Publisher/Platform: Platform: Tapas
An official and legal website with a catalog of manhwa. Some manhua, manga, and web novel titles are also available. These works were read by me on this website first, though they may be found on other official channels.
Manhwa Review | DEAR. DOOR by Pluto
Title: DEAR. DOOR
Kyungjoon is struggling. He’s doing everything he can to keep it together while out on the beat as a police officer, but the moment he gets back to his empty apartment, he’s forced to remember that his girlfriend and fiance have died. He spends evenings mourning her death while recreating moments of their life together and tending to the plants she left behind. Kyungjoon is stuck, with no sign of moving forward, not that he even wants to, to begin with. Thankfully, the rising threat of a cult keeps him busy, but the nights are still lonely.
He’s at home alone, as always, when something comes flying in from the balcony, breaking into his apartment. Rather than fearing for his safety, he’s more worried about the plants that have been destroyed. He can’t focus on this new loss for long, though, as a strange, humanoid, demonic creature appears before him alongside another demon. They’re discussing all kinds of things like “doors,” “mana,” and “war,” but none of it makes any sense to Kyungjoon. Then, before he can even begin to wrap his head around this chaotic scenario, Kyungjoon feels immense pain, so strong he feels that he’s ripped apart from the inside out.
As it turns out, he has become the door for the king of the western faction of hell, Cain. What does it mean to be a door? He is the way the demon king can go to hell and back to the earthly realm. Cain can open the door with a spell, which is the terrible pain Kyungjoon was subjected to. Or, he can use much more… pleasurable methods. Will Kyungjoon be able to maintain his dignity and sanity amid this civil war in hell, or will he meet the fate of every cultist that has been a door thus far and die?
Manhwa Review | Master of Master by Shida
Title: Master of Master (Tapas) | Like it Ruff (Lezhin Comics)
Euncheol has led a lonely life. To stave away the loneliness, he frequently jumps from bedmate to bedmate and from relationship to relationship, hoping to one day feel the unconditional love he so desperately craves. Then, after a particularly messy breakup, his friends suggest he try getting a dog instead. Euncheol doesn’t feel all that confident in the prospect of that, but he goes on to a shelter all the same, where he meets Jonggu, a nervous mutt in need of all the care and support Euncheol has to offer.
This starts a beautiful companionship between Euncheol and his dog Jonggu. Euncheol is still looking for his ideal human partner, but at least now he has Jonggu to help comfort and keep him company. Jonggu, on the other hand, desperately longs to be everything to Euncheol. He hates watching his beloved master suffer at the hands of his shitty lovers when he knows he could be everything to Euncheol. Everything comes to a head when, after a night of breaking up with his boyfriend, who hurt Jonggu, Euncheol wakes up to find a naked man in his bed, and Jonggu is nowhere to be found.
As the nude stranger in his bed explains, he is Jonggu, and because of his wish to be with Euncheol, the god of dogs, granted him the opportunity to become human so that he can live with his human for longer. Jonggu still has a chance to return to being a dog, but he doesn’t want to. He aims to win Euncheol’s heart so he never has to be in pain again. Unfortunately, a coworker is on the prowl for the newly single Euncheol. Can Jonggu win his master’s heart, or will he lose him forever?
Manga Review | Your Love Belongs to Me by Honoji Tokita
Title: Your Love Belongs to Me
Mochizuki and Ishio have a lot in common. They are both captains of their respective martial arts teams, have secondary sexes, and hate each other. Mochizuki is an omega, and Ishio is an alpha, but they aren’t drawn to each other. The only reason they interact at all is that they are forced to share a dojo, which results in numerous skirmishes between the teams. To assert their dominance, the two captains spend much of their time trying to embarrass or fight each other, with little to no success.
One day, while Mochizuki changes in the dojo, Ishio walks in on him. It is then that Mochizuki notices how shy and nervous Ishio gets around him when it comes to anything remotely sexual or affectionate. With this new insight, Mochizuki changes his method of harassing Ishio, which entails hugging, cuddling, and all but sexually assaulting him. Naturally, Mochizuki is beyond pleased with this development until Ishio makes it clear:
If Mochizuki isn’t careful, Ishio might just mark him as his.
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?
Manga Review | Love Blooms for a Twisted Blossom by Saori Nobana
Title: Love Blooms for a Twisted Blossom (Tapas) | He's Mean Because He Likes You (Renta!)
