jouska79's manga / #beautiful art(22)

Was hooked from the get-go by the gorgeous art and character designs. The story gets so much better the further it gets and the more of the world unfolds. Dark heavy stories aren't usually my thing (because of how they tend to romanticize or poorly handle tragedy) but this story handles thmes like grief and isolation very well.

I didn't expect to love this webtoon so much! Especially in the first few chapters when I thought Nanhee was little more than your typical cutesy shallow shoujo heroine. The more the story progressed though, the more it turned so many toxic romcom tropes (i.e. jealous female friend from male lead's past, potentially overbearing mom-in-law, having disparate interests at first) on their heads and resolved things in the most wholesome ways. I especially loved (a) how neither of the MCs are romanticized over-controlling assholes, (b) how supportive & caring they both were of each other, and (c) how Nanhee's character flourished from being throroughly loved and appreciated for who she already was, no character transformation necessary. If you want a wholesome slice-of-life hetero romcom about two idiots who simp for each other EQUALLY, I don't know how it gets better than this. I want to read more manga about couples who share their dynamic!!

BEST GENDER BENDER / ROLE REVERSAL queer icon

This has to be one of the best told childhood friends-to-lovers mangas out there! Tomo and Jun's relationship developed so well and all the hiccups they encountered in transitioning from friends to lovers weren't glossed over or played for mere laughs. Like, the transition was the actual meat of the plot. HOWEVER the biggest and most pleasant surprise in this manga is how well developed and likable everyone in the main cast was! Take Jun for example; as the male romantic lead, he actually has his own personality and normal teenage boy anxieties about getting together with the girl he loves. He's a real boy! And not some hyper-idealized romantic figure that could only exist in shoujo or BL. And /dude/ don't even get me started on how awesome Misuzu and Carol are. They're friends with the female lead with their own agendas, growth, and interactions beyond Tomo! They're each such amazing characters in their own right, likable despite — or even because— they're sometimes selfish and petty. Misuzu's (lowkey; very subtle actually) queerplatonic relationship with Tomo was so well done while still being entertaining; it really added a special spice and unique foil to Tomo and Jun's straightforward compatibility.

Was pulled in by great art and extremely satisfying revenge porn, stayed for the genre savy and meta on shoujo romances that has me gasping in shock.