What do you think?
Rate this book
Intense - Paperback Edition #1
Intense Volume 1: Night on the Red Road
-I've never met a man who speaks even less than I do.-
The mafia banishes Jiwoon Kang to live in a secluded red light district among struggling prostitutes, dirty street thugs, and shady drug dealers. He's a quiet man with deadly talents with a knife. The local thugs quickly learn to hate him. To maintain peace, a brothel manager sends Jiwoon to live with a strange local man Soohan. Soohan is a mute. He only wishes to be left alone and help prostitutes in need. The street thugs hate him, too. Both men carry deadly, dark, and traumatic secrets in their past. They may find that their only solace and protection...lies in each other.
The mafia banishes Jiwoon Kang to live in a secluded red light district among struggling prostitutes, dirty street thugs, and shady drug dealers. He's a quiet man with deadly talents with a knife. The local thugs quickly learn to hate him. To maintain peace, a brothel manager sends Jiwoon to live with a strange local man Soohan. Soohan is a mute. He only wishes to be left alone and help prostitutes in need. The street thugs hate him, too. Both men carry deadly, dark, and traumatic secrets in their past. They may find that their only solace and protection...lies in each other.
176 pages, Paperback
Published August 9, 2016
4 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 2, 2025
Review for the entire series
This story really surprised me with how raw and intense it got. It’s not your usual fluffy romance, not even close, but the love between them hurts in a way that feels deeply human. It’s the kind of emotional slow-burn that doesn’t beg for your attention with flowery dialogue, but instead lets the art and quiet moments carry all the weight.
Both characters are messy and far from perfect, so go in expecting flaws and emotional damage. But despite all that, they still managed to treat each other with a softness and respect that honestly puts a lot of real-world relationships to shame. There’s actual, visible care between them, even when they’re both knee-deep in their own trauma. The consent in their tender moments? Was surprisingly healthy, considering the weight they’re both dragging around.
What really hit me though was how their pasts kept holding them back from loving each other the way they clearly wanted to. You can feel the ache of wanting more, of trying to reach each other but only making it halfway. It’s bittersweet, because they never get that full emotional resolution, but somehow… the ending still feels like it fits. Not happy. Not tragic. Just earned.
That said, there are definitely a few loose threads in the plot that could’ve used some actual closure. If those had been tied up a bit cleaner, this honestly could’ve been a masterpiece. Still, what we got was something quietly powerful. It doesn’t scream its emotions … it lets you sit in them. And I love that. The way the story holds back on dialogue and leans into visual storytelling gives it a visceral, haunting kind of impact that lingers long after it ends.
I could say more, but really…this is one you just have to feel for yourself. It’s heavy, it’s imperfect, and it might not be for everyone. But if it does hit? It’ll hit like a bruise you’ll keep pressing just to remind yourself you’re still feeling.
⭐️4,5
This story really surprised me with how raw and intense it got. It’s not your usual fluffy romance, not even close, but the love between them hurts in a way that feels deeply human. It’s the kind of emotional slow-burn that doesn’t beg for your attention with flowery dialogue, but instead lets the art and quiet moments carry all the weight.
Both characters are messy and far from perfect, so go in expecting flaws and emotional damage. But despite all that, they still managed to treat each other with a softness and respect that honestly puts a lot of real-world relationships to shame. There’s actual, visible care between them, even when they’re both knee-deep in their own trauma. The consent in their tender moments? Was surprisingly healthy, considering the weight they’re both dragging around.
What really hit me though was how their pasts kept holding them back from loving each other the way they clearly wanted to. You can feel the ache of wanting more, of trying to reach each other but only making it halfway. It’s bittersweet, because they never get that full emotional resolution, but somehow… the ending still feels like it fits. Not happy. Not tragic. Just earned.
That said, there are definitely a few loose threads in the plot that could’ve used some actual closure. If those had been tied up a bit cleaner, this honestly could’ve been a masterpiece. Still, what we got was something quietly powerful. It doesn’t scream its emotions … it lets you sit in them. And I love that. The way the story holds back on dialogue and leans into visual storytelling gives it a visceral, haunting kind of impact that lingers long after it ends.
