Identity: Red Flag
These works feature a love interest that is overall problematic and cruel to their partner. This does include characters that start as red flags and become green flags due to regret.
Manhwa Review | Who’s Your Daddy? by Anko
Royal Blood = Ability to Impregnate Anyone, Including Your Social Enemy
Manga Review | A Stomachful of Secret Delights by Tsutako Tsurusawa
Cat Man is So Stressed About His Relationship, He Pees Blood
Manhwa Review | Escape into Oblivion by Gawee
Title: Escape into Oblivion
Woojin is willing to do anything to escape. Escape from what? His family, school, his lovers, and life in general. He’ll do whatever it takes to escape, whether through sex, alcohol, moving away, hiding from school, or anything else. It’s almost like a game to Woojin, and it’s one that he wins often. That is until he meets Hwon.
Hwon does anything Woojin asks, even when Woojin does everything he can to either run from Hwon or hurt him. This intensity of love is new to Woojin, and it scares him. What scares him even more, though, is who Hwon might be. Part of why Woojin feels the need to escape is that when he was a child, his friend was beaten by a homeless boy they would occasionally pick on and whom Woojin would confide in. Rather than save his friend, Woojin ran away, never to see the friend again.
Could Hwon be that friend seeking revenge? Or could he be the homeless boy, finally back to take what belongs to him, Woojin? Woojin’s not sure which he would prefer, but he knows one thing for sure. No matter who Hwon ends up being, Woojin has fallen hopelessly in love with him, which is something he can’t escape.
Manhwa Review | BJ Alex by Mingwa
Title: BJ Alex
Dong-Gyun is a returning student in college. When he’s not getting back into the swing of things for school, he spends his time on Nutworthy, a cam site with lots of camboys to ogle at. Though he’s spoiled for choice, Dong-gyun only has eyes for one specific camboy named BJ Alex. Alex is muscular, lusty, and kind in his streams, and he wears a mask, which adds an air of mystique to the already perfect package. Dong-Gyun loves Alex so much that he even gets a part-time job to send him tips. Though Dong-Gyun dreams of someday meeting Alex in real life, he knows that’s only a dream, and he’s happy just to be able to see him every day on his stream.
One evening, Dong-Gyun goes out to drink with his department and ends up absolutely wasted. His sunbae, Jiwon, offers to help take him home. While bringing a drunken Dong-Gyun home, Jiwon ends up covered in puke. So, while at Dong-Gyun’s house, Jiwon cleans himself up and even helps clean up his drunken hoobae. Eventually, Dong-Gyun sobers up enough to realize where he is and sees Jiwon half-naked.
The first thing he notices is the substantial birthmark on Jiwon’s side, the same exact birthmark on Alex. When he tells Jiwon that he knows he’s Alex, he realizes the mask he wears on stream isn’t the only mask. Will Dong-Gyun be able to love Jiwon despite the fact he isn’t anything like the Alex he’s known on stream? And will Jiwon be able to keep a safe distance from Dong-Gyun, so neither of them falls in love with the other?
Manhwa Review | The Unquenchable Mr. Kim by MORAK
Title: The Unquenchable Mr. Kim
Doyun is trying to stay alive and keep his job. Unfortunately, that’s harder for him since he isn’t your average human. Doyun is actually a half-vampire. Because of his odd disposition, Doyun cannot consume human blood. Thankfully, vampires don’t have to only drink blood, but it’s not any easier to get. Vampires can also subsist on essence, which they can get from humans by having sex with them.
Doyun hasn’t had a partner in a while, so he’s pretty worn out. Food or coffee isn’t enough to keep him moving along. So, to make his life a bit easier, he’s planning to find a sex friend. In his tired stupor, he intends to let his guardian know but accidentally messages his boss instead. Fully prepared to get fired, Doyun goes to see his boss and tries to explain the unfortunate mishap.
To his surprise, though, chief Gangwoo isn’t mad at all. Actually, he’s very interested in Doyun’s hunt for a partner. So, he offers himself up to take the role. Needing to get essence and happy not to lose his job, Doyun is willing to give the chief a try. Unfortunately, things don’t work out as well as Doyun hopes. As it turns out, his constitution is worsening, and essence is no longer enough. Will Doyun be able to find a new way to feed? Or is he doomed to die an agonizing death?
Novel Review | University of the Underworld by Ziloi
Title: University of the Underworld
Our main character is a new ghost. He doesn’t remember how or when he died, nor does he remember who he even is, so he spends the first moments of his new ghostly life simply waiting when he wakes up. For what? For the ghostly guards, of course, that will help guide him to the underworld. No matter how long he waits, though, there is no sign of any guards of any kind to come and help. So, on a whim, the ghostling decides that if he isn’t destined to go to the underworld, he’ll become a malevolent spirit. Unfortunately, his first target is none other than Bai Shaonan, a ghost, and a powerful one at that.
The little ghostling’s antics do not amuse Bai Shaonan, and he’s compelled to destroy the new ghost and move along with his undead life. However, there is something about the little ghost that Shaonan just won’t seem to let him do it, especially when he finds out the little guy wants to become a malevolent spirit and has no clue who he is. So, looking around, Shaonan picks a random name: Cui Yue. Then, he takes little Cui Yue under his wing and back to the underworld, specifically the university where Shaonan is actually a dean.
Cui Yue starts his life as an underworld college student, but it’s not all fun and games. Cui Yue isn’t a very good student, but he’s trying his best, and his grades are the least of his worries when he realizes that Shaonan’s interest may not end at mere scholarly interest. But beyond school and romantic troubles, there is an underworld to the underworld that is working to destroy both Cui Yue and Bai Shaonan for eternity.