Ambrosia's manga / #Drama(40)

list - masterlist, favorite, grown, dilf 50+

list - masterlist, favorite, unique, 9.5+ 80+

list - masterlist, favorite, unique, enemies to lovers 70+

list - masterlist, hidden gem

list - masterlist, favorite, unique, hidden gem, 9.5+ 70+ I still love this so much, it has a great writing and a story like reading a classic romance novel. Historical with some politcal/revenge plot intertwined slightly between the growing love between two characters. A ruthless and selfish man who puts on a smile but will use people to further his goal for revenge without a second thought, and a talented prodigy of a painter who has been abused and learned not to want too much happiness otherwise his suffering will become unbearable. They chance upon each other and while initially Raymond is only really interested in using Ian to further his own goals, and they are drawn to each other from the beginning and find comfort and solace in each others embrace. Ian is the long suffering character type that somehow still manages to be kind and find beauty in the world, but while sweet and generally timid he's not afraid to make his own decisions and is not so naive as to not understand his own situation. He's not optimistically happy go lucky either, he has his trauma that he carries with him, but is learning to grow and heal. His journey to find love and happiness is quite beautiful and well deserved after all he's been through. Raymond has always been gentle with Ian and treated him with affection, but his selfishness in initially using Ian for his own goals and then later insisting on keeping Ian by his side despite his upcoming marriage are what hurt Ian the most. His character growth was also commendable, his chasing arc was satisfying and he's not just given a tragic backstory but actually shows his moments of weakness and desperation so that you can truly tell how much he cares for Ian. He's also always treated Ian with affection even when he was only planning to use him. They are so sweet to each other and you can truly feel their love and passion. I'm so glad they found their happiness, it's every bit deserved for them both. One of those stories that stays with you, I get sucked right back in on my re-read as well.

list - hidden gem, webtoon

list - enemies to lovers, webtoon 60+ Angst with a well deserved happy ending. Man I felt so bad for Skylar and everything he went through. I wish he could have had a nicer resolution with his mom, but I guess it just wasn't possible with where they were at with each other. I definitely don't forgive or sympathize with her though, because even if her husband cheated, it does warrant all the abuse towards Skylar, and she never even recognized her wrong in the end, never apologized or made any effort to get better besides cutting him off completely and he deserved better than that. The characters and their struggles were well written, frustrating but realistic in that it wasn't something melodramatic but each were struggling with themselves, with their pasts, with each other. Things weren't magically resolved, they struggled with trauma, they worked to find happiness despite that, worked to better themselves on their own and together. It was really well done and really pulled at my heart strings. I was a bit confused and frustrated with the characters actions at first, but it all falls into place as you become more familiar with them and their dynamics and their past. Reread it now and agree with everything I wrote in the past, it’s much more well articulated than my thoughts now. The beginning unfolding of their history can make you confused at first, as things are revealed later by layer. We find that while Yeonduk had always loved Skylar, it was the same for Skylar. In fact, Skylar probably loved him first. The misunderstanding and subsequent mistrust and hatred brewing between them for almost 10 years was regretful, and Skylar felt that regret and agonized over his past behavior towards Yeonduk. While it was instigated by his mother’s deceit, Skylar’s actions did hurt Yeonduk. And Yeonduk was young and naive, blind to Skylar’s situation and how he was being used by the mother. I’m proud of both of them and how they were able to overcome their challenges and grow. Skylar really showed a lot of remorse, and while he chased after Yeonduk he also allowed him the appropriate space and freedom to make his own decisions about his feelings. They were quite affectionate once they got together, and really supported and cared for each other. I’m still upset that till the end, Skylar’s mother showed not one bit of remorse or care towards Skylar, and did not have any growth whatsoever. She tried to kill him twice, and would be happier off if he died and it makes me so sick and sad for Skylar. I wanted him to tell her off just once, to talk back and show her all her faults, but even in his hatred he loved his mom and just wanted to be accepted by her. I hope Leo is safe with her bc she is still unstable, though she may improve with a change of pace. I was glad the siblings were able to get a bit closer in the end, but hope they can stay in each others lives and stay close. I worry bc Skylar’s mother is a manipulative narcissist, so she may cut Skylar off from Leo and poison Leo’s mind to make it seem like Skylar doesn’t care about him. But it’s reassuring that Yeonduk will be there for him no matter what struggles he may face in the future. I wish them both happiness, they deserve it.