After rereading it, I've formed a new opinion about the jinx. I saw a lot of readers have been disappointed in the jinx because its so much more simple than we expected.
But after rereading it from JJK's POV, that might be the point. Jinx is the starting point of the story and the word itself implies something supernatural, but JJK's jinx here is as simple as someone getting a full night of sleep before an exam. But i think the simplicity combined with JJK's obsessive adherence to it is the point.
Because of his difficult past and inherently prideful nature, he has a very deep emotional dependence on success and he'll cling to anything that will boost his chances. His whole routine of cologne, milk and sex are technically all part of his 'jinx'. He clings to this idea of a jinx bc it brings him comfort that he'll succeed the next competiton.
In many ways, this is very in-character with JJK, to obsess over even the little simple details. Yes we as readers expected more, but I think it adds to JJK's character how manic he can get into the little things as long as it contributes to his performance. He jumps very quickly to the idea of a jinx. I wasn't a big fan of the origin story at first but after rereading it, I do think it adds layers to JJK's character. He's not just obsessive and OCD about his routines but he's desperate to find his footing.
I totally agree with you. Its like when your so obsessed with proving someone wrong, and its especially hard if its a close person like his father. I think in a situation like that a person doesn't care about how other people feel or how he treats them, its like being totally hypnotized and focused on that ONE thing. But now that he heard that there could be other things in life than just proving his father wrong, he might realize and overcome his trauma.
yesssss
Honestly kinda upsetting that people are reading this, failing to understand the situation and the author’s intentions behind the plot, yet continue to trash talk the manhwa… like there are so many worse manhwas out there and you’re choosing something like this to villainise…for what
totally YES!! i think this story is soo much more than just a relationship between jj and dan. It literally talks about so many problems people struggle with in real life, like jk backstory or dans back story. They only focus on that relationship and forget to enjoy the actual plot and story. they are the main topic, yes, but this story is so much more. and its incredible hard to write and come up with a story like this. it need so much work and knowledge
yessss!!! I found my people
Realllll cause every time I see a comment or post on TikTok people are always saying that JK is 100% in the wrong and is a shit person for the way he treats Dan. Literally disgracing and marginalising that jk is meant to be a character with depth and backstory too, instead of just focusing on the mc Like I dare say that Dan technically suffered a lot, yes, but JK suffered way more mentally and physically, yet they’re not even understanding of that. Along with the fact that it explainnssss his behaviour, but they’re continuously dismissing it as him just being a bad person to Dan blah blah blah like that’s the main focal point although there’s more depth and meaning other than the romance
YES im not trying to sound rude but i think those people who hate on a story like this are not really that smart to begin with, to actually understand a STORY its not just a relationship, if they want that so desperately they should go read those one shot things, there's a lot out there
Reallll like there are so many other stories with sweet and smooth love and romance journeys (I love them too sometimes so I’m not complaining) but this manhwa just wasn’t meant to be like that from the beginning and you can get a sense of that already within the first 10 chapters, yet they’re still choosing to trash talk it like if it’s not your cup of tea then just drop it and move on, why bother commenting negative stuff or making edits and posting videos about how bad it is, when the manhwa is clearly a good read
I think JJK's backstory is getting flak for a few reasons that I do think we should acknowledge. Mainly, it came at a bad time. We get his back story from a third-person perspective(not him) when he's at a low point at his life and its given to Kim Dan(the mc). When written in this way, to readers it feels like we are supposed to forgive him at this low point just bc he had a difficult past.
This is a writing tactic bc we generally read from the MC's perspective and so when a third party tells the back story, it feels as if we are being given a sob story to forgive the ML's actions based on his past. While this may not have been the author's exact goal, i just wanted to point out that's how readers are often going to receive it. Thus, JJK's character isnt given a lot of sympathy in the public eye.
I agree, and just bc a character is a 'bad person' doesn't make them badly written. If nothing else, I think a story like this that can generate so much discussion already proves its value.
Nah yeah and I get that it’s just I was trying to make a point that I mostly see negative comments and views on the manhwa and was sharing my perspective. I am wondering whether JK will personally share his past to Dan when the whole romance arc begins or whether the 3rd person perspective is all we’ll be getting, but yeah I get where you’re coming from.
Yeah yeah and I appreciate others truly understanding that, whereas some don’t get the point and shallowly judge and criticise the manhwa.
