Mar 26, 2024
"Toxic AF". "Surprisingly wholesome". Both are descriptions I've seen attached to Destroy It All And Love Me In Hell. Both are also true. It's hard to explain why they're both true without going into spoiler territory, but let's try anyway.
First of all, yes, this story clearly ticks a whole bunch of the toxic yuri checkboxes. If toxic yuri is your bag, or toxic relationship stories in general, then this is an easy recommendation and you might as well stop reading this review now and go check it out. No judgement here, I love a good toxic story myself, the more messed up the better.
But surprisingly
...
wholesome? How does that work? Well, basically, the toxicity isn't just toxic. The bullying isn't just mindless bullying. There's deeper motivations to a lot of the darker stuff going on, which lead to pay-offs that are both viscerally satisfying and also, in their own unorthodox way, quite heartwarming. Wholesome even. This is most clearly exemplified in the recent chapter 10, which delivers one of the greatest "fuck yeah" moments in recent memory.
It's still early days, and things could really go in a variety of directions, but if the author manages to keep up this current balance they'll deliver something really special; something that gives us both the delicious darkness that toxic yuri is known for, along with something much more meaningful and uplifting.
I can't recommend this one to everyone (but I'll be damned if I'm saying I have "mixed feelings" about it), a lot of people clearly are never going to be able to get past the overt toxicity. But if you're not afraid of darker themes, or better yet if you actively seek them out, then Destroy It All is well worth your time, and is looking set to rival Kitanai Kimi ga Ichiban Kawaii on the toxic yuri leaderboard.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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