im gonna be that person and ask if there's any BL stories similar to this. bully mc x victim secretly in love with bully cuz he's the only one to pay attention him.
may not be exactly what you're looking for, but here's some of my fav bully x loser mc ones! ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/ijime_kko_ni_fukush/
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/bouai_friendship/
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/ijimekko_to_nakimushikun/
https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/itonaga_kun_no_koi_no_ito/
you could also look through the bully tag here: https://www.mangago.zone/tag/bully/
i’m reading this rn but it has some
similarities ? https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/yankee_no_kareshi_ga_dekiru_made/
i wouldn't say this is what u rlly asked 4 but like.. https://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/josoushite_mendokusai_nekura_to_yankee_ryou_kataomoi/ is good 4 like a KINDDDA bully x victim is what it looks like but it really isn't that once you look into the characters
look, as chronically online person who read a ton of toxic red flag "dark romances", ill take this type of story any day over than some smut-filled rapist apologist romanticized story where a rapist becomes a good lover bc he falls for mc, whom he hitherto treated as a sex toy, and it becomes wholesome bc the mc "fixed" him. at least in this story, jerome only raped raymond bc he was driven crazy with a need for revenge and lacked autonomy bc he was under the thumb of hugh's family. and even then, it only lasted one arc, in which he came to respect mc's strong will to not break and perseverance, which was the groundwork for his future actions helping mc. for the rest of the arcs, since he wasn't compelled to, he doesn't SA mc again until mc is willing, and made no acts to appear to care about him until the most critical moments. he legitimately has no power and authority to wield, and that one time he helps mc at the risk of exposing himself, he actually suffers the consequences and is drugged and made a spectacle (and at that point, Raymond still despised jerome and contributed in humiliating jerome). and why this is such a significant act is bc jerome was actually treated the same way as raymond, and this is the basis for his revenge, so he basically willingly risked undergoing the same trauma again and sacrificing the revenge he worked on for ~15 years just to help raymond. and this isnt the only selfless act he did for mc. novel jerome is 10x more compelling and complex than your typical black flag ml will ever be. but if u want cliche powerful capricious rapist ml who submits to mc after hitherto forcing him to his whims, this just isn't for u. if u want a cathartic revenge story, ultimately it is (Raymond gets his revenge and so does jerome) but it is also a very gritty and nuanced exploration of Stockholm syndrome, depicting realistically to a degree the self-gaslighting, self-hatred, resignation, and emotional dependency of the victims.
let me mention as well, Raymond doesn't fall for jerome even after his enacting revenge twice and knowing jerome is a victim too and ONLY after jerome saves his life, and this was the catalyst to choosing love over hatred for the sake of his own survival. yes he has stockholm syndrome, but it was neither affection or sympathy, it was just a parasitic emotional bond based on trauma. after raymond tried to kill jerome at the end of the first arc, he actually managed to kill him in the third but he immediately revived him not bc of love but bc of said emotional bond. it was then he realized he couldn't live without "the boys" even when he desperately wanted to kill them. he couldn't move on from them either, so the only way to survive in the world with them was to give up on revenge, suppress hatred, and resign to love instead. after more than a decade of hate. it had nothing to do with "he's changed to someone I can love so I should give him a chance". (and if u think this is stupid, jerome thinks so as well. he is the one to reignite raymond's hatred.) the author makes it very fucking clear that what jerome did is unforgivable and even if he beg and save mc it would not rectify his wrongs, and this is reflected in jerome's actions when he keeps a distance from mc even after mc falls for him and only tries to seduce him/be openly affectionate and kidnap him to a remote inn to live together away from reality when mc loses his memories of his trauma (ngl was my fav part of the novel cuz it provided a lot of insight on jerome's character). and when mc recovers his memories, jerome becomes cold and wants to run away again. anyway, that's why I think this is better than the stories where the narrative pussyfoots around making rapist MLS not quite irredeemable bc they were raised into an arrogant POS, had a sad backstory, and/or the mc "enjoyed" the sex.
ill also say, that the other characters (hugh & George) and (nicholas & Christine) actually exemplify what happens to a unromanticized relationship based on stockholm syndrome if the victim didn't have the necessary mental resilience and the abuser doesn't see their lover as equals and still wanted to control them. hugh remain an abusive scum even after falling for George, who in turn became as twisted as hugh and just gaslighted himself to accept being his pet and sex toy bc of love. the victim of the second couple couldn't gaslight themselves into being happy, but he also couldn't reconcile his love and hatred. so he chose to go down the path of death. (raymond & jerome) only end up together bc raymond is mentally strong enough and jerome is just a traumatized normal person who loves raymond more than his own life but is completely aware of his own sins. all in all, if u can handle these types of dark thriller stories, this is for u; u can criticize the literary tropes themselves, but u cant immediately dismiss the story as "bad" just for having them if u haven't even read it.
