⤏ What to expect: ∘ Manga ∘ Thriller/Mystery ∘ Action ∘ Romance ∘ Suspense ∘ Assassin x Bounty Hunter ⤏ Tropes: ∘ Enemies to Lovers ∘ Slowburn ∘ Man falls in love first ⤏ Trigger Warnings: blood, crime scenes, violence, attempted suicide
After neatly collapsing its own cliffhanger, this story decides to double down on being the absolute pinnacle of action movie nonsense as Chateau comes off even worse and Ryang-ha gets to be amazing because of course he does.
Content warning: thoughts of suicide and me being very yelly.
Boy, this couldn’t have gone much worse I don’t think. Even with some welcome recognizance on the part of the mangaka about how Chateau comes off, there is a thick smear of misogyny over this whole volume.
Chateau’s boss shockingly survives being stabbed in the neck, which, sure, seems legit. But the book is very keen to just throw out that whole cruise ship setting, so sorry if you were expecting an epic standoff.
Anyway, Chateau starts to recognize her feelings for Ryang-ha, mind the age gap, which is handy when she lets herself be blackmailed into forcing him to surrender to the people after him. Then she decides that she is too problematic and puts her gun to her head.
I mean, she isn’t problematic, the writing is. This series has done hardly anything but dump on her character and it keeps getting worse and worse with every volume, culminating in Ryong-ha saving her, then choking her out so she won’t get in the way.
Our hero, ladies and gentlemen.
The source of the current predicament is a “family” of some kind that posits Ryang-ha as their brother and is filled with boringly typical oddball shonen characters that feel like potential boss fights in a game I’m watching somebody else play (the little murder girl might be the absolute worst).
It isn’t all bad - when the book decides to have some actual action it is always a treat and while they pulled the punch on that cliffhanger I’m not so sure about the other shocker, unless somebody is really good with sutures and putty.
2 stars - cuz, as just noted, it isn’t all bad, but this series is on thin ice with me right now. Wasting a good cruise ship setting, treating its female lead like a sack of meat, lame baddies, ridiculous plot resolution. It’s a lot to wade through for a couple good bits and that ratio really needs to go back up next month.
What a rollercoaster ride! Come on! Are you for real? Ritzland just recovered, the Chateau wanted to kill herself?! and, now we have Indian-kun dying! Inside the car! Alone! And it's a freaking headshot! Come on, don't go around killing my loved ones, okay?! And is Chateau about to be kidnapped... again?! By the way, that was a cute extra chapter! I love that so much!
By the way, I forgot to say it (also in the previous volumes) I love that behind-the-scenes of the cover photoshoot! Haha! It makes them human!
Hey, by the way, that Mifa boy and Donny are quite interesting, huh.
Today's manga post is on Love of Kill, Vol. 4 by FE. It is 162 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has Chateau on it with a gun to her head. As it is the fourth volume in the series, you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes intense, josei stories with morally gray characters. There is some foul language, no sex, and violence in this manga. The story is told from third person of the different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. From the back of the manga- After her boss is nearly assassinated, Chateau is confronted by the assailant. He’s going after Ryang-Ha, and he means to enlist her help—willing or otherwise! Torn between Ryang-Ha and her loved ones, Chateau starts to collapse under the pressure, longing for an easy way out…
Review- This volume picks up right where the last volume ended with Chateau's boss being stabbed and Ryang-Ha finding him. The volume is a game of cat and mouse with the killers, who want Ryang-Ha, and are willing to do anything to get him. With everything happening, Chateau is under a lot of stress and she is at the end of her rope. But Ryang-Ha is not going to lose her after finding her again. The volume ends with a cliff hanger and I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.
I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.
