About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Vargoth's Magical Toys.
Trigger Warning: There may be references to self-deprecation, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, violence, manipulation, boss and employee relationship, classism, social gap, enslavement, BDSM, blood, corruption, stalking, racism, abduction, child abandonment, human trafficking, PTSD, and excessive drinking, as it appears in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Eunwoo only has one goal: to become a viral vlogger. Unfortunately, there's not much to see or do to go viral in his small, rural town. To add insult to injury, with the appearance of portals to other worlds, numerous magic shops and magic items are making their way into Eunwoo's world. But out in the country, Eunwoo can only long for them as he watches other vloggers review them on the very platform he's trying to gain fame on. He would love nothing more than to leave his small town, but with no job and, in turn, no money, that is an impossibility. It's a painful reality that Eunwoo is currently stuck in.
Desperate to make a change, Eunwoo looks for a job that won't jeopardize the time he spends on his videos but pays well enough so he can start saving for the future he longs for. To his surprise, while on the hunt, he discovers a new magic shop has opened in his small town! Seeing this as a sign and an amazing opportunity, Eunwoo jumps at the chance. But when he turns up to the shop, expecting magic and intrigue, he finds the magic… but it's in the form of sex toys. This wasn't at all what he expected.
But the pay is right; the job is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and his boss, Arte Vargoth, is a charmer in more ways than one. While it isn't what Eunwoo expected, this is the first step to his ideal future.
Review:
The art isn't amazing. There are very pretty panels, of course, but it's very inconsistent. Eunwoo also looks very, very young, despite being an adult and aspiring college student, which is one of my icks. I don't think it's intentional here, but it still makes the smutty moments uncomfy. The secondary couple between Leo and Haral Valentine is much more my preference, mainly because they actually both look like adults, but also because their romance happens much later in the series, and the art does get a bit more consistent over the course of the series, so they look the best.
The story is also pretty mid. Eunwoo is very cute, and I love his attempts at becoming a vlogger. I wish the story had leaned into that more, but we instead go into some of the more stereotypical plotlines, such as Eunwoo and Arte meeting as children, inspiring Arte to come back to the human world to eventually find Eunwoo. Eunwoo, of course, does not remember Arte in their adulthood, and rather than Arte telling Eunwoo, he just keeps a safe distance. Eunwoo's dream of online fame quickly diminishes as the story goes on. The store does end up getting famous online, but it's just not the same as our goofy boy's initial dream, which is a shame, as I think there would have been more interesting plotlines in there if that had been more of a focus.
But then the mid-story goes entirely off the rails with the introduction of Karon, Arte's obsessive and psychopathic brother. Karon kidnaps Eunwoo and proceeds to confine, sexually assault, and humiliate him. Why? Because Karon is eccentric, to put it kindly. That's really it. Sure, it's played off that it's because Karon is jealous of Eunwoo, but it feels very superficial and hollow. Then, after Eunwoo has been abused, they just forgive him? Within a few panels, they're all friends, as if none of this cruelty and horror to Eunwoo ever happened. It feels shoehorned in just to create tension in a rather tensionless series. Karon was 100% unnecessary, and the story would have benefited from just cutting his arc out.
There is something instead that deserves much more attention. I really wish this had been a story based around our side couple. As much as I love how lighthearted and goofy Eunwoo is, Arte feels rather hollow as a male lead, and, as a result, their romance doesn't feel all that legitimate. Leo is a sad boy with a tragic past fraught with struggle and hopelessness, while Haral is a sunshine retriever type, desperately pursuing Leo, showering him with love and affection. That dynamic is just so much more my preference, and I just felt more drawn to Leo's background and his character. He's forced to see his unrequited love, Arte, fall deeper and deeper in love with Eunwoo, including officiating their eventual marriage, confirming his belief that he isn't meant to achieve happiness. All the while, Haral is trying to prove Leo's negative feelings wrong. They just feel so much more believable to me and, in turn, more enjoyable as a couple.
Results:
This has a lot of potential, but with the unnecessary effort of trying to create dramatic tension with a character like Karon, who seems crazy for the sake of being crazy, much of that potential is lost in the muck. The art also isn't strong enough to make up for the lacking story. I would not recommend this unless you are just so curious or bored that you need something to read while waiting for your ongoing reads to update. It's super unfortunate since Haral and Leo are such a good couple, but they can't carry this on their own. It's not the worst, but it's just not worth the coin.
Have you read Vargoth's Magical Toys? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!