Often, to an unbiased viewer, characters seem unconsistent nervy and if their background and psychology isn't well done, and their action seem out of sync. I believe this happened in this manhwa, and I suppose that the novel is better. The whole premise of th enovel, since there is no court intrgues, no moody atmosphefic panels, and no complex political background, hinges on having realistic, flesh and blood characters. And I think they have failed in this regard. Why? Just from reading the manhwa, I couldn't get the proper feel of the very fucked up psychological setting. The seme is a absolutely perfect crown prince, a man so good at everyting, and so sued to having all, that his life is actually empty and devoid of any satisfaction. And being very perfect, he sees himself as a demi-god, but it's only a coping mechanism for a spoiled child that never learned to live and enjoy life, just living trought the notions and boring himself to death... But I hardly get this from the manhwa. I had to paste this info from other reader's comments and bits and pieces of the novel... The manhwa shows him strangely one note, inseatd of a wonderfully f*cked up, complex individual who can't really deal with his emotions and find himself completely lost, he's shown as a evil Kievel char. So thin, so
The uke... Oh my. What to say. I dislike yaoi where the disparity between uke and seme is huge in the mental/intellectal sense. And the uke here is... Too meek. And his background doesn't go his justice too. I needed more padding on how the uke becomes such a doormat, there is some, but they needed to hammer this way more for it to really work. This way I was angry at him for so many times at his meek, unfitting responses to wild situations.
In a nutshell, more characterizations, less smut and torture. But still, I did devour it and the art is stunning, especially the robes. I didn't like the char's faces, but that's my own personal preference. But still worth reading!
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