Thank you for the spoilers (▰˘◡˘▰). So the reason why George is not one of the victim in spite of being the last one ( among the 4 of them ) to join the group is because he is Hugh's pet/lover? Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm glad Raymond is a strong minded person.
Do you think you can recommend any similar to this... Sorry I just love to read dark novels/mangas...but can't seem to find any.. If you want if not no worries
i actually got some details wrong, but essentially, no George is 100% a victim who experienced the same thing as raymond but when he and hugh fell in love, his status elevated from pet to lover. and since he became as depraved as Hugh, and Hugh didnt magically change, in order for their dysfunctional relationship to work, they needed another toy, a scapegoat, to be abused in george's place while they be Lovey-dovey. however hugh does "rape" George in front of the four to fuck with raymond's mind, which i have no doubt George was fine with. which is why i say although they are in a loving relationship they can never bc equal bc one party is completely submissive to the other.
ngl this is the first dark thriller bl that made my head spin and compelled me to write half an essay on the story. it's the darkest yet most well-written dark bl i know so i dont have anything else that measures up to this standard. all other dark bls i read just isn't as good as Bad Life and/or had the cliche power imbalance dynamic so i cant in good faith rec those to u.
I have to say this one and one that I'm currently reading kinda have the same vib but take different routes in how the situation was bein handled... They could almost have the same plot... But I understand what you mean.
It's okay. Thank you for the spoilers (●'◡'●)ﾉ
oh what story are u reading?
Kind of curious too
Idk maybe you already heard of it or read it but its called ( Thinking in reverse) it's still new but the novel is already finished (it's like what people say the novels are better)... Maybe some people may disagree with me cuz to them it may not seem to carry the same vibe and or have the same plot but to me it kinda does..but idk if you have read it or plan to give it a try but I would like to hear your guys thoughts... ?
Yes that one.. Idk if you read it but in my case its good tho it did make me feel the ick in some parts it's still a good read if your into dark psychology stories...it has its way of keeping me interested...
Same. That story has its way to keep me interested too. Well,have you read Warehouse ( it's completed ), No Reason ( completed ), Yian's Binding ( ongoing ) ?. Since we're both reading Dark, psychological and adult genre manhwa,I think I can recommend these manhwas to you,if you haven't read them yet.
I love wearhouse it's one of my favorites and no reason I have to their good to tho I haven't read Yian Binding I'm gonna have to read it.. Thank you for recommending them to me I appreciate it.. It's nice to find people with similar interests.. :)
I send you a follow hope it's not weird or uncomfortable... ?
I'm fine with it. I'm happy to have someone with similar interests (▰˘◡˘▰)
ive read some chapters of this. so there's Stockholm syndrome too? what makes u say it's similar to bad life?
Hopefully we can share more mangas and novels... :)
Yea theirs Stockholm Syndrome.. I say it's similar to bad life in how both MCs go through the same situation and how they have to struggle to keep their sanity in place.. Tho the one from reverse thinking he just becomes completely broken by the end.. I also think how its similar in how both MLs decided to take action towards the MCs like how bad the violence gets and how they get r*ped by groups of people and how the MLs are just cold and seem to not care at all.... How it also involves bestiality also tho in reverse thinking it took it to far and it just uncomfortable... Idk it's just what I got from them I could just be thinking to much also..
and they end up together? tf? is there um a redemption arc from the ml at least?
Yea they end up together the MC can't live without ML he can't function if ML is not near by him it's so bad the abuse was to much on the MC and no their is no redemption arc this made me mad.. In the MLs mind he's just set on carrying his revenge through psychology abuse to the MC.. I mean their were times were I thought the ML was worried or had remorse but no.. To him the MC is just a toy he can use to satisfy his sick revenge...