I could say more, but really…this is one you just have to feel for yourself. It’s heavy, it’s imperfect, and it might not be for everyone. But if it does hit? It’ll hit like a bruise you’ll keep pressing just to remind yourself you’re still feeling.
⭐️4,5
May 26, 2019
what do you do when you accidentally get a yaoi manga without knowing what it is? you read the whole thing at 1am.
it was truly everything i expected from yaoi. the writing was bad, the art was decent but the same as literally all other yaoi manga art, the characters were not believable in any shape or form. they’re the kind of Gay Soft Boi™️ straight girls love to fetishize so much and yet they’re supposed to be these ruthless mafia men with rough backgrounds (which was too clear, i’m not that dumb, i got it the first three times we were shown thanks).
also i’m shelving this as chick lit because let’s be real, the only people that read these unironically are female.
it was truly everything i expected from yaoi. the writing was bad, the art was decent but the same as literally all other yaoi manga art, the characters were not believable in any shape or form. they’re the kind of Gay Soft Boi™️ straight girls love to fetishize so much and yet they’re supposed to be these ruthless mafia men with rough backgrounds (which was too clear, i’m not that dumb, i got it the first three times we were shown thanks).
also i’m shelving this as chick lit because let’s be real, the only people that read these unironically are female.
April 17, 2021
En realidad lo he leído en la versión Kindle que consta de 9 capítulos en lugar de los cuatro tomos.
Ahora me arrepiento un poco de no haberlo comprado en papel 😓 Pero bueno, mi espalda me lo agradecerá cuando me toque hacer mudanza...
Muy recomendable, una historia sencilla que termina ofreciendo algo más, y el dibujo es 😍😍😍
Ahora me arrepiento un poco de no haberlo comprado en papel 😓 Pero bueno, mi espalda me lo agradecerá cuando me toque hacer mudanza...
Muy recomendable, una historia sencilla que termina ofreciendo algo más, y el dibujo es 😍😍😍
April 25, 2021
I'm absolutely in love with this Korean manhwa. Full review to follow after I've finished reading it.
![Profile Image for 小さな N (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)⊃ [_|_] ♡.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1611850887i%2F5476828._UX200_CR0%2C21%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 12, 2022
09.2016:
I finished all four paperback volumes in one sitting because I couldn't put them down. I loved the art and the story was great. Jiwoon and Soohan's relationship seemed fragile and yet very strong. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was when
I finished all four paperback volumes in one sitting because I couldn't put them down. I loved the art and the story was great. Jiwoon and Soohan's relationship seemed fragile and yet very strong. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was when
October 17, 2022
No puedo resistir cuando me encuentro un cómic con carga psicológica bien desarrollada. Los dos protagonistas llevan mucho a sus espaldas, uno de ellos ni siquiera es consciente de cuánto. Ver cómo se acercan el uno al otro para curar sus heridas resulta descorazonador, triste y precioso.
La historia tiene lugar en un "barrio rojo" (dedicado a la prostitución), el protagonista es miembro de la mafia y es enviado allí a esconderse hasta que su jefe salga de la cárcel. Es un lugar tranquilo, así que prácticamente le conceden "unas vacaciones". Allí conoce a otro chico, es mudo y no forma parte de la mafia, pero vive allí y hace trabajillos arreglando cosas para las chicas.
La historia tiene lugar en un "barrio rojo" (dedicado a la prostitución), el protagonista es miembro de la mafia y es enviado allí a esconderse hasta que su jefe salga de la cárcel. Es un lugar tranquilo, así que prácticamente le conceden "unas vacaciones". Allí conoce a otro chico, es mudo y no forma parte de la mafia, pero vive allí y hace trabajillos arreglando cosas para las chicas.
February 4, 2021
4.5/5
This was so beautiful, both the artwork and the quiet melancholy of the story. It's a short series so I'm worried it will break my heart, but I'm invested until the end.
This was so beautiful, both the artwork and the quiet melancholy of the story. It's a short series so I'm worried it will break my heart, but I'm invested until the end.
Want to read
August 3, 2016Gonna order it next month. Setelah liat blurb di tiap volume, kayanya bagus nih manhwa. Bikin aku teringat Moonlight, Tiger and Smoke. Ditambah judulnya itu, intense love antara dua orang pendiam di dunia mafia. XD
Ada 9 volume. Terpaksa dicicil belinya, ga sanggup sekaligus. X( Secara harganya lbh mahal ketimbang manga terjemahan Inggris lain.
