What do you think?
Rate this book
100% Perfect Girl #1
100% Perfect Girl, Volume 1
A giddy romantic fable, this story depicts Jay Jinn, a headstrong teenage rebel who's determined to prove she's serious about making art. J. Max is a tall debonair foreigner in Korea on business. On the surface it seems they have nothing in common. But then there are the interventions of friends and family who think they know what's best for them!
184 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
43 people are currently reading
1673 people want to read
About the author
Wann
805 books120 followersDebuted with Stupid in 1997
Main works: Honey, The return of the Princess Louina, Fining A Hidden Handsome Man, Miracle, I Wanna Be Happy, Anne the Lover
Main works: Honey, The return of the Princess Louina, Fining A Hidden Handsome Man, Miracle, I Wanna Be Happy, Anne the Lover
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 54 reviews
February 10, 2008
J. is a businessman and the prince of a tiny (yet prosperous!) European country. He is Korea on business when he runs into Jay, a lovely young art student (whose dreams are being quashed by her family and sexism). He is immediately smitten with her, and follows her into the countryside and away from his entourage of (eyecandy) caretakers. Jay and J. have a beautiful day together, up until J. is nearly killed by an allergic reaction to a chicken kebob (apparently, being a prince means one doesn't have to be aware of one's own medical history).
J. and Jay can't stop thinking about each other, despite not knowing anything about one another save for their names. J. begins a multimillion dollar advertising campaign to find Jay ("J is looking for J"), and returns to Korea three months after his near death-by-chicken experience. It is pure coincidence that reunites J. and Jay beneath one of J.'s giant billboard ads.
Friendship and romance bloom, and everything is sweet and sexy. . . up until the last chapter. J. was a bit of a jerk throughout the book, but it was also sweet to see him struggling with his feelings for Jay. Things take a darker turn when J. nearly rapes Jay (see: I love you so much, I can't help myself!) We get several pages of J. tearing off Jay's clothes as she cries and begs him to stop; when she questions his intentions towards her, J. turns huffy and tosses Jay out of his room, telling her that she'd misjudged him, and wronged him by doubting his feelings! No, you do *not* get to have hurt feelings after the woman you nearly *raped* has doubts about your honourable intentions!
The volume ends with J. showing up at Jay's home to propose marriage; is this meant to make up for the near rape?
The story and art were enjoyable up until the last chapter, but the sexual assault lost major points for the series.
J. and Jay can't stop thinking about each other, despite not knowing anything about one another save for their names. J. begins a multimillion dollar advertising campaign to find Jay ("J is looking for J"), and returns to Korea three months after his near death-by-chicken experience. It is pure coincidence that reunites J. and Jay beneath one of J.'s giant billboard ads.
Friendship and romance bloom, and everything is sweet and sexy. . . up until the last chapter. J. was a bit of a jerk throughout the book, but it was also sweet to see him struggling with his feelings for Jay. Things take a darker turn when J. nearly rapes Jay (see: I love you so much, I can't help myself!) We get several pages of J. tearing off Jay's clothes as she cries and begs him to stop; when she questions his intentions towards her, J. turns huffy and tosses Jay out of his room, telling her that she'd misjudged him, and wronged him by doubting his feelings! No, you do *not* get to have hurt feelings after the woman you nearly *raped* has doubts about your honourable intentions!
The volume ends with J. showing up at Jay's home to propose marriage; is this meant to make up for the near rape?
The story and art were enjoyable up until the last chapter, but the sexual assault lost major points for the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2025
Ah, what could have been with this manhwa...
Like with all my reviews of comics, this is a look at the series as a whole and will contain spoilers as a result.
This series contains heavy triggers and problematic content, which will be a bulk of what I discuss.I even went back and read the first 7 volumes completely and skimmed the last 4 just to make sure I remembered things correctly.
Trust me, I got all I need to know.
100% Perfect Girl is a story that prominently focuses on the romance between a Korean girl named Jae and the young king of a fictional European country, Roinne, named Jarte, who often goes by "J."
The title (and the subsequent meeting of these two in the story) is based on the title and events of a short story called On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl on One Beautiful April Morning wherein the narrator recognizes a woman he passes on the street as being the ideal woman for him, but he doesn't approach her, leaving him wondering about the missed opportunity.
Unlike the story, where the narrator simply speaks of a missed opportunity and laments, J actually hunts down Jae in a grand romantic gesture after they part ways unexpectedly, putting the phrase "J is looking for J" on billboards and ads all over Korea to catch her attention. He ends up running into her himself at one such billboard in a "it must be fate" sort of way that proves to him that they're meant to be.
What ensues is a whirlwind romance where they date, get engaged, go to his homeland of Roinne, fall in love, and endure many, many ups and downs in their relationship as a result of Jarte being a young, attractive king responsible for a powerful country with many enemies and Jae being a normal Korean girl who is just trying to sort out her feelings for this larger-than-life man and pursue her dreams of being an artist.
There's a lot to unpack about this series.
But first, let's get the easy stuff out of the way.
The art style definitely strikes me as being Korean (their comics just have a certain LOOK, you know?) and is a little more... angular, I suppose, than what I've seen in a lot of comics. At times it's very beautiful, but there are times when the stylized faces or poses definitely look rather off. Like with most Korean manhwa, the style is sort of an acquired taste or at least something you just have to grow accustomed to, especially if you're used to reading modern Japanese manga. I personally like it a lot and appreciate its distinct elements, but I can see where the artist was either too reliant on style or not skilled enough to execute the pose/scene/etc. that they were attempting.
The problem isn't the art snafus, however.
What really kills this story is that it is overly graphic, overly dramatic, and highly problematic.
It really wants to make Jae and Jarte have the most high stake relationship ever by throwing in such plot points as: kidnapping, deceit, internal insecurities, mental illness, trauma, murder, betrayal, dark distant pasts, attempted suicide, sexual assault, spousal abuse, and more into the mix whenever possible.
Like, this story has a lot going on and it's rarely to the benefit of the narrative.
