Kirai's manga / #persistent seme(16)

Synopsis: When a deadly accident kills his friends, a system approaches Wang Yi (MC) with a contract: transmigrate into novels and take on the villain's role, and in return he can reverse that tragedy. However, the male leads (ML) somehow see through his acting, and they fall in love with Wang Yi instead of the female lead. The male leads all have a mind-reading ability; is there a connection between them? Review: This manhua has colourful art, great comedy and an interesting storyline. The premise of accidentally romancing the male lead as a side character is not new in Chinese stories, but I find the male lead's mind-reading ability to be a fresh way to throw a wrench in the protagonist's plans. If you like the world-hopping genre, this manhua is a must-read.

Synopsis: Chiharu (MC) visits his hometown for a break from writing and encounters Rin (ML), who has collapsed while waiting for his future bride. It turns out that Chiharu's deceased grandmother has promised the local dragon god a wife — the dragon god being Rin, and the wife being Chiharu. Chiharu doesn't want to be taken away, but he finds himself falling in love with the devoted and loveable Rin. Review: I love this manga so much! The art is exquisite and the characters are so lovely, especially our two main characters. There is tension, angst and fluff. I especially love the parts where Rin protects Chiharu because we get to see more of his powerful dragon side. You will win over Chiharu, Rin, I believe in you!

Synopsis: Akesato Satoru (MC) has a one-night stand with Hosokawa Kimiyuki (ML), who turns out to be the chubby kid that he's bullied in high school. Kimiyuki's glow-up gives himself enough confidence to seek revenge, but Satoru is currently dealing with a stalker. Review: Actually, this manga is pretty mediocre in all aspects except for Kimiyuki, whose sheer arrogance and narcissism never fails to make me laugh. He's somehow one of the best MLs to exist. Please donate money to Kimiyuki for his upcoming surgery procedure, as he's injured his back from carrying this entire manga.

Synopsis: Brought up in an orphanage, Chansol (MC) is selfless to a fault. He's the type to lend a hand to everybody, including strangers, and his insistence on helping Park Hanhoo (ML) leads to an unlikely teenage friendship. However, one day a massacre of his orphanage forces Chansol to leave the country and his best friend behind, and when he returns to seek revenge many years later, Chansol becomes Han Yooem's manager in order to track down the perpetrator and also to find his old friend. Review: Chansol is competent, kind and sympathetic, so it's easy to enjoy his perspective. Hanhoo rocks your usual confident and cool CEO personality, with a penchant for winning bets and taking matters into his own hands like a boss. They have a selfish person x selfless person dynamic and a common goal to work towards, so both the action plot and the romance plot are engaging. I especially enjoyed the build-up to Hanhoo's identity reveal to Chansol.

Summary: Ju Hamin (MC) resents having a mafia family. He tries to live a normal life away from crime, but a kidnapping incident prompts his father to appoint Kwon Sehyuk (ML) as Hamin's bodyguard. It seems like many bad people have designs on Hamin, including Sehyuk himself… Review: Hamin is a good protagonist with both cunning and a strong moral compass. Sehyuk is a certified badass, whose cunning surpasses even the big bosses in the mafia world. As a bonus, the unique art style and action-packed plot makes this worth the read.

Synopsis: Yorong, the popular female player, is actually a serial catfish named Kim Kyuyeon (MC). Having targeted a newb named Yummin, Kyuyeon realises too late that the Yummin in real life is Yum Kimin (ML), who is handsome, rich and popular. Kyuyeon gets desperate to dump him, but Kimin is even more desperate to meet Yorong in real life. Review: This manhwa can be split into two storylines, the first being focused on Kyuyeon's struggles to keep his identity concealed and the second being more slice-of-life. Kimin is hopelessly smitten with Yorong no matter what, but he also becomes very toxic in the face of any threat of their relationship. His behaviour may be easier to stomach since this manhwa is a romantic comedy. Kyuyeon is a dumb protagonist who's easily caught up in Kyuyeon's pace, but you can feel less sorry for him if you remember that he's a serial catfish. Otherwise, this manhwa is very cute.

Synopsis: No matter how hard he studies, Kurihara Kiku (MC) can only ever reach second place. One day he takes his anger out on first place, Kawase Shouya (ML), who notices that Kiku is neglecting himself. Kiku later realises Shouya's hypocrisy. Review: It's a very cute manga about two top students, one neglecting himself and the other being nosy.

Synopsis: Saddled with his father's debt and his dependent little brother, Euihyun (MC) tries to drown himself in the ocean. However, his suicide attempt is thwarted by the sudden appearance of Taeju (ML), a gangster who takes a sudden interest in him. Euihyun may be an omega, but he is ill-tempered and feisty; there's just something about him that draws Taeju in more than he realises. Review: When a relationship begins on the premise of a gangster coercing sex from a suicidal, debt-ridden single caretaker, you know that it will be toxic as hell, but this changes surprisingly fast. Taeju quickly develops a possessiveness for Euihyun, then actual feelings, and then guilt. Their dynamic for the majority of the manhwa is that of a shameless wife guy and an angry sugar baby, which I find super entertaining. Euihyun's little brother is also a prominent character who I don't find annoying at all. Throw in gang action, and you're in for a treat.