Bongchon Bride - Reviews

Ignore the other negative review of this. The ml/Bongchon is far from abusive and ALWAYS asked the mc/Soongap's consent for anything he does. He is a loveable puppy and someone who is both childlike yet dependable to the point of being too kind for his own benefit.

(SOME SPOILERS)

He helps Soongap get over his trauma from his abusive half-brother/(Pilwon? better known as the rat-faced psycho bitch) who wants to force himself on soongap(although i don't think he's raped him yet. Im on chapter 38.(edit now I've caught up and yes he does get more abusive and possessive the btc.) He has harrassed him and has said hurtful things to soongap about his lover who died).

The first main plotline of the story is Bongchon helping Soongap get over the biggest trauma of his life- his childhood friend who also became his first lover Mojil dying. The longing and heartache that Soongap feels for Mojil isn't just glossed over as soon as he meets Bongchon which i LOVE and Bongchon even takes him to his ex-lover's grave and gives an offering as well as holding Soongap while he's crying in his sleep over Mojil. Unlike the rat-faced psycho that views Soongap as his possession, Bongchon RESPECTS AND LOVES Soongap.

Mojil and Bongchon's faces look quite similar which i like. At first I think Soongap felt comfortable/had a positive first impression of him because of his face and then really fell in love with him when he made Soongap's life a lot easier. Bongchon bought Soongap cuz he wanted to SAVE and took pity on soongap(potentially bcuz bongchon felt a similar sense of isolation having his father murdered, the other villagers making fun of him or being afraid of him and his mother growing old, that he saw himself in soongap's poor, withered appearance) not because Bongchon had any ulterior motive. Soongap was thrown out of his former home and lost the will to live after losing Mojil. Despite the fact that Bongchon bought him as a slave(he was being sold as one) and Soongap refers to him as "master" because of the time period and his circumstances, he NEVER once treated him as a slave and Soongap also said that he was confused about who was the slave between them because Bongchon always waited on him and took care of him like a maid/nurse just because he wanted to. He concealed the fact that he came to be attracted to Soongap for a while until Soongap RECIPROCATED and developed feelings for him too.

--- (TANGENT) This made me reflect on other bl manga specifically 'painter of the night'(which is similar to this story in terms of setting and time period) and how the imbalance of power between the mc and ml seems to be a common bl trope(which I'm guessing is a reflection of how some, not all, bl female authors and readers may use this art form to deal with their own internalised misogyny from a place of security(knowing that the mc is a man distances us from him but knowing he is disadvantaged in some shape or form in comparison to the ml most of the time brings us closer to him and helps some relate to him(whether it be financially(e.g, debt trope), or emotionally/rape,sexual abuse or assault by the ml, past partners, family or stranger trope" etc)) and that is part of the reason why most who read this genre are women rather than gay men). I also think the reason why most who read Bara manga are gay men is because the characters in bara align with the physical and sexual preferences of more gay men(e.g, muscular and masculine figures). Whereas the characters in bl manga are catered to the physical and sexual preferences of more women(e.g, tall, handsome, pretty-faced, hairless(Maybe this is bcuz hairless bodies look more aesthetically appealing) ml). As well as the fact the mc is often short, thin, hairless(looks more feminine and youthful as well as being more aesthetically appealing), and more emotional(who can also get pregnant if they are an omega in the omegaverse strand of bl manga) which resembles the stereotypical view of women moreso than men.

--- BTW I'm not trying to insinuate that men regardless of sexuality can't relate to any of these experiences especially rape or that all women who are a fan or a part of bl projects have internalised misogyny or the same taste in the bl manga they consume. I am just coming up with my own reasoning based on my own and my friends experiences who also read bl manga. I don't think my theory is full proof but I think there is some truth to it for some people.

Anyway, in this story, the rarity is that despite there being a power imbalance, bongchon doesn't even think to abuse it. 

IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT MY BOYZ SOONGAP OR MOJIL OR BONGCHON I WILL FIGHT THEM WITH MY BAAAARRREEEE HANDS. SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND- A MACHINE GUN YA MF.