First thing's first: Jarte is abusive and awful. As a love interest, he rates very low. He's jealous, possessive, obsessive, controlling, mistrusting, immature, and manipulative.
For example, he's quick to blame Jae for all of their relationship problems, making unrealistic demands of her whenever she's not acting or feeling in a way that suits his wants and needs.
She starts off very unsure of her feelings for him and she tells him this at the start of their relationship. At no point does she lead him on or lie to him about what she wants or feels. She's very open about her uncertainties, her concerns, her hesitancy, but he insists that they keep dating and trying to make their relationship work because he believes that he can win her over if he's persistent enough.
He even goes so far as coerce and pressure her into accepting a proposal from him (which he makes the day after attempting to rape her, by the way, so this stunt comes off much like an abusive boyfriend buying flowers and chocolates the day after punching his girlfriend in the face) so that he can whisk her away to his kingdom and palace for a lavish engagement.
On the surface, this just seems like a fairytale romance sort of thing where he is just so in passionately love, so sure they're soulmates, that he can't take it slow has to prove his devotion with grand love-bomb gestures, but from how Jarte is throughout the whole series... I fully believe this was a calculated move in order to manipulate Jae into being receptive to his advances after making her feel isolated and vulnerable.
Think about it. Jae has comfort, familiarity, and support at home in Korea. She's in her element, enjoying the perks of being a private citizen, and, most importantly, it's where she has the most power and agency--it's why she's able to think about her situation with more clarity and feel secure in her choice to reject Jarte, even though he basically offers to make her dreams of being an artist come true.
I think Jarte picks up on the fact that he is not going to have success wooing Jae while they're in Korea--that's why after Jae rejects him sexually, he proposes in a huge, overwhelming public gesture to make it hard for her to refuse and then, after she accepts, he immediately flies her to his home country of Roinne before she's had any time to process the situation.
Once Jarte has her in his kingdom, he holds complete power over Jae in every way. She's effectively been stripped of her support system, all sense of familiarity, and any power she has, which forces her to be fully dependent on Jarte because she has nothing and no one but him--a situation that he is fully going to use to manipulate Jae into yielding to his advances and falling in love with him.
Which... oh my, that is a huge yikes.
Naturally, someone this persistent, domineering, and self-centered isn't going to handle it well when the object of their affections doesn't fall in line with expectations. When Jae continues to have doubts about the relationship, isn't succumbing to Jarte's advances, and hasn't given up everything to devote herself to loving him, he reacts to this by having a meltdown, accusing Jae of lying and using him, making himself the victim.
This is a decidedly disgusting manipulation tactic to force Jae to yield to his feelings and desires by framing her love as something she owes him, all on the basis that because his feelings are so intense and he has put in so much effort to woo her, it's heartless and cruel for her to not love him back the way he wants.
Even though, you know, he's been actually pretty awful to her because on top of the constant manipulation, blowing up at her, and misuse of his power to control her he tries to rape her multiple times throughout the series.
Like, this man is fully aware how one-sided their relationship is. He knows that he is the one pursing her. He knows that she reluctantly agreed to give him a chance to make her fall in love. At no point is there anything Jae says or does that indicates she's taking advantage of him or playing with his feelings. Yet, instead of of approaching her with patience, respect, and understanding as he tries to show her his affection and kindle a real and sustainable romance, he just uses his wealth and power to love bomb her excessively and then has a meltdown tantrum (and usually tries to assault her) when his latest grandiose gesture doesn't immediately get him what he wants (which is her full devotion to him and also sex).
Pro tip: if you're only behaving kindly or doing things with the expectation of getting someone to love you and/or have sex with you, you aren't actually nice and your motivations are shit.
I'm not even joking about attempted rape happening multiple times, by the way. That is not an exaggeration.
There are several instances where he's like "I CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF" or "I MUST HAVE YOU!" or "WHY DID I WAIT? I SHOULD'VE JUST FORCED YOU TO HAVE SEX WITH ME BEFORE ANOTHER MAN COULD HAVE YOU!"
Jarte even tries to KILL Jae when she no longer wants to be with him and isn't responding to him the way he wants which the story excuses, much like it did all the rape attempts, by making it seem like attempted murder is proof of deep, intense love and affection.
Jarte is an emotionally insecure monster who expects the person he claims to love (or, more accurately, the dehumanized object of his unhealthy obsession) to sit in a well guarded room with zero outside contact with the world, ready for sex at a moment's notice, and be happy and emotionally attentive to him at all times so that he doesn't have to do any of the work or endure any of the emotional labor that comes with being in a healthy partnership.
He seriously SUCKS. The comic tries to play it up as him being tortured and feeling intense and being so deeply in love and that he should be forgiven for these actions and receive every accommodation he wants from Jae, but in the end, he is a man incapable of handling emotions who swings between extremes: one moment he's extremely happy and in love, the next he's extremely upset and willing to rape or kill because he lacks the emotional stability to react with anything but violence.
He's even extremely jealous of his own unborn child when he realizes it could be a boy because he feels a boy would compete with him for Jae's affections and take her from him while feeling that a girl would be a little copy of Jae he could also obsessively love.
Can I just say.... what the actual FUCK?
This grown ass man would be jealous of his son because he sees every male on the planet as an enemy he's in competition with for Jae's attention and affection. Like if that's not the very definition of an incredibly childish, petty, unstable, immature, irrational person, I don't know what is.
While Jae herself is a good character who I overall liked, I didn't appreciate that the author decided, not only to put her in the most toxic romance imaginable, but made is so literally every guy in the world goes insane with the desire to possess her physically, emotionally, and sexually.
Basically, every man in this manhwa wants to have sex with Jae, whether she consents or not, and keep her all to themselves, probably in a locked and guarded bunker underground where she can never escape. They all want to possess her and are always infatuated by her innocence and smallness and helplessness and see her as special and exotic (as this story takes place almost exclusively in Europe and the U.S) for these qualities.
