An Eye for an Eye

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Dear Boy is a story about revenge and violence. The first few chapters might not seem promising but the story starts to shift gears after the introduction of Yong Jin. Unforgiving and relentless, he goes after the group responsible behind his brother Yong Ju’s unfortunate accident.

Bullying in schools is a universal issue. If the victim is held up against the corner, he has two decisions: either he has to defend himself and fight or he lets himself get beaten. Despite several efforts to resolve the problem, it still manages to thrive within the campus. One reason is that it’s of human nature to look ... down on others and act superior through strength and authority. There might be higher authorities such as the faculty and administration but there are enforced restrictions when handling problematic students. Such is the existence of the juvenile law where accused minors are often given light judgement in trial despite committing a heavy crime. Most delinquents often use this to their advantage which is why they are often perceived as fearless and apathetic to authorities. In the story of Dear Boy, the law is avoided as much as possible on both sides of the conflict. If the assailants can’t learn their lesson through formalities, then they probably will when the very same aggression they inflict is returned back to them. Moralities are put to the test, conflicting the ideal with the reality.

As the story progress, a lot of violence ensues from breaking fingers to smashing crotches. The art is sort of rough but it really fits well with the mood of the manhwa. Character designs occasionally looked disfigured and uneven but they really work well at certain intense scenes. The action sequences are quite different from what I’m used to in manga but it’s a refreshing sight from the way punches are blown and how dropkicks are landed from expressive angles.

Reading the manhwa certainly brings out the inner sadist of the viewer as one can’t help but cheer on Yong Jin as he delivers punishment to the ones who have committed a misdeed to his brother. However, the manhwa is aware that revenge has its drawbacks. It can drag other people in that have nothing to do with the problem. It does resolve these problems with convenient plot decisions but at least it acknowledges that blind hate does not necessarily get the work done. It works in this story though, but it’s never guaranteed to work the second time. The final part of the manhwa is where things get a little bit weird. Ultimately, judgement is served but it offered a different perspective in its aftermath. After carrying out revenge, what is there left to do? This is where the manhwa takes a little nose dive as it offers no clear resolution. The problem of bullying is still there despite the violence route the story took but it now needs a different approach only not to be fully realized. It does not takes a huge dip to the point where it crashes to a new low but it would’ve been better if that alternative path was uncovered as well.

Overall Dear Boy is a manhwa recommended to those who want some blood-boiling violence. It tackles on the issue of delinquents well and makes it the focal point of the story. Its revenge-oriented plot will definitely leave some readers in awe as it takes you to a rollercoaster of negative emotions.

---------- Dear Boy , aka An Eye For An Eye review ---------

I found this manhwa while looking through a list of top 5 best revenge stories. What a disappointment!!

+ Art is good, flawless
That's about it. Nothing else is giving the reader any satisfaction.

- Action, very messy, too many cuts. A lot of the action is off screen. Or off panel I should say.
- Characters: 1 dimensional, bad or good, victim or bully, black or white. No depth, ridiculously stereotyped. Some of the villains would continue begging the hero to beat them while they were down and having a broken limb.
- Plot : people fall from ... the rooftop with barely any injuries, get into traffic accidents, run over by cars, no problem!! Just say you're crippled, wear a cast and continue running!! It's comical how those injuries amount to nothing.

It's like the police are barely a plot device in that universe. Also the setting is boring beyond boring : school rooftop, hospital, street, repeat 30 times. It barely changes. The author tried to get some sense of Justice and morality into it but it was BORING since it's just fight after fight that barely yours any result.


Honestly, skip this one. It's not even a good revenge story. I had to force myself to finish it.
3/10

This is my first review of any series in MAL.


Story: The story of 'Dear Boy' lacks in originality. The series is a revenge tale that simply exits to make the reader feel a plethora of gratification as the revenge tale takes place. The pacing of the series is decent. The Webtoon has two seasons. I felt that the first season ended strongly, but then the story continued. The second season felt like filler and unnecessary for the most part. Throughout the first season concepts surrounding bullying and revenge were briefly mentioned, but the second season tried to further explore those topics. Unfortunately, I felt ... that the second season did not accomplish what it tried to convey to the readers.

Art: The art is the best part of 'Dear Boy'. The black and white colours fits with the tone of the Webtoon. You can feel the intensity of the fight scenes and the expressions of the characters blends well with the atmosphere.

Characters: Excluding a few characters, most of the cast are one dimensional. It isn't a negative aspect since 'Dear Boy' takes advantage of the readers a feeling good when the bullies 'get' what they deserve. The MC is badass, and serves well as the protagonist of the Webtoon. The main antagonist felt one dimensional at first but by the end, you understand him, but do not sympathise with him.

Enjoyment: The enjoyment of 'Dear Boy' comes from the aspect that this series gives you a feeling of sadism. You feel good when the bullies get pummelled. The issue is that the series kind of speaks of revenge as an acceptable response to bullying. I mention 'kind of' because the series dabbles between whether it is the right or wrong response. The answer is never clear.

Overall: In conclusion, I enjoyed 'Dear Boy' for what it was. A revenge tale with great action scenes. The first season was well developed, but the second season felt lackluster, and more like filler. Some characters lack in personality but the main characters are given a plausible reason for their actions. Overall I give this series a 6, which means it is above average.

This manhwa is a story of pure revenge it is packed with so much action with so much detail of violence that as someone who enjoys this type of content you will thrilled every time the protagonist succeeds as he gets closer to his revenge. I would give this 10/10 not for the story but simply for the action/art combination seeing as the art is mediocre. As a reader i highly recommend it stay for his justice, revenge and simply for satisfaction of brutality that the protagonist will give to us readers so give it a try and see for yourself!