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Manhwa Review | Heat of the Moment by Yensha

Title: Heat of the Moment

Author(s): Yensha

Artist(s): Shin Yuri

Yeo-heun is a goblin. He’s a half-goblin, a creature that lives beyond the average human lifespan, can carry a pregnancy regardless of gender, and is known to seduce and trick humans. They’re feared and hated, so when Yeo-heun was small, his mother scrounged every penny she had to have a seal cast on him. Unfortunately, as a poor, single mother, she couldn’t afford a complete seal, and though it sealed away the goblin part of Yeo-heun, it, unfortunately, sealed away his voice and parts of his memories, too. And, despite her best efforts, his identity as a half-goblin is still clearly visible. It can be seen by the color of his eyes: one gold and one violet. And by the color of his hair, streaked with gold. As a result, he and his mother have lived as outcasts on the outskirts of their village, avoiding everyone who wishes to bully and harm Yeo-heun.

All of that changes, however, when the new, young emperor, Ju Hee-yeon, is on the hunt for a goblin. Hee-yeon has been sickly, chronically so, to the point it is impeding his ability to lead. It’s all due to his bloodline, which carries the blood of dragons. It has manifested in Hee-yeon with fevers and painful scales along his back. It’s said that only by lying with a goblin that he will be healed. So, Hee-yeon sends out a small group of soldiers who successfully hunt down Yeo-heun and bring him back to the palace, leaving his sickly mother alone. The two lie together, and, as expected, Hee-yeon’s fever and pain subsides.

But beyond the newfound freedom Hee-yeon has gained thanks to Yeo-heun, Hee-yeon finds himself entranced by the half-goblin. He wants to know more about this beauty and is determined to find a way to remove Yeo-heun’s seal. All the while, however, Yeo-heun longs to see his mother again. But when Hee-yeon sends out a party to find his bedmate’s mother, there’s no sign of her anywhere. Just what secrets lie in Yeo-heun’s locked memory? And how will Hee-yeon keep the wily goblin by his side?

Title: OmegaComplex

Author(s): GHOST (Manhwa), Oneulbom

Artist(s): HAGONG

Yoonwoo Lee is your average, run-of-the-mill, beta college student… or so he’s made everyone believe. Yoonwoo is actually an omega, and though there’s nothing wrong with being an omega, Yoonwoo’s first love and childhood friend, Taegyeom, was once assaulted by an omega during their time in grade school. As such, he ended up with an intense hatred for omegas. Thankfully, in their youth, Yoonwoo hadn’t manifested yet, and he could be there for Taegyeom. But it wasn’t long after that he ultimately manifested as an omega, and Yoonwoo made the painful decision to leave Taegyeom behind, pretending to be a beta so he never had to see Taegyeom hate him for something he couldn’t control.

It’s been years since they ran into one another, though not without great effort on Yoonwoo’s side. Though they go to the same university, they’ve never met, as Yoonwoo even decided on a different major to ensure they never encountered one another. Unfortunately, despite Yoonwoo’s careful planning, Taegyeom’s department also shows up during a department meetup. Thankfully, Yoonwoo has done some additional planning. To hide his pheromones, he smokes pheromone cigarettes, which are made for betas who want to put out pheromones like alphas and omegas. This does seem to fool Taegyeom, but for how long? It seems Taegyeom has no intention of letting Yoonwoo escape him again.

However, while Yoonwoo’s cigarettes might fool Taegyeom, they haven’t fooled Yoonwoo’s hoobae Dohyun, another alpha. Thankfully, Dohyun is willing to keep Yoonwoo’s secret, but he wants Yoonwoo just as much as Taegyeom. Pitted between two alphas, can Yoonwoo keep his identity a secret? Or will he succumb to all the alpha pheromones surrounding him?

Title: Lover Boy

Author(s): ZEC

Artist(s): ZEC

Eunho has loved Jaeha since he was a child. They’ve known each other for the majority of Eunho’s life, but Jaeha, being so much older, moves forward in life, leaving Eunho behind. Yet, no matter how far Jaeha goes, he always seems to find his way back to Eunho. Unfortunately, that changes when Jaeha announces he’s getting married. As much as Eunho loves Jaeha, he accepts that they will never be together in the way he wants. So, he swallows his love and sadness and congratulates Jaeha.

