apopoi's manga / #Magic(75)

I liked it when I read it. I remember being satisfied by the simple plot. The MC is very cute. It's very shoujo, the rules that this world is bound by is also very shoujo-esque. Her logic is so childlike but I don't hate it. Maybe it's cuz of the way the world is set up, usually I hate MCs who are blindly optimistic and simple-minded but that's cuz the world they are in are much more grim and other characters are facing the consequences for their stupid decisions.

Haven't read a manga like this in a while..things are needlessly complicated these days with all the trends in psychological or dramatic manhwas with all their schemes, it feels nice to go back to this. Cute girl + simp. That's it. I'm 5 chapters in and there are 11 chapters rn

Love me a badass MC..I read this a while back like 5 chapters give or take..

So wholesome..:)

I read the first two chapters or so a while back, and I liked it. The premise is interesting. The uke is reckless, what person in their sane mind would just barge into a mafia's den? Our uke..He is a righteous person fighting tooth and nail for his client..there are mafias pulling the strings in this specific case and of course it's our seme.. Update (27/02/23): I have read upto ch30 and I have to say it was completely different from how I imagined it would be. The seme is smitten for the uke from the get go. He is so patient with him that it's actually funny..like the uke slapping him randomly and him just sitting there stunned. The uke is a firecracker, the way he behaves is akin to a YA female character, with him being very irrational, not thinking things through and getting upset over the most minute things. Is there a mystery to why the seme cares so deeply for the uke? Besides..the seme is not as heartless as I imagined him to be, I mean he DID pull up a gun on a child BUT..Him using the uke as bait and as a way to lure people out, a traitor within their midst. When uke found out about this, he was upset. He is starting to catch feelings... Also the seme does not force himself on the uke as well. That's such a strange thing, not me rethinking all the YAOIS I have watched..Their first kiss, he asked in exchange for providing him with the document he needed. Him inviting him to his house to help him and breaking his scooter so he could stay over his house..all of his antics are adorable(?) The cousin..I don't hate him but he gotta prove himself. UPDATE (10:15) same day️ Well, I have read upto ch50 currently and the seme has raped the uke by now. It was not as brutal as I thought it would be, there were no blood and he was gentle with him even though he was rough..I don't know how to explain it. Maybe my standard is all fucked up ever since I read that manhwa where the top forced himself on the bottom without prepping so the bottom was dripping blood *shudders*( Waterside night). So we can deduce that the seme being the Tsar comes with a painful childhood, he even confessed to being kidnapped three times as a kid until he could learn to escape on his own. Also my theory of them having some type of connection in the past was totally thrashed..it seems the top has fallen for the bottom completely through their many interactions and has been interested since he first met him. The cousin is a shady motherfucker, him being so happy go lucky and being so attached to his cousin was a result of him trying to outthrow him. He also didn't kill the uke when he has the chance, it was a plan conjured by the two cousins. But he put poison on it for extra insurance..he knows how to attach himself to those in power and has no loyalty, a slimy bastard. When the uke threatened him, it made me smile like a proud mom. The sniper dude is interesting..he moves according to orders yet he seems to have his own agency as well. He is an enthusiast for spilling blood, him giving his contact info to the uke was..ugh tearworthy. The father is not as bad as I thought, it seems that's a common theme in this manhwa. Very half-ass characters, it seems the author did not want to fully commit to the characters mental psyche, past traumas, give substance to the characters..it is implied but not the whole story. That's a very safe approach. The seme is very callous in love so he doesn't know how to express himself though his actions betray his disguise. I was actually surprised at how patient he was towards the uke, like he gave him so many chances until he finally snapped. The bottom line was the uke trying to escape Russia, then he shot him in the stomach and leg and raped him for a week straight while giving treatments at the same time. He was so rough yet he held onto him so tightly and saying stuff in a daydream like "When I found you, there was no use in you attempting to escape" or "I will not allow you to leave my sight"..Also the way his hands trembled when he touched him or he froze when the uke said "Do you think I will be able to forgive you?". UPDATE (1/3/23) 12:18 am - So the main story is already completed now and the side stories are the only thing left. But I like how the uke still addresses the raping and shooting thing and how he himself has a problem since he is able to still be with him and likes him still. Also the prospect of marriage is inconceivable to him since his mom waited for his dad who left them for some unknown reason and her last words were to him as well so...Never knew the fountain pen he used to threaten the seme was the last piece of the 14 pens in his collection. How he met the uke was also told from his POV..a series of unlucky things happened to balance the sheer luck he would bring...the fact that he could not sense the uke and thought it to be his last day but turned out to the one he obsess over....also his size is way too large..very scary. Also how the uke passes out several times yet he keep going and doesn't seem to be satisfied with him going on and on about how he is holding it in. He proposes to him and asks for the 14th pen as a gift, that's cute. The cousin confuses me. His dad is a menace. Also how his heart pounded in the last panel as he says to his cousin "I will let you in on a little secret. When he looks at me like that, I am unable to resist him"

