pluckaduck's Topics (222)

ig in a sense, im glad the creator created sheep's mask, which led to this masterpiece

I just wanna say, during S2 i commented about cirrus's lack of character growth, and in S3, that skylar should know about cirrus's plot to bring pink hair and chan-il together. and some of yall jump me, saying cirrus changed for the better, and skylar shouldnt know bc there's no point since it actually helped him in the long-run. yea im petty for airing my grievances, but some of yall are brain-dead. this isnt a simple romance story. it's a coming-of-age gay drama with romance. falling in love doesnt equate to character growth (how simple if it was! but the story was never that simple); he's just as insecure and twisted as before (legit yall excuse a hot guy so long as he's pitible). and the basis of their relationship was transparency and honesty, which bred trust. in S1-2, skylar grew to trust cirrus with his secret of unrequited love bc he was upfront with his nasty personality, he kept his promise not to tell chan-il, and actually helped him with his mom (so given his past, cirrus exploiting his inability to confess to make him get over chan-il for his own self-gain is a huge breach of trust and needed to be addressed). if the story swept his scheme under the rug or gloss over it, it would only undermine the story's themes, their relationship which was built so gradually over this precarious trust, and the hazard of cirrus's insecurities and toxic behavior. it doesnt matter that everyone is happy when it's built on manipulation; it is skylar's (and pink hair) right to know, and how he react, whether forgiving him or breaking up with him, is his right as well; neglecting that is taking away his agency. so, i am soooo glad the story addressed my concerns, not letting cirrus go scot-free of consequences (bc only when he hit rock bottom would he actually let go of constraints and would feel the need to fix himself), and didnt become a fluffly story about how love overcomes trauma or smth like that.

i think this story has a good redemption arc, bc the story establishes a legit reason why ml would feel angry and resentment and hurt mc (not that it excuses his actions). and it makes sense that the mc couldn't completely hate him (despite claiming he does) bc the story also established their relationship and that ml and mc genuinely loved each other before the misunderstand/imprisonment arc. in the novel, the arc takes 30+ chapters, and the redemption arc was 40+ chapters, in which the ml didnt exactly beg for forgiveness (bc he knows he doesnt deserve it) but gives mc a means to kill him if ml wrongs him again and a space to live with the old woman comfortably. he distances himself from mc bc mc hates him, and even when suffering from insomnia (a nosebleed from stress and lack of sleep), he doesnt ask mc to sleep with him. a major part of the reason why mc starts to forgive him is bc after the old woman died, he didnt have anyone else in the world who would love him, besides ml, and with his limp leg, it would be difficult to take care of himself. ml gave him a comfortable life, and he liked that, so mc sleeps with him again (not sex. they dont have sex again in this life). after they both die from kang's scheme again, this granted an opportunity for ml to wipe his ledger clean. his problem, as claimed by one of the co-conspirators, was that he loved too many things (his friends, his business, and mc) and if he had chosen to believe mc, it wouldnt have led to this tragedy. so in the new life, ml chose not to be greedy, forgoing friends, family, and ambitions, to dedicate his life to serving mc and never overstepped any boundaries or dared ask for affection. for 10+ years even when mc didnt remember his past life, bc he still felt guilt and thinks he doesnt deserve mc. as for mc, he loved the ml who adored him so despite hating him he also still liked him. he enjoy ml's misery and guilt but simultaneously feel jealous and angry if ml looked at another woman. the ml was soley his to inflict hurt. this ambivalence is conveyed well in the novel. and given this new life opportunity, he took advantage of reincarnated ml's clean slate to love him freely (but spoiler alert: ml knew his past life when he was 20 yo). yet mc begins subconsciously searching for past life ml in new life ml. he is happy to be in a clean slate relationship without the baggage, but he couldnt be 100% happy bc he still missed past life ml, and only with him can he truly heal from his trauma. i think what makes this story's angst arc particularly good, is that it's written as a tragedy they were both victim to (yes, even ml) that irrevocably changed their otherwise loving relationship and life's trajectory, instead of... a minor hiccup in their relationship or an abusive power play fetish for masochists. it forever scarred mc and he is justified to never forgive him, but at the same time, it is his perogative to forgive and judged that ml paid enough to mc. the heart wants what the heart wants. (personally, im still a little dissatisfied, but overall they deserve to be happy)

