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Manhwa Review | Stage of the Dark Souls by Guacamole

Title: Stage of the Dark Souls

Author(s): Guacamole

Artist(s): Guacamole

Mihael is a devil that lives among humans. Though he shouldn’t, he ends up falling in love with a particular human, a man named Adonel Schravant. He is particularly in love with his stunning soul, which Mihael desperately wants for himself. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries, Adonel is always being swept away by other humans. Unwilling to share Adonel anymore, Mihael goes to the clergy and tells them that Adonel’s family is practicing pagan worship, which leads to their execution. Alone and desperate, Adonel is ripe for the picking, so Mihael makes him an offer he knows Adonel can’t refuse: Mihael will tie himself to the Schravant line, granting them all of his powers. In exchange, once the Schravant has fallen in love with Mihael and willingly given his soul, Mihael will take it, and they will be bound for eternity.

So Mihael lives in Adonel’s shadow, helping rebuild the fallen Schravant name. All the while, Adonel has a child, despite Mihael’s hate over it, and grows to a ripe old age. Finally, at the end of Adonel’s life, Mihael broaches the subject of Adonel handing over his soul. Only then does Adonel reveal that he never loved Mihael and would not give up his soul, meaning Mihael would remain tied to the Schravant bloodline until he can convince another descendent to fall in love with him and willingly give their soul to him. Mihael is devastated but far from willing to give up.

Three hundred years later, after the death of the head of the Schravant conglomerate, Mihael finds his two sons: the firstborn, Evan, and the second, Victor. Mihael has been watching over the family all this time, biding his time and waiting for the ideal soul. Finally, after all this time, Mihael has found it. Two of them, in fact, and he isn’t willing to give either of them up. One way or another, he will make them fall for him and then take their souls, but not until he destroys them from the inside out.

Title: One-way Romance

Author(s): TESIK

Artist(s): TESIK

Jae-hwan is a reporter. A broke reporter, more specifically, having lost all of his money in the stocks. Looking for a huge scoop to score a huge payday, he turns his attention to the upper crust. More specifically, he focuses on Hong Kong mogul and CEO Heo Chung. He’s gotten a tip from a colleague that Heo Chung is going to be at a rooftop party, and Jae-hwan is determined to go and schmooze with Heo Chung, hoping to unearth some juicy gossip at least but to also expose his company’s ties to the mafia.

Unfortunately, Jae-hwan isn’t the only one looking to hang out with the hot-shot CEO. Every time Jae-hwan tries to get close, a whole gaggle of people surrounds Heo Chung, making it impossible for Jae-hwan to get in to talk to him. Add to the problem that he’s been ensnared by a beautiful woman, buying round after round of drinks, and this mission has become impossible if it wasn’t already. Sloshed, Jae-hwan’s sense of decorum has gone out the window, and he decides to just go for it. He grabs two glasses of wine and makes his way over to Heo Chung, but he, unfortunately, bumps into someone else the media has kept their eye on: Liu Yuan, leader of the Hong Kong mafia group 13.

Jae-hwan spills all of the wine on Liu Yuan just before passing out. When he wakes up, he finds himself chained and in bed, with Liu Yuan explaining that he owes him around $90,000 for the ruined clothes. It goes without saying that Jae-hwan has gotten much more than he ever bargained for. Not only will he probably not get the scoop and subsequent payday he was hoping for, but there’s a chance he doesn’t make it out of this with his life, either.

Title: Wonna Do It?!

Author(s): Cho Sangduck

Artist(s): Cho Sangduck

Won is going to a gay bar, but not because he’s gay. One of his gay friends has been harassed by another patron, one that many refer to as “wacko” due to his aggressive attempts at seduction and his strange eyes. Won is going as a sort of bodyguard, though he hopes to maybe pick up any women hanging around there, too. That quickly goes out the window when he meets the person he is supposed to guard against: Hong Yun.

Unfortunately for Won, Hong Yun’s attention goes from the friend he was meant to protect to Won himself. Yun wants to bed Won, and he refuses to take no for an answer. Won would love nothing more than to just leave the bar and never look back, but he made a promise to his friend that he intends to keep. Yun takes full advantage, talking Won into drink after drink until Won blacks out.

Much to his horror, by the time Won comes to, he’s in bed with none other than Yun. Won has no intention of going along with Yun and intends to leave, but Won is much stronger than Yun. What’s worse is Yun’s way with words, which tear down Won until he can’t help but prove Yun wrong, even if that means playing right into Yun’s hands.

