Totally Captivated

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This is a Great Shonen ai for the fans out there. This Manga is not like the typical Shonen ai, where there's someone struggling about their sexuality. It is clear on who wants who. But it ends up being all the more interesting because of all the problems the couple has to face, all you can help doing is root for them on the sidelines, and hope that they end up together.

ART- I just love the art in this Manga its so gracefully drawn and so beautiful it attracted me right away. The art is extremely well done in my eyes, it has that beautiful ... seriousness yet at some points in can be comical and funny. So the art gets a 10 because i love the art style in which this Manga was done.

Story- The story gets an 8 because quite frankly we have all read yaoi manga that involves getting in debt with a loan shark and owing him, then the couple ends up liking each other and live happily ever after. This here had some twist that i really liked, its different yet alike others. The love triangle really made it worth the while to read. You cant wait to find out who ends up with who.

Characters- The characters are all well out made. They have there own personalities that make them come to life. To me its really addicting when the characters are so well out made. They make the Manga all the more enjoyable to read when u can relate characters to real life.

Enjoyment- I give it a straight up 10 since i really enjoyed reading this Manga. It always left me wanting more. So there's not much to it. This is one of my favorite yaoi so far and i recommend it to anyone who likes Yaoi or Shounen ai.

I was honestly evading this manhwa for some unknown reason, and now i've come to regret that. I was bored and just totally read on despite the biased mindset i previously had, and in no time i was hooked.

The story was written very smoothly, although i find that there some gaps here in there. The scenes just flow into each other that it's not confusing and it's actually addicting to read. The art, well what can i say? It's really good! The art was outstandingly executed, and they really look like they have human proportions. They sort of look like typical korean pretty boys, ... but that's one point of yaoi right? The guys should be hot. The character development was, again, well executed. Although the reason why they feel in love could have been developed more, it's still great at that. And lastly, i really enjoyed reading this manhwa. I can see myself re-reading it in the future.

I really wanted to write a review for this manhwa because I enjoyed it a lot. It kind of breaks the mold of a yaoi, tying in an engaging story along with romance, and it doesn't depend heavily on the aspect of sex. Although there are sex scenes, not much is shown, its more "suggested", but you still get to see some skin. But I liked the fact that its a lot more notable for being a good story instead of being a yaoi. I gave it straight 10's that's how much I enjoyed it...

Story - Very addicting, I found myself spending a good few ... hours at a time reading it so I got done with it fairly quickly. It isn't a typical story and its very creative and not everything was predictable, there are some points in the story that had you wanting to continue to read more.
To sum up the beginning of the story: The main protagonist, Ewon, has cheated on his ex, Jiho, and in turn break up. Ewon then tries to apologize and follows him about everywhere but Jiho is not interested in an apology. To get back at him for breaking his heart and basically being a "stalker", Jiho tells his current lover and mafia member, Mookyul, about Ewon. As punishment, Ewon ends up being forced to work for the loan shark. And of course things unravel from there

Art - Very well done, sometimes in mangas (although this is a manwha and admittedly the first one I've read) there's sometimes not much character difference when it comes to design. But in this, every character is very well drawn and unique looking, you don't keep mixing up who is who because one looks similar to the other. And of course they made the main characters very attractive; Mookyul is seen as somewhat of a heart-throb everywhere he goes. Backgrounds and other things are also very well done, its a visually appealing manga.

Character - Really loved how characters had their own unique personalities, you'll find yourself really loving or loathing certain characters. Ewon's character is very likable. Mookyul is extremely stubborn, short tempered, and violent but you really can't help but fall for his character. ( Maybe because he's such a stud!? Haha. ) And the other mafia members play a big role in the story as well and you get to learn each of their personalities.

Enjoyment - If it wasn't obvious, I thoroughly enjoyed this manwha. Almost so much that I really would want it made into an animated series! ( :p ) If you're like me, you'll find yourself not wanting to stop reading it because every chapter leaves off with you wanting to see more. It was almost sad to stop reading it because I liked it so much. I'd say it has a high re-read value, at least for me.

Wow! One word than can describe the whole story.

I mean...c'mon..who wouldn't love Ewon and Mookyul?

I never really wanted to read this manhwa, however, every time I search for a manhwa worthy of reading in Google search, Totally Captivated keeps on popping up, so I decided to read a few chapters, then drop it, but my eyes ended up glued on the story, so I continued till the end.

Totally Captivated is one of those manhwas that will really captivate your heart. The plot might seem common for most readers, but if you try to re-read it, you'll see a lot of differences, compared to other shounen ... ai/yaoi manhwa/mangas out there.

First, the story wasn't rushed, the first few chapters really did a good job building the story and introducing the characters. Each character have their own unique style. Not only will you focus on the story as a whole, but each character's individual story

Second, the MAIN CHARACTERS didn't head straight to SEX,..yup, it's yaoi, but you have to go through some chapters before you can get to see them both in action, don't worry, it's worth the wait, though kisses were seen early. Reading every page will make you build an emotion wherein you want to see them both have fun before doing "it".

