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About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Checkmate.
Content Warning: There may be references to self-deprecation, obsession, red flag, dubcon, noncon, sexual assault, confinement, gossiping, theft, plagiarism, stalking, bullying, invasion of privacy, blackmail, destruction of property, abuse, manipulation, mental illness, PTSD, power imbalance, social gap, sextortion, mentions of human trafficking, drugging, violence, blood, assault, BDSM (including forced), corruption, ageism, permanent injury, victim-blaming, prejudice, cheating (not between the main couple), disordered eating, kidnapping, nonconsenting porn, ableism (use of c-slur), attempted gang rape, fire, bribery, nepotism, overwork, excessive drinking, and comments on body size, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Lee Soohyun’s life has been guided by one thing: his inferiority complex. But this inferiority really only took root when he was in high school. It was then his position as first in academics was shaken by Jung Eunsung. Suddenly, Soohyun goes from first to second, and when this only source of pride he has left is gone, he becomes nothing more than a pariah among his classmates, who incessantly pick on him for being a social outcast and the fallen first place. Soohyun has no choice but to focus all of his hate and sorrow on the source of all of his trouble: Eunsung.
For the remainder of their high school careers, Soohyun is in a one-sided rivalry with Eunsung, never once able to trump him. So, this grand rivalry ends with a whisper as the two graduate, attend different colleges, and presumably move along with their adult lives. But even after all this time, Eunsung is never far from Soohyun’s mind. So, when Eunsung suddenly makes headlines as an art thief, Soohyun drops everything to reconnect with his rival. He quits his job, gets one as a reporter, and starts hunting down Eunsung and how he fell so far. But Soohyun doesn’t plan on stopping there.
Soohyun wants to save Eunsung from all his problems, only so Soohyun can tear Eunsung down into the mud with him. But Soohyun soon finds out that the art world that Eunsung has been sucked into is much darker and more deplorable than Soohyun could have ever imagined. Will Soohyun even be able to keep himself safe?
Review:
The art in this is hit-or-miss for me. I wouldn’t call it bad or ugly by any means, but it is very inconsistent, and I’m not a fan of how some of the faces look. Plus, this has some of the most substantial yaoi hands I’ve seen in a long time. Have you all seen the image of the cat with an anime girl, which shows that the anime/manga style comes from them emulating cats because they’re cute? This has that to the extreme. Those side profiles are very swoopy and cat-like. I’m coming off as very negative here, but I had a lot of feelings about the art. Eunsung is supposed to be this Adonis-like figure, but I actually think Soohyun is more attractive. He’s much more consistent, at least.
Side note before we get into the story: this comes in an “all-ages” version. I can’t imagine how since the smut plays such a huge part in the story. If one is available, I will always read the mature version, so I can’t speak to how the all-ages version works, but I wouldn’t think it works very well. Sex is a form of punishment and control that helps establish characters, their power, and their relationships, and not having that key point feels like it would be a huge loss to the overall tone and development of the story. Maybe there is a unique way they censor those scenes that I’m just not considering, but if I had to say if this story would work censored, I’d have to say no. I’d love to know, though, so if you’ve read the all-ages version, please let me know in the comments below.
As for the story, it’s much more satisfying than the art. This is a seemingly neverending chess game, with our characters playing against Park Moon-seob, each other, and even themselves. I love it when enemies join forces against a common enemy, which this most certainly is. But the most intense match is certainly between Soohyun and himself. Soohyun is probably the most self-conscious and negative person out there. Every interaction he has with someone else is all mind games and intrigue. My man assumes everyone hates him, is out for his destruction, and is playing a mind game, too. Granted, there are times he’s right. But there are many times he interacts with Eunsung, a man he’s never spoken to before and never had a negative experience with beyond what he created in his own mind, where he assumes Eunsung is trying to destroy him when Eunsung is honestly trying to protect him.
Was it annoying sometimes? Definitely, but it’s a great reflection of how he sees himself in other people’s eyes. His inferiority complex is intense, to the point that his feelings about himself manifest in his interactions with others. He creates his own enemies and, in turn, creates his own sadness. It’s quite powerful, especially when he realizes this rivalry and hatred toward Eunsung was the one aspect of life that gave him meaning, and he missed it when he graduated. It showed just how far his pain and self-isolation had brought him down, that realizing Eunsung was no longer near him to project his self-hatred on was an immense loss.
Then, we get to see Eunsung’s side of this one-sided rivalry. As it turns out, Eunsung had a fondness and interest in Soohyun, wanting to speak to him but never really getting the chance to do so. If Soohyun had been willing to try and talk to him, they might have become friends in high school, and the only reason Eunsung treats Soohyun so poorly when they meet again is because of his trauma. Everyone wants to use Eunsung because of his talent, looks, and pedigree, so he perceives Soohyun as an enemy until Soohyun makes it clear that his motivations have nothing to do with Eunsung’s talent, looks, or pedigree. He wants Eunsung because he’s Eunsung, even if it is due to one-sided revenge, and that makes Soohyun trustworthy. It’s toxic and fucked up, but I really like that Soohyun’s obsession is the reason he can be trusted.
With that in mind, this is not a typical romance. I actually wouldn’t really call this a romance at all, at least not until the very end and during the side stories. From beginning to near the end, Soohyun doesn’t realize his hate and obsession have evolved into some amalgamation of love. He also doesn’t understand that what Eunsung feels for him is love. And I kind of love that? I love that his obsession and hate are so powerful that he can’t even recognize his other feelings, nor does he realize that people can feel things for him that aren’t hate or disgust. It’s a gradual recognition as his hate finally makes room for something better: love. It’s very sweet for a series so full of violence and cruelty. I enjoyed it.
Results:
This was very interesting. It’s heavily psychological, focusing on the intense feelings of hate and obsession and how those things can be misplaced self-hatred, but also how they can transform into some form of love. There is a lot of intrigue and mystery in this title, and it’s more smut than romance, so if you’re hoping for something with a more lighthearted mystery like Park Hanhoo’s Manager, you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re looking for that dark, gritty, smutty, dubcon/noncon BL goodness, then look no further. It’s not a favorite, but it’s interesting, and sometimes that’s good enough.
Have you read Checkmate? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!