In fact, she is so coveted that male characters will kill, fight, blackmail, kidnap, and commit various other crimes in an attempt to have her and have sex with her. Which feels a bit unrealistic and also it's always twinged with his horrible feeling of infantilization and dehumanization because they all want her for things that aren't really who she is--it's her appearance or qualities beyond her control or the fact that some other powerful man wants her.
I don't think anyone cares that she, for example, wants to be an artist and struggles with the areas where her talent isn't enough to carry her dreams or that she feels unseen and invalidated by a mother who expects her to sacrifice everything to support her older brother's more socially respected pursuits in college or that she feels crushed under the weight of what it means to be with Jarte, who is a public figure and king, when all she wants is a normal life doing what she loves.
There are like... four total male characters who don't want to bend Jae over a table and aggressively have sex with her for days on end. Just four.
One is her own brother (so, at least incest isn't an issue in this particular comic) and the other three are the subordinate males closest to Jarte (his butler, his assistant, and his bodyguard) who more or less exist purely to help facilitate Jarte's mission to seduce, fuck, marry, and permanently entrap Jae.
Overall, I see what the author was trying to do, but I think the attempt to make Jarte passionate and the world dark just ended up making feel uncomfortable and unfortunate and unsatisfying.
I actually can't stand to read through volumes 8-11 because they're just more of the same relationship drama nonsense to try to drag out the character development to the last moment. The series comes off as repetitive with its conflicts and villains. It ultimately could have been condensed if the characters hadn't been emotionally inept and written purely for artificial grit and drama.
I, for one, also feel like mental illness and the approach to those with mental illness/trauma wasn't treated all that well in this story.
Jarte especially was horrible for how he regarded Jae's trauma after being kidnapped, losing her memories, and being assaulted. Like, he is so caught up in his own feelings that he barely registers that she's gone through horrific stuff and is in no position to cater to his emotional needs because she needs him to be there for her while she recovers.
I also hate how all his terrible actions were always ascribed to some sort of mental illness (we later find out his father behaved much like him and, upon losing his wife, killed himself) caused by how deeply he feels about things, as if simply having some problems means you are completely absolved of responsibility for the horrible things you do.
It's not that simple and no one should ever think of mental illness and mental health in such a black-and-white way.
Are there illnesses that render you incapable of being accountable for your actions? Sure. Does this mean any mental illness or distress is a freebie card to do as you please without repercussions? No. You're affected by mental illness, but it doesn't rule you enough to take the blame when you do wrong things. Jarte's problems are not so far into the category of severe mental illness that he's incapable of understanding right from wrong or not knowing what he's doing. He knows what he's doing and writes it off because his opinion is that his feelings and wants are more important than Jae's and that he knows better than she does.
Not the absolute worst series I've read, which is saying something based on how wildly toxic the romance in this one is, but it certainly was severely impacted by all its flaws and the plot choices that were made. It could have been interesting, but it fails to make use of its interesting ideas and premise in favor of being salacious and dark.
Like with all my reviews of comics, this is a look at the series as a whole and will contain spoilers as a result.
This series contains heavy triggers and problematic content, which will be a bulk of what I discuss.I even went back and read the first 7 volumes completely and skimmed the last 4 just to make sure I remembered things correctly.
Trust me, I got all I need to know.
100% Perfect Girl is a story that prominently focuses on the romance between a Korean girl named Jae and the young king of a fictional European country, Roinne, named Jarte, who often goes by "J."
The title (and the subsequent meeting of these two in the story) is based on the title and events of a short story called On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl on One Beautiful April Morning wherein the narrator recognizes a woman he passes on the street as being the ideal woman for him, but he doesn't approach her, leaving him wondering about the missed opportunity.
Unlike the story, where the narrator simply speaks of a missed opportunity and laments, J actually hunts down Jae in a grand romantic gesture after they part ways unexpectedly, putting the phrase "J is looking for J" on billboards and ads all over Korea to catch her attention. He ends up running into her himself at one such billboard in a "it must be fate" sort of way that proves to him that they're meant to be.
What ensues is a whirlwind romance where they date, get engaged, go to his homeland of Roinne, fall in love, and endure many, many ups and downs in their relationship as a result of Jarte being a young, attractive king responsible for a powerful country with many enemies and Jae being a normal Korean girl who is just trying to sort out her feelings for this larger-than-life man and pursue her dreams of being an artist.
There's a lot to unpack about this series.
But first, let's get the easy stuff out of the way.
The art style definitely strikes me as being Korean (their comics just have a certain LOOK, you know?) and is a little more... angular, I suppose, than what I've seen in a lot of comics. At times it's very beautiful, but there are times when the stylized faces or poses definitely look rather off. Like with most Korean manhwa, the style is sort of an acquired taste or at least something you just have to grow accustomed to, especially if you're used to reading modern Japanese manga. I personally like it a lot and appreciate its distinct elements, but I can see where the artist was either too reliant on style or not skilled enough to execute the pose/scene/etc. that they were attempting.
The problem isn't the art snafus, however.
What really kills this story is that it is overly graphic, overly dramatic, and highly problematic.
It really wants to make Jae and Jarte have the most high stake relationship ever by throwing in such plot points as: kidnapping, deceit, internal insecurities, mental illness, trauma, murder, betrayal, dark distant pasts, attempted suicide, sexual assault, spousal abuse, and more into the mix whenever possible.
Like, this story has a lot going on and it's rarely to the benefit of the narrative.
First thing's first: Jarte is abusive and awful. As a love interest, he rates very low. He's jealous, possessive, obsessive, controlling, mistrusting, immature, and manipulative.
For example, he's quick to blame Jae for all of their relationship problems, making unrealistic demands of her whenever she's not acting or feeling in a way that suits his wants and needs.
She starts off very unsure of her feelings for him and she tells him this at the start of their relationship. At no point does she lead him on or lie to him about what she wants or feels. She's very open about her uncertainties, her concerns, her hesitancy, but he insists that they keep dating and trying to make their relationship work because he believes that he can win her over if he's persistent enough.
