The Main Character is a Beta NPC
About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Beta Off Not Dating.
Content Warning: There may be references to violence, sexism, toxic masculinity, abuse, normalized abuse, power imbalance, mentions of religion, overwork, mentions of sexual assault, victim-blaming, prejudice, cheating, excessive drinking, stalking, self-deprecation, police, chronic illness, nepotism, sexual harassment, male pregnancy, blood, body commentary (including fat-shaming), social gap, arranged marriage, disordered eating, slut-shaming, overuse of medication, and divorce, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Kim Juhyeok is a beta in a world of alphas and omegas. While he knew they were out there, he grew up in a predominantly beta-populated area. So, he truly had no idea just how different alphas and omegas are from betas. Once he moved to the city and started working in an office, he discovered how annoying they are. Omegas are always going into heat and forgetting their medications. Alphas are always hunting around for omegas and distracting them. Juhyeok can’t count the number of times he’s walked into the bathroom or by a broom closet, only to be inundated by the sounds of sex.
Juhyeok does his best to stay out of it but also keep the office moving productively. He keeps heat inhibitors on him for anyone who might forget to take theirs. He calls the police on those who have public sex, and, if need be, he jumps in to distract couples from getting too aggressive because of those silly things called pheromones. Yes, alphas and omegas have nothing to do with him, and he fully intends to move away one day to a beach or island where there are primarily betas so he never has to deal with them again.
But before then, he has to deal with omegas and alphas. More specifically, he has to deal with Director Lee Sihyeon, an alpha who just won’t leave Juhyeok alone. It’s clear that this superior alpha is attracted to Juhyeok, but Juhyeok knows an alpha and beta would never work. Right?
Review:
I hate the art. To me, there is only one attractive character, and he’s technically not a main character until his side story: Hyeonjae. This is a mildly comedic title already, but when Juhyeok describes how hot Sihyeon is, I laughed harder than any other part of this manhwa. Everyone looks like a villain. They have these super thick eyebrows that sharply taper off with a curve. Then, the eyes are very small and narrow, sometimes losing their irises and pupils in certain panels. I don’t find anyone attractive in this series, making it hard to believe in the romance. It’s very unique, and I imagine some people might love it for that, but it’s certainly not for me.
Just like I was disappointed in the art, I was disappointed to learn this wasn’t necessarily a full adaptation. Apparently, the side stories have a mature version that was only released in French, which is so painful for a degenerate like me. I also learned that the novel this was based on is a mature novel that was adapted into a SFW webtoon. Nothing hurts me more than knowing I’m missing something in my BL – especially spice. Surprisingly, that doesn’t mean this is entirely without spice. The main story is completely devoid of it, mind you, but once we get to Juhyeok’s and Sihyeon’s extras, we get lots of softcore. For the most part, we get to see everything, but there is one section that has that awkward blackout to hide what I presume to be the nudity. I still wish we could get the whole thing, but I appreciate we got the softcore variation at all. So, it’s pretty much all shounen-ai until the side stories. If you don’t want any sex, then you can just stop at the end of the main story.
But let’s talk about the story. The way it unfolds is interesting. Juhyeok is more of an onlooker while your standard omegaverse drama unfolds around him. It’s actually a really fun dynamic. He is how most of us would probably be if we were forced into an omegaverse as betas. In most omegaverse stories, we see these dramatic displays of love and even aggression, often through the lens of intense romance and obsession, and we’re usually cheering on the couple. But those same moments are then observed through Juhyeok’s eyes, who is more annoyed and shocked than anything. It’s a much more realistic reaction that I really enjoyed. As a huge fan of omegaverse, it’s hilarious to see it all from a much more grounded and realistic viewpoint, although Juhyeok ends up stepping into it thanks to his feelings for Sihyeon. Unfortunately, though, there is so much focus on Juhyeok’s hatred for omegas and alphas that I never felt like he actually fell in love with Sihyeon. The tender and romantic moments seem completely out of character, and I just didn’t believe in their love by the end. It does a great job of mocking the tropes of omegaverse but then misses on its own romantic elements – very disappointing.
Now, while they play side characters for most of the story, they take center stage in a side story, so let’s talk about the side couple Hyeonjae, an omega, and Heetae, an alpha. Heetae is violent, cruel, a cheater, and just one of the worst love interests I’ve ever seen. I’ve read stories where murderers were the love interest, and I still felt they were better than Heetae ever could be. Everyone in this looks like a villain because of the art style, but Heetae is the only true villain. He straight up slaps Hyeonjae in their office, doesn’t understand why Hyeonjae might be upset when he finds out Heetae is sleeping around after their marriage, and then harasses Hyeonjae at work until Hyeonjae just accepts him back. It is not romantic or sweet in any shape or form, and I was heavily rooting for Heetae’s little brother to swoop in and save Hyeonjae, but that doesn’t happen. If we had the standard groveling and remorseful top arc, then maybe I could see them being together, but we don’t get that. We just see a pregnant Hyeonjae accepting back his cheating abuser, and that’s the end of the side story. I was happy that they got a divorce, but it was heavily implied that they would get back together, which hurt my soul. I wish the side story had just been dropped altogether, as it makes no sense in the overall narrative and tone, but here we are. Thankfully, it is a side story, so you can skip it, but I hate that I have to even recommend portions of a story be skipped.
Results:
This was pretty disappointing. It started off strong with humor and an interesting viewpoint but lost its main purpose: romance. It doesn’t have much spice; all of the romance and tender moments are lumped together at the very end, and then we get insight into a couple that is just trash. I really wanted to like this, but I just can’t. If you’re looking for a unique point of view in the omegaverse, then this might be worth a read, but if you want a well-crafted and believable romance, I’m not sure this is the one.
Have you read Beta Off Not Dating? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!