haesoo and also like in General. imo it was always clear that this breakup was so both haesoo and joowon could grow more as people and realize what they REALLY want and then return to each other again. cause they'd gotten stuck in a kind of co-dependant rut with each other. and haesoo saw that for what it was and broke it off. it was never rly about taku at all, taku's presence in their lives just expedited the process of their breakup which imo was always going to happen. taku wasnt wronged AT ALL. and even if he was the Perfect Boyfriend he still isnt OWED anything by Haesoo. no one is OWED affection from someone who is not interested in them romantically just because they tried RLY hard to be romantically available and affectionate to that person. in the end Haesoo needs to do whats best for Himself and he realized this thing with Taku wasnt working and imo it was never going to work long term even if haesoo never got back together with Joowon cause Taku is just in a diff place in his life from Haesoo and he never loved Haesoo half as much as he thought he did tbh. and thats that on that!
they dont even care about SJ they just want to make their OPINIONS seem more valid by coopting the language of social justice activists. which is gross and i HATE IT but is pretty common across all kinds of fandoms with predominantly young people. they know the words but they dont know what they really are for. ship wars are as old as fandom itself. i think part of the tropes of BL genre are also to blame. when there's a third wheel he's always the Nice Sweet Safe alternative to the Cold Aggressive Domineering main love interest for the cutesy bottom so that there is some tension in the story except there's no tension cause they make sure to make the nice one bland and give the cold one more page time and characterization so u can Sympathize with him more or just draw him as alot hotter and thats enough lol. so yeah those Boxes dont exist in this story. Haesoo can be quite cold, jaded, aloof and melancholic. Taku is neither very nice or very cruel. Joowon isnt an aggressive domineering asshole all the time or even most of the time. but they all have good traits too. its easy to see why Haesoo and Joowon were attached to hip for so long and why Taku felt like a good detour from the unhealthy cycle that Joowon/Haesoo were trapped in at the time. but one person (Joowon) decided to learn from this heartbreak and be better and the other one when faced with a breakup (taku) just threw a full on temper tantrum. joowon didnt throw a fit when he didnt get what he wanted, he self reflected. taku didnt. maybe he will down the road but it's not His story. its Haesoo and Joowon's. and always was. idk what fans were expecting here. and i do wonder how many people actually READ all the dialogue and thought bubbles and think about them vs just skim thru the images to see who haesoo is kissing this week or w/e. smh.
This should be required reading for LOH 101.
omg the way i was just rapidly nodding at every single thing you stated!! IT'S TRUE IT'S TRUE. Also, bet your left boob ahsdhshsdh. I never bring it up since it's just speculation, but everything you said about how Taku probably wouldn't care so much about Haesoo initially, if Haesoo was actually invested in him in the first place !!! I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS TOO!
I think Taku liked Haesoo so much, because Haesoo literally loved another man. Which sounds strange, but I mean why else would he automatically want to get into the middle of Joohae's mess after reading HS's story about Joowon? I was always confused by it,, like: you're trying to go after a guy that loves someone else because... ??? Basically I think he was so intrigued and captivated by the way Haesoo wrote about Joowon: hence the whole "I want to see the kind of story he writes when I'm gone." --he wanted Haesoo to write about HIM in the same way. And he's also competitive and viewed Haesoo as a prize of some sort. Like that quote of him saying he wants to win against Joowon. Or him having to consistently work for Haesoo's affection and attention was probably quite exciting and new to him, and it made him feel "special" if he did accomplish what he wanted. Or when these two slept together very early on, and he got weirdly possessive going like "don't sleep with other guys", again showing that competitive nature. Like dude, you knew this man for a WEEK why are you saying that to him?? lol. jw/hs had 10 years of actual history and repressed feelings for THEIR jealousy to make somewhat sense, even if it's a bit toxic... at least it aint flat out weird.
Overall, I think Taku was just way too deep into the fact that Haesoo loved Joowon so much, and wanted that for himself. He wanted the writing, and all those emotions Haesoo had, directed to him. It would explain the whole quote "Haesoo only ever had eyes for one person. Maybe it was your unwavering eyes that I loved the most". Yep that's my take lol
seeing some ppl in the comments and social media... honestly maybe it should.
