About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Love So Pure.
Content Warning: There may be references to sex addiction, age gap, gang activity, drug addiction, drug use, selling drugs, assault, homomisia, mentions of cheating (not between the main couples), BDSM, PTSD, violence, blood, mention of military, gossiping, imprisonment, bullying, coercion, police, excessive drinking, self-deprecation, obsession, revenge porn, break ups (not between the main couples), nonconsenting porn, prejudice, invasion of privacy, sexual harassment, child abuse (including sexual and psychological), grooming, religious iconography, slut-shaming, domestic abuse, divorce, strained familial relationships, homelessness, chronic illness, death, theft, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, murder, extortion, torture, threats of gun violence, child neglect, and mentions of sex work, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Jihyun isn’t the best student. He’d prefer to just have sex, sleep, and work at his part-time job as a bartender, but his mother wants nothing more than for her son to get an education. So, after taking extended periods off, he’s forced to return to college or risk being expelled entirely. But it isn’t necessarily that he hates school that he took so much time off. In reality, Jihyun has gone through a traumatic event with an ex-boyfriend, where much of his personal and private information was leaked, forcing him to leave or risk being bullied and ostracized by his peers. With so much time having passed, Jihyun is hopeful that most people who knew about the situation have graduated or, at the very least, moved on from campus.
Still, he’s not looking forward to waking up early and attending class. However, some of that frustration is alleviated when he finds that one of his classmates, Yohan, is a hulking beefcake – his soldier, as he likes to refer to him. Jihyun would love nothing more than to climb around that giant tree of a man, but he’s pretty sure Yohan is straight. Thankfully for Jihyun, Yohan finds himself entranced by Jihyun, too. But the two want very different things. Yohan, a softy at heart, wants to woo and date Jihyun, and while Jihyun, deep down, would love a relationship, he feels he is incapable of having one due to his trauma. Can these two find common ground, or will they perpetually be stuck in situationship limbo?
Review:
The early art reminds me a ton of Sign (coincidentally, Yohan from this series looks like Yohan’s and Soohwa’s child). It’s very unique but inconsistent and rather dull color-wise. However, this is one of those series where we get to see it change drastically from beginning to end, which always tugs on my heartstrings. I adore seeing a creator’s craft grow and change, and this is a perfect example of that. The art is unrecognizable from beginning to end. We have a very thinly lined style with muted colors, and it wasn’t always the most expressive, but by the end, we have heavier outlines, vibrant colors, and equally vibrant expressions. It also ends up with a unique Western comic style. It’s fun seeing the art develop alongside the characters.
Speaking of developing characters, some who changed the most (and unexpectedly so) is our sweet bean Daeshik. He starts out as an unremarkable side character who makes some prejudicial comments early on. But then he totally steals the show from our main couple, becomes a gay icon, and, alongside his boo, is one of my favorite characters of all time. Honestly, I think this series is worth picking up for him alone. Don’t get me wrong, Yohan and Jihyun, as the first couple, are fine. I enjoyed their story, but Daeshik and Yosef are just far superior. Their size difference is bigger, they have a larger age gap, and their personalities just mesh so much better together. And Yosef has a wonderful redeeming moment when he ends up going to prison, which really shows his growth from the underworld he’s lived in for so long. Plus, Daeshik waiting for him? *chef’s kiss*. I love them.
Granted, it probably doesn’t help that part of Yohan’s change is changing himself into someone he’s not. He ends up getting some hideous tattoos (mainly because they don’t fit the art style; I love tattoos, just to be clear) to win over Jihyun. But because of the industry he wants to work in, and because of how Korean culture feels about tattoos, his ability to work in child care is drastically altered. I wouldn’t mind it if he were trying to express himself and show who he truly is on the inside, but that’s not the case at all. He irrevocably ruins his chance of successfully pursuing most jobs and advancing his career. Plus, this also feels super out of character for his brother, who did the tattoos. I can’t imagine Yosef going along with this plan (and even suggesting it), knowing what it might mean for Yohan. This is probably the most nonsensical element of the entire story, which is part of the reason the 1st couple isn’t my favorite.
As we’re nearing the end of my review, I have just a few things more I want to say, particularly about the story structure. The first couple flies by. They go from just meeting (insta-lust) to tumbling in bed, which is fine, but it does make their story feel very disjointed. I ended up with whiplash from episode to episode. However, Daeshik’s and Yosef’s roles in their stories are much more fluid. They still fall in love pretty quickly, but the growth and change in who they are and their relationship are much more believable based on their personalities and goals. Yosef wants to protect his brother and atone for his sins. Daeshik longs to discover who he is, and ultimately, that develops into a need to protect and free Yosef from the dangerous life he’s stepped into. It’s so much more goal-oriented and clear, making their story feel much more substantial than Jihyun’s and Yohan’s. It reminds me a ton of The Boy Who Stole from the Fairy Lake, where the first story hints towards the second, and like that story, the second story, Yosef and Daeshik’s, is my favorite. But, it is worth noting that the hints in the first couple’s story are heavily reworked in the second season to align with Daeshik’s and Yosef’s story, which isn’t surprising, but it can be confusing to understand how the timeline works out.
Finally, just as a quick aside, this has GL rep. I love that. I want more of that.
Results:
I really like this. It isn’t perfect by any means, but it has so many bright points, with vibrant and well-crafted characters, interesting social dynamics, and, ultimately, a cast that’s impossible not to root for. Everyone becomes friends, and seeing them interact together makes me want to be friends with them, too. There are very superficial storylines and relationships that I wish we had more time to explore, and while I didn’t touch on it, there are characters I hate (looking at you, Sohae), but Yosef and Daeshik carry this title. And there is no doubt that Yosef is strong enough to carry it and more. I think this is a worthwhile read, for sure.
Have you read Love So Pure? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!