Short Story About Little Brother Hypnotizing Older Brother, But Longer Now
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Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Placebo.
Content Warning: There may be references to pseudo-incest, noncon, mind control, gossiping, violence, bullying, vandalism, BDSM (including nonconsenting), slut-shaming, virgin-shaming, homomisia, kink-shaming, manipulation, blood, peer pressure, excessive drinking, underage smoking, PTSD, cheating, breakups, and blackmail, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
This is the full-length release of a short story (Placebo – Short Story Edition).
Woo-yeon has worked hard to establish himself among his peers in college. Unfortunately, in high school, he became a social pariah due to his anger. So, the moment he was able to go somewhere where no one really knew him, he made every effort to reinvent his image. Things are going perfectly well until his younger step-brother, Woo-jin, suddenly appears in his class. Sure, Woo-yeon’s issues are due to his own actions, but all of his misfortune and rage stem from this man.
Woo-jin is not only at his campus, but is even joining Woo-yeon’s major. Woo-jin has copied all of Woo-yeon’s steps since they were kids, and while that was cute when they were younger, from their teens onward, it became intolerable. Woo-yeon has no intention of letting Woo-jin get to him again. But he might not have much of a choice. Woo-jin found a book about hypnotism a while back, and Woo-yeon has been under his spell ever since.
He makes Woo-yeon do all kinds of things, including making him soft and compliant, but seeing his older brother interact with other men is bothering Woo-jin again. Maybe it is time to take it to the next level.
Review:
Having recently read and reviewed Following Namsoo to the Bathhouse, and also having read other titles by Cuke Soap, I adore seeing how far their art has come. This creator is the perfect example of how much of a difference practice, perseverance, and time can make. This is very pretty, and their style has never been so consistent. It isn’t perfect by any means, as there are many times the body proportions are off, or the poses are awkward, but overall, it is quite pretty. It is also uncensored, which is a nice bonus.
However, there is one thing about Cuke Soap’s work that has not changed at all. My dear friend, and amazing Vtubing demon Porphyra, is a big fan of Cuke Soap, but even he would agree that they are not the best storyteller. While their art has grown and improved, I don’t think their writing is much better. The whole foundation of the story is hypnotism, which we see used again and again, yet always results in Woo-yeon waking up with no memory of anything happening to him. That isn’t necessarily the bad part. What is bad is how he is ruthlessly fucked in many scenes, only to wake up as if nothing had happened. There are no aches or pains, no weird sticky feeling, no lingering tastes, etc. I think this was a huge missed opportunity when developing towards Woo-yeon’s eventual awakening and even acceptance of his sexual relationship with Woo-jin. Granted, I am a big fan of narrative-heavy dark stories. If you can suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the dubcon/noncon smorgasbord, you will probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.
I will say, though, there is one absolutely delectable moment, and I think it might be one of the best-written scenes Cuke Soap has ever created. After all of the naughty hypnotized sections, with Woo-jin sexing up Woo-yeon, Woo-jin gets tired of being so intimate with Woo-yeon. He has been putting Woo-yeon into a hypnotized state, having his way with him when Woo-yeon is acting all sweet and loving, then, when Woo-jin is about to pass out, releasing him from the hypnosis. Woo-jin then has to deal with asshole Woo-yeon again, like nothing ever happened. So, instead of waiting until they’re done to release him, Woo-jin releases Woo-yeon during the act. It is so shocking and inconceivable to Woo-yeon that he convinces himself to accept that this is what step-brothers do to ‘help each other out.’ While he doesn’t completely remember everything that has happened, his body has, and he gives in to the pleasure, which also makes it easier for him to accept the situation.
Honestly, while the mind control was fun, moving away from it was the best move. Unfortunately, the rest of the story goes downhill after this one bright moment, with nonsensical, wholly unnecessary drama, like a kidnapping that ends within an episode. I was especially disappointed by the lack of side couple action. From the beginning, Woo-yeon wants to be with a sunbae, and then another classmate joins them for a group project. We see the sunbae and the other classmate have sex because Woo-jin hypnotized them, but that’s it, and we never see anything regarding them again. We have no idea if either of them realized what they had done, what became of them, etc. It was just another frustrating plot point that wasn’t nearly as developed as it should or could have been.
Results:
This was definitely some of the best work Cuke Soap has done, especially in the art department. If you can suspend your disbelief better than I, then I think this is a real gem. Cuke Soap‘s smut is some of the best out there, and when they don’t focus too much on the story, it is typically for the best. I think this title shows that, and this is them moving in that direction. That being said, if you want a good story, this isn’t it. If you are looking for some very pretty dubcon/noncon, then look no further.
Have you read Placebo? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
