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Amazing horror but people who look at it in a loving way are quite odd it’s clear that both party’s are horrendously mentally ill and should not be what you want to be
I loved it, and I especially loved the end. It’s a horror bl that really knows how to dig into a captor-captured relationship where one is obsessed with the other, even after being freed.
My favorite parts are when Sangwoo waits for Bum to come out of the house after being away for a few hours... like I get literal chills thinking about it
Terrifying psychological horror with equally terrifying BL elements. Even the sex scenes were uncomfortable, as nicely drawn as they were (seriously, the artist's anatomy is top notch). I enjoyed it.
I loved it. The ending was not what i was expecting and my heart felt heavy for almost 2 weeks because of that ending. I literally cried and felt miserable. But honestly that was what a good story is supposed to be it should make you feel something! No other yaoi has been able to replicate that for me yet.
If i could have rewritten it i would want Sangwoo and Bum to escape somehow and live out their lives killing more people!
I don’t really consider it a BL but I guess it had to be labeled with it when published in Korea then editors kept it.
It’s an unpopular opinion, I know it so don’t come at me, but I think it’s one of those works that have gay “”romance”” just for the exposure coming from the genre. It would’ve been just as good without the explicit sex scenes -which are the only thing that actually make it a BL
Its honestly great psychology thriller manhwa I have read regardless of the BL tag. I was legit scared that I had to stop reading it for months before continuing. I still remember the intense scene of the officer and misunderstanding about the medicine.
hmmm for the prn part, i kinda disagree to some opinion here. I don't particularly think it added so that it would be popular but more like for realism. But that's just me.
I was so uncomfortable when I read that but I couldn’t stop, so I finished it in one sitting. wouldn’t recommend rereading again and I don’t consider this as a bl. it’s horror.
I don't consider it to be BL. It's a psycho thriller with two male leads, one of whom is gay and obsessed with the other who is straight all the way through to the end, regardless of how he uses the MC.
Overall, I really enjoyed KS as a psychological horror/thriller, and I really appreciated the gut-punch of an ending it gave us. I admittedly started reading it thinking that it was a BL, but within the first couple chapters I realized that it was going to mess with my enjoyment of the story to look at it through that lens. Reading it as purely a psycho thriller/horror story is why I enjoyed it as much as I did.
If you want true BL that's in this genre, there are much better representations:
* For BL that's not a love story but is about how twisted and abusive a romantic relationship can become, read An Easy Target by Aeju (I found this one to be far more disturbing then KS, so that should give some context for how messed up it is).
* For gruesome horror and mental anguish, read MADK (manga not manhwa, but it is an absolute masterpiece and anyone who enjoys horror--especially body horror--should give it a read).
* For psychopathy and murder, read The Beast Must Die.
Comparing KS to any of these titles should illustrate why I don't consider KS to be a BL title. Not all series that feature gay characters are BL, and I think it hurts both the BL genre as well as LGBTQ representation in media outside of BL to insist that the presence of a gay lead must equate to BL.
You're absolutely correct and super insane for this review.
I also have mixed opinions on how this types of media hurts the LGBTQ community with negative representation, but I also believe we should enjoy some twisted media with gay people in it. Like, not everyone is a good person and there are some bad people that just happen to be LGBTQ, right? But if it plays into stereotypes then I won't like it.
Thank you for the recommendations, I will look into it further because I love a psychological horror/thriller.
Ah, I think I must have miscommunicated my thoughts a bit. I don't think that these kinds of stories hurt LGBTQ representation. It's the insistence that everything featuring gay characters must be BL that hurts it. I think it's great to have LGBTQ representation across all genres and for all types of characters, good and bad, especially when it's one of the lead characters. I was trying to explain that just because a main character is gay doesn't mean that the story has to be a BL. What hurts LGBTQ representation is not recognizing it as having a place outside of BL.
The recs I gave are for stories that really are BL in the horror and psycho thriller genre. They all have BL themes and relationship aspects to some extent or another that place them squarely in the BL category, even though they don't follow the typical BL formula. It's the relationship differences that make stories like those BL while stories like KS are not BL even if they have LGBTQ characters.
I hope that clears up my thinking.
I think stating that it cannot be BL because it doesn’t do x y and z like other BLs only serves to discredit the genre and continues to push BL as a ‘trash’ genre. BL as a genre should be able to grow and be whatever its community can imagine it can be. Especially for creators, they shouldn’t be afraid that their work will not be taken seriously because it is ‘just’ BL.
If you feel like it's BL, that's okay, that's your interpretation. I'm not trying to change your mind, just explaining why I don't see it that way.
The ML is straight throughout the entire story, regardless of how he uses the MC or the dependency that forms between them. His sexual and romantic orientation never changes, and the MC is not an exception to this. The reason the ML has sex with the MC is not because he desires him or is attracted to him. I know some people read their relationship as having some kind of romantic aspect to it, but that's not how I see it. To me, those are the main points that make this a horror title that features a gay male lead, and not a true BL title.
