Elisa Rolle's Blog, page 14

Swapping by Gaetsaeng and Chepali

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When a rich old man croaks during a passionate round of bedroom escapades, Soheon is accused of being his partner. Not long after, Seoho, the CEO of the company Soheon works for, presents him with a video of the incident... and makes him an offer just can't refuse.

My Rate: 8 (www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/swapping)

This time I cannot say that it was the colored graphic that made me want to read this one... it's actually quite scaring, when Soheon and Seoho are making love, it's almost like Soheon is going through hell and return, at least according to his facial expression... if that is the idea of the artist of someone enjoying himself, well, then, there is some problem here. Anyway, skipping the awkardness of the sex scenes, the story is quite complex, the plot instead of unveiling itself episode after episode becomes even more complex. The bad boys or the villains are not the one you would expect, and everyone is basically a faulty character. Even Soheon, that according to standard, should be the good one, is actually quite greedy, and makes a lot of mistakes, some of them causing deep hurt to people around him. So yes, complex story that keep you till the end. And if you manage to go over the unsexy sex, good romance too.


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Miscreants and Mayhem by Brothers without a tomorrow

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“I missed you, Dad. Did you miss me too?” Gang member Ryu Nanmu may be one of the top dogs in his “organization,” but in life he’s hit rock bottom. He dreamed of building a family once, with his boss’ mistress and her son Pil-gyun, but he’s had to pay dearly for coveting something that could never be his. After several long years, the hope for a family had become barely anything more than a nostalgic memory for Nanmu...until a grown-up Pil-gyun dramatically reappears in Nanmu’s life. Except, this isn’t the child that Nanmu remembers. Pil-gyun is calculated, deadly, and obsessively in love with him. Although Nanmu knows he should put an end to this futile relationship, Pil-gyun’s tender words of love can’t help but tug at his heartstrings…

My Rate: 8 (www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/miscreants)

In general I like the story from Brothers without a tomorrow, and Miscreants and Mayhem is no exception. Sure you have to go over the fact that, at the base of the story there is the fact that Ryu Nanmu is the victim of continuous rape for years, and that Pil-gyun is not exactly is saviour, but probably yet another man who takes advantage of Ryu. Ryu is yes a mafia boss, but he is also an abused child, someone who, instead of reacting to abuses with even more abuses, he is someone who dreams for a family, for an ordinary life, for love... Pil-gyun fills that void, in his own perverted way. Anyway, as usual, the graphic is perfect, and the story, a little twisted and contorted, is indeed original.


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Pending Approval by DanamuEun, Dimang, Dansokang, Gugu, Jintae, Samdukong

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After-hours paperwork isn’t the only thing heating up at BL Corporation. From HR to R&D, Secretarial to Marketing, a group of college friends all find themselves working under the same roof—and tangled in office romances no one saw coming. Whether it’s a shy developer revealing an unexpected secret, a longtime friend pushing the boundaries of “just colleagues,” or a bold assistant making a move that’s way above their pay grade, each story proves that love in the workplace is rarely by the book. Four departments. Four love stories. One HR nightmare waiting to happen.

My Rate: 7 (www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/pending)

There are pro and cons about this manhwa: pro, the 4 stories are nice, even if short, 5 episodes each, they are well rounded and with their own meaning; cons, there is maybe a little too much sex and the design is really different story per story, so much that sometime I didn't even recognize the same characters from one story to the other. The reason for this is that the artists are not the same. But this is just my pet peeve, and all in all, the four stories work well as standalone and the connections between them make them nice to read one after the other.


