Kakao 79%

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Alright let's get down to business, shall we?

So, you're looking for a good romantic read, but the black and white manga's not doing it for you. So you hit up a webtoon, with some hope that you'll find something that doesn't make your eyes vomit watercolor, and instead make it sparkle all kawaii-like with heartstrings getting pulled, yeah? Well, I'm sorry, because this story is really good for none of those reasons.

Characters:
This webtoon is a great example of what it means to write incredibly flawed characters really well, without "Joker" style flexing at how unbelievably flawed they are. Characters are regularly manipulative ... teenage assholes, that will sharply remind you of the shallow cunts you met in high school. But much like the shallow cunts you meet in high school, you became friends with some of them, not just because you grew up together and kept each other company in that hormonal hell, but because at the end of the day, no matter how toxic, dumb, or stupid your relationship maybe, when you got each other's backs, you've got each other's backs. This is what really impressed me with this series.

To give you an example, no matter how much of a confused loser the main male protagonist was with his sad boi, hot guy shit, I always somehow managed to root for him. They never explicitly state that "Oh he's such an asshole." in bold italic underline. But they don't leave it unacknowledged either. Characters with half a brain cell will confront how fucked the main character is. Yet the toxicity is shown, and rarely said, and what's more, is that it's acknowledged as toxic too. So I can't really say the characters in this series are crappy characters, because they're meant to be assholes.

Breaker:
Alright, so all I've explained right now is that the characters are assholes and that it's a good thing because of their presentation. Are we reading Bojack Horseman then? Just all good characters, and no enjoyment, because of depressed and frustrated feelings? No. Let's talk about the romance, how it works so well with the shitty characters, and what made this such a good read for me.

Romance:
The characters in this series work really well together. Disagree with me all you want, but I liked seeing Yuu and Tsubasa figure out what the hell they were feeling for each other whilst stumbling, failing, and degenerating via their youthful intoxications (that is romance). I liked seeing them get through life's problems together, and help others get through theirs in the later chapters, not necessarily doing things perfectly, but doing the best they can for each other and the friends around them. It really reminded me of Clannad, if most of the main cast, with the exception of Tsubasa, was an ass. I liked it when the main couple talked, got flustered, and gave in to their more carnal desires, as the series does not shy away from showing action, although do not mistake me, this is not a hentai. The romance is good, and it will legitimately make your heart flutter at times. But do realize this is a story about a teenage relationship with a saint-like heroine and an ass of a boyfriend. You will cringe too.

Comedy:
I liked the comedy. Not always gut-busting, and lot's of EPIC TROLL UGLY FACE LMAO moments. But it's endearing. Like hanging with friends. You always use the same jokes and banter, but you somehow enjoy it. Sometimes you hit the spot with something new too. Like the whole schtick of when a character's background explodes, while they realized that they just found something they were REALLY into (if yk what I mean).

Shoujo Feel:
Your traditional shoujo romance of two childhood friends getting together. Lots of internal monologues, but enough dialogue to keep it from feeling like a self-analyzing diary. The conflicts and arcs range from realistic, to intense and melodramatic. Speaking of melodrama, let's talk about flaws.

Flaws:
They beat around the bush SO FUCKING HARD. Moments when you'd think "Wow there's no way they won't get together now, or at least become aware of each other's feelings" immediately do the opposite of what you were thinking. Luckily there are moments of catharsis and it's still satisfying seeing them get together, HOWEVER, you will be missing parts of yourself from how UNNECESSARILY frustrated you'll be.

Too many internal monologues. Again, there's enough dialogue to make it different from a teen's dream journal, but make no mistake YOU WILL HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS AND YOU WILL LIKE THEM. If they showed toxicity really well, then they TOLD you their motivations. It annoys me, but like I said, not the worst in the world.

Conclusions:
Great fucking webtoon. Loved many of the chapters. Disagree with me, but it had great characters with great chemistry, and as dickish as people may seem, they always have a redeeming quality that gets you to root for them (MAYBE with the exception of the "extra" guy). Romance is hotblooded, confused, and toxic like an actual high school relationship, but this time it's with friends who've grown to be greatly bonded to each other over the course of their lives, romantically or otherwise. You won't find Clannad's idealistic masterpiece here, but a crueler retarded version of it (which admittedly may not be as well written as the former). Still, I love it for what it is, and BECAUSE of what it is. Read it. It is fucking enjoyable.

Kakao 79%, referring to a chocolate that is hardly sweet. A fitting name for a story that is so bitter and filled with toxicity.

The storytelling admittedly will draw one in, but it is only towards a downward spiral of drama, one after the other, filled with emotional manipulations and unfairly distributed amounts of blame.

If you are in it for the comedy, it is subpar for the most part, nothing gut wrenching or particularly amusing. Ironically, some moments the story tries to pass off for comedy leaves one very annoyed for ruining the serious tone of the scene or for trying to make a joke out ... of something that actually isn’t morally funny.

If you are in it for romance as I expect most of you to, if you want a romance where the main duo go through the same walls/mental blocks over and over and over again, continuously denying their feelings, pretending to sweep everything under the rug, for 150 chapters for the smallest amount of progress, feel free.

In my honest opinion though, even for those small amounts of progress, it’s not worth it. Not in the sense that, “it’s not cathartic enough”, but in that this couple should honestly not get together. The relationship is largely unhealthy, with the male protagonist being an obsessive jealous stalker who doesn’t care for anything else in the story or ever truly admit to any of his mistakes besides blaming it on the heroine. Not to mention, he never conveys any of his feelings properly (choosing to instead assault her and continually create an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone numerous times) while putting the heroine into a series of “tests” to make her essentially submit to his masculinity.

It doesn’t help that the story and the entire cast (who are all psychologically manipulative and flawed individuals themselves) mainly puts all the blame on the heroine instead of the male protagonist or on themselves, claiming she’s “too nice” or too dense. Is it a crime for her to want to stay friends? Is it a crime to be nice to someone being bullied? Is she really the one at fault for “not facing up to her feelings” when everyone else gives her the roundabout and makes her into some sort of menace? Is it a crime to be unconscious of your own feelings or the feelings of others? Apparently so. How about pot meet kettle; the heroine is a high school girl experiencing the normal emotions that come with a childhood romance. The one who stirs up trouble for their amusement, the one who keeps thinking they can be indecisive while putting her their tests, the one using another as an object for their own selfish means? They should all look in the mirror as well and stop blaming others, and that includes the author of this story.

With that said, you can already guess that I think the characters have nothing noteworthy to say about themselves. Art can be cute now and then but is largely average or mediocre.

Love may be a multitude of things, much comes with bitterness, but not in this story, it’s more like social coercion.

"Frustrating" is the first word that comes to mind reading this story. It started off good, but as soon as the chapters went by, it is just filled with "self-blaming" and "regret". from the two MCs. I feel like there was not a single chapter where Ayano doesn't bring up her past to justify all her current actions that are "questionable". Don't get me wrong, looking back at your past actions to question your current actions is "not wrong" per se, but if you bring up the same flashback time and time again, get over a problem, then proceed to bring the same flashback ON ... A DIFFERENT issue, then you are basically just restarting your progress. What I dislike the most in any romance story is the fact that they can't move on from the singular aspect in life just to give drama to their current situation, when they were shown to have already learned from it.