cw: noncon discussion



tl;dr: entertaining, deeply problematic work. did i read/like it anyway? yes. :(

((obviously holding out a final judgment until the story is finished, so these are just my thoughts so far.))



what i liked: the art, the characters, the spicy plot. ohhhh my goodness byeonduck is probably, on quality, my favorite artist ever. and i think her art is probably how she gets away with as much as she does. she's absolutely the master of show-not-tell, in a way that i've never seen in

cw: noncon discussion



tl;dr: entertaining, deeply problematic work. did i read/like it anyway? yes. :(

((obviously holding out a final judgment until the story is finished, so these are just my thoughts so far.))



what i liked: the art, the characters, the spicy plot. ohhhh my goodness byeonduck is probably, on quality, my favorite artist ever. and i think her art is probably how she gets away with as much as she does. she's absolutely the master of show-not-tell, in a way that i've never seen in a manhwa/manga/manhua before. next, i really do like the characters, even the ones i don't like. yoon seungho is intriguing and i want to know his ~sordid backstory~, inhun is infuriating but (i think) a pretty realistic portrayal of a ~politically minded~ man, and nakyum is, of course, adorable and sympathetic but also (i think) complex in his own right! i'm really excited to see nakyum come into his own and hopefully stand up for himself a little more. and finally -pending updates- i like the plot. it reminds me a lot of dangerous liaisons, and i'm looking forward to more insight as to how politics function in byeonduck's version of joseon. i'm also excited to see how everyone's relationships will develop. i hope the update (which is tomorrow!!!!!!!) will not disappoint.



what i hated (and why i am willing to give potn a 4-star review anyway): fking noncon used as a plot device!!!!!! *however* i think this is slightly more excusable given the context. first, it's a period drama. i majored in history in college and strongly believe that morality needs to be viewed in context. second, the exact nature of nakyum's desires aren't made clear, and i think that question is worth exploring if not only because of the historical context of gayness. finally (and most importantly imo), yoon seungho is NOT portrayed as a loving partner, but rather a complicated sadist. now, i do not abide the comparisons to a certain serial killer from a certain other comic, because i don't think that being emotionally manipulative and occasionally violent are the same things as being a literal serial killer. however, i do think that seungho is portrayed in a negative enough light that byeonduck does not normalize his choices. additionally, it's clear through the characterization of inhun that byeonduck is weaving a tale about the consequences of exploitation. i hope beyond hope that i can continue to defend this manhwa. i don't want a redemption arc for seungho that includes nakyum genuinely falling for him. i do want to see more of his emotional landscape, but i would also like to see him get what's coming for him. inhun too. i'll update this review if things significantly change.