He even goes so far as coerce and pressure her into accepting a proposal from him (which he makes the day after attempting to rape her, by the way, so this stunt comes off much like an abusive boyfriend buying flowers and chocolates the day after punching his girlfriend in the face) so that he can whisk her away to his kingdom and palace for a lavish engagement.
On the surface, this just seems like a fairytale romance sort of thing where he is just so in passionately love, so sure they're soulmates, that he can't take it slow has to prove his devotion with grand love-bomb gestures, but from how Jarte is throughout the whole series... I fully believe this was a calculated move in order to manipulate Jae into being receptive to his advances after making her feel isolated and vulnerable.
Think about it. Jae has comfort, familiarity, and support at home in Korea. She's in her element, enjoying the perks of being a private citizen, and, most importantly, it's where she has the most power and agency--it's why she's able to think about her situation with more clarity and feel secure in her choice to reject Jarte, even though he basically offers to make her dreams of being an artist come true.
I think Jarte picks up on the fact that he is not going to have success wooing Jae while they're in Korea--that's why after Jae rejects him sexually, he proposes in a huge, overwhelming public gesture to make it hard for her to refuse and then, after she accepts, he immediately flies her to his home country of Roinne before she's had any time to process the situation.
Once Jarte has her in his kingdom, he holds complete power over Jae in every way. She's effectively been stripped of her support system, all sense of familiarity, and any power she has, which forces her to be fully dependent on Jarte because she has nothing and no one but him--a situation that he is fully going to use to manipulate Jae into yielding to his advances and falling in love with him.
Which... oh my, that is a huge yikes.
Naturally, someone this persistent, domineering, and self-centered isn't going to handle it well when the object of their affections doesn't fall in line with expectations. When Jae continues to have doubts about the relationship, isn't succumbing to Jarte's advances, and hasn't given up everything to devote herself to loving him, he reacts to this by having a meltdown, accusing Jae of lying and using him, making himself the victim.
This is a decidedly disgusting manipulation tactic to force Jae to yield to his feelings and desires by framing her love as something she owes him, all on the basis that because his feelings are so intense and he has put in so much effort to woo her, it's heartless and cruel for her to not love him back the way he wants.
Even though, you know, he's been actually pretty awful to her because on top of the constant manipulation, blowing up at her, and misuse of his power to control her he tries to rape her multiple times throughout the series.
Like, this man is fully aware how one-sided their relationship is. He knows that he is the one pursing her. He knows that she reluctantly agreed to give him a chance to make her fall in love. At no point is there anything Jae says or does that indicates she's taking advantage of him or playing with his feelings. Yet, instead of of approaching her with patience, respect, and understanding as he tries to show her his affection and kindle a real and sustainable romance, he just uses his wealth and power to love bomb her excessively and then has a meltdown tantrum (and usually tries to assault her) when his latest grandiose gesture doesn't immediately get him what he wants (which is her full devotion to him and also sex).
Pro tip: if you're only behaving kindly or doing things with the expectation of getting someone to love you and/or have sex with you, you aren't actually nice and your motivations are shit.
I'm not even joking about attempted rape happening multiple times, by the way. That is not an exaggeration.
There are several instances where he's like "I CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF" or "I MUST HAVE YOU!" or "WHY DID I WAIT? I SHOULD'VE JUST FORCED YOU TO HAVE SEX WITH ME BEFORE ANOTHER MAN COULD HAVE YOU!"
Which are all big yikes because:
1) A lapse in self-control isn't sexy; attempting to force yourself on someone isn't hot nor is it evidence of how intensely you feel about them. All it proves is that you're prioritizing your lust and disrespecting them and their autonomy. Self control is a sign of decency and respect and is a fully expected quality in another human being.
2) Overwhelming lust is not a legitimate reason for doing anything to someone without consent. There is no "must" about it, you will be just fine if you don't. Literally no one in the history of humankind has ever died of sexual frustration. You'll be fine. Go make nice with your hand and chill out.
3) It's incredibly gross and narrow minded to assume that if you take a woman's virginity (by force or otherwise) that she's tethered to you in a way that can never be severed, ensuring she'll never leave you. Also, the very concept of virginity is problematic and gross.
4) It's also gross to want to take someone's virginity purely to stop her from having sexual or romantic attachments to any other people; i.e. treating it like "marking your territory" because now that she's "used" or "tainted" no one else will ever want her.
5) It's super fucked up to think or say that you should have opted to rape someone just because they chose to be with and/or have sex with someone else and you now feel robbed of something you felt entitled to. It was the correct thing to respect their boundaries and want their consent, but it was bad to do so only on the belief that eventually they would willingly fuck you and give you their virginity, which you felt entitled to have. No one is ever owed sex! For any reason!
Jarte even tries to KILL Jae when she no longer wants to be with him and isn't responding to him the way he wants which the story excuses, much like it did all the rape attempts, by making it seem like attempted murder is proof of deep, intense love and affection.
Jarte is an emotionally insecure monster who expects the person he claims to love (or, more accurately, the dehumanized object of his unhealthy obsession) to sit in a well guarded room with zero outside contact with the world, ready for sex at a moment's notice, and be happy and emotionally attentive to him at all times so that he doesn't have to do any of the work or endure any of the emotional labor that comes with being in a healthy partnership.
He seriously SUCKS. The comic tries to play it up as him being tortured and feeling intense and being so deeply in love and that he should be forgiven for these actions and receive every accommodation he wants from Jae, but in the end, he is a man incapable of handling emotions who swings between extremes: one moment he's extremely happy and in love, the next he's extremely upset and willing to rape or kill because he lacks the emotional stability to react with anything but violence.
He's even extremely jealous of his own unborn child when he realizes it could be a boy because he feels a boy would compete with him for Jae's affections and take her from him while feeling that a girl would be a little copy of Jae he could also obsessively love.
Can I just say.... what the actual FUCK?
This grown ass man would be jealous of his son because he sees every male on the planet as an enemy he's in competition with for Jae's attention and affection. Like if that's not the very definition of an incredibly childish, petty, unstable, immature, irrational person, I don't know what is.