i wholeheartedly agree and i think this work is so good cause the writer gives us plenty of evidence of this read on Taku's infatuation without saying it directly like she's letting us come to this conclusion and i think it is the most right interpretation of Taku's actions but im sure plenty will disagree. i never hated Taku but his "love" for haesoo was very diff from the love joowon and haesoo had for each other. taku was def infatuated with the Idea of haesoo and the romanticism he built up of their relationship in his own mind. i never felt like he was invested in haesoo as a person as much as he was seeing haesoo as a muse and a goal to chase. a prize like u said. first seeing this chic dressed ice prince and fellow creative who is hard to reach, but also madly in love with another person, that was def sexy and exciting for him and he was like "i can seduce this man and make him adore ME" and if he had succeeded in that goal would he have stayed with haesoo longterm? i doubt it tbh. taku's heart being broken also feels like an important lesson for a guy who sounds like he regularly manipulated people's affections to his benefit and then cast them aside when he was bored. we dont know the full details of that, i doubt it was some kind of sociopath, im sure he can form real bonds if he Wants to. but he also prefers things to be convenient for him. haesoo was special cause he made taku want to Try and i have no doubt that specialness is more about haesoo's connection to joowon and their strange backstory than it even had to do with haesoo. i didnt think this at first. and i do think he was genuinely attracted to haesoo and would be without the joowon factor but not to the point that he became as attached to HS as he did. anyway taku worked cause he was an interesting contrast to joowon. he was more composed and artistic~ but i think he had an even more carefully cultivated image of himself than joowon the famous actor did. he creative his own narrative for him and haesoo without haesoo's input at all. its a shame. i do hope taku learned a lesson and finds love but even if takes him a few more heartbreaks well thats ok cause he's like...only 24 lol. people need to understand how young 24 is but i guess its hard to realize that if the person themselves is like 17. (as a 30 yr old im like OMG I WAS A FOOL AT 24 WUT like...oml)
It would be great if everyone could read this and be educated about taku and his toxicness.
the way you described haesoo from taku's eyes seems spot on. his love/attachement/liking (whatever you want to call it) for haesoo was indeed very different. I know ppl have many different ideas for whether he actually truly loved haesoo in the end, and i can't fully say myself as it seems open to interpretation. but it's undeniable that it's NOT the same as Joowon's love for Haesoo.
"i doubt he was some kind of sociopath, im sure he can form real bonds if he Wants to. but he also prefers things to be convenient for him"
-- yeah i thought this too. I mean I INITIALLY thought he showed some sociopathic tendencies from the way the author described him as being so apathetic to his relationships. But when I went to go write an analysis on Taku, I realized maybe not exactly??? I mean the way he talks about candy and how he only likes to taste the sweet things, and likes whats convenient and simple for him: I managed to think it was a more of a self imposed choice on his part. To avoid the meaningful and deeper stuff in relationships, to avoid the complications and burdens of heartbreak... he probably just does it on purpose, rather than being incapable of feeling anything real at all (might have to do with his past and upbringing and all that)-- as we saw with Haesoo when he finally opened himself to the bitterness of life/relationships.
Anyway yeah, I think Taku can take a lot away from his relationship with Haesoo. Him being happy with this new mystery person seems to imply that he did in fact learn a lot from being with Haesoo and whatnot. It's just that... Yeongha didn't choose to focus on it or expand on that (for now at least) probably because the main couple has been kind of neglected lol
same like its there but its not
not to sound rude but i just want to ask you what do you think about joowon ? because i’m a bit confused on how to feel about his character because of the whole abuse thing
Nah, haesoo's development is very much there.
He was extremely insecure about himself, thought of himself as a burden (due to that being how his mom treated him), and thought of his career as kind of a failure in comparison to joowon... so he wanted joowon to suffer too or stumble a little in his career, because he felt he was the only one suffering while joowon was out here living a perfect and successful life. Well he realized how vindictive and wrong he'd been for thinking that. he apologizes for it all too. And in this very latest chapter he asks joowon if he regrets anything, because he never truly wanted joowon to lose things for his sake. He silently wished it due to the nature of their relationship and how his "heart became twisted' (said in chapter 94. his whole monologue in that chapter is pretty revealing), but he felt horrible for it because he did truly care about joowon and hated seeing joowon *actually* get hurt or slip in his career.
Also there's the monologue after haesoo & joowon meet up at his company and joowon says "no hard feelings". haesoo admits he was immature and wrong for manipulating joowon's emotions so he could feel "loved". Also: him choosing to go abroad instead of jumping into a r/s with joowon right after breaking up with taku. this is him realizing he can't just keep hopping around relationships and probably knew he needed time for himself to grow, further his studies/career and really be his own person-- it speaks to how he's become more mature and mindful of himself and his own feelings. i really wish the author elaborated on his decision to go abroad more in the upcoming chapters.
