Multiple College Couples. 1st is Soft, 2nd is Pain.
About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Banana Scandal.
Content Warning: There may be references to pedophilia, stalking, bullying, BDSM (including unsafe and nonconsensual BDSM), dubcon, homomisia, racism, obsession, PTSD, religion, assault, peer pressure, gossiping, prejudice, excessive drinking, manipulation, drugging, violence, underage drinking, mentions of break ups, attempted sexual assault, blood, slut-shaming, sexism, blackmail, fraud, forgery, mentions of cheating (not between the main couples), mentions of murder, mentions of gambling, abuse, mentions of child abandonment, police, self-hatred, strained parent-child relationships, theft, self-harm, insomnia, sleep paralysis, and child abuse, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Dojin is a college student from Korea who is attending university in the States. He enjoys it, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Even though he’s no longer in Korea, the experience of rumors and judgment is just as rampant in the tight-knit Korean community on his campus. Dojin does his best to stay out of the drama while still enjoying college life, but when his roommate Taehwan goes off to intern in Hong Kong, Dojin’s peaceful college life is thrown into disarray as Taehee, Taehwan’s younger brother, comes to stay in their apartment.
It’s not so bad at first. Dojin has known Taehee since they were young, and despite being taller and a bit gloomier, he’s still the introverted boy who loves cartoons for kids. Taehee, however, is no longer that innocent young boy. While Dojin is sleeping in their room, he happens to hear something odd. It doesn’t take much to realize that Taehee is playing with himself behind Dojin’s back. Dojin should be repulsed. He should get up and tell Taehee to get out.
But for some reason, all Dojin wants to do is see how Taehee looks in the throes of passion.
Review:
First, let me make it clear: I adore this title. It is one of my favorite titles of all time. I say all this to let you know just how biased I am toward this series. If you expect me to dislike this and share harsh criticism, you will probably be disappointed. I will do my best to be as balanced as possible, but be warned: This will likely be a shower of praise. Prepare to drown in one of my favorite titles of all time. Now, let’s get started.
First, the art in this is very unique. It’s pretty rough early on, but it settles into the style over time and becomes one of my favorite atypical art styles. It isn’t the most consistent or clean style, as it’s very sketchy overall, but it has a unique mix of cartoony and realistic qualities that really speaks to me. Taehee and Taehwan, in particular, are stunning in very distinct ways. It’s impressive how vastly different every character is, and that goes beyond hair and eye colors, something relatively unique in comics. There are varying eye shapes, body types, facial shapes, etc., and there was never a moment where I was confused by who each character was, which was so nice to see. This artist is very talented, and I adore their work.
As if their visual art skills weren’t powerful enough, the storytelling in this series is otherworldly. It’s not fantastical or supernatural in nature, but it’s very down-to-earth and painfully realistic, which I love. There are some dramatic and unbelievable elements, of course (what are the odds that both bottoms would end up with obsessive stalker types going after them), but overall, the story is grounded entirely in reality. It delves into equally lighthearted and horrific content but doesn’t give the reader whiplash. Every dark tone bleeds into the light and back again. It’s all very gradual and well-paced, with well-timed moments of reprieve. I don’t want to give away too much because it’s a story I think everyone should experience for themselves, but trust me. It’s great.
Now, it’s not perfect by any means. This title can really be split into two stories. The first is a very lighthearted, smut-heavy story between Taehee and Dojin, encompassing the entire first season. Throughout this story, we get hints and foreshadowing through their mutual acquaintance, Yeonwu. It’s very well done and leads perfectly into the second (and really the rest of the series) part, which focuses on the relationship between Yeonwu and Taehwan. I love both couples and love both stories, but admittedly, having read Yeonwu and Taehwan’s story and seeing their development, it makes the original couple feel much more hollow and superficial. They’re not hollow and superficial at all, but compared to the depth, exploration, and character growth we get from the second couple, it’s hard to re-read and see how little development the first couple gets.
Results:
This is a favorite, no doubt about it. If you haven’t read this yet, I implore you to give it a try. Of course, not everyone is in the right headspace for the darker aspects of this story. So, my recommendation is, if you need a pick-me-up, read the first season. When you’re ready for a darker and more complex story, carry on to the rest of the series. Regardless, I think this is a must-read for any BL lovers. I highly recommend it.
Have you read Banana Scandal? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!