Trope: Social Gap
These works feature an evident difference in social ranking between two people, whether that be class level, financial standing, or otherwise.
Manga Review | Adorable And Impossible by Owal
Title: Adorable And Impossible
Tatsuya has decided to take a part-time gig teaching graphic design at an art college. He doesn’t have a passion for teaching or anything like that, but he needs money to help support the business he wants to start, so he accepts the dreaded task of educating the youth. One such youth he finds himself teaching is a particularly bubbly young adult named Tsumugi. Tsumugi wants to be a fashion designer, but he is often late to class, is quick to play around, and often comes in hungover or buzzed, which doesn’t convince Tatsuya that Tsumugi is all that serious about his goals.
That is, until one day, after a class training students on a program that allows people to design things, Tsumugi ends up begging Tatsuya for personal training after hours. While Tatsuya isn’t fond of working for free, he can’t help being moved by this serious Tsumugi he’s never seen before, so they stay after and train on the program together. Once again, Tatsuya is surprised by how serious and diligent Tsumugi is about this. He’s really drawn to his student for the first time… until Tsumugi decides to reward him with a sexual favor.
Tatsuya, though he is swept up in the heat of the moment, knows just as well as anybody that this can’t happen again, but after the first time, Tsumugi seems to be obsessed with getting him back in bed by any means necessary.
Manhwa Review | Escape into Oblivion by Gawee
Title: Escape into Oblivion
Woojin is willing to do anything to escape. Escape from what? His family, school, his lovers, and life in general. He’ll do whatever it takes to escape, whether through sex, alcohol, moving away, hiding from school, or anything else. It’s almost like a game to Woojin, and it’s one that he wins often. That is until he meets Hwon.
Hwon does anything Woojin asks, even when Woojin does everything he can to either run from Hwon or hurt him. This intensity of love is new to Woojin, and it scares him. What scares him even more, though, is who Hwon might be. Part of why Woojin feels the need to escape is that when he was a child, his friend was beaten by a homeless boy they would occasionally pick on and whom Woojin would confide in. Rather than save his friend, Woojin ran away, never to see the friend again.
Could Hwon be that friend seeking revenge? Or could he be the homeless boy, finally back to take what belongs to him, Woojin? Woojin’s not sure which he would prefer, but he knows one thing for sure. No matter who Hwon ends up being, Woojin has fallen hopelessly in love with him, which is something he can’t escape.
Novel Review | Soul Vibration by Dr. Solo
Title: Soul Vibration
Chi Nan has always dreamed of working in the music industry as a singer-songwriter. He got his first taste of that world when he went on a singing gameshow where he was praised by Salinger, his idol and the bassist for one of the top bands in the world, Lotus. Not long after his run on the show, Chi Nan gets the opportunity to put out an album. However, in the middle of his budding career, he is diagnosed with an incurable ear problem, slowly but surely deteriorating his hearing ability. Unable to reliably continue his career, his agent drops him, and Chi Nan is at a loss.
Desperate to at least stay in the industry, Chi Nan ends up finding a gig as an assistant for a musician. It just so happens that the musician is the one and only Salinger. Chi Nan jumps at the opportunity to assist his idol and quickly learns what it’s like for a prodigy in the music industry as Salinger is bashed, harassed, and even harmed by the media and public. Chi Nan doesn’t care what anyone else says about Salinger. Chi Nan loves him exactly as he is. The question is, how does Salinger feel about Chi Nan?
Manhwa Review | Dine With a Vampire by PANGIN
Title: Dine With a Vampire
Sooin spends every day living in utter hell. He lives in a world stuck between guilt and rage, love and vengeance, and complacency and revenge. The best he can do on a day-to-day basis is to try not to anger his roommate, Sungha. Why Sungha? Because Sungha spends every day torturing and beating Sooin because Sooin fell in love with him. Sooin could leave, but his guilt won’t allow him to, as he feels his love for Sungha has turned him into a monster. So he endures Sungha’s cruelty, but not without hoping that someday he can escape.
Then, while at work, Sooin meets another kind of monster. He runs into the owner of the restaurant he works at, Chi-hwan, because of a cut on Sooin’s finger. It turns out that Chi-hwan is a vampire, but not just any vampire. Instead, he is a vampire that can’t drink human blood and must subsist off the hearts of his fellow vampire brethren. But for some reason, he is drawn to Sooin’s blood, and when he gets a taste of it, he finds it perfectly palatable when human blood hasn’t been for so long.
Desperate to ensure Sooin stays alive and well so he can partake in his blood, Chi-hwan makes him an offer Sooin can’t refuse. Chi-hwan will kill for Sooin, including Sungha. All Sooin has to do is give him blood.
Manhwa Review | The King and the Paladin by IRINBI (Mature Version)
Title: The King and the Paladin
Ezekiel is a noble paladin. For years now, he has been steadily building up his reputation, wealth, and standing in society in hopes of one day reuniting with his long-lost love Calli, and finally establishing a life with her. However, before finding her, he is appointed as the heir to a dukedom as the illegitimate son. Ezekiel accepts his role, and as the heir, he meets with the newly appointed queen of the kingdom. To his surprise, though, the bloody queen Calliope is none other than his long-lost love Calli. Before he can even express his joy, Calli captures him and forces him into a marriage ceremony right then and there.
Calliope has suffered for years under the power of her father’s concubine and her children. Her only reprieve from the suffering was the company of a mysterious man named Ezekiel, who was being kept and trained by the church. The two shared many sweet and intimate moments. After discovering the corrupt and salacious nature of the church, Calliope’s goal is to help rescue Ezekiel and take over her rightful place on the throne as its only direct descendent. However, upon making this decision for herself, she discovers Ezekiel has disappeared, and all she has to go on is the rumors that he has left to become a noblewoman’s concubine. Betrayed by her only love, Calliope goes on the warpath, ascends the throne, and with Ezekiel back under her thumb, she is determined to keep him by her side, even if it means destroying him in the process.
Novel Review | University of the Underworld by Ziloi
Title: University of the Underworld
Our main character is a new ghost. He doesn’t remember how or when he died, nor does he remember who he even is, so he spends the first moments of his new ghostly life simply waiting when he wakes up. For what? For the ghostly guards, of course, that will help guide him to the underworld. No matter how long he waits, though, there is no sign of any guards of any kind to come and help. So, on a whim, the ghostling decides that if he isn’t destined to go to the underworld, he’ll become a malevolent spirit. Unfortunately, his first target is none other than Bai Shaonan, a ghost, and a powerful one at that.
The little ghostling’s antics do not amuse Bai Shaonan, and he’s compelled to destroy the new ghost and move along with his undead life. However, there is something about the little ghost that Shaonan just won’t seem to let him do it, especially when he finds out the little guy wants to become a malevolent spirit and has no clue who he is. So, looking around, Shaonan picks a random name: Cui Yue. Then, he takes little Cui Yue under his wing and back to the underworld, specifically the university where Shaonan is actually a dean.
Cui Yue starts his life as an underworld college student, but it’s not all fun and games. Cui Yue isn’t a very good student, but he’s trying his best, and his grades are the least of his worries when he realizes that Shaonan’s interest may not end at mere scholarly interest. But beyond school and romantic troubles, there is an underworld to the underworld that is working to destroy both Cui Yue and Bai Shaonan for eternity.