basically kang dude and the freckled maid confessed they were the conspirators. mc almost dies from slitting his wrist. ml redemption arc ensues. the old lady dies. mc realizes he cant heal unless mc leave the place of his traumas and restart their relationship. but then kang kidnaps mc. they both die, mc reincarnate into 2023. mc remember his past, and probes ml, but he doesnt seem to remember. since he's not the same person, mc wanted to get together with him, since he still loved ml, and their relationship will be without the baggage. ml have been his secretary for 10+ years; he is hesitant at first, but eventually agrees. mc also reencounters the other figures in his past life, and the old lady is actually his maternal aunt, but they dont seem to remember their past lives either. over time, mc begin to hallucinate past ml bc he still miss him. once day mc sees that ml have this old photograph of the two together from 70 years ago, and had bought the house that mc had lived in after he and ml separated. so yeah, ml remember his past life when he was 20 yo. but reincarnated rich 14-yo mc didnt remember him at all; ml worked his ass off so he can serve mc and basically gave up any prospects of friends, family, and aspirations to completely devote himself to mc. and when mc remebered his past life, he pretended not to bc of his guilt and thinking it will be better for mc. but the plot twist is that mc had realized he remembered his past life. and pretended to be ignorant bc he could be happy in this baggage-less relationship, even if it's a illusion. as long as ml hid any clues, then mc woudlve pretended too. anyway, mc cant forgive ml entirely, but maybe partially bc he still love him. mc encounters the kang dude, who remembers the past and wants revenge. mc calls ml, who comes, but they both get kidnapped. they both make it out alive, and kang is dead. mc forgive ml completely

maybe bc im older than these charas i find it overhyped. it has a pretty hackneyed premise: rich playboy pining over a poor kind boy bc hes different from all these other rich kids who all want to use him. is he different bc he was raised with love? he hides his problems and worries bc he doesnt want to add a burden to his poor family? why is it so important to him that he needs to set a good example? is mc the normal one bc he has common sense, or is he "special" and everybody around ml the normal ones, therefore their self-absorbed behavior is normal? it sounds like the typical case of making everyone worse so mc can shine. anyhow, i think this difference shouldve been better emphasized (with more explored characterization) bc mc's words that resonated with ml and made him fall for him just felt contrived, even when it is a reflection of his values. from a structural standpoint, i think the author took some liberties with paneling to capture some dramatic moments in the latter half, but it felt excessive at some times (the mom pleading to mc to help ml, the confession scene). the story also went in some contrived directions (the extras talking about them, ml's fight, mc finding the notebook, etc). still, lovely abeit cliche coming-of-age storry; couldve gone without the smut, since they are 10-11th graders. and pretty sure the mc is bi, the scene mc saw in ch 1 was focused on the girl and the sounds she was making, not ml, and he clearly said he got hard from seeing it, and said nothing about ml. if ml's gender was a girl, and the story direcition was the same, mc would've still fallen for him.

we didnt need that much professor fanservice if he was gonna be a villain. making me feel disappointed since he's not viable for mc to fuck

i mean, i know there's a time skip and all, but being with someone 17 years younger than u is pretty wack.

damn this story's art is legitimately the embodiment of those weird ass yaoi proportions

th novel is actually one of the best Chinese historical drama novels ive ever read. altho it does have the typical evil female charas, which i cant really criticize bc it's basically a staple in this genre, as a whole, the female chara cast are better written than average. mc is not the most beautiful female or particularly strong, so she have to use her wits and eloquence a lot, acquired by her experience in her previous life, to manuever the schemes of the villains. the ml on the other hand is the most good-looking guy and their dynamic is similar to using each other, then allies-to-lovers with the romance very slowburn and a side plot, bc the main plot is about mc's revenge. and it is so cathartic.

is it just me or the artist getting better at maximizing ml's hotness. like the eyebags are severe but he looks good in ch 27