Years later, Eunho is now in college, and though he’s dated someone else, he still longs for the love that could never be with his childhood friend, Jaeha. By seemingly fate, they happen to run into each other. Jaeha is now running his own art studio, providing classes open to the public. But more importantly, he’s now divorced. Eunho had to let Jaeha go before, but with this new opportunity before him, he has no intention of letting Jaeha pass him by. Jaeha, however, has had a turbulent past, and though he cares for Eunho, that care and love he has makes him afraid.

He’s afraid of hurting the one most precious to him. Will Jaeha be able to find happiness? And can Eunho break through the cold walls Jaeha has built around himself?

Title: The Sweet Swindler

Author(s): Pppallet

Artist(s): Pppallet

Unyul, also known as Yul, is known as a standoffish asshole on campus. And this is not without purpose. Yul has experienced painful betrayal from his closest friends and confidants in the past, so much so that he was forced to drop out of his old college and transfer to his current one. So, to avoid getting too close to anyone, he acts in such a way that everyone despises him, and that works just fine for him. His only true friend is his roommate and fucky buddy Gongju. Unfortunately, Gongju is also a bit of an insufferable asshole, but that’s why they get along so well. Plus, Gongju is very talented in bed, so they have a perfectly balanced relationship.

But while attending Gongju’s gardening club, he meets a freshman named Seoha. Yul is instantly attracted to him, and though he knows this will likely end up in him getting hurt, he can’t help trying to forge at least a friendship with the young man. It’s a big surprise for Yul when Seoha begins to reciprocate his feelings. Yul sees this as his chance to finally be in a relationship with a kind and honest guy. But Gongju doesn’t seem to be willing to end their situationship. Stuck between the man he’s in love with and the man he loves to bed, Yul isn’t sure he can choose.

And what Yul doesn’t realize is that beneath all of the sweetness, there can be a sour center, just as there can be a sweet middle to a bitter treat.

Title: Limited Run

Author(s): Eeej

Artist(s): Eeej

Yeon-oh is not just a struggling actor. As the eldest son in his family, he is compelled to try and pay off his father’s neverending gambling debt, constantly compounded and recurring thanks to loan sharks who willingly lend him money. They know his father can’t pay it off, but they also know Yeon-oh will do what he can to pay it off, including providing them sexual favors. His life is a neverending rat race, and he sees no end to it until he gets invited to speak to the CEO of the conglomerate Haekang. There’s no doubt what a CEO wants with a struggling actor. It’s a sponsorship, which equates to a celebrity being showered with gifts and opportunities in exchange for, often, sexual and physical favors. Yeon-oh initially wants to refuse, but after being pressured by his father, he decides to go.

The CEO, Jaehyuk, decides to make the offer. But Jaehyuk tells Yeon-oh what he expects. He doesn’t want just simple physical pleasure, though that would be part of it. He wants Yeon-oh to use his acting skills to pretend to be his boyfriend in public. As it turns out, Jaehyuk is determined to rebel against his grandfather and tear down the upper echelon of Haekang’s public image. The ultimate goal is to ruin his grandfather, though for what reason Yeon-oh doesn’t know. The two start off rocky, with Yeon-oh struggling to put on a front in public, but over time, it grows easier, and as lucrative work starts coming in, Yeon-oh’s life takes a positive turn. Neither Jaehyuk nor Yeon-oh realizes that there is a growing target on Yeon-oh’s back, not just from Jaehyuk’s family but all of the people watching Yeon-oh.

Meanwhile, Yeon-oh is beginning to struggle not with acting or being Jaehyuk’s bedmate. He’s struggling with his own feelings. What started as an act is slowly beginning to feel like reality. While he knows Jaehyuk has no intention of being with him for real, Yeon-oh can’t help feeling hopeful that Jaehyuk cares about him as a real lover somewhere deep inside.