ヾ(☆▽☆)(๑•ㅂ•)و✧
damn what did mc did to ml to warrant "deserving" this revenge
Unlike Raymond who wanted to have a silent life within that school ground but was humiliated purposely by those men. Raymond did not provoked those men but those men chose Raymond because they found him unlucky and interesting. Jiwook ( if I'm not mistaken ) have anger issues. He found ml pretty because of ml's pretty face. He approached ml but got angry because ml ignored him. He shouted at him. Ml offered an alcoholic drink to mc that made mc unconscious. He put something in that drink. He brought mc to his house and started to humiliate him while mc was unconscious.
ive read that part of the manhwa but how is that any basis for revenge and inflicting a lifetime of suffering?
I found that shallow too. I think there is a deep reason that we still don't know. Well,I haven't read the novel version of that manhwa,so I cannot give you full details
The reason for his revenge is that the MC r*ped and made his friends do it to.. This takes place when they we're in middle or high school can't remember well MC also humiliated him a lot. They also made a video of him getting r*ped and sent it to his mother which caused her to end up hospitalized.. He was also locked in a I believe a laundry room tied up with vibs in him guess the MC steeped out for a bit and completely forgot about him leaving him their all alone eventually he was found by a janitor I think and was hospitalized ... But hope this explains it a bit.. Theirs more but since I also read this at night I kept falling in and out of sleep so I may have skipped or missed a few parts of the novel
(￣∇￣")
OH (⊙…⊙ ) ig that is pretty justified then. and eye for an eye. i prob wont read this tho since i like catharsis and power imbalances evening out thru out the story... which is not what this story is apparently...
Mc and his friends raped ml when they were in high school? Ml wanted revenge. Mc did not recognize ml?
Thank you for that spoiler
It is in a way justified even tho I have mixed feelings about it..but that's fine if you don't read it.. Your actually saving your mental health unlike me who just went in without giving it a second thought in to what I was about to read.. ╥﹏╥
Yea him and friends and I believe it was in high school.. Yea MC lost his memorie do to a big fight that happens when he was still young they imply that their was more to the fight but the translation made it hard for me to understand what was going on.. If you read the 2nd side story it will be talking about how the ML plans his revenge with another guy who insists on taking revenge and helps him plan it to. This takes place at a hospital were his mom is hospitalized and reunites with the MC because of his hospitalization to this also happens a year later after all that's happens to ML..
I'm sorry if I couldn't fully explain or make sense in parts.. I do most of my reading at night and sometimes I fall in and out of sleep.. (￣∇￣")
No,you explained it well. I just want to make sure.
So, ml's revenge has a really deep reason. He did not do it for fun. His mother was hospitalized too,so I can understand his hatred. Well,I will keep reading that manhwa to know MC's reaction after his memories will comeback.
Yea it wasn't for fun but as he gets his revenge it's just fun at some point to him.. I hope manhwa doesn't leave out a lot of details to much..
so im been thinking, why is this story so particularly moving? (other than the sheer sweetness of their relationship.) i think it's bc of the simplicity of their love story. neither of them had any grand ambitions, when they could've easily wanted revenge and/or to raise their station. with their talents, they definitely could've. but no, this is a story about what we all ultimately want and need is love. the main couple found complete fulfilment in their lives thru each other's companionship and love. they would've been perfectly content to stay in their mundane bubble, away from the plot. this unchanging desire, in stark contrast to the tragedy that had marred their lives and the constantly unfolding drama threatening to shatter their peace, captures the profundity and simplicity of their love.
and despite the story being about them, the world doesn't feel as though it revolves around them. bc every character (except the brother) is moving forward in their lives and at a new milestone by the end of the story, while the main couple's relationship is relatively the same as it were when it was peaceful and just the two of them, before the "plot" came back to their lives unbidden.
that's all to say, this is one of the best historical bls ever.
I'm following you
look im willing to read dumpster fire and look past the bad pacing and glaring plot hole (how is that mc's twin didn't know the drama that went down in hs and that mc developed amnesia?), but I will drop this if mc end up with either of them
im looking thru the spoilers and damn this story has PLOT. it's a reverse harem in the sense that multiple men fall for her, but she does end up with one guy
Thanks for the tip lol now going to see whimshe end up with
Aw, I was hoping she’d have them all
are people so naive? just bc their avatar is a guy doesnt mean the author themselves is a guy. did they even confirm their gender?
It’s not being naive. If the author doesn’t like it they’ll speak up about it. I’m not trying to be rude but there’s no need to play savior. If the author doesn’t want the readers to assume they’re a man, they wouldn’t draw themself as one, that would be stupid, especially since a lot of authors out there draw themselves as potatoes or blobs when they don’t want to “expose their identity” or something like that ifykwim
^^
yup, that is true
It is no way for someone who does not want to be mistaken for either gender to describe themselves as one of them.
