To Be an Actor

nathandouglasdavis May 19, 2023

7

To Be An Actor is a heartwarming and wholesome story. Our protagonist's exceptionalism creates a sense of irony with the reader, because we know that fe isn't actually a child actor and that fe has decades of experience acting in feir past life. We are also groomed to root for the protagonist despite fem coming from a place of privilege because the protagonist's privileged position still feels like it stems from feir hard work (from feir past life), so it still sorta comes across as laudable. And before I harsh the vibes with too many critiques, I just wanna say that this manhwa is quite cute and enjoyable. At times, it can feel a bit rushed and I would've preferred if it focused on the actual acting, even more than it currently does. A lot of the story focuses on the interpersonal relationships and how impressed everyone is with the protagonist's skills, which is fair, but then it also sorta just zooms through weeks of shooting within a few chapters and, at times, with only minimal details about what's going on acting-wise. I also am slightly offput by the glorification of (the myth of) meritocracy which this manhwa is pushing and how it kinda seems to be coming from a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" type of perspective. It's very possible that working class people reading this story will internalize this implicit message (especially since this message is promoted in many parts of society) and will then unnecessarily feel like they individually have to be the one to improve their own situation, instead of recognizing that there are systemic problems which can only be solved through the collective action of organized communities (not by the actions of any individuals). And in addition to then focusing on individual actions instead of communal actions, working class people might also be misled into blaming themselves if they fail to improve their situations and/or feeling like they're just not trying hard enough. This sort of story can feel inspirational and uplifting on the surface, but it's actually promoting a view of the world that helps keep the working class subjugated and compliant. ... ... ...anyway... ... ...I guess that's all the ramblings I got about that... The protagonist has encountered several girls who have gotten crushes on fem because of how confident and skilled fe is. Which is fine, I guess. This is a power fantasy type of story, after all. I appreciate the emphasis on the local fish market and its community. I also appreciate how much the protagonist is showing respect and care for feir mother. It's really sweet. There have been a few different directors and actors and managers. Some of them are decent enough characters, but none of them are super engaging. In fact, many of the characters outside of the protagonist feel a bit on the shallow side (like they're just moons orbiting the protago-planet, if that makes sense). There have been three full projects so far, with a fourth one underway as of the writing of this review. The first project was a drama TV series. The second one was an independent movie. The third was a teen drama TV series. And the fourth is going to be another movie, though not independent this time. We've also seen fem doing several commercials and cameos and other small things here and there.  [Reviewed at chapter 46]

HumbleHut Apr 30, 2023

9

Be the Actor has been a wonderful story to read and review (chapter 45 as of current). It has managed to convey and cement a simple and well-thought-out premise, teeming with endearing characters. I look forward to its continued release and highly recommend it to my fellow readers.

sh5522376 Dec 6, 2023

10

Just one sentence for this masterpiece,"fantastic Mind-blowing extraordinary sir".