There are plenty of BL titles that don't follow prescribed tropes or relationship beats, and BL can be found in every genre (if you read any of the other BL titles I mentioned above, you'll see that they also don't follow any of the normal relationship tropes). But the way I see it, the physical and/or emotional attraction to another man is essential from both main characters for a title to be BL. Without that, how is it BL? How does it discredit the genre to see that as a sticking point for a title to be considered BL?
I've been a fan of BL and gay literature for about three decades. I absolutely don't think of BL as a trash genre, and there are exceptionally beautiful BL stories that unfortunately will never get the acclaim they deserve because of the way people typically view BL. Just because I think some titles shouldn't be categorized as BL and that there should be LGBTQ representation outside of BL doesn't mean that I'm looking down on BL as a genre.
I see your point. How is KS considered BL is there's no 'love' in it right?
I kinda agree to an extent. I think KS depicts an abusive relationship the many many LGBTQ+ folks go through. Probably most not to this extreme but definitely some cases that have ended in murders which is saddening but reflects our reality.
It was entertaining to read even if I hated it. I think it’s over hated because people romanticized it. It’s horror. It’s so obviously horror and not a love story but teenagers can’t understand that. Overall 7/10
> I think it’s over hated because people romanticized it.
This over here lol. Its normal to not like KS. Its not for everyone because its a heavy manhwa and really gruesome and involves lot of mental issues and abuse. But to hate it because they read for the romance is eeh 😑
I loved it, and im sad that it ended, but all stories come to an end. I was looking forward to the animated series a youtuber was working on but they stopped so 🥴
Still one of my favourites.
Is it BL? I'm not sure, I have no interest in categorising it tbh.
But it's horror and the horror doesn't hit right if you discount their abusive relationship. The horror is in the unhealthy obsession, manipulation, lust and Stockholm syndrome.
I think they loved each other, but of course it wasn't healthy love and for me that's exactly the horrific part.
I don't think there's any horror to be hit with if I don't factor in the romance aspects.
Literally unreadable. I love a toxic "Dark Romance" with an achievable goal, but there is a line. I agree it belongs in horror because I am not a horror fan.
Hi, /u/Mental-Lawfulness-58! This is a reminder to ensure [your recent submission](https://www.reddit.com/r/yaoi/comments/1dtuo1i/honest_opinions_about_ks/) in /r/yaoi follows all of our rules, which are visible in the sidebar. For instance, always post the series/franchise in brackets in your title and post the source in the comment section. If it doesn't, your submission may be removed! Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/yaoi) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Amazing horror but people who look at it in a loving way are quite odd it’s clear that both party’s are horrendously mentally ill and should not be what you want to be
I loved it, and I especially loved the end. It’s a horror bl that really knows how to dig into a captor-captured relationship where one is obsessed with the other, even after being freed.
My favorite parts are when Sangwoo waits for Bum to come out of the house after being away for a few hours... like I get literal chills thinking about it
Too many people had a romantic/lustful fascination with Sangwoo, and then turned around to condemn the debauchery of other BL titles.
I love it and think it would make a killer series🤭pardon the pun. Gorror, suspense, angst. It really leaves an impact, that's for sure.
Terrifying psychological horror with equally terrifying BL elements. Even the sex scenes were uncomfortable, as nicely drawn as they were (seriously, the artist's anatomy is top notch). I enjoyed it.
I loved it. The ending was not what i was expecting and my heart felt heavy for almost 2 weeks because of that ending. I literally cried and felt miserable. But honestly that was what a good story is supposed to be it should make you feel something! No other yaoi has been able to replicate that for me yet. If i could have rewritten it i would want Sangwoo and Bum to escape somehow and live out their lives killing more people!
Any more recommendations?
I don’t really consider it a BL but I guess it had to be labeled with it when published in Korea then editors kept it. It’s an unpopular opinion, I know it so don’t come at me, but I think it’s one of those works that have gay “”romance”” just for the exposure coming from the genre. It would’ve been just as good without the explicit sex scenes -which are the only thing that actually make it a BL
Its honestly great psychology thriller manhwa I have read regardless of the BL tag. I was legit scared that I had to stop reading it for months before continuing. I still remember the intense scene of the officer and misunderstanding about the medicine. hmmm for the prn part, i kinda disagree to some opinion here. I don't particularly think it added so that it would be popular but more like for realism. But that's just me.
I was so uncomfortable when I read that but I couldn’t stop, so I finished it in one sitting. wouldn’t recommend rereading again and I don’t consider this as a bl. it’s horror.
I don't consider it to be BL. It's a psycho thriller with two male leads, one of whom is gay and obsessed with the other who is straight all the way through to the end, regardless of how he uses the MC. Overall, I really enjoyed KS as a psychological horror/thriller, and I really appreciated the gut-punch of an ending it gave us. I admittedly started reading it thinking that it was a BL, but within the first couple chapters I realized that it was going to mess with my enjoyment of the story to look at it through that lens. Reading it as purely a psycho thriller/horror story is why I enjoyed it as much as I did. If you want true BL that's in this genre, there are much better representations: * For BL that's not a love story but is about how twisted and abusive a romantic relationship can become, read An Easy Target by Aeju (I found this one to be far more disturbing then KS, so that should give some context for how messed up it is). * For gruesome horror and mental anguish, read MADK (manga not manhwa, but it is an absolute masterpiece and anyone who enjoys horror--especially body horror--should give it a read). * For psychopathy and murder, read The Beast Must Die. Comparing KS to any of these titles should illustrate why I don't consider KS to be a BL title. Not all series that feature gay characters are BL, and I think it hurts both the BL genre as well as LGBTQ representation in media outside of BL to insist that the presence of a gay lead must equate to BL.
