I Accept You

“Don’t pretend to be kindhearted. It makes me sick.” Characters in this manga were blessed with was the ability to say bitter truths to their friends face. The truth is sometimes ugly-- deal with it, must have been the theme of this manga. After they hide it of course, nothing bangs the closet door harder than a few good truths and secrets. Shin-Hee (girl) and Su-Yoon (boy) have known each other since kindergarten. Shin always getting picked on and Su-Yoon always fighting back and telling her to stand up for herself. Now in high school they moved on and Su-Yoon has a girlfriend, Ha-Eun, who happens tobe Shin-Hee’s best friend. It doesn’t help their friendship that Shin-Hee and Su-Yoon are always at each others throats about everything and anything. But underneath that hostility, under deep layers of it, Su-Yoon really cares for her, to the point where he rescues and protects her from everything, more so than his own girlfriend (Ha-Eun). It has to be love right? Let’s be honest we all know it has to be. Even before we start reading, they're in the cover! That’s the price we pay for reading clichéd manga. But just because it’s a cliché doesn’t mean it isn’t well done. The character drama has been done and served but the story itself is decent and enjoyable. Like ALL manhwa there are gangs and one guy who is known for being the best and everyone fears, the top dwag, or is it dog? My slang is outdated, anyway… The story advances smoothly and gives enough hints of what’s to be expected, but just enough to keep you interested. We learn through the scheming, secrets, and lies brought on by our very own characters. All through the story you have a feeling that there’s something you don’t know. Something that has nothing to do with the plot itself and more to do with the characters. Which makes it hard figuring out who is really as they seem, almost impossible---nah, I was kidding, it’s not hard at all to tell who has ill intentions as opposed to good natured. In a few chapters time we know who is good or faking it. Because that’s not the focus of the story. It centers around a secret. A secret that has them trapped to each other. In between all that and the fleeting romance drama there are bad decisions, drunk confessions, and a trip somewhere (why are high schoolers always going on vacation in manga?). Which if you count all but the last that pretty much sums up my high school experience...NOT! I have to say that the characters, not too shabby. They were a pleasant bunch. So imagine my surprise when halfway through I felt comfortable enough to put away the matches, because I wouldn’t be tempted to light my laptop on fire. Yay! For those wondering if just measly matches can get the job done without an active agent, you’re just going to have to trust me. Chae Shin Hee is your basic protagonist. Suffice it to say that she isn’t annoying, though somewhat of a ditz (in the boyfriend department), she is an all round cluelessly nice girl who’s only fault was to have a bitch for a best friend. As soon as we start reading, we learn two things about her: 1. She has a horrible track record with confessing (someone didn’t practice in front of the mirror). 2. She is a really ugly crier. I was glad for the bickering and insults between her and Su-Yoon, it was refreshing and didn’t held any sexual tension at all… Yee Su-Yoon is the infamous bad boy of the school. Currently going out with Kang Ha-Eun and a member of the Emperors Circle, which is an elite alliance whose participants are the top of the school in wealth, skills, and looks (sounds like something you’d write on a resume). He has an overall bad attitude and cant stand his girlfriend. For the people that said you usually start the disdain after you get married, wrong! His character is pretty solid (and pretty pretty :), his intentions aren’t always clear except for the fact that he saves and can’t stand for Shin-Hee to be upset (unless it’s his doing) or crying (same). It only really centers around a couple of characters who’s personality range from evil, manipulative, sweet, dork, and my personal favorite (NOT!) persistent (annoying). The art is the typical Korean manhwa style. The characters didn’t look the same, at fist. As soon as new characters were introduced it went downhill, they weren’t original, not much anyway. Overall clean and though I was a little disappointed for the lack of fighting scenes since the ones available were clean, it was nice/clean art. Not exemplary but average. After all is said and done all I have to say is, “YES! The bitch got bitch-slapped!” Petty, I know but so worth it.