Ada 9 volume. Terpaksa dicicil belinya, ga sanggup sekaligus. X( Secara harganya lbh mahal ketimbang manga terjemahan Inggris lain.
August 3, 2016
I loved this. It´s melancholy, the art is beautiful and the chemistry between the characters is great.
I´m really looking forward to the next volume.
I´m really looking forward to the next volume.
September 17, 2022
This is a dark, quiet, and rather sad book - I honestly found parts of it confusing, but it's also strangely beautiful. Since it's a four-part series, I wanted to start with just the first book to see if it was too dark for me. That could still be true by the end, since a lot of the circumstances and trauma aren't going to just magically disappear, but I liked the setup thus far, and I'm definitely intrigued to see how the relationship between Jiwoon and Soohan develops.
There isn't much, so far, in the way of actual bonding between these two. Jiwoon's just fascinated by Soohan - he finds him interesting and beautiful and he wants to kiss him. So he does, in a scenario that understandably makes Soohan kind of freak out. Jiwoon gets the hint and backs off - tells Soohan he's still interested in him but that he won't make any moves Soohan doesn't want.
Some of the translations are a little rough - possibly a bit too literal rather than adapting dialogue and smoothing it into something more natural - and I had a little bit of trouble following some of the flashbacks with Jiwoon's dad. I think some of that may have been intentional, though, because it does make more sense by the end, when Jiwoon opens up to Soohan some about his childhood.
That scene was...rough. We don't know much (anything?) about Soohan's backstory yet, but Jiwoon's is so messed up that he's still really messed up. "Weird," as Soohan calls him, which Jiwoon goes on a mini quest to figure out if that means "bad."
He ultimately decides it does, and that Soohan, just like his father, just like everyone he's ever known, hates him and doesn't want to be around him.
Jiwoon's father, incidentally, committed suicide, which is what led to Jiwoon being adopted into the mafia, and essentially raised as a quiet, knife-wielding enforcer. There were some hints at the beginning that made me think Jiwoon might've actually been responsible for his father's death, but it turns out the bloody injuries he'd gotten on his face were from his father kicking him as Jiwoon tried to save him.
Traumatizing? Yeah. And that's not even factoring in the part where his father beat him regularly (and his mother, too, until she abandoned them). I think his father also beat his puppy to death, too, so there are certainly a lot of content warnings in here. Add to that the constant abuse and slurs Soohan receives from the other thugs in their little town - simply because he's kind to the prostitutes and treats them like women and friends. And because he doesn't speak and is assumed to be fully mute, which of course leads to terrible people heaping a lot of slurs on him, knowing he can't/won't fight back.
It seems like Jiwoon and Soohan both retained a lot of kindness despite the continual rough treatment they've grown up with. Can they find happiness? I don't know. Guess I'll have to get the rest of the books to find out.
There isn't much, so far, in the way of actual bonding between these two. Jiwoon's just fascinated by Soohan - he finds him interesting and beautiful and he wants to kiss him. So he does, in a scenario that understandably makes Soohan kind of freak out. Jiwoon gets the hint and backs off - tells Soohan he's still interested in him but that he won't make any moves Soohan doesn't want.
Some of the translations are a little rough - possibly a bit too literal rather than adapting dialogue and smoothing it into something more natural - and I had a little bit of trouble following some of the flashbacks with Jiwoon's dad. I think some of that may have been intentional, though, because it does make more sense by the end, when Jiwoon opens up to Soohan some about his childhood.
That scene was...rough. We don't know much (anything?) about Soohan's backstory yet, but Jiwoon's is so messed up that he's still really messed up. "Weird," as Soohan calls him, which Jiwoon goes on a mini quest to figure out if that means "bad."
He ultimately decides it does, and that Soohan, just like his father, just like everyone he's ever known, hates him and doesn't want to be around him.
Jiwoon's father, incidentally, committed suicide, which is what led to Jiwoon being adopted into the mafia, and essentially raised as a quiet, knife-wielding enforcer. There were some hints at the beginning that made me think Jiwoon might've actually been responsible for his father's death, but it turns out the bloody injuries he'd gotten on his face were from his father kicking him as Jiwoon tried to save him.