While Jae herself is a good character who I overall liked, I didn't appreciate that the author decided, not only to put her in the most toxic romance imaginable, but made is so literally every guy in the world goes insane with the desire to possess her physically, emotionally, and sexually.
Basically, every man in this manhwa wants to have sex with Jae, whether she consents or not, and keep her all to themselves, probably in a locked and guarded bunker underground where she can never escape. They all want to possess her and are always infatuated by her innocence and smallness and helplessness and see her as special and exotic (as this story takes place almost exclusively in Europe and the U.S) for these qualities.
In fact, she is so coveted that male characters will kill, fight, blackmail, kidnap, and commit various other crimes in an attempt to have her and have sex with her. Which feels a bit unrealistic and also it's always twinged with his horrible feeling of infantilization and dehumanization because they all want her for things that aren't really who she is--it's her appearance or qualities beyond her control or the fact that some other powerful man wants her.
I don't think anyone cares that she, for example, wants to be an artist and struggles with the areas where her talent isn't enough to carry her dreams or that she feels unseen and invalidated by a mother who expects her to sacrifice everything to support her older brother's more socially respected pursuits in college or that she feels crushed under the weight of what it means to be with Jarte, who is a public figure and king, when all she wants is a normal life doing what she loves.
There are like... four total male characters who don't want to bend Jae over a table and aggressively have sex with her for days on end. Just four.
One is her own brother (so, at least incest isn't an issue in this particular comic) and the other three are the subordinate males closest to Jarte (his butler, his assistant, and his bodyguard) who more or less exist purely to help facilitate Jarte's mission to seduce, fuck, marry, and permanently entrap Jae.
Overall, I see what the author was trying to do, but I think the attempt to make Jarte passionate and the world dark just ended up making feel uncomfortable and unfortunate and unsatisfying.
I actually can't stand to read through volumes 8-11 because they're just more of the same relationship drama nonsense to try to drag out the character development to the last moment. The series comes off as repetitive with its conflicts and villains. It ultimately could have been condensed if the characters hadn't been emotionally inept and written purely for artificial grit and drama.
I, for one, also feel like mental illness and the approach to those with mental illness/trauma wasn't treated all that well in this story.
Jarte especially was horrible for how he regarded Jae's trauma after being kidnapped, losing her memories, and being assaulted. Like, he is so caught up in his own feelings that he barely registers that she's gone through horrific stuff and is in no position to cater to his emotional needs because she needs him to be there for her while she recovers.
I also hate how all his terrible actions were always ascribed to some sort of mental illness (we later find out his father behaved much like him and, upon losing his wife, killed himself) caused by how deeply he feels about things, as if simply having some problems means you are completely absolved of responsibility for the horrible things you do.
It's not that simple and no one should ever think of mental illness and mental health in such a black-and-white way.
Are there illnesses that render you incapable of being accountable for your actions? Sure. Does this mean any mental illness or distress is a freebie card to do as you please without repercussions? No. You're affected by mental illness, but it doesn't rule you enough to take the blame when you do wrong things. Jarte's problems are not so far into the category of severe mental illness that he's incapable of understanding right from wrong or not knowing what he's doing. He knows what he's doing and writes it off because his opinion is that his feelings and wants are more important than Jae's and that he knows better than she does.
Not the absolute worst series I've read, which is saying something based on how wildly toxic the romance in this one is, but it certainly was severely impacted by all its flaws and the plot choices that were made. It could have been interesting, but it fails to make use of its interesting ideas and premise in favor of being salacious and dark.
November 18, 2013
This is and was a great read, but they have such a desperate kind of love. That kind of love can be so incredibly sad.
June 9, 2017
Art: 5---> Absolutely love the art! It's very beautiful to look at.
Story: 2---> The story is very much written like a clique k-drama, or cinderella story.
It has your typical rich/CEO. Only in this he’s also a prince/king. Meh. With a poor female protagonist. Nothing very surprising happens. Unless you count the almost rape. That really REALLY bothered me.
I hated that a Western foreigner is being associated with sexual objectification of Asian women. It does happen, but I'd love to read of a healthy relationship between these two groups. Also, how old are they....?
****Spoilor: Jarte almost rapes Jay and basically blames her reaction of rejection on her being a virgin. Not okay. The story ends with Jarte coming to ask for her hand in marriage. If I were Jay...I'd run for my life.****
The Characters: 2.5--->
2 Main Protagonists:
*Mr. hornball Jarte Max Id'aregarte de la belle rionne III: Arrogant, emotionless, cold-hearted, HAWT. Future abusive husband. K-drama male protagonist.
*Jay Jin: slightly naive, beautiful, needs more common sense towards men. Artist (super cool!), high schooler. Not a complete airhead (yay!).
Overall Score: 3.2
Story: 2---> The story is very much written like a clique k-drama, or cinderella story.
It has your typical rich/CEO. Only in this he’s also a prince/king. Meh. With a poor female protagonist. Nothing very surprising happens. Unless you count the almost rape. That really REALLY bothered me.
I hated that a Western foreigner is being associated with sexual objectification of Asian women. It does happen, but I'd love to read of a healthy relationship between these two groups. Also, how old are they....?
****Spoilor: Jarte almost rapes Jay and basically blames her reaction of rejection on her being a virgin. Not okay. The story ends with Jarte coming to ask for her hand in marriage. If I were Jay...I'd run for my life.****
The Characters: 2.5--->
2 Main Protagonists:
*Mr. hornball Jarte Max Id'aregarte de la belle rionne III: Arrogant, emotionless, cold-hearted, HAWT. Future abusive husband. K-drama male protagonist.
*Jay Jin: slightly naive, beautiful, needs more common sense towards men. Artist (super cool!), high schooler. Not a complete airhead (yay!).
Overall Score: 3.2
June 29, 2013
This is about a European king who fell inlove at first sight with this Korean girl. At first, individually they were not looking for love. They were set on achieving their goals—Jay, becoming a well-known artist(even though her mom was totally against it) while J. Max gee. well, just being Jarte, the king of Roine. But fate really played its part in both of their lives. From the start, you’ll think it’s like a Cinderella story but in this manhwa you’ll be seeing a lot twist and turns, a lot of drama, a lot of pain, a lot of feelings rolled into one and a lot more. This manhwa will leave your feelings/emotions all over the place.
