don’t get me wrong, I loved the angst, the game of cat and mouse, how jae-hyuk gradually developed his feelings, realised them, and started chasing after him, how yeon-oh played hard to get in the end. I’m also a sucker for fantasy historical romances, so it was predictable I would love the special chapters too.
but… WHAT’S WITH THAT HALF-AS*-RUSHED ENDING?! so unsatisfactory ;-;
Just wow. The author was able to describe — with incredible delicacy and bittersweetness — the facets of a reality that can be both cruel and a blessing, filled with abuse, violence and solitude, fears and missed opportunities, agonising waits and lingering feelings and memories, strokes of luck, and undying hope...
Fate placed obstacles on their way and, at the same time, paved the way towards the resolution of their life story. Fate pulled them apart just to make them develop as individuals and grow into each other’s “perfect” persons.
The MCs grow and evolve in tandem with the stages of their lives, but there's a part of them that never leaves or fades with time, and it's the love they feel for each other and the hope they hold for a future in which they are together.
There are malicious entities into all the mirrors of the world and they exist as an alternative reality which can be summoned only under certain conditions: the person summoning these entities must be in a black room during a thunderstorm and if this person wishes for something there, the entities of the “mirror world” will make it happen. But their main goal is (of course) to kill, since they’re the reflection of the cruel part of the human nature, so they accomplish people’s cruel desires by swallowing into their world the victims whose limbs become new means to drag by future victims inside. These entities also seem to be highly manipulative, which explains the gradual yet radical change in Yeonwoo’s personality from scaredy-cat to killer. We aren’t able to define for sure whether the guy in the cinema and the man in the streets were killed because of Yeonwoo’s wishes (perhaps to force Jun to remember as soon as possible?), however we can affirm that Jun’s hallucinations were not just hallucinations, but a way Yeonwoo used during the years to keep his eyes on him. This explains why Jun thanked Yeonwoo for taking care of him and why Yeonwoo seemed to know before Jun himself what he liked (about sex and other stuff).
I hope this lil explanation has been useful to everyone who’s been left confused by the “rushed” yet intriguing (almost) open ending~.
The main couple’s journey is so deep and intriguing: it showed how Yuri eventually came to overcome his worst fears, and the first step was to fall in in love with Jaerim’s spirit despite the hatred towards his ugliness.
Jaerim is definitely my favourite character: the evolution of his feelings towards Yuri, the discovery and the acceptance of his sexuality were portrayed amazingly; I really admire him for the same traits that made Yuri fall in love with him: his courage, his stubborn determination and his sense of justice.
The last panel of chapter 85 made me cry a little though: it basically shows that underneath it all Heeno’s love is not as shallow as it seemed at first, since he managed to fall for Aerak as a person and not just for his new appearance. Aerak’s personality is also very complex, interesting and well written, but the prize for the character to protect at all costs goes to Dong-gyung! I’m glad he’s now happy and has friends he can count on!
Good job, author-san! ^^
He fell so hard for his ethereal look that he didn’t mind taking a d*ck up his ass: if this isn’t love at first sight then what is it?
Even though I feel like I need more, I like the shortness of this, since it hands the story to the reader in a direct, intriguing and straightforward manner. Loved it. ^^
What I love most about this manga is that the characters are genuinely flawed in a human way.
Futaba is a sincere, self-aware, caring, and honest character who embraces her imperfections, strives for personal growth, and remains true to herself.
Kou, on the other hand, was a bit of a red flag early on. When they reconnect in high school, he constantly belittles and bullies her. The joke made me so uncomfortable and I think it was 100% avoidable.
I dislike how the fandom tends to blame Kou’s decisions solely on Narumi. He was so consumed by his own pain that he became obsessed with a twisted sense of responsibility. He felt guilty for having a family and friends who cared for him when Narumi had none, so he thought he had to be her support. Yet, he never truly had romantic feelings for her. He felt compelled to reject Futaba, but regretted it almost immediately. In fact, right after turning her down, when Narumi called, he was so frustrated that he threw and broke his phone.
Narumi, unable to move on, projected her unresolved feelings onto Kou, manipulating and guilt-tripping him into staying by her side. That kind of relationship was doomed to fail because it was built on pity and obligation, not genuine affection. In trying so desperately to keep him close, she only pushed him further away. At the same time, Narumi became an anchor for Kou, but in the worst possible way. She allowed him to remain stuck in his pain, giving him an excuse to avoid moving on.
It was inevitable that Kou would eventually realize he needed to break free and look toward a brighter future. As Futaba pointed out, Narumi was “stopping time for him”, she was holding him back, trapping him in the darkness of his past for her own selfish reasons. Seeing Futaba move on with someone else gave him the push he needed to become the person she deserved — but, more importantly, the person he needed to become for himself. Cutting ties with Narumi was painful but essential for that change.
Futaba wanted to witness Kou’s transformation, and once he did, she could no longer deny her feelings for him. This led her to end things with Touma, even though he was exactly what she needed at that time, offering her the unconditional kindness and stability Kou couldn’t.
I also think the panel where Kou hugs Narumi while Futaba watches is a brilliant metaphor. Kou was chasing after Narumi, Futaba was chasing after Kou, and Kikuchi was chasing after Futaba. This chase perfectly summarises the dynamics between the characters at that point. Futaba was about to recklessly cross the street at a red light, symbolizing her impulsive, passionate love — the very kind of love Kou was running away from as he reached out for his comfort zone: his shared pain with Narumi. Meanwhile, Kikuchi was there to protect Futaba, stopping her from rushing into danger, but in doing so, he also held her back from Kou.
In the end, Kou cutting ties with Narumi not only made him realize how his poor choices had hurt both girls, but also helped Narumi understand that she needed to move on too. They shared the same pain and understood each other, but they couldn't grow together. They needed to walk different paths for their own good. Just as Futaba and Kou had to be separated multiple times before finally coming together. "That’s how it is with us," he said at first, acknowledging the timing wasn’t right. But later, he said, "We can start something now. Choose me," when the time was finally right.
Kou had to fight to regain her trust because, no matter what, his path always led back to her — she was the only one he could truly love. Personally, I loved how Kou changed over time and became a better version of himself. His growth was impressive, and his smile became so warm… it was moving, really.
Oh, and the side couples? Absolute perfection! Yuuri and Uchimiya are the cutest, and Kominato is the ultimate green flag!
i love how u explained this u wrote exactly how i was feeling down so well
I wouldn't say Kou is a redflag, he is a flawed teen but otherwise great