"Junwoo realized that it takes practice to like himself."
It's a long process. I'm still learning to like myself too and it has been years... I'm the type of person who find it very easy to compare and downgrade myself so most of the time it's difficult to find myself as attractive, properly-functioning social being. Every now and then I'd feel sad and think I'm a pathetic person. Maybe this negative side of mine would gradually disappear as I grow older and gain more life experience and wisdom, but as I'm now loving myself is definitely a constant challenge.
Someday you will get there, keep trying your best!
Towards the end I became sympathetic with Wonho. He's not a bad person, just someone who had made bad choices. He resorted to sponsorships not because he's untalented, but because he doesn't get the chance and opportunity he deserved. He was a bad partner to Minki, but again, he's not a bad person (just with a slight anger issues, I guess). He clearly has the passion for acting but as a person he's been so unlucky that I can actually relate to him.
I love the main pair but as story drags on I felt like their stuffs became a bit bland. Both Minki and Taeyoung are a bit OP--genuine, loyal, sensitive, almost without a fault. There is no actual character development. The second pair actually has more complex problem, and flawed personalities that I found much more interesting than our main pair. They made mistakes, they learned and grow for it. As we do too as human beings.
I actually really like how it ends. It shows how different people deal with the same problem, but each in a different way. Some choose to push through the unknown and live in the moment, and some choose to keep holding their own beliefs and bury their desire. And what they get in the future is the consequences of their decision. That's how life is. Sometimes you don't end with the person you like. Sometimes you will meet with people who enchant you, but they're only meant to cross paths with you once and drift apart forever.
I've read this somewhere: "all humans have carnal desire, but we're humans because we can control it." Which is why I believe the third guy was actually very reasonable in his decision.
Having reread it, I believe this is one of the best BL manhwa out there. It has only 12 chapters but you got layered characters, decent worldbuilding and concepts, great art, and philosophical conversations that actually make sense. It's that type of story that will stay with you for years, and one day in your life you'll get reminded of this particular work.
I can see why some people get bored of the conversations, but they were written brilliantly and set the flow of the story. I appreciate the details, like the clothes design and the futuristic tech and devices.
Some people questioned Hokyung's motivation to love Wonwoo, but I believe it's partly a case of suspension bridge effect. The anticipation of something he has been waiting for his whole life, along with someone he spent months living together with and could pour his emotions into. Anyone will fall in love in that sort of situation.
Anyway, love this work. It deserved higher ratings for its quality.
Also the series thumbnail really didn't do it justice.
It's not bad, at all, but I wish it would've been written better. I don't know if it's the translation that is awkward or the author writing style itself. There is an effort to make the characters seem "layered" but it only results in half-baked, surface-level "deep". We never know how Jungho really feels about his situation, with abusive dad and comatose mom. He only realized "I'm happy I'm not the only one bad, i want your acknowledgement" and even with that it's kinda sudden too.
We also never have any closure with the "good boy issue" Chaewon has. Will he stop being a pushover? Will he come true to his mom? Will both of them be bad together? How does either of them influence one another through this relationship, is something that I think is heavily underdeveloped in the story. It feels like it's only "hey this is our secret, I know you, you know me" for the whole 24 chapters.
Again, it's a decent read and it's not bad at all. But I know that the author had potential to make this even better, and a better writing would complement an already stunning artwork. It's just, with this genre and the promising premise, it left something to be desired.
Reread this one and teared up again... This author is really talented in writing and making layered characters.
I find it pretty "unny how the title is "sex at the ends of the Earth" and they mentioned Sea of Okhotsk which made it feel like they were really in the northernmost area in the world.. when in fact upwards there's still Russia. I really like the ambiance of the manga though, lots of plains and highways and it does really felt like suburbs.
Bless you uploader