Anyway, i write a bit more about haesoo's change/growth/realizations here: http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/9496997/ and
what abuse thing???
anyway before you answer me, this is how i feel about joowon: http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/10526356/ -- hopefully it answers whatever you're saying.
There was so such thing as 'abuse' related to joowon :)
yeah. it was a two-way street for joowon and haesoo and always had been. everything they chose for their relationship was a mutual agreement (OTHER than the breakup), and whatever hurt they felt, they both felt it. Their open relationship was self-imposed choice that they decided was "for the best" so they dont cause problems for their parents-- there's a multitude of quotes said by both haesoo and joowon to prove this. their push/pull and jealousy/possessiveness cycles were a game they BOTH played too... not just joowon "abusing" or making things uncomfortable for haesoo, not when haesoo had a hand in them and even orchestrated them most of the time. Haesoo's insecurities (the stem from his mother's actions/words) were what made things seem more one sided than they really was. Like how haesoo thought he was "the only one suffering" and "joowon didnt care" when it honestly wasnt true (as joowon literally reveals later on how he "was always on edge cause of haesoo")
THISS FR ！
YES! look at all this reading comprehension and critical thinking skills that most readers on this hellsite don't have. I enjoyed every word of this comment.
ok
if you had nothing to actually say why did you comment lol
some people get a feeling of superiority by showing how little they care about someone else's opinion on any given topic, even tho No One asked for their attention or validation. like if a comment is too long to engage with...just ignore it and move on with ur life. like idg why some people take the time to reply "ok" or "lol" or "tl;dr" under long comments online. like if ur self esteem is so low u gotta find some way to slyly undercut someone else for the crime of having Alot to Say then...the one being Extra is in fact..you. smh~ (just ignore ppl like this Fairy)
but i did? i said ok, didnt i?
lol i have a lot to say about LOH always. If ppl dont care for it, its fine haha. Thank you for liking it tho :))
Yeah but it doesnt really mean much but ok whtv
HOLY— This is so detailed ヽ(｡◕o◕｡)ﾉ.
thanks for taking the time writing this one. People need to read this, especially some taku fans
I totally agree. I am one of the young readers and idk why but I didn't pick up on his toxicness and now that I've seen all this evidence it's really like a wake-up call.
BRUH LITERALLY TAKU FANS CALLING THIS EVIDENCES AS 'WRITING BS' and 'RECEIPTS' HAHAHAHAHHA saying that it's not that deep HAHAHAHAHA
So at the end of the day, I’d say all 3 characters got what they deserved. And they all made important realizations by the end:
Haesoo's biggest obstacle was lacking personal agency. He was always caught up in what his mother wanted, what joowon's father wanted, what would be best for joowon's acting career, what was best for society... He never prioritized his OWN wishes and was miserable thinking his love for joowon was wrong. He also thought he was the only one suffering and Joowon had it easy, so he wanted Joowon to suffer too. Joowon told him "dont fall for me & i wont fall for you", so he manipulated Joowon's emotions (making him jealous/angry for his sake) because he didn't know how else to feel “loved”. Him going and telling Joowon how he feels at the hospital was the first time he truly followed his heart, and he was honest to JW without any facade or manipulation. He also apologized in his monologue realizing that he was wrong for being vindictive and wishing Joowon would suffer. He knew he didn't genuinely mean those things, because when Joowon ACTUALLY got hurt, it broke him. Also I have to add about Haesoo & Taku's relationship: Haesoo never cared much for his past flings, but he genuinely felt sorry to Taku. He actually tried his best in their r/s and felt apologetic when he couldnt return Taku's feelings, also signifying haesoo's change in that case.
Meanwhile Joowon: He actually had good intentions as a teenager, thinking that keeping their relationship undefined would "protect" what they had. This carried onto adulthood due to their taboo forever haunting him/them (as he said: he was stuck in the past). He also feared abandonment as he believed haesoo already abandoned him once after the divorce, pushing his idea that their undefined relationship was the best route and Haesoo would leave "if things got too serious". Through their separation, he realized his mistakes regardless of his intentions, and how he really hurt haesoo when he said "dont fall for me". He also knew he had become arrogant in thinking Haesoo would never leave him, just cause Haesoo kept with him for almost 10 years. So Joowon strived to take responsibility for his mistakes. And he faced his own fears realizing: he'd rather get hurt and abandoned by Haesoo than not tell Haesoo he loved him. Because love should be selfless like that. Imo Joowon had the most time of self-reflection and development in this manhwa, going from impulsive and arrogant to mature and braver with his feelings.
