Gangster Ahjussi Falls For Cashier
About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series The Dangerous Convenience Store.
Content Warning: There may be references to gang activity, blood, violence, cheating, homomisia, death, car accident, overwork, coma, excessive drinking, mentions of human trafficking, theft, assault, manipulation, corruption, strained familial relationships, extortion, torture, self-deprecation, break ups, age gap, power imbalance, and BDSM, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Yeo Eui-joon works at a convenience store. This should be a relatively safe job, but this convenience store happens to be in the middle of a gang-riddled neighborhood. The mafia and their members run the streets, and they frequently come in to throw their weight around, steal, and just generally torment Eui-joon. It’s scary, but it means a higher-paying job, and Eui-joon really needs the money. So, he works his night shift, saving up money to continue attending his college classes and paying for his brother’s medical bills.
It’s another night with some scary clientele, but just when a gang member starts tormenting Eui-joon, another gangster comes in and puts him in his place. Eui-joon, though scared of the man, can sense this man is different. Sure, he’s a gang member, but not all gang members are evil, right? Night after night, this older man comes in and helps keep Eui-joon safer during his shift, and Eui-joon steadily grows more and more attracted to him. But no matter how much Eui-joon wants to get to know him, their interactions are limited to the gangster asking for cigarettes and paying for everything else.
That is until Eui-joon discovers the ahjussi, Beom Gunwoo, is his new next-door neighbor.
Review:
The art in this is a bit all over the place. It has very sweet, smutty, cute, and beautiful panels, but it also has some really rough-looking moments. If you can’t stand some good old Yaoi hands and inconsistent anatomy, you might be bothered by this. While it isn’t the cleanest style I’ve ever seen, it didn’t bother me all that much. Admittedly, the super cute chibis and the light comedy carry the art in this one. Don’t get me wrong, there are some panels of Gunwoo that flood my basement, but there are some bad-looking panels, too. Perfection this is not, but it’s certainly not the worst.
While the art may not be perfect, this does shine in the characterization and story. Eui-joon is a precious bean. I love how innocent and gullible he is, paired with his no-nonsense and resolute personality. Similarly, Gunwoo, though rough around the edges, turned out to be a very vulnerable but dedicated person who has had to overcome so much in the face of betrayal. Multifaceted characters are rarer than you might think. Usually, if they’re a silly sunshine, they’re just a silly sunshine. If they’re a tsundere gangster, they’re just a tsundere gangster. That’s not the case here.
Eui-joon is so cute and playful. He comes off like an airhead, but when it comes to his self-preservation, he ends up being very unwavering. Seeing him put down his crush with the cold efficiency of an assassin is everything. However, when Gunwoo ends up disappearing, seeing this person with a strong sense of self and self-preservation suddenly make concessions after being treated poorly by a partner is equally heartbreaking as it is powerful character development. A lot of times in other stories, when one part of the couple does something shitty and then comes back to apologize, everything ends up working out, and all is forgotten. That doesn’t happen here. After Gunwoo disappears, it’s clear that Eui-joon is traumatized. He’s willing to stay with a partner who ignores him for weeks, who refuses to give him the attention and affection he deserves, and who even cheats on him, both because he feels he might deserve that kind of love after Gunwoo leaves but also because he feels he may never find someone else anyway. It’s a powerful realization that Gunwoo immediately recognizes as something he has caused.
But this also reestablishes how dedicated Gunwoo is as a partner. From the beginning, Eui-Joon questions Gunwoo’s feelings and considers them to be fleeting even when he is willing to confess his feelings to him. So, when Gunwoo disappears, while Eui-joon does wait for him and expects him to return, he ultimately feels vindicated when he doesn’t. He never trusted Gunwoo, saying that he would wait for Eui-joon to choose him, no matter how long it took, and after years, he returns and restates that same promise. For someone whose life was permanently altered by a man who treated him like a son, who witnessed Eui-joon being kissed by someone else, and ultimately experiencing betrayal time and time again, he puts all of his faith and trust in Eui-joon. Just like Eui-joon, Gunwoo is equally unwavering, and that steadfast dedication is what brings them back together. It’s a beautiful evolution.
Bonus points: I love a top who moans as much as the bottom. What a note to end on.
Results:
This is a very popular title, and I’ve looked forward to reviewing it for a long time. Part of me was worried that it was overhyped, and then I’d have to be the person to say I didn’t like it, but I’m happy to say it deserves all the praise it receives. It’s a smutty, emotional rollercoaster, and I really enjoyed the ride. It has just as much light comedy as it does drama, so you’ll be feeling all the things throughout this story. It is worth every coin I spent (and it’s worth buying in print, which I did).
Have you read The Dangerous Convenience Store? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!