Low Tide in Twilight

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Holy shit if this isn't the most messed up yet somehow amazing story I've read in a while.

The abuse was hard to take at first, I mean it's ROUGH. Hardcore non-con turned romance. The humor had me laughing so many times, even my kids were asking what was so funny, especially in chapters 30-36.

The hatred that Euihyun has for Taeju for most of the story is volitile and I love it. The Mangaka does a great job illustrating the realistic level of anxiety, depression and nonstop thinking of the "what ifs" one would have in his situation.

Taeju's ability to take every puch, kick and attack ... of any kind from Euihyun in stride, even make a joke out of it makes it so much easier to laugh through the emotional rollercoaster that is this manhua (ex. Euihyun shoving a spoon down Taeju's throat)

A commenter made a good point that Taeju is really good at distracting Euihyun from his own negative thinking either with dirty jokes or random topic changes.

Their relationship started out absolutely disgusting. However, and this is a big "however", the fact that the Mangaka was able to demonstrate the moment of realization of Taeju and his feelings so well and provided so many moments of his attempts to try and redeem himself, while also sneaking in some intrusive selfish/controlling/manipulative thoughts to get what he wants at what ever cost, all the while his efforts being rejected time and time again but him never once giving up, made this a worthwhile read.

Euihyun carried this story and Taejun made it terrible and funny. If you can't do non-con then absolutely do not read this story but if you think you can get through it then this is a must read.

**TW** Contains: SA / Non-Con / Dub-Con / Mentions of Suicide
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Disclaimer 1: Taeju is fictional & can't hurt you. If real, DO NOT romance! Stay away from motherf*cker and report to police!
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Disclaimer 2: This is OMEGAVERSE. If you don't know what's that, google the basics before or some things will look way scarier!
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As always, check tags and if don't like it, don't read it. — Now, let's get to it!

"Low Tide in Twilight" is a manhwa that washes over you with its emotional depth. Euja weaves a captivating story about two souls brought together by fate, each carrying their own burdens. And soon you realize ... Euihyun's is heavier than Taeju's BY VERY FAR.

Kim Euihyun is a man suffocating in a melancholic fog. Life has dealt him a harsh hand, leaving him feeling lost and hopeless. Enter Yeo Taeju, a charismatic and enigmatic figure who offers Euihyun a lifeline - a chance to rebuild his life but with a hidden (and bad and high) cost.

The beauty of "Low Tide in Twilight" lies in the way Euja portrays the characters' growth. Euihyun's journey is one of rediscovering the will to live through his little brother's happiness. We see glimpses of his past struggles, yet Euja skillfully avoids making him a victim. Instead, Euihyun emerges as a resilient SURVIVOR, slowly learning to trust and open himself up again.

Taeju, on the other hand, is a delicious revenge to read, after all, the hate for him is instantaneous. There's a cloud of darkness beneath his charming exterior that clashes with his sharp wit and alluring aura and keeps you guessing. As the story unfolds, Euja masterfully peels back all the layers, revealing a thug who with a knee-jerk reaction to manipulate and is struggling to stop that and who just might have found home in a traumatized omega that he himself... bullied.

The dynamic between Euihyun and Taeju is a highlight. Their initial toxic interactions slowly (slowwwly) evolve into an addicting banter of unspoken emotions and one-sided venom jabs, where Euihyun is this close to hitting the alpha and Taeju shrugs it all off with smirks and an armor of bad jokes that makes us actually laugh, but the second Euihyun turns his back, we see how Taeju is affected or hurt. By doing that, Euja creates a tension that keeps you glued to the page, eager to see where their unique bond will lead.

This manhwa is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a slow-burn romance with a punch of intrigue. With its beautiful artwork, relatable characters, and a story that tugs at your heartstrings, "Low Tide in Twilight" is a captivating journey that will leave you wanting more.

As somebody's who has now completed the entire thing and only has side stories left, I'd like to leave an honest and thorough review.

First of all, yeah, the ML's a bad guy.
Second of all, that's not all there is to the story.

(Heads up, tw for mentions of suicide/suicidal ideation and SA/r@pe)

The premise of the story is that there is a man named Kim Euihyun (the MC), riddled with his father's debt, who would rather die than have to live with the issues life has dumped on him (with a young child to boot that he's been caring for since he was born). Taeju (ML), the ... thug whom he owes money to, sees him trying to kill himself with the kid and pulls him out. A situationship ensues. The end result after much storyline and frustration is a healthy relationship and a baby to boot.

Now, how do we get there?
(I'm going to step-by-step this, so bear with me.)

There are definitely unhealthy parts of this story. It begins with a major power imbalance (the debt is pretty much impossible to pay off unless Euihyun sells his body...which doesn't go to well and ends up resulting in a several scenes of sexual assault and one rape scene). We are constantly playing with feels, and Taeju (ML) doesn't know what to do when he falls in love and ends up traumatizing Euihyun (MC) repeatedly in the meanwhile. They're messy. Euihyun's pretty violent and sassy for an omega and doesn't take any shit laying down. Bro straight up fistfought Taeju (ML) during sex or kicks his ass more than once. They're rough odds and ends. Taeju (ML) is selfish to the point of self-sabotage. Euihyun (MC) is selfless to the point of irrationality.

Highlights of this series are honesty, bonds, and realism.

Honesty: Taeju (ML) never once denies his nature other than when he's fighting himself. He admits he's awful for Euihyun (MC) but cannot stop pursuing him. Euihyun (MC) finds his earnesty nice but rejects his bullshit for a good bit until he realizes he's bonded with him as well. It's a stupid little dance of people too afraid to love because someone gets hurt the moment they let down their guard. Spoiler: The back and forth does eventually end and settle in a satisfactory way.

Bonds: The relationship between Euihyun (MC) and his baby brother is precious and really makes the reader understand why he'd do all that he does. He is mother, father, and sibling to that child, and he would die twice to make sure his childhood is a childhood. Never once does he stop protecting him from the world. He has always been first to him, even after he falls in love.

Realism: Euihyun (MC) is in an awful place mentally at the series' start. If you read to the end, you get to watch a man go from zero self worth/suicidally aligned to seeing someone care else care for him so much that he wants to try again. Taeju (ML) is written in a way rarely done in yaoi, where he acknowledges his mistakes and has the guilt eat him alive until he actually tries his best to fix mistakes. He gets traumatic flashbacks from Euihyun (MC) trying to kill himself a second time and relives them on such a regular basis that he breaks down and begs him to not kill himself even in situations where that's not actually the topic.

They're a mess, but in the end they become each other's mess, and forgiveness is given in a way that doesn't brush over the awful things that happened. It might be too much angst for others, but for me this was a wonderful messy yaoi I'd read again if I could.