Title: Staff Only

Author(s): soorak

Artist(s): soorak

Hansol is a teacher and has lived his whole life under the assumption he’s a beta. That is, until he starts experiencing some concerning symptoms. He goes to the doctor, assuming he’s just got a cold, maybe the start of the flu, or he is dying when he receives an unexpected diagnosis: he’s a late bloomer omega. While he’s thankful that he isn’t dying, he’s a bit shocked that he’s an omega after reaching adulthood. Still, it’s better than the alternative. While the doctor tries to impress upon Hansol the importance of taking his suppressants, Hansol is busy thinking about dinner and any other mundane thing he has to worry over rather than the very pertinent issue of him being a newly manifested omega.

His laissez-faire attitude comes back to bite him when he forgets his suppressants. He barely makes it through class when he crumples to the ground. Thankfully, the gym teacher Chan is there to help Hansol get to the school nurse, Hansol’s friend Yesung. There, Yesung realizes Hansol has manifested as an omega, something he had no idea about until now. Uncontrolled pheromones are a rarity in modern society, with most people legally obliged to have implants to keep them in control. Still, Hansol hasn’t gotten his implant yet, so his pheromones are wild, and as it happens, Chan and Yesung are alphas. Will they be able to hold themselves back, or will Hansol’s pheromones be too much to bear?

Title: Rent Boy

Author(s): Studio Stellas

Artist(s): Studio Stellas

Anton Arnault has finally come of age. Unfortunately, his celebration isn’t all that fun. Since he is a child of mixed blood, most attendees (the upper crust) don’t see him as the heir to the Arnault fortune but as an invader into their exclusive world. They foresee his rise to power as the end of the prestigious Arnault name. They don’t try to hide their disdain and mockery of him either, and all Anton can do is shoulder their judgment and do everything he can to prove them wrong.

Unfortunately, the coming-of-age party isn’t the end of the ritual. Now that he is of age, it’s time for him to visit the Cyrene Salon, a pretty facade, hiding behind it an exclusive brothel where the upper crust can explore all manner of pleasure hidden from the eyes of general society. Anton must also visit and give up his virginity to one of the many workers there to finally enter the noble world as a man. Wanting to establish himself in this society, he requests the top sex worker in the brothel, who turns out to be a young man named Arwin. Anton is instantly smitten and finds himself drawn in again and again just for Arwin.

Unfortunately, Anton isn’t the only one bewitched by Arwin. As it turns out, Arwin is also his father’s favorite, and Klaus Arnault isn’t above challenging his son for the affection of Arwin. Can Anton maintain his foothold as heir to the Arnault family, or will he lose it all just to be with Arwin?

Title: December Rain

Author(s): Kimon

Artist(s): Kimon

Suchae has just finished his required military service. Rather than going home to rest and plan his future, he hits the road to travel with no destination in sight. While at a bus terminal, in the public bathrooms, he hears a fellow traveler pleasuring himself in the stall next door. Though disgusted, when he sees the man on the bus, he finds that the stranger is exactly his type. Not that that means much since the moment Suchae gets off the bus, they will probably never see each other again.

Suchae heads to the nearest village, seeking a room, only to find the one place renting rooms is housed by an older woman who has dementia and cannot rent any longer. Suchae is just about to head to the next village when the older woman mistakes him for her grandson and demands that he stay with her. Though Suchae tries to explain that he isn’t who she thinks he is, he finds that the woman could benefit from him being around and slips into the role of her grandson while helping ensure that she is being looked after. While picking up some things from the market, Suchae happens upon a person passed out on the ground. To his surprise, it is the stranger from the bus. He takes the stranger back to his grandma’s house, where he nurses him back to health.

The stranger’s name is Gusam. He’s homeless and on the run, having woken up some time ago to find himself and the room covered in blood. He supposedly murdered someone after blacking out, and his only option was to run away. Unfortunately, he was caught on CCTV, and he has the police on the hunt for the mysterious killer. Gusam is desperate to get away, even from the warmth and kindness given to him by Suchae and his grandma, but after some intimate nights with Suchae, Gusam finds himself unwilling to part with him. Can these two find happiness despite the hopeless circumstances around them? Or are they destined for tragedy?

Title: Lick Me, Like Me

Author(s): R.erun

Artist(s): Riffle

Jooin is a popular veterinarian, but not just for his veterinary skills. He is also very beautiful, which helps draw in plenty of customers. His life as a vet is fulfilling, but his love life is seriously lacking, though not for lack of trying. Unfortunately, Jooin’s last relationship didn’t end so well when he discovered his boyfriend was cheating and only using Jooin for his money. Still, Jooin longs for real love. In the meantime, he takes in an abandoned puppy and kitten and showers them with all the love he longs to receive for himself someday.

Everything is going just fine with his puppy and kitty, even after they’ve become full-grown. Jooin looks forward to coming home to them each day, a far cry from what life was like before he had them. One evening, he comes home and goes to give them both a bath. While bathing them, he is reminded that it is time to get them fixed now that they are fully grown. He assures them, out loud, that he’s a vet and will be sure everything goes smoothly. To Jooin’s surprise, the dog and cat he’s loved and cared for suddenly change into humans, begging him not to neuter them.

