It really unnerves me how people glorify and romanticize this monster emperor similarly to...

I don't think anyone glorifies or romanticizes him in the comment section...atleast I haven't seen any. So far all I've seen is criticism and haterid towards the emperor. Besides...what I'm confused about is why tf did you decide to read this knowing very well what you're getting into? I mean... you've gotten this far...you could've stopped whenever you felt uncomfortable...which is basically the start of the episode..yet you didn't which is quite strange if you think about it. This is just a story, not real life at all. We are all hoping for a happy ending and for the king to become a decent man. We are not some sadistic psycho you people imagine us to be.

I just started reading it today after having read a chapter or two months ago hoping to see some change but looked at the comment section first to gauge things. Given how the website never tag things probably id say it’s rational to read the comments to gauge a plot and people’s opinion. That’s what normal people do. The little chapters I’ve read obviously showed the intent of this story as another romantic telling of obsession and abuse and you’d be lying if you said otherwise. Literally someone is murdered after sex in the first chapter just by way of example. And I think you really haven’t read the comments or you’re desensitized to it completely, because a lot of it is very much romanticizing this plot. I can see this plot still isn’t for me given the heavy defense of the material as just another meek uke and abusive seme just with very pretty art.

I agree no thing happened so far has been romantic. Someone gave a spoiler a couple weeks back though though that the Emperor is going to change his way of living after regaining the past life memory. He will eventually work with the uke to prevent the same tragedy again. I think that will be when anything remotely romantic happens between these two.

I understand but it’s amazing people don’t understand what the actual word “Romanticize” means. The whole plot is to eventually “forgive” the rape, the forced entrapment, the verbal and physical abuse all because some man realizes if does it a second time his obsession will die again as like before. It doesn’t negate anything he’s done but if you can rationalize that as long as he says “ sorry” and even if that’s enough to erase them ptsd and trauma or Mc has faced and currently faces. That’s absurdity. So to suggest that all of this occurring is necessary to ensure love for a tyrant and his HOSTAGE is romanticizing.

the ptsd and trauma our MC has faced*^

It’s literally Stockholm Syndrome and Lima Syndrome.

can u leave potn out of this lol ....let people enjoy what they enjoy ,i mean the fact that you read that and this tells me you like these type of stories.....do you think people can only enjoy good characters ?personally i find troubled characters more interesting and i like to see if they become better ......so if the king is evil and some people still like him its ok because they probably saw something they liked and maybe ignore the bad points it happens in real life too but this is fiction so noone gets hurt lol

you do know how popular POTN is right? I don't even have to read it to know what it's about, it's like Killing Stalking in it's recent popularity literally due to its recognizable aesthetics. I just happened to have been curious like any other person who reads BL and did read a few chapters (POTN), and said it's not for me. It's a standard toxic BL plot just with hot sex, it's not some god send nor is it unique besides its setting. I never complained about people's like of dark material. I'm complaining about how they're romanticizing the events in them. Those are two very separate things. SERIOUSLY can people not grasp that complaining and criticizing a work isn't an attack on them?! If there's mostly a whole comment section minimizing the darkness of the plot, to reenvision it make it more palatable for themselves that's an issue as it trivializes and makes those points insignificant despite their very harmful impact within the plot. It's the equivalent of making a kill or rape jock constantly until it loses its meaning You like problematic stuff and problematic characters so what, there's nothing wrong with that. There's a difference of liking problematic work and then turning around and and describe the events and portrayals of these realistic events are sexy, cute to purposely minimize sensationalized trauma porn.

the same argument constantly thrown at people who dislike the heavy handed use of rape in BL. no one is stupid enough not to understand this is fictional rape. and they're not stupid enough to be angered by those who read, write, and enjoy rape. It's not my mind or body being impacted. what they're upset about is how said rape or other dark themes are trivialized and by extension trivializing what it means to be raped etc. This is revisionist writing and that adds to rape culture.

the fact that you say you dont have to read it to know what it is about lol what do you read than the comments and come in conclusions that people think rape is cute ? i have seen comments that they like the character but they never said what he did was cute or that it led to love ......these can be harmful only to people who always believed that treating someone bad is love and im sure that someone who is in their right mind wont think that this would be ok in real life .....since its fiction you can permitt yourself to give a second chance to a bad character ....these type of stories are popular because people like to see the bad boy tamed so its annoying when someone says the obvious that is rape and its bad like no shit ....plus these characters arent realistic because they also do nice things which in real life a rapist wouldnt so the author just want to mess with your feelings lol

you're really not getting my point or you really are just desensitized to it. Actually read the comment section or better yet actually try and understand my context before just making these assumptions about my critique and mindset. You are continuing to make this a case of personal attack.

