It was so hard to breathe while reading this. At the beginning I thought this was going to be your usual stockholm syndrome trope with a last minute unexplained redemption for ML and happily ever after... but wow. The author portrays Hwangyoung's internal conflict really well, it makes you feel like you're going through this with him. The personas, the symbolism of the artworks and sculptures (wow that panel "What do you think of when you see my art?" "Fear... and rapture" ... goosebumps). There is also the suprisingly nuanced motif of the blur between fiction and "reality" throughout which I find really interesting - the clash of two artists and their "stories". Made me think about what it means to be an artist and also sparked my curiousity in metal artists (I really like the ML's sculptures actually!)
I read this while listening to Lie 2 by the Year End.
"Sometimes it hurts too much to speak, but I'm fine. I'll love you more than you'll ever know."
Hwang Young's Misery