ART 7/10
I really don’t like manhwa art. When I find a manhwa with a good plot I’ll read it for a few minutes but then I’ll just stop because the art sucks. But 100% Perfect Girl didn’t make me want to throw up. I appreciate the mangaka for doing a great job. The mangaka drew the characters quite well and the scenes and the castle were great too. For a manhwa it was not that bad.
STORY 7/10
I’m a sucker for Cinderella-like stories. This manhwa is filled with a lot dramas and I’m not over-exaggerating it. It will leave you crying in the middle of the night. But sometimes, I think the plot is quite unbelievable. It’s too much, I guess. You’ll think that Jay is one damn unfortunate girl and Jarte is one hot psycho lover. The romantic scenes were the best—when they do sweet things, when they feel awkward, when they say cheesy lines. It made me feel like a 12 year-old kid clapping whenever her parents were hugging or doing ridiculous stuff together. Still, I enjoyed reading it.
CHARACTER 8/10
At first I thought it will be just a Cinderella story but it made me shook my head. The characters won’t always make you love them, you’ll be angry at them once in a while(that will be an understatement, you’ll hate them a lot). Every one is a bad guy at some point. Even the protagonists will make you frustrated. Those were the best parts about the characters. They aren’t perfect and they’re broken. But sometimes you’ll just stop and think for a minute, “Is this for real?!" Sometimes, it’s over the top already.
MY FEELINGS 9/10
This almost made me cry..well, I was about to cry but I restrained myself. This made me feel a lot of things—excitement, pain, love, envy, anger..and so much more. This manhwa will pierce your heart!
I SUGGEST YOU READ THIS MANHWA AND I SWEAR YOU’LL NOT REGRET IT. YOU’LL NOT GO TO SLEEP UNTIL YOU FINISH THE WHOLE MANHWA.
ART 7/10
I really don’t like manhwa art. When I find a manhwa with a good plot I’ll read it for a few minutes but then I’ll just stop because the art sucks. But 100% Perfect Girl didn’t make me want to throw up. I appreciate the mangaka for doing a great job. The mangaka drew the characters quite well and the scenes and the castle were great too. For a manhwa it was not that bad.
STORY 7/10
I’m a sucker for Cinderella-like stories. This manhwa is filled with a lot dramas and I’m not over-exaggerating it. It will leave you crying in the middle of the night. But sometimes, I think the plot is quite unbelievable. It’s too much, I guess. You’ll think that Jay is one damn unfortunate girl and Jarte is one hot psycho lover. The romantic scenes were the best—when they do sweet things, when they feel awkward, when they say cheesy lines. It made me feel like a 12 year-old kid clapping whenever her parents were hugging or doing ridiculous stuff together. Still, I enjoyed reading it.
CHARACTER 8/10
At first I thought it will be just a Cinderella story but it made me shook my head. The characters won’t always make you love them, you’ll be angry at them once in a while(that will be an understatement, you’ll hate them a lot). Every one is a bad guy at some point. Even the protagonists will make you frustrated. Those were the best parts about the characters. They aren’t perfect and they’re broken. But sometimes you’ll just stop and think for a minute, “Is this for real?!" Sometimes, it’s over the top already.
MY FEELINGS 9/10
This almost made me cry..well, I was about to cry but I restrained myself. This made me feel a lot of things—excitement, pain, love, envy, anger..and so much more. This manhwa will pierce your heart!
I SUGGEST YOU READ THIS MANHWA AND I SWEAR YOU’LL NOT REGRET IT. YOU’LL NOT GO TO SLEEP UNTIL YOU FINISH THE WHOLE MANHWA.
February 7, 2010
This is one of those series I'm slightly embarrassed to confess I enjoy. It's a pretty over-the-top romance, but I was looking for a new series to get into and was particularly drawn to this one due to Wann's art and the fact that this is a manhwa series. 100% Perfect Girl is essentially a 'cinderella story.' Jay Jim is a normal teenage girl from a working class family, struggling to find a way to make her dreams of becoming a professional artist (painter) come true. One day she (literally) crashes into J. Max, prince of a small foreign principality, and it's love (or obsession) at first sight. I might have given the story just three stars, but the artwork brought this one up to four stars. The story itself twists in bizarre and dramatic (or melodramatic) ways across the volumes, but I keep finding myself drawn to it nonetheless...
February 7, 2009
I began this hoping for another version of Goong, and this is another Cinderella story, but it is quite different. 100% Perfect Girl is interesting because it is the prince who is in love (actually obsessed) and Cinderella who is not quite so happy to be there. I like the prince character much better than his Cinderella. The prince's love is an obsession that controls him as much as guides him. Still he tries to be considerate of Jay Jin. Jay Jin is too willy-nilly for me to really embrace--the description of her on the back of the books as rebellious is laughable. The art however is beautiful. The made-over photos always leave me wondering where the pictures were originally taken. An interesting series.
December 14, 2011
Drama and angst filled indeed. Extremely fictional, especially when she doesn't immediately agree to fly to his country and just marry him. Really, if a rich and good looking prince asked me, i would not even think twice about it! The fact that he's so earnest on his feelings and treats her like a princess, makes me want to smack her and get some sense into her head!
September 20, 2011
Picked it up at half-price... mainly because the title references at Haruki Murakami short story.
It's a silly Cinderella Story. With a... near rape at the end. (sorry to spoil it, but it was rather disconserting. Anyone who forces themself on me and then shows up the next day to propose marriage... has some issues. I don't care if he runs a country. )
Doubt I'll read more.
It's a silly Cinderella Story. With a... near rape at the end. (sorry to spoil it, but it was rather disconserting. Anyone who forces themself on me and then shows up the next day to propose marriage... has some issues. I don't care if he runs a country. )
Doubt I'll read more.
