Manhwa Review | Placebo – Short Story Edition by Cuke Soap

Title: Placebo - Short Story Edition



Woo-yeon and Woo-jin are step-brothers and have been since they were young. For the same length of time, they have also had a vitriolic relationship, with Woo-yeon vehemently bullying and mocking Woo-jin any chance he gets. This never dissuaded Woo-jin, who stayed right by Woo-yeon's side, no matter how cruel he might be. Woo-yeon revels in Woo-jin's loyalty, taking every opportunity to pick on Woo-jin.

Woo-yeon doesn't realize that Woo-jin has developed the power of hypnosis and has been using his power to control and dominate Woo-yeon. When Woo-jin finally holds the reins, Woo-yeon will receive every ounce of punishment he has earned over the years. But it isn't in private. It will be in front of the two people he would never want to be seen by: their parents.

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Manhwa Review | Love for Sale by Dal HyeonJi

Title: Love for Sale



Namwoo is struggling. He's broke 90% of the time, working all day every day when he isn't in class, and trying to keep it all under wraps from his sister, who desperately wants to help, but who he doesn't want to burden if he can help it. So he suffers in silence, living day by day as best he can on convenience store food in his shoebox apartment. The silence doesn't last for long, though, when all of his stress and desperation come to a head after a night of drinking. While trying to treat his coworker to a coffee for covering for him at work, he can't even afford the coffee. He breaks down right on the spot, crying and wailing no matter who might hear.

As it happens, a kind older man passes by, helps pay for Namwoo's goods, and tries to slip away, only for a drunken Namwoo to follow him out. That man feels compelled to help Namwoo get home, but in Namwoo's drunken stupor, he demands money from the older man. The man placates Namwoo, withdrawing that money, which is hardly enough to cover a month of Namwoo's expenses, and Namwoo, forgetting he had even asked for it, assumes that the man is giving him money for sex. So the moment they get back to Namwoo's apartment, he jumps on the man.

The following day, horrified by his actions and the fact that he's essentially stolen money from a stranger, Namwoo is prepared to go to jail when he meets the stranger. As it turns out, the man is Si-eon, CEO of a publishing company, and rather than being disturbed or offended by Namwoo's drunken antics, he's intrigued. Still, Namwoo wants to pay the man back, but Si-eon refuses, offering a different solution. Si-eon wants to date Namwoo and shower him with all the money he can desire.

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Manhwa Review | Kinks in Development by NAS

Title: Kinks in Development



Jaewon's life has been pretty smooth since moving in with his casual sex partner. In exchange for sex, he's fed, clothed, and housed without having to do much else, which is a great deal as far as Jaewon is concerned. He spends his days idly until his partner asks him to sign up for martial arts classes at the dojang he works at. Jaewon isn't interested, but if that's all he asks, he could do that, at least. He joins a class, inadvertently joining under the tutelage of a former classmate, Jung-wook.

For whatever reason, Jung-wook seems to have it out for Jaewon, not that Jaewon is making it hard for him. Jaewon is lazy and self-important, spending class time napping or playing around, and while that's enough to draw the ire of Jung-wook, the reasons are so much deeper than that. Jung-wook and Jaewon got close in middle school, far closer than friends. They kissed and shared some of the most intimate moments of their lives, both when they needed it the most. Jung-wook was ruthlessly bullied and tortured in school, and though Jaewon never came to his defense, he often lessened the bullying as much as he could by hanging out with the bullies. Jung-wook was fine with this arrangement, and he was fine even when Jaewon ended up spreading a rumor around the school, making the bullying worse.

What Jung-wook couldn't stand was Jaewon moving on and abandoning him. Jung-wook wants revenge, and he's willing to give Jaewon his body if he can get revenge. What Jung-wook doesn't know is that Jaewon doesn't remember anything about his betrayal. He hardly remembers Jung-wook at all, and he's all too happy to go on this lusty ride of vengeance.

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Manhwa Review | DEAR. DOOR by Pluto

Title: DEAR. DOOR



Kyungjoon is struggling. He's doing everything he can to keep it together while out on the beat as a police officer, but the moment he gets back to his empty apartment, he's forced to remember that his girlfriend and fiance have died. He spends evenings mourning her death while recreating moments of their life together and tending to the plants she left behind. Kyungjoon is stuck, with no sign of moving forward, not that he even wants to, to begin with. Thankfully, the rising threat of a cult keeps him busy, but the nights are still lonely.