Also, both Haesoo and Joowon were consistently driven apart by external pressures that affected their actions (their initial taboo, their parents, joowon's career). So I don't blame the problems in their relationship solely on themselves. But at the end of the day, both of them learned that to make their relationship work: they had to set aside their personal fears/obstacles, and actually prioritize each other.
Finally Taku: he had a history of exes that he toyed around with and manipulated for his photography career and self-interest. He started seeing Haesoo with the same intentions ("i just wanted to see the story he would write when I was gone" / Leo telling Joowon how Taku uses and drops his models). He never planned to catch feelings, so him going from an emotionless robot, to getting hurt like this was the best lesson for him. He now knows you can't manipulate people's emotions and MAKE THEM love you (For instance, taku's quote: "I wanted to burrow inside that void he [jw] left in you. And then I would kick him out in any way I could" ---> he thought he could make haesoo love him, but now realized he cant). He *hopefully* learned that entering relationships with selfish/manipulative intentions, and with someone who loves someone else, is WRONG. Imo Taku had the least on screen development as he's still quite selfish in the recent chapters. His reactions feel realistic, but that doesn’t mean he's a “good” person, and he ADMITS HIMSELF that he’s not a good person in chapter 99. However he is shown to be happy with someone else in the future, so maybe him having good intentions and being less selfish is more so implied. Maybe we’ll see more of his thoughts in the last few chapters, and how he handled his new relationship differently than his relationship with Haesoo...
Anyway I think the endings for all 3 characters made sense, and I hope yall support the authors on the official site if you like their story!
wow, love this
yes yes perfectly said start to end <333
thank youuuu (⌒▽⌒)
Couldn't have been said more perfectly
Do you really think I’m gonna read this whole paragraph you wrote?.......
Fuck yeah give me a second
Goddamn perfectly said,this made me understand the story so much better lol btw can you do my essays you’re so good at writing !!
lmaoo you had me in the first half there. i was like :((( ---> :D
as a psych/english double major i just genuinely like writing essays when something interests me lol. glad i helped you understand the story better!
so well written!!
Not to be weird or anything but your writing is so prefect I can barley write a little paragraph and I feel like everything is wrong, it’s my weakness (English isn’t my first language lol)
Even tho I’m also an English major in my country it’s genuinely very very easy lol
ah i see *^* honestly if its your second language, imo it's still pretty impressive to write a paragraph! you just gotta keep practicing and you'll feel more confident im sure haha
what country are you from? just curious :o
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this comment/analysis gave me clear skin. you nailed everything about the 3 main characters
and also joowon best boy (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
Dayum, you read most of my mind. Everything written in the Paragraph is accurate and just .
A really small country in the Middle East , Jordan lol I was born in America tho!
Yes, amazing!! You've said what I have been wanting to for a while now :) A lot of people looked over the writing but I would definitely say that you understood the story <3
Ur vibes are cool and I feel like we'd be on the same wavelength *~* ヾ(☆▽☆)
oooh that's cool :o I'm from Canada lol
Thank youuu :) I'm glad I was able to voice what you were thinking!
Honestly, it's true. some ppl just don't go past the surface of the dialogue and narration. maybe too caught up in the pretty art and smut lol
haha i think so too ヾ(☆▽☆)
thanks ^^
thank you thank you i tried LOL
joowon best boy? yep, agreed
Now I’m a fan of yours. This is so good, so clear, so perfect. This is exactly what the story is. I thought this all the time but couldn’t make it in words and seeing this make me happy lol
lmaoo thank you for liking my LOH essays on an illegal site adhsdhshsd i tried haha :")
i actually made this account just to read doujins but I got sucked into the comment section of Love or hate, cause there's A LOT you can discuss with this story and there's no other place to really do it.
beautifully put you completely put my worries at ease dawg ty(づ￣ ³￣)づ
I’m glad! Thank you :’)
Cant even join the taku pity session, and express why his emotions feel realistic in this chapter... cause what is up with taku stans in the comments, as always, mindlessly slandering Joowon. Like for what? FOR WHAT EXACTLY? LOL
I have yet to see any of yall actually give any concrete reasons or be able to hold a solid discussion about why or how Joowon is APPARENTLY so “terrible”. Instead yall just throw tantrums with no basis, all cause your one-sided ship isnt endgame...?? Yeongha created this story filled with material to analyze and interpret, but some of yall dont even look past the surface i swear. Oh and dont get me started on Taku stans overlooking all of Taku’s manipulative actions and taking advantage of Haesoo on multiple occasions. So yeah lets pretend that wasnt a thing, and also pretend Taku was “played”, by conveniently forgetting all the conditions between them when he chose to start this relationship.
