i can take a piss at Jaeseok's course of action but that's reality. no matter how many people talk about inner beauty or accepting your natural features, the majority will still have an inkling to choose atteactiveness and pleasant physique. sure he couldve only used his voice and still go on a diet without surgery but the person he fell in love with had standards. theres no saying how the story couldve gone if he didnt take surgery because it's already rooted in Jaeseok's mentality that he wasnt attractive, meaning he lived through his childhood feeling out of place. it was just that Jaehyun's attention triggered his desire to actually take a big leap. besides, it worked out to his advantage because Jaehyun's love matured into accepting him amid his insecurities and past.
besides, the author made it that Jaeseok's transformation wasnt enough to change his personality. he wasnt hung up on his beautified feature. this is a personal journey rather than a propaganda that surgery will solve all your problems.
so much potential but it ended prematurely. the characters couldve developed a heart binding relationship but stopped at confessions and beginning stages of courting. and i feel like the character arc for the uke in the first story couldve grown more.
Bexan and Minsuk make werewolves x human more casual and more of a RomCom duo. Léto and Ein has that spicy hot action that really brings out the angst of mafia x undercover cop. Meanwhile, Melina and her lover explores the tragedy of being two worlds apart. Even so, these three couples are intertwined by love and their desire make the other happy, albeit in different ways. It also doesn't feel forced and unnatural even when the themes varied because the foundation was solid.
I began reading it thinking that it's about this submissive vampire and dominating human. like a simple love story about people of two different worlds. but no, it gets better. as we delve into their identity, we explore the social classes existing in a post apocalyptic vampire-ruled world where different lives are in play. The power play of species and how the two have lived interdependently while the vampires still retained their tyranny. Eric could have been a symbol of unity but he was made into an enemy so that the two worlds wont be in war, thus he had to "die". In doing so, the new world was idealized to be two distinct worlds living in harmony and not unity. To me, there is a difference between the two because harmony values identity while unity idealizes mutant consequences like Eric. So yeah, it's a refreshing take on vampire stories.
thanks for coming to my tedtalkヾ(☆▽☆)