i have just seen many like you who say that havent read it but they know the story like it has happend a lot lol its ok i dont take it personally its just the way i talk

and you cannot just make this assumption because you don't know where and how long i've read a plot before I decided to give up on it. Also regardless of whether i read something in it's entirety or stopped part way doesn't negate my experience consuming a work especially when it's a medium that centers around tropes and cliches. This is not limited to BL, it's shoju to shounen and everything in between. It's not rocket science to read something like POTN and within a few chapters grasp it's about a megalomaniac sadistic sex addict crazed with an artist he's obsessed with while holding him hostage and them falling in love at a later point. Would saying that be wrong? Or should i say he's a hot guy falling in love with a man he's swept of his feet to make is sound more enticing? Which description actually conveys the story, and which is a revised retelling that would pretty much a lie how little it conveys? A plot is dependent on what the author does with it and secondly how it's received. You clearly have a different reception than I do and that's fine. You can to continue to read and I won't, it doesn't change either of our experiences, you can personally say you enjoyed it's entirety then warts and all. I just wish the warts were actually described as that instead of a magic mirror lying to my face.

I haven't seen comments where people celebrate and praise the abuse and rape here. Most comments I read are people condemning the Emperor.

If you don't like the story of Palace of Bardo, don't insinuate that people who comment enjoy reading it as validating or romanticizing abuse.

POB is a fiction and there are thousands other fiction and real stories out there darker than Palace of Bardo plot. Go defend your cause somewhere more appropriate.

i'm clearly waisting my time engaging with commentator like you. if you don't see an issue just move along. besides this is clearly my first and last comment i'll be making on this thread, seeing as the feedback is defensive agitation.

Nothing I said defensive, it's BAD to accuse people freely just because they enjoy reading it and you're NOT.

If people have opinion that the Emperor and Seungho have similarity or not, it's not your business. Nothing they say celebrate or romanticizing abuse or rape in the two stories.

Learn to respect others opinion and stop being offensive over fictional characters smh.

do people seriously lack reading comprehension i never said that. My entire complaint is about how people are talking about the dark elements of these characters and highlighting negative aspects of them as desirable, sexy, redeemable, emotionally forgivable, etc. You're interpretation is HOW these comments conveying and expressing either story is insignificant because they're fictional stories and for that alone makes them infallible opinoions. And what because i'm making a comment on how harmful a certain WAY of expressing their appreciation means I'm against them doing so entirely? Where did i ever say that?Or did i not say it's not my problem how they enjoy this story but to recognize and be mindful how they talk about it, changes how the plot is conveyed and received hence romanticization couple with the plot's own intentions. This actually happens in real life when discussing the themes portrayed here, words affect perception. This isn't a bubble just because this is fictional story. It's fictional story that relies on realistic elements of trauma and abuse. That's not in a void. Seriously this is still you just being defensive and then pushing back any commentary that focuses on this point. Everyone can enjoy what they want, who i am i stop them, this is besides the point.

i've made my point and this discussion is going in circles it seems.if you feel differently to my point that's your right to. good bye.

Be defensive all you want, but people can read your first comment of accusing others being romanticizing or glorifying abuse in POB just because they enjoy reading it and you are not.

There are tons of dark or gore or even normal theme gone completely wrong in fictions and BL specifically, you clearly have never read other titles where they make yakuza, mafia, corruption, rape culture, and portraying men especially bottoms/uke as women with dick. Where are you? Why you're only specifically against POB?

I dont read many of these titles as well, but it is SO WRONG to scream that people who enjoy reading it as glorifying abuse and rape.

There are clear boundaries to recognize which is fiction and which is not, and you seem to have inability to diffferentiate it. Again, if defending this cause is something of your concern, go out to the street and defend real life victims. You're making an issue out of nothing here!

No no, don't run. You don't complaint, your first comment you ACCUSED people of romanticizing and glorifying criminal acts simply just because they like reading POB. That's just SO WRONG and you're clearly making issue out of nothing, this is FICTION and people know that.

The only one who are unable to differentiate between fiction and reality in this thread is YOU. That's beyond sad, mate.