Sakura has been the prettiest guy around since he was a child. He had the affection and attention of all ages and genders simply because he was so good-looking. This has gone all to his head, of course, so he is good-looking and knows it, and he fully expects to rule whatever domain he happens to be in… until high school, that is. While walking through the halls of his high school, he hears whispers of a super good-looking and cool guy named Tsukasa Yukihira. Surely, this guy can’t be all that attractive. Right?
Wrong. When Sakura sees Tsukasa for the first time, he falls in love immediately, and Sakura’s whole life changes to center around this mysterious beauty before him. So, Sakura changes his college plans and follows Tsukasa to college, where he spends his days hatching all manner of schemes to casually bump into Tsukasa and hopefully make him fall in love with him. But, no matter how confident Sakura is in his own looks and abilities to attract others, the moment he gets a chance to talk to Tsukasa, he finds himself running in the opposite direction.
How will Sakura lure Tsukasa to him when he’s busy running away?
Manhwa Review | Rain Again by Jeong Seokchan
Title: Rain Again
Wujin is living life listlessly. He goes through the motions, just enough to stay alive and keep a roof over his head. He’s a recent graduate with no thoughts or feelings about his future. To escape the past that has placed him in this frozen state, he moves as far away as his funds will allow him. One day, while running an errand for his new landlord around the apartment building, he runs into his neighbor, Jin. Jin is a mysterious man. He comes home more often with wounds than not, with looks that could kill.
Most people would be dissuaded from getting close to him. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Wujin is drawn to him. As Wujin tears down the walls of this mystery man, he discovers that Jin is much more gentle and caring than he lets on. He also has a darker past that he is doing his best to escape. What Wujin doesn’t expect is for Jin to turn around and tear down his walls, as well. With two people suffering from mistakes they can’t escape, will they continue to run together, or will they run apart?
Manhwa Review | Lack of Love by Okdongi
Title: Lack of Love
Hajin Park is trying his best to start his online fashion store, but it’s a lot more complicated than he realized. His sister, a dentist with her own business, offers to help him out and set up his store online, but only if he does her a huge favor. She is a huge stan for the idol group 89, and while she has a ticket to one of their meet and greets, she’s unable to attend due to work. So, she asks Hajin to go instead to get all of the members’ autographs. While Hajin isn’t looking forward to it, he agrees.
As Hajin is the only man there, he draws a lot of unwanted attention, including from the members of 89. To escape some of the crowds, he goes to the bathroom. While trying to find an open stall, he runs into Hangyum, the hottest member of 89, in quite a compromising position. After escaping the awkward encounter and the meet and greet, Hajin is all set to put all this idol business behind him when he is pulled aside by the manager of 89. The manager noticed how put together Hajin is and wants Hajin to become the personal stylist for the 89 members because their style is seriously bad.
Hajin is hesitant at first, but after discussing it with his roommate and sister and finding that it would eventually help his online business, Hajin calls back the manager’s number. The manager is not the one who answers, though. Instead, Hangyum picks up and ends up personally striking a deal with Hajin. As a result, Hajin becomes Hangyum’s stylist while also assisting the other members from time to time. But Hangyum doesn’t intend for Hajin to just help him with styling. Hangyum and Hajin have a past, and Hangyum intends to heal the wounds they share.
Manhwa Review | Undercover Partners by JayJay
Title: Undercover Partners
Kyuho Je is over being a conglomerate family heir. He is looking for any way possible to get out from under his family while maintaining his lifestyle for himself. He finds the answer to all his problems through a money-laundering expert by the codename “Smurf,” who, in the real world, is known as Kangha Nam. Once Kyuho catches Kangha, he extorts him into entering a contract. Kangha will help Kyuho launder money from Jeho corporation, his family’s corporation, while acting as Kyuho’s lover. Kangha isn’t all that willing to go along with it at first, but when Kyuho offers to compensate him at any price Kangha sees fit, the offer is just too good to be true.
Kyuho gets to work on his plan immediately. He gets Kangha on at work as his secretary and begins setting the stage for their very fake but very public romance. Kangha charges for every touch, every event, and every favor, which grows his nest egg exponentially. However, as time goes on and they spend more and more time in these compromising scenarios, it becomes much harder to distinguish what emotions are real and which are just part of the act. While Kyuho and Kangha try to identify the legitimacy of their feelings and relationship, the looming threat of their illegal schemes being discovered is ready to ruin everything.