Aahhhh this is the treasure that I have been searching for!! The MC (Mason) is so cool and charming that I ended up falling for him like all the characters on the show (manhwa). Him slowly getting used to Haley's life and rolling with the punches, whether that be with his kinks or his troublesome old partners or even his bloodsucking leeches of a family made me so attached to him as a character. I also adore Mason because he hasn't let go of his past self while also changing himself to the environment he is in now, like I get why other characters that are reincarnated has to let go of their past identity but that feels almost unnecessary since they can still be their old self while embracing their new life. Sorry..that was a rant. In addition to that, I love how he still has his habits from his mercenary days...for example him memorizing a phone number as soon as he heard that it was 'confidential' and lamely saying that he tried to memorise but forgot it while awkwardly laughing..the cherry on top was Noah chuckling in the background since he is already aware of his identity. Another incident or an observation was that he sticks to a strict regime that he created (we know this when Noah's secretary gave him a report on Mason), that he feels comfortable with that kind of strict conduct if you will, and that adds so much to the character work of Mason. His brother dying was what made him go to Afghanistan to fight in the battlefield but I think he is slowly improving or learning to overcome that trauma since he was murdered, not dying of a natural cause. That would have made it more painful. His surprise when he saw Haley's collection of dildos and him cleaning all the shady cult stuff that Haley partook in was a sight for sore eyes. And, I love how he is falling in love with the art of acting and is making strides in the acting industry with a genius director for his redebut. Him taking acting lessons and him noticing that he becomes a different person in front of the camera were interesting. He is such a fun MC.
Now the ML, Noah. He is America's sweetheart with his family lineage being stacked with accomplished people in various fields from an actress mother, a business mogul for a father, lawyers, politicians, millionaires etc. You couldn't wish for a better place to grow up in but that changed when he was kidnapped by a jealous small actor( he called his mother "the picture-perfect person") who had a deep insecurity towards his mother. Now, him following a stranger was not normal since he admitted that he wasn't that naive but he had been waiting for his mom for such a long time that he just wanted to go home so he ended up following a stranger. He was threatened and was put in a suitcase thereby his claustrophobia. He still suffers from PTSD and considers his saviour to be the only one that loves him and is worth living for. He is a very capable man, with him having a very competent personnel of workers who are very qualified in their profession and he monitors Mason regularly. But perhaps it is from all those years of stalking Mason that he instinctively feels that Haley resembled Mason though not sharing any similar physical characters. It was the way he gazed at him, the way he behaved and above all the connection he had with Mason (Noah saw him in Mason's house, saw him picking up Mason's belongings etc). Obsessive MLs are very very common in this genre but I feel Noah to be very special, maybe this is coming from a bias perspective but I offered proof. Also the reasoning behind his obsessive actions are justified, also his life up until Mason must have been pretty empty with busy parents and also with that terrible situation, him rescuing him from that hellhole when he was convinced that no one would come rescue him sealed the deal for his attachment to him. He admitted to viewing Mason as his religion, his God. Though I would argue you won't speak in that manner to your 'God', if I did that I would told off by my parents and chided endlessly for disrespecting my religion.
Also some notable characters, Tony my love, Noah's secretary, Chase(?), that polite woman, the genius director...even the side characters have so much meat(substance) behind them. I love this!!
Kill the Lights