By Hajin Yoo (NetComics)
ISBN: 978-1-60009-298-5
Ewon is an orphan who has always made his own way – although not without some big mistakes. Now a flighty college student, his biggest error was probably getting involved with Jiho, who, enraged by Ewon’s casual infidelity, sold him to a local Mafia boss to pay off a debt. What nobody expected was that the devilishly handsome and eccentrically deadly gang-boss Mookyul would fall in love with the slave/errand boy/gofer.
After some particularly convoluted love-triangle confusion Ewon and Mookyul have declared their love for each other and plan to flee the oppressive and ultimately fatal life of a crime family. But Mookyul’s obligations are seemingly inescapable and when his sadistic and ambitious junior Nahmyung Kim makes his move to replace the distracted mobster it leads to a lot of grief and bloodshed…
Can the lovers ever be happily together or will the call of duty and power of the Mob tear them apart?
The oddly compelling gangster love story concludes in fine style as the lovers brave death and dishonour to find a way to stay together…
I’m not the target market for Shujo (girl’s stories) romances nor Shônen-Ai (explicit boys in love) tales – even ones with lots of fighting – and I never quite believed the conceit here that all these young, really androgynous, non-threatening guys were ruthless Mafia leg-breakers and button men, but there is something quite compelling and comfortably Shakespearean about the rivalry and interplay between the junior bosses, the paternal yet terrifying roles of the ruthless over-bosses, the unswerving loyalty of the subordinate thugs and the honest, overwhelming love the protagonists have for each other.
Passionate, engaging, poignant and even funny this is a Manhwa (Korean Comic) yarn open-minded readers might find to be surprisingly to their taste.
© 2009 Hajin Yoo. All Rights Reserved. English text © 2009 NetComics.