He's at home alone, as always, when something comes flying in from the balcony, breaking into his apartment. Rather than fearing for his safety, he's more worried about the plants that have been destroyed. He can't focus on this new loss for long, though, as a strange, humanoid, demonic creature appears before him alongside another demon. They're discussing all kinds of things like “doors,” “mana,” and “war,” but none of it makes any sense to Kyungjoon. Then, before he can even begin to wrap his head around this chaotic scenario, Kyungjoon feels immense pain, so strong he feels that he's ripped apart from the inside out.

As it turns out, he has become the door for the king of the western faction of hell, Cain. What does it mean to be a door? He is the way the demon king can go to hell and back to the earthly realm. Cain can open the door with a spell, which is the terrible pain Kyungjoon was subjected to. Or, he can use much more… pleasurable methods. Will Kyungjoon be able to maintain his dignity and sanity amid this civil war in hell, or will he meet the fate of every cultist that has been a door thus far and die?

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Manga Review | I Found A Cute Earthling So I Asked Him To Mate With Me by Takashi Takahashi

Title: I Found A Cute Earthling So I Asked Him To Mate With Me



Sora is a student. He desperately wants to get a job involving astronomy, but he finds that no one takes astronomy as seriously as he does, isolating him from his peers on campus. He's lonely but not lonely enough to align himself with people who aren't as serious as he is. He's bemoaning his solitary life away from family and with no friends in a park when an odd man suddenly approaches him. He's not just odd, but he's also completely nude. He introduces himself as Regulus, an alien prince, and he has come to Earth with the intention of mating with Sora.

Sora is flabbergasted and just looking for any way to escape. But, unfortunately, he doesn't get the chance. As soon as he goes to make a run for it, some questionably located shoot out from Regulus and capture Sora. From there, Sora is mercilessly fondled and assaulted until he passes out from pleasure. The next time he wakes up, Sora finds himself back at home with a now-clothed Regulus having moved himself in. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Regulus intends to give up, and Sora, a virgin, isn't sure how he feels about all of Regulus's poking and prodding.

While he's sure now that Regulus isn't from Earth, that doesn't make Sora any more willing to carry a child for him. Can Regulus change Sora's mind? Or will his perceived remain among the stars?

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Manhwa Review | Love Shuttle by Aeju

Title: Love Shuttle



Doyun feels like he's only a half-omega. From the time he was small, it was clear he wouldn't be the standard, stereotypical omega. As the youngest of four, all his older brothers being alphas, he was the strongest and tallest. What's worse is that he has never gone into heat, which means he can't get pregnant, nor can he sense or put out pheromones to attract alphas. Doyun isn't all that concerned, content with his life as it is, though it does bother him when people assume he is an alpha based solely on his build. The main worry is that one day he might randomly manifest and won't be able to protect himself, but there is no sign of that happening anytime soon, so Doyun isn't all that worried about it.

One evening, after having his regular scuffles at work with his coworker Taehan, Doyun is hanging out at home, trying to sleep, when he is struck with a panicky feeling. His body is heating up, and his heart is racing. He's never felt anything like this before, but he's pretty sure he knows what this is: his first heat. He calls his doctor, who rushes over, only to find that the feeling he had is gone. The following day, at an after-work dinner with his , Doyun sits beside Taehan when that feeling hits him again. This time, though, he puts out pheromones that everyone at the table can smell. The only one who realizes it's coming from Doyun is Taehan, and when Doyun attempts to leave on his own, Taehan follows.

Rather than Taehan taking advantage of Doyun, Doyun ends up pouncing on Taehan, leading to Doyun's first night in full heat with an alpha. The next day, panicked, Doyun rushes away from Taehan, hoping he'll just forget the whole thing. While they agree to put it behind them, Doyun's body doesn't seem interested in forgetting, going into heat over and over again whenever Taehan is near. Why can't Doyun seem to escape Taehan's allure?

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Manhwa Review | Hold Me Safe by Mocho

Title: Hold Me Safe



Han Jaehwa is a prolific and crime novelist. He's so prolific that his work is being adapted into live-. Unfortunately, while he is a beloved novelist, those who know him in person aren't as big of a fan of him. He's prickly, never mincing words, no matter how harsh they may be. This leads to a lot of gossip, including rumors about him being gay (which he is) and having sex to get what he wants (which he doesn't). Jaehwa couldn't care less about what people have to say about him, just happy to live the way he wants without appeasing anyone.