Traumatizing? Yeah. And that's not even factoring in the part where his father beat him regularly (and his mother, too, until she abandoned them). I think his father also beat his puppy to death, too, so there are certainly a lot of content warnings in here. Add to that the constant abuse and slurs Soohan receives from the other thugs in their little town - simply because he's kind to the prostitutes and treats them like women and friends. And because he doesn't speak and is assumed to be fully mute, which of course leads to terrible people heaping a lot of slurs on him, knowing he can't/won't fight back.
It seems like Jiwoon and Soohan both retained a lot of kindness despite the continual rough treatment they've grown up with. Can they find happiness? I don't know. Guess I'll have to get the rest of the books to find out.
November 11, 2018
I bought this manhwa for my exploration into the Yaoi genre. This was the first time that I read Yaoi Korean fiction, which made it really fascinating for me because as a culture, LGBT+ is not as accepted like in other countries. Which surprises me that not only was this published, but translated into English. It gives me the thought that perhaps that the publishers believe that the main market is perhaps not it's native people.
I really liked this book. It follows the story of Jiwoon and Soohan. Jiwoon is a part of a gang, and gets exiled to the red light district. He has to stay with Soohan, who spends his time looking after the prostitutes but is a mute, and the story goes from there. I do want to say though, that the story so far is not sexually explicit. I think that is the reason why I liked it so much because it focuses on the characters and their development. Especially seeing as both Jiwoon and Soohan hardly speak, so their story is told through the beautiful artwork. But when language is used, it is beautiful. I can already tell that this series will be emotional. Plus Jiwoon is a diamond that needs to be protected.
I really like this manhwa and I would recommend it if you are interested in yaoi!
I really liked this book. It follows the story of Jiwoon and Soohan. Jiwoon is a part of a gang, and gets exiled to the red light district. He has to stay with Soohan, who spends his time looking after the prostitutes but is a mute, and the story goes from there. I do want to say though, that the story so far is not sexually explicit. I think that is the reason why I liked it so much because it focuses on the characters and their development. Especially seeing as both Jiwoon and Soohan hardly speak, so their story is told through the beautiful artwork. But when language is used, it is beautiful. I can already tell that this series will be emotional. Plus Jiwoon is a diamond that needs to be protected.
I really like this manhwa and I would recommend it if you are interested in yaoi!
February 22, 2017
OMG I haven't read manga in years. This is the first yaoi manga I have ever read and I absolutely love it. This book doesn't have much in the way of a relationship between the two main characters but it is about the interpersonal relationships that they have with the outside world.
Vol. 1 is mostly about the world building and the first stirrings of a crush from Jiwoon's side. Soohan is a mute so we really don't get much in the way of his personality except when we see him helping those around him. There's enough build up in this book that I'm impatiently waiting for the rest of the series to come in (I prefer paperbacks over ebooks. I love amazon prime)
Vol. 1 is mostly about the world building and the first stirrings of a crush from Jiwoon's side. Soohan is a mute so we really don't get much in the way of his personality except when we see him helping those around him. There's enough build up in this book that I'm impatiently waiting for the rest of the series to come in (I prefer paperbacks over ebooks. I love amazon prime)
January 6, 2018
I don't read a lot lately. Stumbled upon this and absolutely fell in love. The art is just so gorgeous and stunning. I just love the whole atmosphere and melancholy tone of the whole story. I love the two broken and misunderstood MCs, and how in the midst of such terrible and crappy situations, they are in their own world when together. Going on my top favorites for sure.
These are available online in ebook formats. I recommend getting the four volumes, not the individual chapters.
These are available online in ebook formats. I recommend getting the four volumes, not the individual chapters.
June 13, 2022
Hermoso manhwa bl, mi favorito sin duda
Did not finish
April 14, 2023Not a series for me.
April 21, 2018
Intense is a Korean boys love graphic novel series featuring main character Jiwoon Kang. Orphaned by the mafia, yet still tangled up with the warring gangs, Jiwoon is sent to the red light district in a shady-enough-as-it-is town, meant to keep the peace as needed. There he is offered housing with Soohan, a local young man. While Jiwoon is a very quiet person himself--having seen his own father murdered in front of him, he is interested in the fact that Soohan actually talks less than he does, something he never imagined could be a possibility. It turns out Soohan is a mute, hence the lack of vocalization. When Jiwoon kisses Soohan in a moment of vulnerability, their already non-existent relationship may never even blossom.
