Checkmate

It took me one year to finish reading this manhwa. I'm not even kidding, I checked it out yesterday because I remembered it and there was a timestamp on the third chapter that I left this on read for A YEAR. The thing is, I remember exactly why. I really tried to read this manhwa, the positive reviews really made me curious but the main character was just soooo embarrassing I kept slamming my head to the pillow before deciding, y'know what, I'm actually not going to waste my time trying to get through this but here we are- I picked this up yesterday andactually binged this all in one day and all I'm thinking is, why didn't I push through a year ago?!?! This was so good, the last time I felt like this was when I suffered through the first season of Jojo just to find out, why was the rest lowkey peak? Anyway, past is past but I think what really drives the story home for me is the characters. Soohyun, the main narrator in particular, is soooo incredibly in his head it's just embarrassing, man. But also, I actually understood his viewpoint despite finding it difficult to see things from his lens. He is so wrapped up in his spite, and it's very interesting how the author portrays this. It made me squirm and wince the first initial chapters (mostly from sheer second-hand embarrassment because one of us had to be embarrassed for his decisions because WTF) but looking back, the way the author wrote his narrative so delicately is honestly so amazing. What a mind. Eunseung was a little more predictable, but his character was written so nicely as well it didn't felt so cliche. What I like the most about them though is when they're together- they just mesh with each other so perfectly that even when they're just in one frame, it's oozing with so much. Whether that be chemistry, tension, or whatnot. It adds that the author is actually very detailed, even when it's just a momentary panel to a big action. I came in here expecting a psychological horror more than romance, but honestly, the psychological horror aspect kind of fizzles out which I surprisingly don't mind. The romance wasn't what I expected but it's good too. It was honestly such a rollercoaster ride and the author made it so enjoyable, they deserve their flowers to be honest. TL;DR not really but I like that their dynamic is actually balanced. They're both dominant in a way, but they give way for each other, and if we ignore the first couple of chapters- I think what makes them work so well is that they consider each other, which honestly is such a 180 but I welcome it just because the author wrote the story so well.