Life is all good until Jaehwa comes home to find things moved around. Someone has been in his house. Fearing for his safety, Jaehwa hires a bodyguard, Seong Taekyung. As it happens, the bodyguard is exactly Jaehwa's type, and after some heated moments between the two, they shift their professional relationship into an intimate situationship. The two are having fun together, and Jaehwa feels much safer, so everything is set to return to normal.

That is until a fan letter, full of razor blades comes in through the mail. The stalker has clearly not been deterred by Taekyung's presence, and it seems their moves will only get more violent. Can Taekyung catch the stalker before he becomes someone worse? And can Jaehwa keep his relationship with Taekyung casual, or will he inevitably fall in love with his protector and the only person he can trust right now?

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Manhwa Review | Pian Pian by HAESIN

Title: Pian Pian



This occurs in the , where individuals eventually manifest their soulmate's initials somewhere on their bodies. If the two ever meet and consummate their connection, they will be bound to each other forever, unable to be with anyone else for the remainder of their lives. The connection is so deep that being separated from your soulmate can cause irreparable health issues. This is a scary but romantic notion that Suha wants to live for himself desperately.

It's especially important to Suha, as he has saved himself for his soulmate since their initials manifested on his body as “GHB.” Most people get the initials on a normal body part, like their arms or legs. Maybe even their back. Suha, however, has his in a particularly unique and embarrassing spot: his genitals. That made the intensity of his need for his soulmate all the more vital, hoping that one day he'd be able to give his first time to his soulmate and have them be the first person to see their initials on his body.

While Suha's dream has always been to be with his soulmate, after seeing Chef Calix online, he also wants to become a chef. He feels so strongly about this dream, particularly about Calix, that he goes right to the where Calix works so he can learn under his tutelage. Working with Calix is just as amazing as Suha imagined, but it has an odd side effect. For some reason, Suha can't stop having wet dreams with Calix as the star of the show. As a result, working alongside the chef has been awkward, to say the least, and with Suha always imagining himself with a woman, it's even stranger that he would be so drawn to Calix like this. Can Suha refrain from giving into his lust, or will he forgo his promise to his unknown soulmate and pursue Calix instead?

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Manga Review | Stained with Snow White’s Poison by Ship Hita

Title: Stained with Snow White's Poison



Takumi is a student. He hasn't had much success with dating, often putting his partner's wants above his own, only for them to assume he doesn't care for them since he isn't jealous and doesn't ask anything of them. Disillusioned with what love means, he settles into the monotony of college life and hopes to one day understand. He has the perfect opportunity when he catches sight of the famous Mimori twins on campus, a set of fraternal boy and girl twins that look nearly identical. The sister is adorable, of course, but Takumi is drawn to the brother, Yukiya.

Yukiya is cold and gloomy, but Takumi can't help but be interested in him. After being paired up to work on a project in their class, Takumi finally has the opportunity to get closer to the cold Yukiya. But, as it turns out, Yukiya isn't cold or gloomy but shy, considerate, and kind, with a deep love for his sister. Unfortunately, it also turns out that Yukiya has a crush on an older man with whom he has a physical relationship, but nothing official. Takumi longs to take that man's place in Yukiya's life, but Takumi worries he won't be able to show him the love and care he needs.

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Manhwa Review | No Love Zone by Danbi

Title: No Love Zone



Eunkyum is a newbie at his company. He's been there a year, but his level of responsibility is still pretty low, much to his dismay. While he pines for better opportunities at work, he also longs for better in his love life. Unfortunately, his relationship history has been fraught with shitty men. His current partner is no different, always asking him for money and ignoring him most of the time. Still, Eunkyum will take what he can get… until he sees his beau out in the streets with a wife and child in tow.

Eunkyum is heartbroken. At least work isn't so bad… until he meets his new manager Jihyuk. Jihyuk is exactly Eunkyum's type, tall, dark, and handsome. Too bad he seems to have it out for Eunkyum, tossing all of the scut work onto his plate and criticizing every little thing he turns in. So his love life is in shambles, and his professional life isn't going so hot either. Can Eunkyum catch a break? And will he figure out why Jihyuk is trying so hard to put him down?

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