Psychological
A narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the characters’ spiritual, emotional, and mental lives.
Manhwa Review | Bye Bye by SORIM
Title: Bye Bye
Seoyu is standing on the edge of a bridge. This bridge was where his happy life ended years before, when he survived a plunge in the river below, while his parents and brother did not. Ever since, he’s lived with survivor’s guilt, doing the bare minimum to get through day after day. Now that he’s the same age his brother was when he died, Seoyu sees no point in continuing on in life. Just as he’s about to climb over the guardrail, a car comes flying up, crashing into it.
Seoyu rushes over to help the driver, only to find a perfectly fine young man. As it turns out, he wasn’t supposed to drive the car yet. Fearing his brother’s reaction, he begs Seoyu to help him lie and get out of any trouble in exchange for a nice chunk of change. Though only a few moments before, Seoyu was ready to move on from life. But his determination has waned, and he’s agreed to meet the young man’s brother. Seoyu doesn’t expect to meet a very dominant alpha, and a hot one at that.
There’s no way this guy would ever be attracted to a recessive omega like him, but that doesn’t stop Seoyu from imagining it. How surprising it is when those dreams come true, and he is actively pursued by the hot alpha Sunghoon Choi. But is he deserving of such love from someone like Sunghoon?
Manhwa Review | Perfectly Broken Love by SUMA
Title: Perfectly Broken Love
Ma Dongjae loves BL. He reads everything he can get his hands on and swoons over the romantic storylines, hoping to have his own happily ever after someday. Unfortunately, he seems to only be attracted to straight men. Even worse, most of the time, these men turn out to be bigots, so when he confesses, they respond in the worst ways possible. Thankfully, Dongjae isn’t one to take any insults sitting down. He has no problem putting assholes in their place, but the latest instance ends up happening in a very public place, drawing the attention of someone nearby. While Dongjae is mourning another horrible rejection in private, the “someone” who happened to see it all go down follows Dongjae.
There, the stranger wastes no time coming on to Dongjae, letting Dongjae know that he’s gay and is more than willing to be with Dongjae. Dongjae is beyond turned off by this man’s persistence. Thankfully, Dongjae gets away from the pervert without much trouble. Unfortunately, attending his new class, it turns out the stranger is in the same class. Dongjae is trying to come up with some way of dropping out of the class when one of their classmates brings up the recent public rejection Dongjae just experienced. Dongjae is uncomfortable, ready to get into another fight if need be, when Tae-jun, the stranger, jumps in, telling the classmate off for bringing up something like that in class.
Tae-jun seems like a completely different person, and Dongjae finds himself attracted to this new version. But when Dongjae tries to get close, Tae-jun appears to want nothing to do with him, completely counter to what Dongjae experienced only a short time prior. After spending time with each different variation of “Tae-jun,” Dongjae learns that Tae-jun has DID, and while Tae-oh, the personality that initially hit on Dongjae, is gay, Tae-jun, the personality Dongjae actually likes, is not. Brokenhearted, Dongjae is preparing to move on when Tae-oh makes him an offer: I’ll help you with Tae-jun if you let me touch you. It’s an uncomfortable offer, but one that Dongjae is tempted to accept, imagining all of those BL happily ever afters.
Manhwa Review | Aporia by Seontae
Title: Aporia
Goo Ja-wook is hopelessly in love with the infamous Yoon Gyum. Their relationship began by pure chance. Ja-wook just happened to be scoping out the exclusive club for BDSM enthusiasts, not because he was interested in BDSM, but because his company was being hired to design the space for an upcoming renovation and subsequent event. Ja-wook innocently took a seat at the bar to take down notes and sketch up plans when he was approached by none other than Gyum. Gyum was immediately smitten with Ja-wook, assuming he was a club patron as well, and intent on finding out how compatible they are in the bedroom, invited Ja-wook up to his room. Far too enraptured by Gyum to realize what he’s walking into, Ja-wook happily agrees.
After a steamy night, Ja-wook wants nothing more than to be with Gyum, but rather than be asked out officially, Gyum has a different arrangement in mind. Gyum intends to form a dom-sub relationship with Ja-wook. The main stipulation? They never pry into the other’s personal lives. What Gyum doesn’t realize is that Ja-wook has no interest in being a sub, much less a masochist, but he does have a vested interest in Gyum. Ja-wook agrees for no other reason than that he wants to be with Gyum in any way he can, even if at the risk of his pride and health.
So begins Ja-wook’s nosedive into the world of BDSM.
Manhwa Review | Killing Stalking by Koogi
Title: Killing Stalking
Yoon Bum is a loner, but he doesn’t want to be. Bum longs for companionship, but not just with anyone. He longs for no one other than Oh Sangwoo. Bum has been quietly stalking Sangwoo since meeting him during conscription after Sangwoo rescued him from an assault by his platoon leader. After figuring out where he lives, Bum discovers the numbers of Sangwoo’s door lock and lists out every possible combination, which he decides to try so he can gain access to Sangwoo’s house. Unfortunately, at the end of the list, a cop car pulls up and begins questioning why he is there. Bum is in a panic but is able to say he’s Sangwoo’s cousin before getting the code right and slipping inside.
While Bum sees this as a victory, he doesn’t realize that the cops he spoke to know Sangwoo, and they end up telling him about the run-in with his “cousin,” prompting him to return home while Bum is lurking about. But having a stranger in his home isn’t the main reason Sangwoo is in a rush to get back. While Bum is snooping about, he discovers a basement door in the floor with a lock on it. Once he opens it and heads down, Bum discovers a woman, bound and beaten. Bum tries to help her, but before he can get her free, Sangwoo finds him, knocking Bum out with a baseball bat.
Bum is now Sangwoo’s newest victim. Can Bum survive this encounter? But more importantly, can he make Sangwoo love him as much as he loves him?
Manga Review | Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart by Syundei
Title: Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart
Terumichi is in love with his mysterious classmate Yamada, who just appeared in his life one day. Yamada is strange and imposing but dangerously beautiful and one of the few people who have been kind to Terumichi. His unique disposition makes him all the more alluring to Terumichi, and in the end, he can’t help being drawn to Yamada. After an abrupt confession, Yamada and Terumichi seem on the cusp of romance when a stranger with a knife appears.
Terumichi does everything he can to protect Yamada, but in the end, Yamada is stabbed to death. Terumichi is in a panic, calling an ambulance, even though it’s clear by the amount of blood that Yamada isn’t going to survive. Yet, somehow, Yamada gets right up and walks away as if nothing ever happened, whispering a cryptic sentence:
“Only two left.”
Terumichi would be better off cutting his losses and moving on, but he just can’t forget Yamada.