Title: Business as Unusual

Author(s): LHYEON, Moscareto

Artist(s): DG

Minjun’s life revolves around his office job. Even when he’s off, he’s often on the phone fielding inquiries and dealing with issues related to his job. All while he’s working, though he puts on a pleasant and helpful front, he’s constantly cursing and bemoaning his life. He longs to travel. He longs to do more. He longs to break out of this chaotic and busy hum-drum of a life. But right in the middle of his daily venting and daydreaming, he hears a strangely familiar voice nearby. As he nears, the voice reminds him of someone.

But it couldn’t be, could it?

Minjun wanted a change in his life, but this was not what he was expecting.

As it turns out, the person he heard speaking was none other than his college ex-boyfriend Jinhwan. Seeing him again brings back so many sweet memories, but those memories are tainted by the cruel way Jinhwan indirectly ended things all those years ago. While Minjun is more than willing to ignore the past and do the bare minimum to keep the peace at work, Jinhwan doesn’t seem to have the same plan. It looks like, just like in college, Jinhwan is all too happy to pursue Minjun despite their rocky past.

Their romance was snuffed out before it could really begin in their early twenties. What are the odds that they could do any better in their thirties?

Title: Shoot My Shot

Author(s): Solanine, Suhyeol

Artist(s): Hyangseol

Officer Jaehui Yoo lives in an extremely small town. While that means his work is relatively peaceful and easy, it has the negative effect of making it nearly impossible to find other gay men. Jaehui would love to get off with someone, but no matter how often he checks his dating apps, there just aren’t any options in his small town. He’s bemoaning his unfortunate situation when a whiny man is brought into the station. The man throws an absolute tantrum, claiming he doesn’t remember where he lives as he’s just moved into town. Jaehui approaches to help when the man stops, stunned. Instantly, the man claims Jaehui is the one for him.

The young man’s name is Hoon Dokgo. And though Jaehui would love a bedmate, Hoon is a bit too obsessive for Jaehui’s taste. But Hoon isn’t dissuaded in the least. Every moment of every day, Hoon hunts Jaehui down, hangs around the police station, and declares that Jaehui is his. Unfortunately for Jaehui, this leads to multiple unwanted sexual encounters that he ends up enjoying. Hoon is packing, and while Jaehui may not be interested in the man, he’s interested in what the man has to offer. Jaehui is determined to shake off this annoying fly of a man until it’s revealed his father is none other than Police Commissioner Youngsik Dokgo.

He doesn’t believe Hoon at first, but when they head to his father’s house, he encounters not only the commissioner but also his own father. If things weren’t already bad enough, it turns out Jaehui’s father, Taeha, and Youngsik were lovers in college, and they’ve now found their way back to each other. So, now he’s being pursued by what is the equivalent of his stepbrother? Will Jaehui ever find peace, or is he destined for this chaos for the rest of his life?

Title: Unromantic Romance

Author(s): Jeong Seokchan

Artist(s): Jeong Seokchan

In a world where omegas rule, Oh Hyeon-oh is a lowly alpha. He is a college student who often freelances as a reporter in his free time to pay his rent. Unfortunately, his articles are often overlooked, as he focuses heavily on small local news rather than news on the wealthy. His current article is on a cat killer, who he happened to get a picture of. Once again, his article is criticized for being far too local and small. Hyeon-oh is, of course, deflated. His sunbae at the news feels bad for him, and to help him catch some big fish, he gives Hyeon-oh his membership card to a famous lounge where the wealthy are known to let loose.

Hyeon-oh still isn’t interested in the rich and famous, but he decides to check it out out of curiosity. Once there, he ends up alone with someone at the top of the food chain. It’s none other than the CEO of Seonghwa, one of the most powerful omega in the country, Chu Ga-in. Ga-in is intrigued by Hyeon-oh, especially since the membership card is from one of Ga-in’s closest associates. To Hyeon-oh’s surprise, Ga-in ends up inviting him up to a hotel room, and Hyeon-oh, hopelessly smitten, agrees. But once they’re in the room, Hyeon-oh is tied up and patted down, suspected of being someone trying to take down Ga-in and, in turn, Seonghwa.