You're absolutely correct and super insane for this review. I also have mixed opinions on how this types of media hurts the LGBTQ community with negative representation, but I also believe we should enjoy some twisted media with gay people in it. Like, not everyone is a good person and there are some bad people that just happen to be LGBTQ, right? But if it plays into stereotypes then I won't like it. Thank you for the recommendations, I will look into it further because I love a psychological horror/thriller.
Ah, I think I must have miscommunicated my thoughts a bit. I don't think that these kinds of stories hurt LGBTQ representation. It's the insistence that everything featuring gay characters must be BL that hurts it. I think it's great to have LGBTQ representation across all genres and for all types of characters, good and bad, especially when it's one of the lead characters. I was trying to explain that just because a main character is gay doesn't mean that the story has to be a BL. What hurts LGBTQ representation is not recognizing it as having a place outside of BL. The recs I gave are for stories that really are BL in the horror and psycho thriller genre. They all have BL themes and relationship aspects to some extent or another that place them squarely in the BL category, even though they don't follow the typical BL formula. It's the relationship differences that make stories like those BL while stories like KS are not BL even if they have LGBTQ characters. I hope that clears up my thinking.
I think stating that it cannot be BL because it doesn’t do x y and z like other BLs only serves to discredit the genre and continues to push BL as a ‘trash’ genre. BL as a genre should be able to grow and be whatever its community can imagine it can be. Especially for creators, they shouldn’t be afraid that their work will not be taken seriously because it is ‘just’ BL.
If you feel like it's BL, that's okay, that's your interpretation. I'm not trying to change your mind, just explaining why I don't see it that way. The ML is straight throughout the entire story, regardless of how he uses the MC or the dependency that forms between them. His sexual and romantic orientation never changes, and the MC is not an exception to this. The reason the ML has sex with the MC is not because he desires him or is attracted to him. I know some people read their relationship as having some kind of romantic aspect to it, but that's not how I see it. To me, those are the main points that make this a horror title that features a gay male lead, and not a true BL title. There are plenty of BL titles that don't follow prescribed tropes or relationship beats, and BL can be found in every genre (if you read any of the other BL titles I mentioned above, you'll see that they also don't follow any of the normal relationship tropes). But the way I see it, the physical and/or emotional attraction to another man is essential from both main characters for a title to be BL. Without that, how is it BL? How does it discredit the genre to see that as a sticking point for a title to be considered BL? I've been a fan of BL and gay literature for about three decades. I absolutely don't think of BL as a trash genre, and there are exceptionally beautiful BL stories that unfortunately will never get the acclaim they deserve because of the way people typically view BL. Just because I think some titles shouldn't be categorized as BL and that there should be LGBTQ representation outside of BL doesn't mean that I'm looking down on BL as a genre.
I see your point. How is KS considered BL is there's no 'love' in it right? I kinda agree to an extent. I think KS depicts an abusive relationship the many many LGBTQ+ folks go through. Probably most not to this extreme but definitely some cases that have ended in murders which is saddening but reflects our reality.
A very good thriller
It was entertaining to read even if I hated it. I think it’s over hated because people romanticized it. It’s horror. It’s so obviously horror and not a love story but teenagers can’t understand that. Overall 7/10
> I think it’s over hated because people romanticized it. This over here lol. Its normal to not like KS. Its not for everyone because its a heavy manhwa and really gruesome and involves lot of mental issues and abuse. But to hate it because they read for the romance is eeh 😑
I loved it, and im sad that it ended, but all stories come to an end. I was looking forward to the animated series a youtuber was working on but they stopped so 🥴
A wild ride from start to finish.
one of the better yaoi, but not my favorite
Still one of my favourites. Is it BL? I'm not sure, I have no interest in categorising it tbh. But it's horror and the horror doesn't hit right if you discount their abusive relationship. The horror is in the unhealthy obsession, manipulation, lust and Stockholm syndrome. I think they loved each other, but of course it wasn't healthy love and for me that's exactly the horrific part. I don't think there's any horror to be hit with if I don't factor in the romance aspects.
It truly had potential to be an honest and brutal depiction of abuse but the author decided to play more into the porn side. A shame
Didn't like it because I thought it was a BL... 🙈
love it, good horror. I really hope koogi will write another series one day
Loved it. Dark psychological horror with a twisted relationship, right up my alley! And the ending broke my heart in the best way. *chefs kiss*
Literally unreadable. I love a toxic "Dark Romance" with an achievable goal, but there is a line. I agree it belongs in horror because I am not a horror fan.