Man Lies to Amnesiac Crush, Amnesiac Crush Lies Back
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Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Placebo Memory.
Content Warning: There may be references to manipulation, memory loss, dubcon, excessive drinking, BDSM, sexual assault, gossiping, violence, commentary on body weight, obsession, classism (in the context of a roleplay), drugging (in the context of a roleplay), somnophilia (in the context of a roleplay), and cheating (in the context of a roleplay), as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Woojin Nam and Hamin Lee are childhood friends. Since they met as children, they have been inseparable. Unfortunately, Hamin has always felt more than friendship for his friend, but he has never dared to confess. As luck would have it, good or bad, he suddenly has a chance to avoid the confession entirely and still end up with the man of his dreams. After pushing Woojin to meet him to return a book, Hamin learns that Woojin was in an accident and may have lost his memory. Thankfully, having met up with him at the hospital, it seems most of his memories are intact – except the ones about Hamin.
Hamin is initially heartbroken, though the memory loss is more than likely temporary.
But Hamin, in his heartbreak, wants a bit of revenge. He thought he was important to Woojin, and he fully intends on making Woojin believe he was even more important than he ever was. So, Hamin kisses Woojin and tells him they have been dating. To Hamin’s surprise, Woojin reciprocates, and they are in the throes of a very physical and sweet relationship. But the memory loss is more than likely temporary, so even the days of their friendship are numbered. But what Hamin doesn’t know is that Woojin has a secret, too, and it just might change everything.
Review:
Note that in the Korean release, the original series was called Placebo Memory, and a sequel/spin-off, Placebo Crush, was released later. The English release has the sequel under the original series title as an additional season, instead. This review considers the entire series, which includes the sequel, based on the English release.
I’m currently reading another title by this artist, and while it isn’t the most consistent style, there is something about it that I really like. It is super expressive and lends itself really well to smutty and comedic sections. However, they do suffer from a bit of same-face syndrome. If it weren’t for the colored hair, different eye colors, and varying skin tones, the tops would be near-identical, as would the bottoms. This was their first official title, and the ongoing one is newer, so I know their work gets better, but just know this is very sketchy and rough.
Moving on to the story, I recently read a manga that combined the original series and its sequel into one, just like this title (Comic Party Wonder Love). That choice in that series, in my opinion, made the entire experience worse. However, in this case of this series, I think adding the sequel at the end saved it. The whole premise of the original story was that Woojin lost his memory, and Hamin took advantage of it to have the romantic relationship he always wanted. That is all well and good. But toward the end, when it is revealed that Woojin had regained all of his memories and was still maintaining the fake relationship, everything falls apart.
Hamin immediately assumes that Woojin was only doing it to toy with him or just felt sorry for him. This makes little sense, especially considering their friendship over the years. Wouldn’t Hamin know that Woojin wouldn’t treat him that way as his friend? And as friends, why would Woojin go along with an actual relationship if he didn’t feel the same? The assumptions and misunderstandings just come out of nowhere to me, and feel shoehorned in just to create some drama where there was none. I understand something was needed to bring the narrative to a close, but I think Hamin’s embarrassment was enough to explain his wanting to run away, and then having Woojin find him and confess everything would be much more in character and make more sense narratively.
Then we get into the second season, which was originally intended as a sequel and spin-off, featuring Hamin’s other friend, Sol, and Woojin’s brother, Seohyung. Not only does this season make much more sense narratively, but I even like the characters better. Even though Hamin and Woojin were friends, I never felt their chemistry was all that great. Plus, Hamin was super prone to these weird jumps in logic toward the end, which made him unlikable. Similarly, though Woojin was portrayed as this extroverted, likable guy, he refused to just come out and make things clear with Hamin until he set up a silly confinement scenario so they could talk. None of that happens between Sol and Seohyung, and Seohyung is a silly little pervert while Sol tries to play the mature older man who inevitably is swayed by his younger lover’s charms. The dynamic between the couple is better, the smut is better, and the story is better. If it weren’t for the sequel being added as a second season in this release, I would’ve been severely disappointed.
Results:
This would’ve ended up being mid, if not worse, but the second season really saved it. The art is fun and expressive, albeit sketchy, and though our original couple isn’t the best, there is some lovely smut across the entire series. If the story isn’t all that important to you, you’ll probably enjoy the entire thing just fine. If the story is important, though, hold on tight because it is a bumpy ride. These are two short stories pushed together to create a longer story, and each is an example of how a short story can be done well and how it can be done poorly. I think the second season is worth a read, but you have to get through the first to get it.
Have you read Placebo Memory? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