If author doesn't want to highlight their gender, they can just make the avatar look like a cute plusie or cute animal like other authors do.
im not playing savior. i just think it's strange to assume the author is a man just based on avatar when it could be an OC or smth and it's more likely the case that the author is a women. i added the last part in case the author did confirm their gender and is indeed a man
I think more than people assuming the author is a man (because they presented themselves with a masculine avatar) it's weird of you to assume they're probably a woman because of your own preconceived notions
Why do u think the author is a woman? Because HE draws comics about a dad and his son. Or because he draws bls? Because that's sexist.
He* because unless the author comes out and says he is not a man, that's what I'm calling him.
Why do u think the author is a woman? Because HE draws comics about a dad and his son. Or because he draws bls? Because that's sexist.
He* because unless the author comes out and says he is not a man, that's what I'm calling him.
if it werent for the avatar if u had to take a guess u wouldve assumed they were a woman too. cant help it if my perconcieved notions are based on facts since it's true at least 80-90% of authors of these type of stories with homoerotic tones are women
well i didnt know they drew bls. i think they're a woman cuz of artstyle. male authors when they draw men, it's different from the typical yaoi artstyle from female authors, and this story fits the latter. and regarding the content of the story, if they were a male, i simply do not think they would write a originally wholesome story with weird homoerotic tones with the son and father that's obviously pandering to a certain degenerate demographic. i have read queer books by male authors and a gay commenter mention to me how much pedophilia have hurt him, so unless the author is tone deaf to the struggles of their own gender, they wouldnt have added that weirdness. for example, think of the differences of the BL and GL story written by the author of sadisitic beauty, who is a woman. oh, and i really dont care what u call the author by. i just think it's naive, like if u assume a player is female just bc they have a female avatar in a video game
I get your point, but there’s actually a big difference between an OC and a persona! An OC would be papa wolf or the underlings. A persona is what the author uses to portray themselves like they often do in author’s notes. A person is used to give the readers an idea of who the author is, and choosing a gender rather than an object or animal is a way for them to allow their readers to make assumptions. Even if the author isn’t a man, them choosing their persona and making it a man allows the readers to make that assumptions as it quite literally is the logical thing to do. Other authors (like DJun, uses a cute character as persona without it being human. We know the author is a woman because of their Weibo (if i remember correctly) but to avoid making any assumption on their physic or gender, they chose, like many other manhua artists to use a non-human character as their persona. Idk if i explained that correctly but hope it makes sense
The reason why people are calling you out a out it is because there IS an avatar. I understand why you would assume it was a woman at first, I did too, since it’s true that most bl manhua artists are women (even this one isn’t bl, the author does post bl on their weibo i think) but the author showing their persona as a man and still assuming they’re a woman is why people don’t agree with you. I mean yea, they could be a woman and just likes using a man persona, but it wouldn’t make sense to be bothered if they’re assumed to be a man because of it, and it wouldn’t make sm sense to assume they’re a woman despite the persona, ykwim?
Also quick addition, but the homoerotic tones in some chapters aren’t related to the main story line. The author received a lot of criticism and the likes on their socials bc the story isn’t bl, so the few chapters with the bl vibes are to cater to one portion of their fans who seem angry that the story is only a cute father-son slice of life. Basically, it’s like a completely different story (except the characters looks the same which is also why i dislike it). I’ve also read a few bls novels/manhua with male authors but the difference didn’t really have anything to do with the art or the wholesomeness of the story.
so girl rather time travel than...communicate?
exactly what I was thinking
let me tell u the groveling was soooo satisfying bc the MC never felt an ounce of sympathy or affection she hated them the entire time and it was glorious and i wish more revenge + grovel + redemption stories would be like this
That’s why I look forward to each and every update
does anyone know if the image of the blonde girl and taller freckled girl from the bottom of each chapter from a manhwa
They’re from attack on titan historia/christa(blonde) and yamir(freckles)
ohh. darn. i heard they were the "doomed Yuri" couple. too bad. thanks tho
so i got to ch 9 and so far it doesnt explain why ml fell for mc. if there is in future chapters, can someone tell me the chapter number cuz im on the verge of dropping it
It's in chapter 10 ^^