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Cheeky Habits of My Rabbits by Gongil

 

My bride, Neungso, has so many wonderful qualities! He’s as pretty as freshly fallen snow, as big and strong as a mountain, and has a hu... HUGE summer squash between his legs! I thought having a bride meant having someone to take care of and make happy, but it turns out he knows just how to make me feel good. I wish I could make him happy too, but I’m not the special moon rabbit he’s looking for, so I know he’ll leave me one day. Maybe it would’ve been better if Habibi never brought my bride home. Maybe then, I wouldn’t have to feel this pain…

My Rate: 8 (tapas.io/series/cheeky-habits-of-my-rabbits-mature/info)

When you read Cheeky Habits of My Rabbits you don't have to begin with much expectations, it's just cute smut. It's for sure a light comedy, there basically no dark side, even the villain (that you can recognize immediately considering how they are designed) are more a little nuisance than a real danger. Moreover there are some points that do not have a logic explanation: what about Haru's parents? Is it really possible that Habibi is basically a drunk woman who doesn't understand another person is living in her house? Why Neungso's mother had to go back living with her father? Why they say it's Neungso's fault if she died?... so no, you don't have to search for those answers, you have just to enjoy the smut, with a nice graphic, and cute bunnies and kittens all around.

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Love for Sale by Hyeonji Dal

 

"Will this make you happy?" Namwoo wakes up one night to find bills sprawled all over his room - along with the hazy memory of a handsome stranger. Even in his wildest dreams, all Namwoo wants is to have enough money to survive each month. Si-eon, on the other hand, has everything he could ever want except happiness. Intrigued by Namwoo's humble wishes, Si-eon offers him the money he wants - the catch being, he has to date him.

My Rate: 8 (www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/loveforsale)

I liked this story, not the least why almost all the characters are well rounded in both personality and graphic, actually the character of Si-eon is so well drawn that I can almost feel his thoughts even if he is not talking. The story between Si-eaon and Namwoo could be considered a classic thrope of South Korean manhwa, rich, older man versus student with empty pockets but a lot of potential, but in the end, neither one of them is an ordinary character. Namwoo is actually quite immature, but also sincere with his feelings, and what I loved the most about him is that he doesn't run away when Si-eon pushes him, like almost always happens in such occasion in other manhwa. Si-eon is very much imperfect in his emotional stunt but I liked that he is never harsh or mean with other people, not even when he would have the right to be so. That doesn't mean he is weak, but just that he doesn't have in him to be mean. As I said, also good supporting characters, with the potential, at least in two cases, of their own story (mayve between them).



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Release Your Persona by Yeaze

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Oh Jae-gyu is an actor known throughout the country. He has been loved for his brilliant acting since his years as a child actor, but he is exhausted by the unjust rumours that constantly follow him and keeps his distance from people. One day, while feeding some cats, Jae-gyu is approached by a strange man. Jae-gyu is wary of the man, who turns out to be his neighbour, Yoon Cheong-rok. After being followed to the elevator, Jae-gyu mistakes Cheong-rok for a stalker, but to his surprise, Cheong-rok doesn’t recognise him at all. Jae-gyu’s pride is hurt after meeting someone who doesn’t recognise him for the first time, but a subtle excitement is brewing inside him. Later that night, Cheong-rok appears in Jae-gyu’s dreams...

My Rate: 9

Release Your Persona is the perfect example of manhwa that I wouldn't mind if it lasted even 100 episodes... and it's only 9! The love story between famous actor Oh Jae-gyu and ordinary man Yoon Cheong-rok is so perfect that I would have wanted to spend more time with them. Even the way they dealt with the drama (it's always necessary for a good romance to have a little bit of drama) it's perfect. Actually the starting point is very similar to the plot bunny I have always thought I wanted to write, two men met in a park (I imagined dogs instead of cats) one of them very famous, the other unaware of it. Really, this one hit the spot for me. And the graphic is nice too.

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Red Candy by Hanse

 

Kang Shi-hyeon, A.K.A Red Candy, is one of the best agents at Vulture, a private security company. When he is entrusted with the task of getting up-close and personal with Park Hajun, the son of a suspected criminal, Shi-hyeon finds himself getting more than what he had bargained for. Not one to back down, he bravely ventures into unchartered territory and ends up in more than one compromising position... Hajun on the other hand is unaware of the fact that he is a pawn in an international investigation into his father… Will he figure out his new companion is a spy undercover, or will Shi-hyeon’s mission end up being successful?