This was not my cuppa tea. When I read the synopsis although I had my doubts, I was hoping despite my worst feelings that it would be different and that the synopsis would actually be true. But it was for naught. The MC lived through three lifetimes already but it ended up being the same - she falls in love with her childhood friend, the friend/lover gets chosen as a hero, he tells her to wait for her then marries another. So she decided to take matters in her own hands in her fourth life and move on (not to wait for me). Ofcourse the MC moved to the capital, got a job but she frequently heard news about the famous hero and the princess. Although she wants to be unaffected by it, she feels sad when hearing these news and is hung up. I need my MC to be more hard-minded but she is too soft. I also dreaded that the ML would actually have a reason for breaking his promise and actually loved her all along. But I did not want that..so I dropped it. I just want a story where people just fall out of love and there is no proper reason behind their actions, they just felt like it. Just because it is the MC doesn't mean that every person has to fall for her especially when they are so unremarkable. Ughhh enough of my rant

Yeah..this is the most mid manhwa I have ever read. It's so incredibly fast-paced and everything seems to happen in 2x speed. One moment, they feel one emotion and traumatized the next they are seemingly over it and forget it then when the plot needs them to be sad again, they are. The MC is so confusing, she is not strong mentally and physically. Also I never thought that her legs would be such an important deal in this story, don't this kind of things get resolved easily? Also it feels like the author is squeezing the heck out of this story. It's so dry and so unoriginal, also we had to have the crown prince as the second male lead, didn't we? If he couldn't be the ml, might as well be the second ml, huh? Also the MC is so dumb and annoying, a goddamn child. Her being so naive and being convinced that staying silent would make everything alright, her resolving to do something and losing heart and the will to carry on, then wishing for love but consider herself undeserving of such love. Her being so traumatized was unexpected..she was an adult before afterall. The ML is the typical male lead..black hair but not red eyes..he has purple eyes with his pupils resembling that of a lizard. He is deeply insecure about this characteristic. He was trained as an assassin and lived a life of abuse. Until he is saved by the MC. Also his change in demeanor and attitude was too sudden and felt disjointed, how he trusts people so easily and all. The crown prince was born out of love of his parents so the path of an unloved child with trauma of being discarded has been removed. However to compensate for that, we have his deep complex about not having golden eyes. FYI Golden eyes are a symbol of royalty and he is the only member of the royal family in all it's long history to not possess this trait. So he gets angry at the MC for having one. The same thing happened to og fl for having golden eyes. The way Chloe easily accepted the MC as her daughter and is loving her unconditionally is such poor writing. That can happen but it should be gradual. Also what potential does she see in MC? I seen nothing..nada. She dumb, weak and too dependent on other people, she also has no guts.

