trigger warnings: gore and violence, noncon, sexual acts done by multiple people, homophobia, child abuse, physical and sexual assault, theres a lot of blood, ML being the epitome of be gay do crime, random rants and spoilers
I really had no idea that I would come to like POTN. I read it out of curiosity and with so much to no expectation since some readers tend to bash it and say it doesnt deserve the popularity. Personally, out of all the mega popular BL manhwas, potn deserves the fame and recognition. I just think it attracts the wrong readers—children and puritans and the so called moral police readers. For instance, I came across a review saying potn is shit because it contains SA and ‘it is harmful to the society and authors should know that most bl readers are young girls—‘ like wait a damn minute. First of all, this is an adult story meant for adult readers only. It is labelled R-rated on lenzhin and you cannot access R-rated stories if you are a minor. You cannot even access it on the app and only accessible directly on lezhin website. Second of all, it is fiction my sweet summer child. It is not real. Why are you yapping like a child and calling it harmful to society bfr. You aren’t reading the news, you are reading a made-up story with fictional characters. Maybe stop projecting, stop applying moral compass on fiction—it hinders you from actually analysing a piece of literature through a reader’s perspective—and practice media literacy instead. Most importantly, it is dark romance, expect triggering contents and if you cannot stand noncon or other triggering stuff then press the back button and close the tab. Anyway…
Just like most historical stories, potn deals with politics and I enjoy the political dramas and shenanigans. Nothing extraordinary but still entertaining. Most of the characters are interesting and a lot of them are so complex you wanna write a whole damn character analysis for each of them—like Seungho, his father lord Soon, even In Hun.
The art style, oh my gawd, is top-tier. The body anatomy, the expressions on the characters’ faces, they are drawn well and Im obsessed with the hands in particular. The creator is one heck of a talented artist.
Seungho is my personal fave. Hes complex, traumatised, toxic but his character development is so well-written. His past is traumatic and I couldnt imagine how the adults especially the parents could treat their own kids horribly, traumatise them physically and mentally, ruin their lives simply for being gay. But Seungho is such a gay icon, loud and proud and unhinged, the embodiment of be gay do crime.
Nakyum, on the other hand, is such a damsel in distress. It infuriates me that he always gets himself in trouble however, most of these incidents are actually planned out by people who want to take revenge on Seungho. The fact that he’s Seungho’s weakness and a lowborn as such, makes him an easy target by the nobles who are out for Seungho’s blood or just want some entertainment. I dont like that Nakyum is somewhat nosy and a crybaby but still, I love him dearly. You cannot help but root for him and keep him in your pocket to protect him. One of the things I find amusing about Nakyum is how he slowly embraces his own sexual desires and pleasures. Like this shit is really erotica. The smexy scenes are steamy and erotic, really fits well to the period set up.
What I love the most is the development of Seungho and Nakyum’s relationship. Seungho being such a huge red flag at first then becoming the sweetest lover who would do anything and sacrifice everything for his beloved—be gay do crime in joseon era.
It is such a roller coaster ride of emotions. Their love story makes me emotional, this couple went through a lot to be together. But really, all the dramas and tragic shit could have been avoided if those annoying mutts never bother Seungho and Nakyum. The finale is so sweet and satisfying
Painter of the Night(Yahwacheop)