i agree with you on this being a predictable but shitty arc, especially since it was clear from the start that this manhwa wasn’t going to be a short or easy read. it tries to explore complex psychological disorders, but a lot of it feels rushed or just not fully explained, like how seo-an’s panic disorder seems to just disappear, which really isn’t realistic at all. i think a lot of people reading this probably noticed that too.
that said, i do feel like the weight and aftermath of trauma isn’t being acknowledged enough. i’m not saying everyone experiences it the same way, because they don’t, there’s no simple path through it, and it’s never just a checklist of symptoms. it’s messy, painful, and different for everyone. hypersexuality or complete disinterest in sex are both pretty common responses to trauma, and i think the way the author portrayed seo-an and the connection with sex as comfort, especially how woowon spirals deeper into his own confusion and need for control, was meant to reflect that chaos.
yes, it’s rape, and no, it’s not okay. but honestly, nobody in this story is. i completely respect people who feel differently, but i don’t think this portrayal of ptsd is as far-fetched or unrealistic as it might seem at first. it’s uncomfortable, and it should be.
I know how messy and painful trauma can be. I also know that PTSD manifests differently for everyone but I feel like confusion and need for agency could've been portrayed better. The few examples I gave weren't meant as a checklist, just a few responses as possible alternatives to what happened in this chapter. People might struggle with boundaries because of trauma but blatantly raping a partner who repeatedly says "no"? I've never seen that be acknowledged as a trauma response in any credible way. I'm sure there are so many other ways of portraying a character fumbling for control, desperately trying to regain a sense of order through hypersexuality, without rape. Plenty of other ways to show how painful and uncomfortable PTSD can be too. This was the author's choice though and I believe she took the easy route. I know that's what she was trying to accomplish but I still believe it could've been executed much better and more creatively, because in my opinion rape as a plot device is tired and overdone.
I also noticed the way Seo-an's disorder just vanished after he got into a relationship. I might be reading too much into it but that kind of makes me lose faith in the author's grasp on mental illness. I have my reasons for feeling that this story has been on a steady decline other than the rape. Since the second season started it has been one thing after the other: Woowon's father threatens him, Woowon is humiliated by Seo-an's acquaintances, Seo-an assaults him, infantilises him, goes behind his back, disregards him, hides something major from him, then the father goes off the rails, strangles his son, there's a car crash, father dies, Woowon is traumatised, Woowon assaults Seo-an. We never got a chance to breathe or unpack anything, the author keeps piling it on; you're not done processing the last mess before a new disaster strikes. Which makes me think that the rape was less a necessary evil to portray psychological collapse and just another entry in an already exhausting trauma conga line.
I know it might be intentional on the author's part, it might be her way of invoking the emotional exhaustion her characters feel in her readers. To me it just feels exasperating. When will it end? Will any of the characters' harmful coping mechanisms be unpacked? I hope so, but I no longer feel the desire to stick around to find out. I don't think this story should be rainbows and sunshine, far from it, that would be unrealistic, but I also don't think it needs to be this relentless to be angsty and impactful. Nonstop trauma just ruins the pace and undermines the emotional weight for me. Sorry for writing too much, I have nowhere else to express my thoughts on this. Thank you for providing the opportunity and being respectful. I definitely respect your point of view but I'm really not convinced.
no yeah i totally get where you’re coming from and i don’t blame anyone who sees it that way because it’s completely valid. rape and sa have been used way too often as plot devices in media, especially in stuff like this, and it really does take away from the real emotions or intentions behind the story. it’s been done so much and in such a careless or fetishized way that sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s actually meant to explore something deeper or if it’s just there for shock value or drama. and that’s exhausting to read honestly.
i do want to make it clear that i agree with you. i think the author absolutely could’ve shown woowon’s flaws or his "downfall" in other ways that didn’t involve something so harmful. but yeaahh.. this is just the direction this particular bl is taking. and it’s kinda disappointing, especially when you’ve been really into a manhwa and it suddenly takes this turn. this was one of my favorites too for a while, so seeing it fall apart like this is honestly upsetting. i totally get why some people would drop it, even seasoned readers who've indulged in this heavy genre for years. it’s not even about being sensitive, it’s about being tired of seeing the same trauma used again and again in ways that don’t always feel necessary in any way whatsoever.
but thank you for sharing your thoughts too. i really appreciate discussions like this, even if the topic is heavy, it’s nice to know there are others who care enough to talk about it thoughtfully.
People saying what Woowon did is a realistic depiction of coping with PTSD are huffing mad copium. Yes you can cope with sex but that doesn't mean you rape your partner. Yes you can unintentionally hurt them but that usually manifests in the form of lashing out at them for no reason, being avoidant, getting angry at the smallest things which can cause emotional exhaustion. People with PTSD won't suddenly start disregarding consent, especially when they were very gentle and accomodating prior. Rape doesn't add complexity to a story, it's an easy shortcut for authors to add angst. One major event that's guaranteed to shock, create tension, cause a rift all while providing an opportunity to draw porn. This doesn't look like an honest exploration of trauma to me.
Let's be honest though we should've seen this coming. The author already relied on rape when Seo-an assaulted Woowon instead of comforting him after he was humiliated by those jerks in that mansion. Now people are excusing Woowon because apparently he wasn't in his right mind, what was Seo-an's excuse? He's the bottom so it's not as bad? This thing has been going downhill for a while now we just refused to acknowledge that because the first season was truly beautifully written. It's hard to accept that a good writer would throw her characters under the bus just for cheap angst but it happens. The first season had its problems but it feels like a completely different author wrote it at this point. The tonal shift is jarring and had little buildup. If they're still in love after all that good for them, doesn't mean this is good writing.