TLDR: Read this is you want a deeper story with fully rendered and coloured art. The sort of story you can think about after and find 100 different meanings to it. The entire thing is executed almost flawlessly in terms of story, pacing, and finale - it is free and bingeable on the Webtoons platform.
Have you ever had a horrific event turn your life upside down, and then looked at the sky and see that the clouds are still moving, looked at the people going about their daily lives - and had the slow, creeping, horrific realisation that.... this dystopia is just what life is? What a ride! I find that often when you finish a newer story/movie/show, I feel super stoked - but when you stop and think some more, the story falls apart.
I had the opposite experience with this one xD
The author wants to S T R E S S you out, and boy did they manage that. I almost skipped reviewing this just because it was such a mesmerising but tough read. Not because the production is bad, but because it was *so good* if you know what I mean?
Like I mentioned at the beginning; plot, dialogue, pacing, symbolism. All of it is on point! Characters are on the basic side, but they work and do exactly what they need to.
Infact, it's so good that there isn't much to review lol - most of what I write after is actually about what the story is *trying to say* - and you know you've done well if thats where your audience has their attention.
We follow the story of a writer guy in a block of flats as his life slowly devolves into chaos. There are so many interesting themes and messages involves I don't even know where to start (and I'm not very smart with terms but I'll try my best)!
My mumblings on some of the themes:
One thing that stuck out to me was how the writer looks at morality:
When you are responsible for your actions, vs the environment you are in. (This one is often tackled rather poorly with those "woe-is-me" cookie cutter antagonists, you know the ones lol)Everyone knows someone (and/or themselves) that were brought up in a nasty childhood environment. Where is the line on blaming that childhood for your actions, vs taking responsibility and trying to be better? To me, this is discussed in the actions of our main character, as they try and free themselves from the toxic neighbourhood they are in.
Another one is societal ideologies of individualism vs collectivism. What happens when you take "individuality" too far?
I feel like as a westerner, there's this inherent bias against collectivism, because obviously every individual deserves happiness and often doing whats right for the group means following by the "taboo" rules to keep the status quo (which used to mean no kissing your bro, or making sure you do your duty as 3rd wife by walking around barefoot and popping out kids). Bit of a hot topic! Obviously no one is rooting to bring back that nonsense, and certainly not this story.Yet where is the line on looking out for your own happiness, and when it is necessary to take an actual impact to your quality of life, in order to be a decent human being? One of the tragedies of this story is that it all could have been prevented if these people showed a bit of humanity towards each other. But here, all social restraints are taken off - there is no collective, no community identity, only my tribe vs theirs.
and at the end of it all, the story says to you the lines we say to comfort each other all the time. "They'll be fine!","Nothing could have been done." and..."That's just how life is."
