Payback

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Pay Off

Japanese: 페이백

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Information

Type: Manhwa

Volumes: Unknown

Chapters: 110

Status: Finished

Published: Jun 2, 2021 to Aug 20, 2025

Genres: Boys Love, Drama, Erotica

Serialization: Bomtoon

Authors: Fujoking (Art), samk (Story)

Statistics

Score: 8.01¹ (scored by 1,376 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: N/A²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #6121

Members: 3,890

Favorites: 85

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8.01

Ranked N/APopularity #6121Members 3,890

ManhwaBomtoonFujoking (Art), samk (Story)

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Volumes: /?

Chapters: /110

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Synopsis

Lee Yoohan never believed he could turn over a new leaf. Dropping out of school, he leaves his family behind to start working as a debt collector. One day, his estranged younger brother reappears, asking for money to help their mother, who has suddenly fallen ill. Just as Yoohan is about to honor the request, his brother gets stabbed to death by an infuriated client. To make matters worse, his lover, Song Myung-shin, steals Yoohan's savings, and his mother passes away after being unable to afford the surgery.

Five years have passed since then, and Yoohan has nothing to his name except his part-time job. While delivering a package, he hears Myung-shin—now an up-and-coming celebrity—talking to his manager about the day that destroyed Yoohan. When he discovers that Myung-shin is the one who orchestrated his brother's death, Yoohan immediately decides to take revenge on his ex.

At first, Yoohan attempts to become an actor, but his lack of talent and sponsors makes it impossible for him to harm Myung-shin's public image. But an unlikely meeting with the handsome yet bizarre Yoon Jay, who has the connections to boost his career, might give Yoohan the opportunity he desperately needs—if he is willing to pay Jay back with his body.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Payback is originally a webtoon series which has been published in book format by Bomtoon (봄툰) since June 24, 2022. The series has been published digitally in English, French, German, and Spanish by Lezhin Entertainment.

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Characters

Lee, Yoohan

Main

Yoon, Jay

Main

Reviews

Jun 24, 2025

orihihc

Recommended

Preliminary (95/110 eps)

(I am writing this because I very much disagree with the one other review not recommending this work, and I cannot stand for that misrepresentation being the only review.)

Payback is a story about revenge and growth. This story revolves around Lee Yoohan, who went down the wrong path as an adolescent, resulting in bad company that killed his younger brother (this is all exposition). When he finds out that this bad company has become a famous actor, he pursues an acting career to get a 'sponsor' strong enough to complete his revenge against them.

From this premise alone, it is obvious that this work will ...

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Aug 31, 2025

yorokobisenpai

Not Recommended

Preliminary (95/110 eps)

Spoiler

Content Warning: There is a scene depicting non-consensual acts, which may be distressing to some readers.
Note: Payback’s main storyline is fully completed in 95 chapters.

From the start, Payback presents itself as a revenge story, but the narrative struggles to maintain that focus. Entire chapters feel like filler, dragging the plot without adding depth. Almost 80 chapters in, and it was still unclear whether Yoohan seeks to outperform his ex, ruin his career, or something else entirely. The idea of revenge is weak and lacks a satisfying build-up, in my opinion.

One of the few or only strengths of the manhwa is its character design. Jay’s polished ... and striking presence stands out, and the art style is not bad. However, good visuals alone do little for a poor story - for me anyway. Jay, presented as a talent scout and industry powerhouse, oddly takes an interest in Yoohan, a character who neither wants to act nor displays any clear talent for it. This interaction feels forced and undermines Jay’s established persona - essentially, it contradicts his character. I still don't know what drew Jay to Yoohan. There is nothing of substance that is deeply explored that makes it clear as to why he is intrigued by him, which further makes their connection unclear. For some, this is not a big deal, but based on the lengths that things go, developing this aspect would have been great. The story leans on visual storytelling and subtext, implying a kind of chemistry or pull between them, but it doesn’t give us a strong emotional or logical foundation for Jay's obsession.

The side characters also suffer from very poor development. Many of them seem to exist solely to move Yoohan’s story forward, rather than standing as fully formed individuals with their own arcs and relevance. The story could have done without half of them. Genuinely.

I found the dialogue in this to be a weak point. Characters often sound similar, with shifts in speech patterns. Each character should have a unique voice in any story, and it comes out through dialogue, but here, that distinction is lost or not there at all.

Jay, we never know this character outside of what he does and his obsession with Yoohan. We have no insight into his thoughts or feelings, but he is introduced as someone who may have some scars of his own. This is never explored, it's just there to fill space. That was very unfortunate. This could have allowed readers to know the character and connect better but we have nothing. We have no substance. Just a face in a suit that has power and an obsession.

Yoohan is described as “dry” in the story, which is accurate. Despite carrying heavy emotional baggage, he comes across as flat, lacking both depth and a clear sense of direction. His motivations often feel vague, and even after completing the story, they never fully solidify into something impactful. I found this character to be extremely bland and with that being included in the story itself, it may have been intentional but I couldn't tell.

There were times I had to make sure that this was leading up to some kind of revenge, because it really didn't feel like it. When it comes to Yoohan’s revenge, I can’t help but feel that even if he hadn’t been involved at all, his target still would’ve ended up in the same place because of certain character decisions. That really makes me question: was this even his revenge? It weakens the impact and makes the whole thing feel even more underwhelming. Like, if the downfall would’ve happened either way, then what was the point of Yoohan’s whole journey?

Yoohan spends a lot of time analyzing situations and others around him, yet he takes forever to figure out obvious plot points. The portrayal of his intelligence fluctuates inconsistently. It's just like, this character has the intelligence to figure this out, so why not let them? But instead, they don't, because it's easier to draw things out for the creator. Which is unnecessary.

I didn’t go into Payback hoping to dislike it. I always start a story with the hope it’ll be amazing and make me feel something meaningful. I dedicate many hours, weeks, and months even years following and reading with the hopes of taking something positive away. I'm not someone who just hates on something for the simple sake of it. I want to appreciate the creativity and care that goes into storytelling. But when a narrative feels wasted, underdeveloped, or forced, I have to be honest.

This review isn’t meant to bash the work or those who enjoy it - it’s simply my personal reflection after seeing it through to the end. Payback had promise, but it never quite delivers on it.