Also... since yall want to bring up Joowon that bad, I guess I have to go there??
Notice how Joowon literally spent all his time since his separation from haesoo like: //worried that haesoo could get hurt, regrets over his past actions towards haesoo, felt he wasnt good enough for haesoo, tried to protect haesoo even if it meant getting himself hurt, wanted to support haesoo even if haesoo didnt choose him, etc. etc.// He couldve honestly been spiteful and blaming haesoo throughout all this, and that wouldve been realistic too, since Haesoo is just as much at fault for their relationship. Instead he just takes on all the blame and actually worries about Haesoo’s wellbeing lol
Meanwhile taku deadass only thought of himself and cared abt himself getting hurt when it mattered (“What about me? Did you think of me? But me-”). All while his temporary bf been sad 90% of the story right in front of him, and even tried to express it to him at the exhibition —> as said in chapter 97.
Ooohh this is the first time I want to knock some senses out of these pitiful Taku stans. They got manipulated/played so hard by Taku.
Tbh I tried being gentle and kind to them but badmouthing the other characters just cause he didn’t end up with MC?
NO NO NO TO MANIPULATIVE BOYS, LOVE IS NOT OWED.
PS. They are blinded by these facts because the author drew him beautifully lmao I keep on reminding myself that this might be their reason so I could keep my cool lol
*knock some senses into
Love is not owed. Exactly lol
I mean... if they loved Taku in all his manipulative and selfish ways, then I’d honestly have no problem with them. They just refuse to acknowledge those traits and continue to excuse his actions while shitting on Joowon for no stated reason lol. Its tiring to see ╮(￣▽￣)╭
Yes! I agree. Idk how people can feel pity for taku. Yeah I get he's "upset" about what's happening to him rn but he brought it upon himself. He knew where haesoo heart belonged from the start.
Taku stans really like seeing their fav manipulative character through rose coloured glasses. But I mean... I don't fully blame them. It's because of how romanticized and COMMON fictional stories are, where the mc is in a "toxic" relationship, and this prince charming-like character comes and rescues them from it. What Taku stans fail to realize though, is that Love or Hate is the exact OPPOSITE of their victim/saviour story. So they should stop selectively-reading it to all hell.
Love or Hate shows that Taku's manipulative actions and selfish motivations are the furthest from being "prince charming"-like to Haesoo. What Haesoo really needed, was to accept his feelings and take control of his own life... rather than run away when things get hard with Joowon. His issues were greatly due to *himself* and his own pessimistic views, lack of self-esteem & personal resolve. The only way for him to heal was to confess to Joowon how he truly felt, and stop thinking stuff like, "ah i should do this for my mom" / "i should do this to make joowon's dad satisfied" / "i should do this so that joowon can have a regular actor's life and get married one day" / "this is what's best in society". This man had NO agency of himself. So you see how contrary it is to his character arc, to be in a relationship with Taku who literally viewed him as an object for his project (candy)? Like to be with someone who wanted to guilt-trip him in their relationship by using his sex tape?? Lol. Unfortunately for Taku he eventually catches feelings... yet to Haesoo: Taku is more so someone who helped him run from his problems and suggested they "use each other". The whole point of Haesoo's development was literally to face his problems (not run) and find his own agency/voice (not be used lol). Leaving Taku's exhibition and finally choosing things for himself, and prioritizing his OWN FEELINGS is the biggest step Haesoo could take,,, instead of just running away while silently self-victimizing as he's done in the past. Taku very IRONICALLY helped Haesoo realize all that through his exhibition, even though he never tried to, nor intended to (I mean this man would rather have haesoo unhappily be with him, than happily be without him).
Btw, if I didn't make it clear enough: Haesoo victimized himself A LOT. He always thought stuff like "Joowon is not suffering at all (not true at all btw lol, haesoo was also an unreliable narrator). Why am i the only one suffering? Why is it so easy for him, but I have it so hard?". He did not need to be "rescued" by anyone but himself and his own realizations... realizations like how BOTH him and joowon had it rough, and were pushed apart by their complicated situation and their own miscommunications + personal fears of rejection/abandonment.
(ps: Haesoo is my fav character in LOH cause he's wonderfully written, and I just love analyzing his motivations and thought process as a whole)
Haesoo looks even prettier when he’s happy and with Joowon now. He’s practically glowing pls
(⌒▽⌒)
the time abroad did him good + thats love ig
he looks HEALTHIER too
yesss i thought so too!