As it turns out, there is a secret society of anthromorphs called furries, and Jooin happened to adopt two of them. Jooin loves his dog and cat more than he loves himself, and they seem to love him just as much. However, when in human form, their love turns much more… lusty than Jooin ever expected. Can he learn to love the human versions of his beloved pets? And just how far is he willing to take his love for them?

Title: Placebo - Short Story Edition

Author(s): Cuke Soap

Artist(s): Cuke Soap

Woo-yeon and Woo-jin are step-brothers and have been since they were young. For the same length of time, they have also had a vitriolic relationship, with Woo-yeon vehemently bullying and mocking Woo-jin any chance he gets. This never dissuaded Woo-jin, who stayed right by Woo-yeon’s side, no matter how cruel he might be. Woo-yeon revels in Woo-jin’s loyalty, taking every opportunity to pick on Woo-jin.

Woo-yeon doesn’t realize that Woo-jin has developed the power of hypnosis and has been using his power to control and dominate Woo-yeon. When Woo-jin finally holds the reins, Woo-yeon will receive every ounce of punishment he has earned over the years. But it isn’t in private. It will be in front of the two people he would never want to be seen by: their parents.

Title: Love for Sale

Author(s): Dal HyeonJi

Artist(s): Dal HyeonJi

Namwoo is struggling. He’s broke 90% of the time, working all day every day when he isn’t in class, and trying to keep it all under wraps from his sister, who desperately wants to help, but who he doesn’t want to burden if he can help it. So he suffers in silence, living day by day as best he can on convenience store food in his shoebox apartment. The silence doesn’t last for long, though, when all of his stress and desperation come to a head after a night of drinking. While trying to treat his coworker to a coffee for covering for him at work, he can’t even afford the coffee. He breaks down right on the spot, crying and wailing no matter who might hear.

As it happens, a kind older man passes by, helps pay for Namwoo’s goods, and tries to slip away, only for a drunken Namwoo to follow him out. That man feels compelled to help Namwoo get home, but in Namwoo’s drunken stupor, he demands money from the older man. The man placates Namwoo, withdrawing that money, which is hardly enough to cover a month of Namwoo’s expenses, and Namwoo, forgetting he had even asked for it, assumes that the man is giving him money for sex. So the moment they get back to Namwoo’s apartment, he jumps on the man.

The following day, horrified by his actions and the fact that he’s essentially stolen money from a stranger, Namwoo is prepared to go to jail when he meets the stranger. As it turns out, the man is Si-eon, CEO of a publishing company, and rather than being disturbed or offended by Namwoo’s drunken antics, he’s intrigued. Still, Namwoo wants to pay the man back, but Si-eon refuses, offering a different solution. Si-eon wants to date Namwoo and shower him with all the money he can desire.

Title: Kinks in Development

Author(s): NAS

Artist(s): NAS

Jaewon’s life has been pretty smooth since moving in with his casual sex partner. In exchange for sex, he’s fed, clothed, and housed without having to do much else, which is a great deal as far as Jaewon is concerned. He spends his days idly until his partner asks him to sign up for martial arts classes at the dojang he works at. Jaewon isn’t interested, but if that’s all he asks, he could do that, at least. He joins a class, inadvertently joining under the tutelage of a former classmate, Jung-wook.

For whatever reason, Jung-wook seems to have it out for Jaewon, not that Jaewon is making it hard for him. Jaewon is lazy and self-important, spending class time napping or playing around, and while that’s enough to draw the ire of Jung-wook, the reasons are so much deeper than that. Jung-wook and Jaewon got close in middle school, far closer than friends. They kissed and shared some of the most intimate moments of their lives, both when they needed it the most. Jung-wook was ruthlessly bullied and tortured in school, and though Jaewon never came to his defense, he often lessened the bullying as much as he could by hanging out with the bullies. Jung-wook was fine with this arrangement, and he was fine even when Jaewon ended up spreading a rumor around the school, making the bullying worse.

What Jung-wook couldn’t stand was Jaewon moving on and abandoning him. Jung-wook wants revenge, and he’s willing to give Jaewon his body if he can get revenge. What Jung-wook doesn’t know is that Jaewon doesn’t remember anything about his betrayal. He hardly remembers Jung-wook at all, and he’s all too happy to go on this lusty ride of vengeance.

BL Manhwa

Manhwa Review | One-way Romance by TESIK

Manhwa Review | Wonna Do It?! by Cho Sangduck

Manhwa Review | Staff Only by soorak

Manhwa Review | December Rain by Kimon

Manhwa Review | Lick Me, Like Me by R.erun

Manhwa Review | Placebo – Short Story Edition by Cuke Soap

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