just caught up to the novel translations and ngl i think it was a little disappointing? this story is first and foremost a romance. my mistake for forgetting that it’s a fantasy romance novel/manhwa, nothing more than that. i was expecting a little more depth in the plot and the themes. like more depth info abt the homunculi (?), alchemy, magic, exiles, dragons, world tree, the politics, etc. but it was all really simple?? they were just used as means for the events and plot points rather than to build a foundation for the world, which can be good sometimes but i felt like there was just a lot of everything and not enough that made the world feel alive and intentional
it basically turns into a story simplified to betty does smth shitty and mc overcomes her all the way up until the end. ml becomes more of subordinate to the fl’s plans, which makes sense bc he did turn back time bc he just wanted her love more than the autonomy of not being a slave
ofc i haven’t finished the story yet but i think it’s pretty clear after reading some spoilers that what ive read so far remains pretty consistent. i think this story would’ve shone the brightest if the conflicts of the world were at the forefront. the story really loses its initial grabbing point of the homunculi’s revolution against their enslavers and the implications of that and focuses to the story of how the fl strives to gain the throne to just make reforms. there’s nothing wrong w that, just again not really what was expected
in the end, it’s another fl who ends up turning the past, using that info to gain leverage, and having to fight against her wicked sister. it does good with adding a few new things to spice up this typical progression like the introduction of homunculi though
TLDR; story is great for what it actually is, aka a korean fantasy romance, but i’m disappointed that it was a typical fantasy romance despite that being the genre lol. just want to let ppl know so if anyone goes in w similar expectations they won’t be let down
just caught up to the novel translations and ngl i think it was a little disappointing? this story is first and foremost a romance. my mistake for forgetting that it’s a fantasy romance novel/manhwa, nothing more than that. i was expecting a little more depth in the plot and the themes. like more depth info abt the homunculi (?), alchemy, magic, exiles, dragons, world tree, the politics, etc. but it was all really simple?? they were just used as means for the events and plot points rather than to build a foundation for the world, which can be good sometimes but i felt like there was just a lot of everything and not enough that made the world feel alive and intentional
it basically turns into a story simplified to betty does smth shitty and mc overcomes her all the way up until the end. ml becomes more of subordinate to the fl’s plans, which makes sense bc he did turn back time bc he just wanted her love more than the autonomy of not being a slave
ofc i haven’t finished the story yet but i think it’s pretty clear after reading some spoilers that what ive read so far remains pretty consistent. i think this story would’ve shone the brightest if the conflicts of the world were at the forefront. the story really loses its initial grabbing point of the homunculi’s revolution against their enslavers and the implications of that and focuses to the story of how the fl strives to gain the throne to just make reforms. there’s nothing wrong w that, just again not really what was expected
in the end, it’s another fl who ends up turning the past, using that info to gain leverage, and having to fight against her wicked sister. it does good with adding a few new things to spice up this typical progression like the introduction of homunculi though
TLDR; story is great for what it actually is, aka a korean fantasy romance, but i’m disappointed that it was a typical fantasy romance despite that being the genre lol. just want to let ppl know so if anyone goes in w similar expectations they won’t be let down