Apr 29, 2024
I saw an ad for this on one of my social media sites, the hook was a character with the dialogue "are you gay?" I, of course, took the bait, and started to read Yours to Claim. After binging all 107 chapters in one sitting, I am left in a state of sadness, happiness, confusion, and bewilderment. The ad made me think it would be a typical BL, maybe a bit of angst here and there, some conflict, etc. I was so wrong. This is unlike any other BL I've read.
This story is straight up SAD. Like, tragic. There's so much angst and sadness
...
within each character, and from about midway-onwards, the story was just constant suffering. I must admit that I preferred the first bit of the story, but it's not like I didn't enjoy the rest.
One thing I definitely want to touch on is the plotline with the second love interest. It was... strange. There's the obvious reason (iykyk) but even more than that, his whole story feels out of place to me. It was almost comedic in a way, since the fantasy/spriritual element isn't something I've seen a whole lot of lately in BL, and I didn't feel like it fit well with the rest of the story, or the setting.
The protagonist pissed me off a LOT. I feel like he was constantly mad, and always left conversations midway, which was frustrating. Conflict was left unresolved quite often. I like his growth, but I hated how bad his communication skills were with every character.
As for the smut, it was fine. I mostly read these stories for the cute romance and angst, and in this story it was just kinda there. Nothing spectacular. Definitely skippable if it's not your thing.
A positive aspect I really did like was the main LI. I thought he was written the best out of the three main characters, and had the strongest development. I do wish that we saw more of him with the protag in a relationship (which we saw very briefly at the end). This is a gripe I have with a lot of BL - they end just when the protagonist and love interest finally get together. I'd at least like to see a bit of their life as a couple? 1 or 2 chapters out of 107 doesn't feel very rewarding for all the angst I had to go through.
Overall, I enjoyed this manhwa. It's not the most well-written or the most beautiful (though the art does really stand out in certain panels where the lighting is used beautifully) but it's a unique story with a lot of meaningful messages. If you want to read a sad BL with a touch of toxicity and a love triangle that is borderline unbearable but also entertaining, this is your manhwa.
I'd rate it a tentative 7/10, but more accurately, a 6.5.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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