Calling it a jinx just wasnt technically correct. A jinx means causation between A to B but it also implies that there's no clear explanation why. Just something almost supernatural or pure luck between A and B. For example, some performers wear certain color underwear for their performances. No rationale reason, but they see a pattern between A and B.
Here, there's a clear reason why between A to B. Jaekyung wins his matches after sex because a person often performs better when they're less stressed. It's like doing better on an exam after a good night's rest. I'd be hard pressed to call sleeping well a jinx to success.
I had guessed this in a previous post and some ppl were disappointed by the idea. I think it's because we expected more from this 'jinx' since it started everything. But I can see why JJK calls it a jinx also. Performers and competitors can be superstitious when it comes to their pre-show/match rituals to boost success and they find comfort in routines. To someone as hellbent on being successful as JJK, I can see why he's come to call sex a jinx. His character seems to find comfort in a strict, repetitive routine, i.e. working out, drinking milk, sobriety, wearing cologne, etc.
A jinx would be an unsubstantiated belief of something that has an effect or a believed effect on someone performance, so it would be a jinx
It’s the characters belief. I believe we’re over thinking it, and you have to come from the perspective of the character.
no such thing as overthinking a story
The word jinx itself generally correlates with some expectation of luck/bad luck or superstition. A lot of readers have been expressing disappointment in the 'jinx' that started this story and I was expressing my opinion on why that is.
I think we originally expected something more to the origins of his 'jinx' bc like i mentioned, it generally correlates to superstition or luck. But now, its the same as if someone else had a full night of rest before an exam, thus a little disappointing. Also i agree with yorozuya, a fictional story is the best place to analyze for group discussion.
Lol I saw your previous comments and you are the perfect example of overthinking thinking. You want this extraordinary meaning for an individual story as the audience, but writing is not a group participating sport. Your opinion isn’t important to the story, just set-back enjoy the story or not, and move on to something else.
to be a reader is to be an overthinker ;) reviews are opinions, comments are opinions, ratings are opinions. i'd say that's pretty important to a product, regardless if they're good or bad. and no, writing isn't a group project, but reading absolutely is. that's why comment sections exist. it's perfectly reasonable for a paying customer to be disappointed with what they bought now take a deep breath. let people enjoy stories how they want.
If that’s the case, then you can say, he feels his Jink brings him good luck because he doesn’t have nightmares about his abusive dad, which causes him to have stress and anxiety before a match, so it is a superstition. So from the perspective of the character it’s a ritual, which he believes is a Jink.
Having a fact based discussion about a book is one thing, but being a hater is another. The poor author turned off her comments, because people don’t like this and don’t like that. When something isn’t my cup of tea, I don’t keep sipping and hating on the tea maker, I stop drinking the tea and find a different flavor.
there was nothing hateful about my comments in that thread lmfao. i suggest you learn not all content you consume is picture perfect and to start analyzing the content you consume with a critical eye as well
LMAAAAAOOOOOOOICANTHELP
Sure, I - could - say that. Now you're overthinking it. Minghwa has written it to show that the nightmares are worsened by his losses because it reminds him of his father's demeaning comments. On the other hand, his pre-ritual sex boosts his performance/wins and that confidence boost alleviates those bad memories.
IDK why you're trying to spin it in other ways when that isn't my point and its a little ironic that you're also arguing with someone else in my comments about overthinking. My point is why readers are feeling disappointed by this origin story of the jinx, because the terminology and importance implied something more than what we actually learn.
I agree that if someone doesn't like a story, they should just bail on it rather than write hateful comments(assuming there isnt some major moral atrocity going on in which a warning in the comments is appreciated).
But the other party here clearly isnt disparaging the story. If you think this is enough to be a hater then you need to get off the internet because its clearly too much for you. There's a difference between pointless hate and opinions/critiques and maybe its time to learn how to discern between the two.
oh the irony. you're only allowed to overthink if you're thinking good things
anyway sorry for hijacking your thread i thought the nuance was a good read
Cool, than u agree based on your response
Exactly, . Than were in agreement.
Why, are apologizing? Dude, stand on your beliefs. We’re all full of BS here, at least stand up for opinions regardless of someone”s believes about.
Just wanted to say that if you like Backlight and want something similar-ish and well written to read in the meantime, I highly suggest "Good Day to Go Crazy" by Yusa.