Generalized comments for 4 - 7 (and into 8) w/o spoilers. I was disliking how flat Chateau was coming off and the generalized damsel in distress aspect when she's supposed to be a trained body guard. I wasn't feeling the romance vibes, but was glad that the series was shaping up into a better story than the first volume initiated. Somewhere in these volumes, this became a 5 star series for enjoyability (but still with flaws). Chateau is still monotone, but she's consistently shown that way throughout backstory and the present. She's still more damsel in distress than bodyguard, but that's improving. The art gets noticeably better. I'm starting to see and feel a relationship growing between R & C, and the humor is integrated better. There are still gaping holes in the plot and storylines that seemingly dropped off, but things are coming together and I'm enjoying the overall story, twists, and action.
Look I really like this series. I do. But these books are just so short. I think I read this one in half an hour. Which I don’t mind per se. But my library only had the first three so I’ve had to start buying them. And they are $17 a manga. For something I can read in 20 minutes.
I’m not saying don’t read this. I really enjoy it. Honestly I would even recommend. This is really not where I thought the plot was going when I heard the premise, but I like it anyways.
And I’m not trying to say mangaka’s shouldn’t be compensated. But if you can get these at a library do it. Cause the amount of story you get is just not worth the price. 13 volumes at $17 adds up fast and you could blow through the series in a night.
I’m five books into this series and still not entirely sure if I like it. I really like the male MC but I don’t feel like there’s much chemistry between the two MCs. Overall not much seems to be happening and when something does happen it tends to be very quick. I’m hoping to see more character development for the female MC she seems uninteresting. Think my biggest issue with the series is the cost of the novel for how much story we receive.
Already loved the Bossman, but when he made sure to say it wasn't Ryang-ha who stabbed him when Chateau found him, and that it wasn't her fault... YASSS.
The rest of the volume is S T R E S S over our poor Indian Guy's possible fate (and the fact that that's still his name, wtf man), and a lot of new characters.
Still really enjoying this art. The action is always clean and easily deciphered.
Afortunadamente todo salió bien, con estas modas de que cualquiera puede morir cuando sea, ya una no sabe que esperar de las historias. Pero FE nos trato bien, así que seguiremos leyendo. Estoy intrigada acerca de esta organización y quiero saber qué quieren con nuestros protagonistas. Veamos si los siguientes números tienen respuestas.
ok so... another important person got shot in the head and we got someone characters introduced. I was shocked when he was choking her but I get it, he wants to protect her and he put her in a chest, but she just got discovered at the last panel of the last chapter. the bonus chapter at the end was very adorable. Jim being th 5th wheel for both couple.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The action was fun. I am sad we are leaving the cruise ship behind already and I am not really that excited about these weird Family characters...I am worried. I hope this is not going to turn into a weird age gap thing with Chateau and Ryang-Ha...if that is really him driving that car in the flashbacks!? Also Indian guy!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ok… this is getting better. Someone put a review on the first volume saying this was like Hawkeye x Mustang and I can’t unsee it now. I’m also just wondering what the backstory is between the two of them because the age difference is not it if he really was watching over her when she was a child and is now making eyes at her when she’s an adult. Soooo let’s hope it doesn’t get weird
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
As always, insubstantial fun and drama. Nice to see Chateau start to warm up to Ryang-Ha, since I was starting to get impatient for their relationship to get a little more reciprocal. But Indo-kun??? Seriously?????
We-ell, that got dark. I kind of feel like this isn't really progressing though? Like, they keep being kidnapped by random people and then in the next volume they'll get out and we're back to square one?
This series really turned up the heat and introduced some new players to the game! I am really intrigued to see where this story goes and how many volumes it will take for Chateau to admit her feelings? Or perhaps her past will prevent her from such a thing ! I am excited to find out!
The FMC is not a damsel in distress; she is the damsel who puts everyone around her in distress because she is just not good at her job. Or anything, really. Four stars because jesus woman. Retire and open a bar or something.
honestly MEHHH- the story is not progressing... Like nothing concrete yk... New characters keep popping out but we don't know anything abt them and their connection. It's all a little vague tbh...