When my husband bought this for me as a gift, I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I dived in and figured "Oh, it's just another gang violence series," but when Jiwoon shows feelings for Soohan, I was like, "Wait, what?!" Only then did I turn to the back to find the genre "Boys Love" printed there. I enjoy boys love, but this definitely doesn't have the feeling of a BL such as Love Stage or The World's Greatest First Love. There is some mafia conflict in this first volume, and just enough to keep me wanting to read. One of the few first volumes where I feel like I really need to read the second one to decide whether I want to stay committed to the series or not. Also, the art is fantastic. An overall enjoyable manga.
When my husband bought this for me as a gift, I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I dived in and figured "Oh, it's just another gang violence series," but when Jiwoon shows feelings for Soohan, I was like, "Wait, what?!" Only then did I turn to the back to find the genre "Boys Love" printed there. I enjoy boys love, but this definitely doesn't have the feeling of a BL such as Love Stage or The World's Greatest First Love. There is some mafia conflict in this first volume, and just enough to keep me wanting to read. One of the few first volumes where I feel like I really need to read the second one to decide whether I want to stay committed to the series or not. Also, the art is fantastic. An overall enjoyable manga.
September 13, 2018
Well??? That was interesting I guess
January 17, 2021
It was ok
February 17, 2021
Series as a whole: 3 Stars. Rough start that made me put down the series for years, but once I picked it up again and pushed through, it was alright. Didn't dislike it. Entertaining enough while I read it.
Short and quick. The characters are drawn so freaking pretty (reason I picked up the series when I eyeballed it on the shelves). I really like the character of Soohan, and Jiwoon is interesting too. Together they make a couple that I ultimately root for, but I didn't care about the whole mafia gangster plot. I wasn't even quite sure what was going on with that and I didn't care enough to slow down, reread, and figure it out. There were some messed up things going on too that were uncomfortable, and ultimately it was all about the angst our MCs go through and the smut/romance.
---
As for Volume 1
When I first read this 2 years ago, I gave it a 2 stars. I think it might've been the very first yaoi series I picked up, and I didn't get it. I was like "Wtf am I reading?" and thought it was all just weird and boring.
Since then, I've become somewhat more familiar with the genre and its tropes, and upon rereading it I bump up the rating to a 2.5 or 3 stars. The story wants to have a romance about 2 guys with some seriously messed up trauma, and it uses this mafia setup as a means to achieve that. The whole mafia thing doesn't work for me. That said, I actually liked Soohan this time around. Got super intrigued by him, and even Jiwoon started growing on me as the volume went on.
I liked them enough that I carried on to volume 2.
Short and quick. The characters are drawn so freaking pretty (reason I picked up the series when I eyeballed it on the shelves). I really like the character of Soohan, and Jiwoon is interesting too. Together they make a couple that I ultimately root for, but I didn't care about the whole mafia gangster plot. I wasn't even quite sure what was going on with that and I didn't care enough to slow down, reread, and figure it out. There were some messed up things going on too that were uncomfortable, and ultimately it was all about the angst our MCs go through and the smut/romance.
---
As for Volume 1
When I first read this 2 years ago, I gave it a 2 stars. I think it might've been the very first yaoi series I picked up, and I didn't get it. I was like "Wtf am I reading?" and thought it was all just weird and boring.
Since then, I've become somewhat more familiar with the genre and its tropes, and upon rereading it I bump up the rating to a 2.5 or 3 stars. The story wants to have a romance about 2 guys with some seriously messed up trauma, and it uses this mafia setup as a means to achieve that. The whole mafia thing doesn't work for me. That said, I actually liked Soohan this time around. Got super intrigued by him, and even Jiwoon started growing on me as the volume went on.
I liked them enough that I carried on to volume 2.
April 19, 2017
I liked this graphic novel boys love story, however it is very slow building. Hopefully this volume is just a long introduction into a great story involving the mafia and two boys who seem to have been hurt in the past by the people around them. Recommend to older teens and adults.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews