Flashbacks of an Established Couple
About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series The Most Ordinary Relationship.
Content Warning: There may be references to excessive drinking, overwork, violence, blood, gossiping, disordered eating, pregnancy, abuse, strained familial relationships, sexism, verbal abuse in a workplace, ableism, homomisia, manipulation, anger issues, sexual harassment, commentary on weight, mentions of military, depression, self-deprecation, disownment, and assault, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Eunyool and Wonwoo have been together for ten years, and they’ve been living together for a few months longer than that. They truly have the most ordinary relationship, full of arguments, work trouble, financial issues, and more. But Eunyool and Wonwoo have hit a particularly rough patch, bringing up a lot of the tough times they went through in their early days together. They’ve been through disownment, near-destitution, and more. Sure, they’ve been together for ten years, but will they be able to make it much longer?
Especially when new suitors appear in their lives?
Review:
The art in this is rough. It’s super inconsistent, and our main cast looks unattractive more often than they look nice. If you absolutely have to have clean and consistent art, you will undoubtedly want to avoid this one. It’s a sketchy style at its best, but it’s generally pretty bad. Eyes are crooked, face shapes become super boxy at random, and body proportions are out of whack. There are, of course, pretty panels, but they are few and far between. It’s rough.
But where this fails on the art front, it more than makes up on the story front. This is an established couple series, which is rare when it isn’t a spin-off or a sequel of some kind. I love that. There is no question that these two get together, and that allowed all of the tension to be much more exciting and refreshing. I’m so used to seeing “will they, won’t they” and situationship storylines, so it was exciting to see something where neither of those was even on the table. I really want more established couple works for this very reason, as it’s much harder for creators to rely on the more common and tired tropes.
With that being said, much of this story actually relies on flashbacks. I’d say at least 50% or more of this story takes place in the past. So, while we avoid the central tension of whether or not they will end up together, we do still get to see where they came from to get to where they are today. I do like that we see where they started, but I was really enjoying the present-day issues. There are love triangles in the present; they are fighting at home, they explore the inevitable worry of whether or not they still love each other, or if they’re just comfortable, and old issues from the past come up to cause more trouble. I loved seeing these things we often don’t get to see in new couple stories, so sometimes the flashbacks felt unwelcome.
But I will say this couple is pretty toxic. Eunyool is constantly hitting Wonwoo, and he does things that are mean and hurtful, like hiding away a picture of them that Wonwoo adores, and the like. Wonwoo is pretty scary too, dealing with anger issues that manifest in him breaking and throwing things, though he does recognize this issue and tries his best to refrain. These are two very imperfect people in a very imperfect relationship. I like that they are so deeply flawed because they feel so much more believable and human, but it can be disconcerting when such violent and hurtful things occur, so be warned.
Results:
This is a strong title. I adore exploring a pre-existing couple‘s life and seeing how it’s affected by time and those who get involved in the relationship. It’s unfortunate how inconsistent the art style is, and some of the character flaws are dangerous and toxic, making the romance sometimes uncomfortable. While I wouldn’t say this is a favorite by any means, it does make me long for more established couple series. If you don’t mind toxicity and poor art, this is a rather refreshing read, but it’s not the best that it could be.
Have you read The Most Ordinary Relationship? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!