My Rate: 8 (www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/redcandy_en)

I'm not really able to pinpoint what didn't convince me about this story, but there was something that didn't make me completely enjoy it. Maybe it was that the pace wasn't fast and going over 100 episodes was a little too much. But other than that, the story had its merit, the turn of events not always predictable, and for once, the sex wasn't censored. But maybe there was also a little too much sex and it was sometime more like a gymnastic training, a little bit deprived of romanticism. Said that, I have read way worse, and Red Candy was a really nice power bottom.



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Romance Not Romantic by Sangdu

 

Jinha, an overworked developer, gets the worst news of his life—he’s a recessive Omega! He’s now extra sensitive to alphas, and the only thing that calms him is his boss Hyeonjun’s pheromones. This is a nightmare, especially since Jinha’s been stashing money in a “murder for hire” account to cope with how annoying Hyeonjun is. As if that’s not enough, a creepy stalker starts showering him with pheromones. Now, Jinha’s stuck under the protection of his infuriatingly handsome boss!

My Rate: 9 (tapas.io/series/romance-not-romantic-mature/info)

Overall I liked this one, it was mostly a comedy, that is what I like the best, and the relationship between Jinha and Hyeonjun was nicely developed. There is just something that I didn't understand: all the flashbacks of when Jinha first joined the company, what was that upset Hyeonjun; and if Jinha really wanted to use his saved money to hire a killer :-) I don't think so, but then where all the money went? Anyway these are details that are not detrimental to the overall story. A quite classic omegaverse universe, but without all the drama and sort of social ghettoization that is usual linked to the role of Alpha and Omega. Here it's more like the difference between women and men in the work field, that I'm not saying it's right to exist, but alas, that is the reality.


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A Thousand Cranes by Seokchan Jeong

 

Craig has been thinking a lot about death lately. Working thirteen-hour shifts to pay off his father’s insurmountable debt, taking care of his little brother in between, exasperated and ready to collapse, Craig can’t help but wonder: would it be easier to end it all? It was just an ordinary day like this when Craig stumbled onto the scene of a bloody murder. Now Craig is on the run, pursued by a criminal organization’s most lethal member: Dean. In the hunt, however, the two soon find themselves chasing anything but death.

My Rate: 9 (tapas.io/series/athousandcranes/info)

Basically A Thousand Cranes has 1 big fault, it's in Black&White. But if you go over that fault, the graphic is quite nice, the love story is romantic, the dark side of the story is there, but it's not overwhelming the romance, and basically both Craig and Dean are perfect in their own persona. I like basically everything of this manhwa, not the least the fact it's not too long, sometime I think some manhwa with more than 100 episode, sometime even 200, are basically diluiting the story; here instead the pace is packed, and the story flows nicely, also their intimacy that even if it happens fast, it doesn't seem happening too soon.

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Kiss Me, Liar by Zig and Kongback

 

Yeonwoo is a perfectly competent secretary. However, he’s secretly in love with his boss, an extreme alpha named Keith, who has zero interest in male omegas. After a traumatic incident leaves Yeonwoo fearful of all alphas but Keith, he resigns to hide at home. Keith, inconvenienced by the absence of his trusty secretary, takes on the task of helping Yeonwoo recover. Will proximity and pheromones cause love to blossom in this working relationship?

My Rate: 8 (https://tapas.io/series/kiss-me-liar-mature/info)

I liked Kiss Me, Liar, but it didn't have full point, since, sometime, I felt like the author of the story was missing some steps. It could be that the adaptation from novel to manhwa has lost those points, but I don't think so. For example, Yeonwoo has been turned to Omega from an heated encounter with Keith, and it was not something small for Keith, since it was the first time he kissed a man. How it could be that, just few years later, he doesn't recognize Yeonwoo? It was too farfetched, if you really wanted for us to believe it, you should have Keith losing his memory, like it happened when he marked Yeonwoo. Anyway, aside the first cruel words Keith says to Yeonwoo when he is assaulted by Keith's friends, Keith after that believes as the dream lover he should be. But than he again commits a bad mistake, probably due to his upbringing, and his beliefs that sex is not connected to feelings, but it's just relief valve. That is the reason why this story doesn't get full point from me, but it's all in all, worthy the time to read it.



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