Checkmate

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Damn, this was a great read.. I found it to be actual art and more than just a senseless BL sex scroll. Honestly I have kept so many screenshots from this manhwa, the characters are stunning, drawn absolutely perfect.

MC’s are full of angst and look hot in their angst lol. And when they come together it’s the perfect yin yang situation aesthetically, but I mean at all times also independently, the art and vibe just blew me away the whole way thru. It was refreshing how nothing looked odd or cringe, especially in terms of the boys’ faces and generalized expressions.

There’s a huge emphasis ... on eye contact as well, which I think is what I loved the most about it. The steamy scenes were beyond good. So much tension it’s unbelievable. Energy felt actually real(author pulled off something most cannot in this regard tbh) and the way the boys interacted with one another was just intense.

Although I feel it’s important to note that some parts got a little lagging, concerning the plot and overall story, but I loved the characters so much that I didn’t even care about that. That’s how awesome the art and general feel between the characters became. I’d have given it a 10 if it weren’t for some of the weird ass plot handles, is all. I guess that certain aspects in the storyline felt semi-contrived and/or perhaps unrealistic, but other than that, it was beyond worth it ..and I read all of this manhwa in like 3 days. That good.

I hope more people read, but also rate and review Checkmate on here. I’ll never forget it! Gonna be a forever fav …have that gut feeling about it.

It took me one year to finish reading this manhwa. I'm not even kidding, I checked it out yesterday because I remembered it and there was a timestamp on the third chapter that I left this on read for A YEAR. The thing is, I remember exactly why.

I really tried to read this manhwa, the positive reviews really made me curious but the main character was just soooo embarrassing I kept slamming my head to the pillow before deciding, y'know what, I'm actually not going to waste my time trying to get through this but here we are- I picked this up yesterday and ... actually binged this all in one day and all I'm thinking is, why didn't I push through a year ago?!?! This was so good, the last time I felt like this was when I suffered through the first season of Jojo just to find out, why was the rest lowkey peak?

Anyway, past is past but I think what really drives the story home for me is the characters. Soohyun, the main narrator in particular, is soooo incredibly in his head it's just embarrassing, man. But also, I actually understood his viewpoint despite finding it difficult to see things from his lens. He is so wrapped up in his spite, and it's very interesting how the author portrays this. It made me squirm and wince the first initial chapters (mostly from sheer second-hand embarrassment because one of us had to be embarrassed for his decisions because WTF) but looking back, the way the author wrote his narrative so delicately is honestly so amazing. What a mind. Eunseung was a little more predictable, but his character was written so nicely as well it didn't felt so cliche. What I like the most about them though is when they're together- they just mesh with each other so perfectly that even when they're just in one frame, it's oozing with so much. Whether that be chemistry, tension, or whatnot. It adds that the author is actually very detailed, even when it's just a momentary panel to a big action.

I came in here expecting a psychological horror more than romance, but honestly, the psychological horror aspect kind of fizzles out which I surprisingly don't mind. The romance wasn't what I expected but it's good too. It was honestly such a rollercoaster ride and the author made it so enjoyable, they deserve their flowers to be honest.

TL;DR not really but I like that their dynamic is actually balanced. They're both dominant in a way, but they give way for each other, and if we ignore the first couple of chapters- I think what makes them work so well is that they consider each other, which honestly is such a 180 but I welcome it just because the author wrote the story so well.

It was actually an interesting ride!

This BL is incredible if you're the kind of person who enjoys good dialogues and overanalyzing characters rather than sex scenes that happens every two chapters for no reason. I was stunned once I noticed that every mature scene was actually plot-relevant and not unnecessary to the point it is merely for shock value LOL

The dialogues, I kid you not, are genuinely really good. There's ton of poetic scenes, I was amazed at how their love-hate relationship developed, the way that they see each other changing, ugh!!

Although, the protagonist in this is pretty much a morally grey character and, after ... all, this story still revolves around a complicated relationship and specially a dark environment— so it's not for everyone! Look out for content warnings, *please*.