Also, highly recomend this manga because it is emotional, cute and has some steemy scenes between bongchon and soongap(Chapter 18 to 23 is where they start getting intimate with eachother). Usually i'm more into really handsome seme's but Bongchon has won me over cuz he has his own attractive features and is very kind. The plot is good. The setting seems to be in the Joseon dynasty? / old-timey korea. There is also a lesbian couple featured in the plot but there doesn't seem to be a happy ending for them(so far) and i really hope they have a reunion eventually and more of their story is shown.(Edit-YAY MORE OF THEIR STORY WAS SHOWN.)

This relationship is so not toxic which is a breathe of fresh air for this genre specifically(we know many author's just focus on the uke being raped and coerced for most of the story in Yaoi/BL but dress it up and romanticise it EW). Edit- Also I hope his abusive brother get's his eyes and balls sliced off(Many perpetrators of abuse even in real life may have trauma of their own but that is NOT AN EXCUSE to ruin someone else's life and violate them especially if you claim to 'love' them and if you consider them FAMILY). I hope Bongchon and Soongap teach him a lesson together. 

TO AUTHOR, ARTIST AND ALL THE PPL WHO WORKED ON THIS: THANK YOU. I was feeling a bit emotionally numb for a few months and this helped me finally release it all. I feel like I'm dealing with my own issues by seeing Soongap overcome Mogil's death. PLS PROTECT MY BOYZ FROM ALL THE PAIN IN THE WORLD. Also I hope you keep doing what you're doing if you see this. This is one of those stories that you get really invested in. I also hope you might consider working on a manga that is in color in the future. This art style captures the characters well and captures the emotions very well but I can't help but long for color to make it even better. I think doing the landscapes and different settings in color would make it even more realistic and special than it already is.

(Sending virtual hugs to anyone who bothered to read all of this and found it useful.)

This story makes you feel all kinda feelings. I won't say it's perfect but I definitely enjoyed reading it.(and Bongchun is lovely and caring and askes for consent<3)

This manga is a very uncomfortable read. The seme, thank goodness, is not abusive but he is also not great about boundaries and consent. The uke has a traumatic past and has a rapist brother who keeps trying to get with him. The uke is very demoralized and depressed, finally escaping his toxic life to live with someone else in a situation that is freedom and isnt quite happy but is better. Only the non-explicit version is released in English. 

Words cannot describe how much I loved this one. A true masterpiece. And the art is so SO SO beautiful T^T

The plot was AMAZING. Really showed every characters point of view clearly and their nature to a perfection. You can actually relate with them to a point. The way every life is dependent on another and how everything's connected. I LOVED IT!! And I couldn't be more satisfied with the ending. Author if you're reading this, this one is one of my top favorite of all time. Thank you for publishing this! <3

The pros: 

The art is absolutely beautiful and the character designs are lovely. I really liked Bongcheon’s design and how he wasn’t given abs but rather carries his muscle in a realistic way. The dude is an absolute tank.

I thought the running gag of Bongcheon easily lifting and carrying Soongap around was sweet. It matches his personality well and adds an especially cute aspect to their relationship. 

The villain is actually very well done I thought, he wanted his brother to love him but he’s also an asshole and steamrolled Soongap’s autonomy to try and bind them together. It failed, of course, and only made Soongap see him for the obsessive manipulative person he was, which was devastating like nothing else to him. I thought their conflict was quite good. 

Bongcheon, when compared with Soongap’s brother and his previous lover, narratively makes sense as Soongap’s endgame which was a cool theme. Soongap’s previous lover died from health complications and they had to hide their relationship as they were both slaves. Soongap’s brother was manipulative and blinded by their past together. Bongcheon, on the other hand, wouldn’t go down if you hit him with a car and is just a big softie who’s main personality trait is being kind and sorta a pushover. It works out nicely. 

Big Boy by sza played my head on repeat whenever Bongcheon's shirt came off

The cons:

It would benefit from being half as long. The plot of almost 90 chapters can be explained in two or three sentences without really leaving anything important out. Soongap and Bongcheon get together pretty early on in the series and their relationship solidifies without much conflict, so the story can’t even be propped up by the romance. They also get together in every sense of the word immediately, so we don't even see them build their relationship. Not enough happens to have it be as long as it is. 

The romance itself was a little underdeveloped I thought, it just felt rather chemistry-less I suppose? There was very little in the way of actually falling in love before they got together, which is fine, as long as it happens after but it sort of never did? This could just be me, lemme know if you agree/disagree because I really sat there while reading this just feeling like it was missing something.