Maybe one day That day is now..I read upto ch30 currently and it's more impressive than I gave it credit for. The ML being brainwashed constantly for the past 6 years and the MC not being able to do anything about it was a bit strange to read. As it did not go into much detail about it, we did not see the process but saw the final result. The ML who pushed her and dislikes her now blushes at the sight of her and spew absurd claims of love. The funny thing is although the hallucination was for him to obey the whole family it seems like...he only obeys and follows the words of Serina. Also although the ML is being brainwashed, he seems to have some sort of autonomy left. Like him being in control and the MC seems to be the one being led around by him rather than the other way around like the MC thinks. Him actively disagreeing with what MC says or refusing to do certain things she commands. It's quite interesting. But I have a slight qualm about the art. The nose of the characters and the overall motion seems to be so rigid and mechanic. It gives off a strange feeling. The angles are also way off. Sometimes the scenes are not as impactful because of the art. The translation also seems to be so simple..I wish proper diction could be applied. That would increase the storytelling by heaps and bounds. Now currently at the latest update

Saw it in a YouTube short and a scene caught my eyes..it was hilarious..an MC who struggles with social cues are fun to read. It wasn't as comedy driven as I expected it to but it still holds up to my standards. The MC being an adult views the characters he writes (high-schoolers) differently since he already went through a lot and the way they bully people and needlessly pick fights are something he doesn't spent any time worrying about. I like how blunt he is..like I know the og ML Suho is hopelessly positive and has a mindset of 'Never give up' but he thinks differently. Like in the case of Nayun who is adamant on using a bow even while it's not the weapon that suits her the most, Suho encourages her to never give up and comforts her. Which the author knows btw but he meddles in it since he knows that Nayun won't reach her full potential clinging to that bow of hers. So he intercepts their interaction, and before Suho could comfort her which led to her catching feelings for him, he straight up says "I saw your match. See I told you, you are better suited for the sword. It's not too late just like me. I strongly suggest you to change your focus" which she gets riled up at and so that Suho × Nayun ship sinks. There was another chance when the students write reviews of some sorts and Suho writes about how amazing she is, what an inspiration she is and yada yada. Ending with him saying that he believes she will be become the best hero there is. Ofcourse she gets embarrassed by this and blushes, then she sees a long review from an anonymous (most definitely MC) and she gets furious. The leader of that group has the most chemistry so far with the MC. When he locked eyes with her too long, he gets anxious that he would be suspicious so he utters "So pretty" and that facial expression on both of them..hilarious!! That was the scene that made me check out this manhwa..also when she sat next to him and a drink gets spilled on her..that also appeared on my YouTube shorts..how he gave her the tissue after. Someone spoiled that they were endgame and I couldn't be happier. Supposedly because he was an extra, when the story finished everyone forgot about him and went on with their lives. Not her tho..they lived happily together in a mountain...living a peaceful and secluded life. Love that he doesn't end up with the main cast since they are high-schoolers. I mean the body he is in is technically a high-schooler but his mind isn't. All his life experiences and all don't vanish, so him ending up with an adult was refreshing. You have no idea how tired I am if that cliche 'I raised him but now I yearn for him' bullshit with all the isekais now.

What to do? It's typical and the classic 'powering up' manhwa..but I am enjoying reading it immensely. I like the MC's dedication and commitment to everything. He doesn't waste time. His mom being the same as his previous mom..face-wise was an interesting component that made the MC protective towards her and thus becoming a source of motivation. Him meeting the og ml was very interesting. He has two friends now..and I like his shadow. I kinda cringed when he talked to his father..but I get why he did that. His father genuinely loves his mom.. that's good to know. UPDATE (5/3/23): So I've read upto CH41 and the progression is very dungeon-esque like in the way that the MC becomes super OP and only progresses, obtaining and monopolising things meant for other characters since he already knew the events that would occur since he is the author. Everything feels very flimsy but I do like Larsen and his group of friends.