August 4, 2012
My first foray into manhwa (Korean graphic novels) with 100% Perfect Girl was inauspicious. The premise is kind of a Cinderella story, but after reading reviews of later volumes, it's not a Cinderella story I would enjoy. The dashing "prince" is manipulative, the relationship destructive. I just can't get behind those kinds of love stories (eg my concerns with Twilight series).
July 12, 2015
WARNING: This story is very romantic and sweet. If you don't like drama, don't even start reading!!!! But if you do, prepare yourself for addiction.
I'm loving each page of this romance. I love Jarte and I love Jay's personality.
I'm loving each page of this romance. I love Jarte and I love Jay's personality.
April 5, 2011
She's a pretty beauty and he is a handsome prince!
Love this manga! Thanks for the recommendation Jessie!
Love this manga! Thanks for the recommendation Jessie!
September 23, 2011
Don't think I'm going to finish this series. There's something about a semi-rape and knowing that there's amnesia and a love triangle coming up that puts me off.
I really wanted to like this.
I really wanted to like this.
June 14, 2013
DO YOU LIKE OBSESSIVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT BORDER DEATH AND CONSTANT EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE? If yes, then read on. If not, then maybe you should stop here.
November 28, 2015
3 Stars
Awal yang lumayan...
Awal yang lumayan...
June 23, 2016
Read up to chapter 12.
It's too cheesy, fluffy and unrealistic.
It's too cheesy, fluffy and unrealistic.
December 3, 2018
Ok so I read the whole series(have slept 47 min. In the last 23 hours because I apparently think manga is worth sacrificing sleep), and...I have mixed feelings. I like the first 2 books better than the rest only because of my personal opinion, my 2 stars for the rest meaning they were ok but I didn't like them. I just have to say the girl goes through SOME stuff and it's not even funny, and the guy was such a douchebag for the majority of the series, to put it simply, they have a REALLY toxic relationship, and I do t just mean constant fighting or arguing all the time, but WORSE than that. They "fix/resolve" their differences at the end although I feel it really shouldn't have been such a simple resolution after all she was put through. I just cried so many times for her, not saying she was always right either, but the story is very well intricate, ok atleast enough for my taste, it's just that I had more moments than I can count on my fingers where I wanted to slap them
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2023
It's such a thrilling romantic webtoon story! Jarte obsessed with Jay since the beginning. But Jay only realizes her feeling for him a little too late. That's why their love story is so intense. Jarte turns from soft to rough, then soft again in order to get her heart, lol. This is not a Stockholm syndrome, I think. It does feel like a genuine feeling between lovers. Only that the man realizes sooner since it's his love at first sight, while woman realizes later since she has so many depressions to deal with in her life. They are meant to be together. But this kind of relationship dynamic is just such a fantasy in real life. We know that toxic relationship rarely ends in a good way in real life. But this is fiction anyway! So, sometimes is fun to imagine there is a beautiful ending in such a dark plot. Overall, entertaining! This is romance thriller genre.
October 15, 2018
My review through the series up to the point I stopped reading (volume 8). This series tends to use rape a lot as a drama device, which I don't appreciate. However, the effects of the main character almost getting raped and getting kidnapped several times has last effects through the series. The series reads like a tragedy as the main character goes from very well balanced and healthy to more and more eff'd up. So, in that case, I applaud the creators.
Also, without the images in color, a lot of the dudes look the same, so sometimes it can be difficult at first to see who the protagonist is talking to.
Also, without the images in color, a lot of the dudes look the same, so sometimes it can be difficult at first to see who the protagonist is talking to.
May 16, 2018
One of the best manhwa I have ever read. After finding this gem, I began reading all of Wann's other works, and after reading it all, was I left with a void, ;-; only wanting more. I 100% recommend ;) as well as Wann's other books like "Heart to Give" "Can't Lose you" "Collide" they all have the same feel as 100% Perfect Girl, so if you enjoyed this read, you should check out her other manhwa.
Currently reading
October 28, 2020I don't know what the problem is but i can't even able to open this to read. It first ask want to read, then after selecting it it shows other options- read, currently reading. Then again after choosing one its back to the info page of the manga. I am so damn frustrated. I have tried so many times it just never opens. Plz if someone can tell me how to open it i will really appreciate it. Please.
November 20, 2021
This manga was honestly pretty good. The art was amazing. The storyline was not too cliche and was interesting (pretty unpredictable at times); it was nicely paced. Reading this was literally a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from both sides of the spectrum. The ML was literally possessive and toxic at the end. Anyways, the author did an amazing job of planning out the sequence of events.
January 24, 2018
Beautiful artwork, lots of drama!
April 7, 2018
A pretty fun, free and easy read.
August 25, 2018
Well, first I read this online.
I became obsessed.
So, I brought the kindle version.
But no, that wasn't enough either.
Thus, I ended up buying all 11 volumes.
ITS SO DAMN ADDICTIVE!
I became obsessed.
So, I brought the kindle version.
But no, that wasn't enough either.
Thus, I ended up buying all 11 volumes.
ITS SO DAMN ADDICTIVE!
November 17, 2019
I used to read these books all the time when i was in school I even convinced our librarian to order the whole series
December 20, 2019
Good best app
December 21, 2020
Twisted in a lovely way❤️
April 19, 2015
I'm sorry I did not translate this, but I wrote the review on a German site. And I do not feel like translating it, I will do than sometime else and will only give you a few sentences:
It is not some tacky love story where nothing really happens and everything is about angst. This is a story about obsession, madness, violence, kidnapping, betrayal, rape, murder, suppression (or oppression, have to look up the difference) and finding one's self. It follows Jay's and Jarte's development over the the period of quite a few years (seven, i believe) and is very intense.
Now the original review:
Eines vornweg: Dieser Manhwa ist hauptsächlich über Obsession und Wahn, wer damit ein problem hat sollte es nicht lesen!