All of the romance and attraction Hyeon-oh has for Ga-in evaporates, and he’s instead in what he perceives as a fight for his life. Thankfully, Ga-in and his men don’t find anything suspicious, but instead of being let go, Ga-in fully intends on still bedding the young alpha. This leads to one of the most intense and pleasurable sexual experiences either party has ever had. But when Hyeon-oh wakes up the next day to a pile of cash and no Ga-in in sight, he intends to take revenge for the slight (though he’s also still intensely attracted to the aloof omega). All while Hyeon-oh is hunting down Ga-in, and Ga-in is failing to shake off Hyeon-oh’s romantic and vengeful advances, Hyeon-oh’s cat killer article is picking up steam.

And the killer is now hunting Hyeon-oh.

Title: Master's Pet

Author(s): Shroomi

Artist(s): Shroomi

Marquess Joseph Howard has been trying to grow out of his gambling and cheating father’s shadow. Unfortunately, that becomes immensely more difficult when his younger half-brother, his father’s love child, is brought to his home. The mother of the child requests compensation for raising the child, named Collin, as was promised by Joseph’s father before his death. Still compelled to escape his father’s past promises and debts, Joseph agrees to pay off the woman, who then leaves young Collin behind for Joseph to raise. Joseph isn’t interested in his half-brother, but unlike Joseph, who looks nothing like the long history of Howard Marquess before him, Collin is a spitting image of his deceased father. Joseph is immensely jealous and feels Collin is just a physical representation of his inadequacy as the new marquess.

But Joseph is determined to better the Howard name, so he reluctantly takes in his half-brother. Joseph prepares the young man for his noble education but finds that he is traumatized and wild. In order to make things a bit easier, Joseph brings in another servant, an enslaved man named Ein. He intends for Ein to get close to Collin and help him integrate into his new life within the Howard household. But Ein has a painful past, one that still haunts him and that he openly fears. Joseph is willing to help Ein escape his past forever, but at a cost. During the day, Ein serves and teaches Collin, but Ein acts as Joseph’s bedmate at night.

Ein wants to serve in hopes of one day finally breaking free from his past, but when young Collin falls for him, an intense love triangle threatens to tear everything apart. Ein is willing to give his body to his masters. But will he end up giving over his heart, too?

Title: No Reason

Author(s): Salty

Artist(s): Salty

Jung-hoon is the right-hand man to the boss of the notorious Sung Jin gang. He’s beloved by his underlings, whom he often spends time with and jokes with, though not without strict expectations for them. Though Jung-hoon’s primary focus is always the gang and his men, he does enjoy spending his free time bedding beautiful men, and he’s particularly weak to a pretty face. Things get a bit more complicated when one of the newest recruits happens to be stunning. Unable to control himself, Jung-hoon talks the young man, Hyunjae, into going back to his place with him, where he begins to try to top him. However, when Hyunjae accepts Jung-hoon’s advances, he turns the tables on him and tops Jung-hoon instead.

Though Jung-hoon prefers to top, after doing it with Hyunjae, he is more than willing to bottom, and so begins a casual situationship between the two. After a year of working together, it’s clear to everyone under Jung-hoon that he has a soft spot for Hyunjae, but even without the preferential treatment, everyone generally despises Hyunjae, maybe none more than Jung-hoon’s right-hand man. It’s still unclear where Hyunjae came from and how he became so proficient at killing at such a young age. Jung-hoon’s judgment is clouded by the affection he feels for the young man, and he assumes he was made for the business, so he ignores his men’s warnings.

Unfortunately for Jung-hoon, by the time he realizes he has put his trust in the wrong place, the entire gang is wiped out, leaving him as the sole survivor. For what reason, he doesn’t know until Hyunjae confines him and throws him to his underlings. It’s clear Hyunjae wants nothing more than to ruin Jung-hoon, but why? What does he have to gain from it? Jung-hoon can’t ponder over it for long as he spirals into neverending darkness.

Manhwa Reviews

Manhwa Review | OmegaComplex by Oneulbom

Manhwa Review | Lover Boy by ZEC

Manhwa Review | The Sweet Swindler by Pppallet

Manhwa Review | Limited Run by Eeej

Manhwa Review | Business as Unusual by Moscareto

Manhwa Review | Shoot My Shot by Solanine and Suhyeol

Manhwa Review | No Reason by Salty