Let Dai

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I'm sitting at my desk with my Oxford Thesaurus, because I've realized that I need cool synonyms for 'awesome' in order to write what I think and feel about Let Dai (and to make it clear, I DO NOT take out my thesaurus lightly). It is a deep and pensive story about teenagers growing up in what we have come to perceive as the 'normal' world. It is a story that makes you realize that there is no such thing as 'normal' and that the only way you can experience happiness is to find someone you'll love, a friend or a lover, who will support ... you, and share your misery and pain. The story, the way in which is told, the angst and despair that emerge from every line on the paper, only slightly interspersed with dashes of hope and bliss, is absolutely (referring to her thesaurus) formidable.
It reminded me about how fucking difficult it is to live in a world in which you don't matter, in a world that cares nothing about you or your pain and anguish. Despite its seemingly ridiculous and unconvincing beginning, Let Dai becomes painfully realistic and insightful and you start feeling sorry for how much sense it actually makes.
It reminded me about my teenage days, about how difficult breathing was. It also reminded me that the thing we like to call puberty, when we feel all the world's weight on our shoulders, isn't a period in which we come to realize that world is not such a bad place – it is a period in which we come to terms with the way it is, because it's the only way to survive. And we cling to each other, desperately, to our rules and norms, convinced that those are actually rooted in reality.
If this review is not convincing or clear enough for you to pick up Let Dai, I’ll throw in a few more of those cool synonyms I’ve found. Let Dai is alarming, amazing, astounding, astonishing, awe-inspiring, beautiful, breathtaking, daunting, extraordinary, grand, impressive, incredible, intimidating, magnificent, majestic, mind-blowing, moving, overwhelming, , shocking, ,striking, sublime, stunning, stupefying, wonderful,.
I know this might not seem like a review. I guess it’s more my enthusiastic attempt to capture and publicize my impressions on this manhwa, its story, and the themes it deals with. I apologize for the vague and pseudo philosophical nature of this homage.
In the end, I really, really hope that those of you who had ventured to read this whole review will also venture to read Let Dai, because it is a beautifully written, story, poetic, even. And don’t take it lightly. Because it is not just a story about two pretty boys falling for each other.
I have to thank tarator for referring me to thin manhwa. I masochistically enjoyed every single minute.

This manhwa doesn't lie. Love is painful. Love leaves you with a scar- a tragic but beautiful reminder, which is pretty much the very essence of Let Dai.

At first I thought this was just a story of a gang leader who picks up some random guy and makes him his lover to psyche him out. I was so wrong. It is SO MUCH more than that.

When Jaehee first meets Dai he is the leader of the infamous Furies gang and a terrifying yet charismatic monster. But that is the very thing that attracts Jaehee: his ... unpredictable attitude and because Dai is everything that he isn't. Their attraction grows more powerful until it eclipses everyone around them. Eventually everything from the most shallow of characters to the most steadfast of relationships is tested because of their undying love.

You won't find any gimmicks here. No cheap conclusions where everything comes together happily and easily. Even plot lines that you thought would have been concluded long in the past come back and rear their ugly head. Nothing is really surprising in the story, there's no OH SNAP plot twists that fly at you like a deus ex machina climax. And, while there are a few moments that you might not see coming, you usually find yourself hitting your head because you didn't realize what was happening sooner. In other words, this story manages to pull off its stunning and emotional quality with its own strength and doesn't rely too heavily on anything that could distract from that.

Likewise, the characters are all true to life. So much so that its painful to see them hurt sometimes. Their interactions are perfectly understandable and, given the context, believable. Every character is enthralling and the manhwa does a perfect job of providing even the most mundane and loathsome characters with development. However, where the characters really shine is in their relationships to one another. We are introduced to so many different types of relationships, cementing the statement that love comes in many forms: from the family structures which are pushed to their brink by rebellious children, to the inexplicable love of Dai and Jaehee, and even the comic yet tragic love of Eunhyung and her would-be lovers. We also have the friendships of Naru and Gohee who bond through tragedy and Yooneun supposed rebound with Dai's older brother. Every one of these relationships is tested somehow and not all of them get desirable conclusions. Keep a tissue box handy.

The art only enhances these characters. Although a little rough in the beginning, it soon evolves to the point that, with just one glance, you can tell the character's deepest emotions. Also impressive is that the characters have unique styles and often change that style based on their moods. Their clothes, their hairstyle are all a representation of who they are and the manhwa really pulls this off expertly by having the characters reinvent themselves in body and soul. This effect may seem jarring, but it only strengthens the characters' believability and shows the versatility of the artist.

Also versatile is the feel of the manga. Themes of suicide, homophobia, rape and its aftermath all get the spotlight. There are brutal scenes of violence as well as quiet moments between lovers. There are explosive family confrontations and heartwarming coincidences that bring friends together. Where there's tragedy there's also hope and where there's hope there's also love. Especially pertinent are the philosophical musings throughout the narrative, which serve to give more insight into the characters and their state of mind.

When it boils down to it, this is a love story, where love is examined as both the greatest source of joy and the deepest sense of pain. The manhwa illustrates this realistically, where even the reader feels the pain and ennui of separated lovers and the ecstasy and satisfaction of reunited ones. It is very hard to get bored of a story like this one and even someone like me, who hates the inner ramblings of romantic monologue, found myself hanging on every line.

There isn't any manga or manhwaa that has left me with the same impression as Let Dai. It drew me into the character's and their stories so that it felt like I knew the characters on the most intimate of levels, yet still left their actions unpredictable and stimulating. Dai and Jaehee's relationship is the most convincing of its kind that I've ever seen in a work of art, and I truly lack the words to describe a love as true as their's. I knew from the moment I got hooked to this story that I had found something very rare- a piece of art that doesn't candy coat love but shows it as the raw, destructive and lasting form that it is. That's why I liken this story to a scar. It just sticks with you as a tragic yet beautiful testament to the trials of love and of life.

I don't understand why this is viewed as a praiseworthy manga. It felt like a shallow story that was trying to be something more. I thoroughly enjoyed the bits of poetry / diary-like entries, but at the same time I feel like it was trying to add depth to these characters and plots that just were too poorly done to be saved. Everyone was so over the top and unrelatable. I hated almost everyone and every plot line that was introduced. By volume ten or so I was just desperate for it to be over and honestly didn't care what happened to who. Perhaps some ... of the characters were meant to symbolize this or that, maybe this lesson was meant to be learned from this happening and whatever. At the end of the day the bad heavily outweighed the good in this manga for me. To try and see this series in a good light just takes so much reaching, and even then, it feels wrong. There certainly was potential, but in my opinion, it was destroyed about halfway.