Lasst euch nicht von der lächerlichen Beschreibung täuschen. Sie ist keine Rebellin, hat bloß schwierige Familienverhältnisse. Sie ist durchschnittlich bei allem, ihr Aussehen, ihre Leistungen, einfach alles. Ihr einziges Talent liegt im Malen, doch das kann sie nicht ausleben da ihr Bruder Medizin studiert und alle Aufmerksamkeit von der Mutter bekommt. Jarte ist der Prinz von Roinne und verliebt sich auf den ersten Blick in Jay, sie sich jedoch nicht in ihn. Sie hat zwar Gefühle für ihn, das ist aber (noch) keine Liebe. Jarte versucht alles um sie für sich zu gewinnen und engt sie ziemlich ein. Als sie zustimmt seine Verlobte zu sein und ein paar Jahre später nach Roinne zieht wird es nur noch schlimmer. Sie ist der Vogel im goldenen Käfig.
Wenn du jetzt denkst ohje da geht's ja nur um Gefühlsdrama, dann hast du dich geschnitten ;)
Ohja, es ist ein riesen Gefühlschaos, aber es ist eine Spirale von Wahnsinn, Obsession, Gewalt, Kidnapping, Vergewaltigung, Betrug, Mord, Unterdrückung und Selbstfindung. Jay passiert eine schlimme Sache nach der anderen und wird immer tiefer in den Abgrund gesogen bis es soweit ist dass sie schwere Depressionen hat und gerne einschlafen würde... um nie wieder aufzuwachen. Wie soll man sich aus so einer Situation rausholen? Jarte hingegen fällt in eine andere Art von Abgrund denn seine Obsession wird immer schlimmer, bis er sich selbst und das ihm wichtigste dadurch verliert.
Der Manhwa geht über viele Jahre hinweg und zeigt was Jay alles durchmacht und wie sie und die Leute um sie herum sich entwickeln. Es ist keine leichte Lektüre und hat viel Tiefgang, es gibt Charaktäre die man anfangs mag und gegen Ende hasst oder anfangs nicht mag und gegen Ende liebt. Die meiste Zeit habe ich für Jay eine Hassliebe empfunden und Jarte gehört hinter Gitter. Gegen Ende finde ich das HEA tatsächlich schön... dabei bin ich nicht immer ein Fan von 'und sie lebten glücklich bis ans Ende ihrer Tage'. Gerade bei so völlog verrückten Charaktären wie diesen.
Achso, was den Stil angeht muss ich sagen es ist gewöhnungsbedürftig. Diese fetten Lippen und dunklen Augenbrauen... nicht wirklich meins. Zu feminin, zu altmodisch. Aber man gewöhnt sich dran. Hach wär das ein Traum den Manga - ah, sorry, Manhwa - in einem anderen moderneren Stil zu sehen und mit detaillierteren Action- und Gewaltszenen.
It is not some tacky love story where nothing really happens and everything is about angst. This is a story about obsession, madness, violence, kidnapping, betrayal, rape, murder, suppression (or oppression, have to look up the difference) and finding one's self. It follows Jay's and Jarte's development over the the period of quite a few years (seven, i believe) and is very intense.
Now the original review:
Eines vornweg: Dieser Manhwa ist hauptsächlich über Obsession und Wahn, wer damit ein problem hat sollte es nicht lesen!
Lasst euch nicht von der lächerlichen Beschreibung täuschen. Sie ist keine Rebellin, hat bloß schwierige Familienverhältnisse. Sie ist durchschnittlich bei allem, ihr Aussehen, ihre Leistungen, einfach alles. Ihr einziges Talent liegt im Malen, doch das kann sie nicht ausleben da ihr Bruder Medizin studiert und alle Aufmerksamkeit von der Mutter bekommt. Jarte ist der Prinz von Roinne und verliebt sich auf den ersten Blick in Jay, sie sich jedoch nicht in ihn. Sie hat zwar Gefühle für ihn, das ist aber (noch) keine Liebe. Jarte versucht alles um sie für sich zu gewinnen und engt sie ziemlich ein. Als sie zustimmt seine Verlobte zu sein und ein paar Jahre später nach Roinne zieht wird es nur noch schlimmer. Sie ist der Vogel im goldenen Käfig.
Wenn du jetzt denkst ohje da geht's ja nur um Gefühlsdrama, dann hast du dich geschnitten ;)
Ohja, es ist ein riesen Gefühlschaos, aber es ist eine Spirale von Wahnsinn, Obsession, Gewalt, Kidnapping, Vergewaltigung, Betrug, Mord, Unterdrückung und Selbstfindung. Jay passiert eine schlimme Sache nach der anderen und wird immer tiefer in den Abgrund gesogen bis es soweit ist dass sie schwere Depressionen hat und gerne einschlafen würde... um nie wieder aufzuwachen. Wie soll man sich aus so einer Situation rausholen? Jarte hingegen fällt in eine andere Art von Abgrund denn seine Obsession wird immer schlimmer, bis er sich selbst und das ihm wichtigste dadurch verliert.
Der Manhwa geht über viele Jahre hinweg und zeigt was Jay alles durchmacht und wie sie und die Leute um sie herum sich entwickeln. Es ist keine leichte Lektüre und hat viel Tiefgang, es gibt Charaktäre die man anfangs mag und gegen Ende hasst oder anfangs nicht mag und gegen Ende liebt. Die meiste Zeit habe ich für Jay eine Hassliebe empfunden und Jarte gehört hinter Gitter. Gegen Ende finde ich das HEA tatsächlich schön... dabei bin ich nicht immer ein Fan von 'und sie lebten glücklich bis ans Ende ihrer Tage'. Gerade bei so völlog verrückten Charaktären wie diesen.
Achso, was den Stil angeht muss ich sagen es ist gewöhnungsbedürftig. Diese fetten Lippen und dunklen Augenbrauen... nicht wirklich meins. Zu feminin, zu altmodisch. Aber man gewöhnt sich dran. Hach wär das ein Traum den Manga - ah, sorry, Manhwa - in einem anderen moderneren Stil zu sehen und mit detaillierteren Action- und Gewaltszenen.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 54 reviews