Its completed and awesome and hot af. Kinda awol celebrity ML, rational MC, angsty but also funny. MC ends up taking care of ML. The author also clearly thought out the plot and details ahead of time and the story brings this full circle. YOU'RE WELCOME
Thank you for the recommendation
I love every yusa webtoons ong
THis chapter with Yeongwoon and Taegu was so cute and precious ngl(except the part where he hinted his feelings later go further than sympathy. A little ironic given that he just saved YW from a pedo but perhaps thats why he's held himself back all these yrs and i can respect that at least).
It does seem sad that a lot of this started(not the shitty parents or the bullying) with Seo-In's lie, since it seems to be the basis of their weak relationship when they were kids. But i guess its also in-line with Seo-In's character though, that he cant express what he truly wants and is self-destructive.
Every chapter is like a game of Where's Waldo, except I'm trying to guess what Ian is gonna sniff next. This time, its definitely that jersey but specifically, the left sleeve where Eunsan wiped his sweat.
My current guess is that he might've gotten rly bad nerves or been really distressed before a match and decided to use sex as an outlet. Because of it the sexual release, it likely lessened his tension and made him more prone to winning.
This is just my guess since athletes are known to be superstitious, JJK is particularly fastidious and tunnel-visioned on being successful, and it doesnt seem like the jinx is based on anything traumatizing.
We never know... it will be a shame if it was only a superstitious thing.
That panel of Yeongwoon forcing a smile literally made me so sad, wtf.
I thought this take on loan sharks was interesting though. We see pretty often that they're heartless but here the discussion about empathy was pretty unique. I know Taegu probably helped YW at some point but i still dislike the fact that he prostitutes out his actors.
I actually do quite like the backstory because it kinda flushes out JJK's character more. I think we readers are mistaking the backstory as an attempt by the writer to redeem JJK, as if his tragic history is to justify him. But I don't think that was the intention. The back story is here more to illustrate JJK's personality and sometimes even foil Kim Dan. They've both grown up in poverty, had to work hard to make ends meet, and have lost their family. It's interesting to see how even as a kid, he is very much the type to stubbornly bulldoze ahead rather than find shortcuts, and is surprisingly loyal and determined to the things he sets his mind on.
This also kinda shows why he and Kim Dan are still quite incompatible. JJK is very much the type to stubbornly face his problems head on and because of that, he is unable to sympathize with those that are more the avoidant-type. He seems to look down on those that can't handle their own issues, like Kim Dan. While this isn't kind, it does make sense from a narrative standpoint because it took a lot of tenacity and hardwork for JJK to get to where he is now.
Kim Dan on the other hand, retained his humanity and kindness, but quite frankly he does not handle his own problems very well nor is he very independent. So in that way, they would benefit from tempering one another.
While I do think JJK is still a red flag, I wouldn't say he's unforgivable. Their relationship was largely transactional, and Kim Dan could have opted out just as easily as JJK could have refused to help any further. JJK's biggest flaw is that he has a tendency to take out his aggression on KD, both in the bed and outside, in a way that exceeds what's acceptable between transactional partners. Its a sucky trait to have in a person, but not something that he can't fix.
I like the coach and totally agree with his point, that JJK is too fixated on only one thing so it's easy for his world to collapse when that one thing goes wrong. I think my only qualm is that his relationship with Kim Dan doesn't seem very...caring?
I just have a hard time seeing JJK having more than shallow romantic feelings for Kim Dan because up until this point, he hasn't really treated Kim Dan well. Like if you genuinely care for someone, it should show in your actions first, like a subconscious thing. Here, JJK doesn't seem to have any interest in Kim Dan unless its related to how KD can service JJK. Like all the help he has provided Kim Dan has been connected with how Kim Dan can work better as his 'therapist'.
He's shown no interest in getting to know Kim Dan better as a person, or in spending quality time together. All things I feel like someone with a genuine interest in another would do. Before, when their relationship was more transactional, sure. But im just hardpressed to say it even comes close to romance. I'd be even more hardpressed to say that it comes close to JJK's MMA. It feels more like KD is his fallback. That now his champion title is gone and his physique needs time to recover, he's lost his usual fixations so now its fallen to KD next in line.
I'm hoping that this isnt how their relationship is actually going to play out, but I reread BJ Alex recently and its kind of similar. MC finally grows some balls and pulls back, ML gets upset and realizes his past trauma is affecting his romantic interests, suddenly theyre together when the ML knows jack about the MC. Except the ML in that story wasnt as much of a dick at first so its like falling from a lower place.