Third, it has COMEDY in it, both in the art and dialogue. Comedy, I mean you'll end up with a genuine laugh.. ( I was smiling the whole time I was reading)

Fourth, the ART is freaking great!!!...
I usually drop mangas/manhwas whose art don't live up with the story...a beautiful story deserves a great art, right??.. (no offense)
I love the way each character is drawn and illustrated, really beautiful.

Fifth, IT HAS A PROGRESSIVE STORY. You wouldn't want to skip a chapter or to miss a page, every single flip is worth reading.

And lastly, but the most important. Ewon and Mookyul's pairing, I should say, is one of the most romantic I have seen. They both grew up without the support of their real family (Ewon growing and living alone, and Mookyul being "adopted" by the CEO), both of them are determined to make it great and successful in the end.

Ewon doesn't value his relationships before, however after agreeing to be Mookyul's lover and falling inlove with him, he ended up devastated when he found out the real deal between Mookyul and the CEO.

Mookyul, on the other hand, decided to give up everything just to have Ewon back, when Ewon decided to leave him.

~~~ To sum it up...Totally Captivated is on of the best yaoi manhwas out there!!!..its prequels and sequels were also great to read

This is one of my favorite shounen-ai manga series (& manga series in general). The art is beautiful, the characters are unique, and the plot is not only interesting, but funny. I fell in love with this series the first couple pages. Tired of whiny ukes, sappy romance, and series' that just revolve around sex? If so, definitely don't pass up reading this! This is a nice refreshing change to most of the shounen-ai/yaoi plots out there.

I felt like much of this manhwa was so, so good, but never became truly great. There were areas of questionable consent, violence, and also implied pedophilia that was creepily and maddeningly glossed over when everything was said and done. I feel like this one could have been a 10 if the author had really taken the time to explore the deep, darker themes, this could have been a magnificent, complex drama.

The art in this was TERRIFIC. It was my first manhwa and I ADORED the way the author drew eyes in particular.

The characters were endearing even as they were maddening at times. ...

I appreciated many things about this story. I really enjoyed that homosexuality was clearly declared from the get-go. It was a given that relationships were complex and often ugly. The characters were by NO means perfect people--not even the main POV character, Ewon. He was a serial player and prone to hurting his partners by stirring up their jealousy. Mookyul was just...I don't even know. He was charming, handsome, and also SUPER messed up. He was controlling, jealous, and pyscho many times and that bothered me a LOT, because it was romanticized in some cases, but then called out in others. *Sigh*.

I'm coming to realize that many yaoi are just filled with blurry consent lines, forced sex, controlling psychos, and stuff that makes me cringe and makes my heart hurt. I want to see more wholesome (but still complex) relationships that don't rely on stereotypes or shock-factors in order to tell a compelling story.

I not easy no find a heavy romantic story, here you can find and see how every personages, all of them get naked piece by piece until his hide fear.
This history is warmly slow, you can read it easily but think suspicious about the characters, is not a secret, what are each of them, but we can barely see, and by that way, how themselves demolish his own walls.

How the three principals personges, become the most high and down moment because of other person. "Is Real what we feel? then i deny it" "lies and lies, I don't care" "My past is never a ... secret, but, you show me my real past" "avoiding myself from you" "avoiding myself" "love" "it's you".

We can see a romance become something so familiar to us, so close to our reality, very personal, is doesn't matter if is a boy who are living it, we can feel that sort of thing ann make you feel it, at the same moment. And how the dialogues are spread, is just wonderful, every word, and every expression So carefully drawn, the feeeling, if it's a remember, or whatever is, is just amazing.

And the best thing is that every happen time by time, not so fast as other histories, we can complain each moment, each personages. you can love the personages easily. If you never had live something like that, the way how this is made, write and draw, make you understand and feel the moment, it make you "be" the character.

High recommended who like heavy histories of love, who like something so close to Us.

The first time I read this manhwa was probably back in 2010-2011 when I was not really familiar with Korean culture and I did write a review back then... however, I dived back into this manhwa and I think I'm ready to give a better perspective of this manhwa and the fact that IT IS STILL GREAT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.

I can't deny that as an avid Yaoi/Shounen-Ai fan, this manhwa remains as one of my all-time favourites and this is coming from years and years of indulging in this genre. And in this review, I'll tell you why.


STORY;
We follow the story of Jung Ewon ... and his life after being forced to work for the mafia due to his relationship-problems and meets the sexy, bewitching Eun Mookyul; the gang-leader who'd make every other male models cry pathetically.

Now, if you're a constant viewer of Korean dramas, you'd probably understand the basic concept of this story because I have to admit there is a ongoing trend of poor, stubborn protagonists meets rich, handsome and possessive lover in a LOT of K-Dramas. However, I find that completely fine and more so when it is twisted into the world of the mafia and yaoi which equals into a sexy world of hormones exploding in every chapter.

Yoo Hajin takes us into a world of emotions with her witty characters and dialogue despite the dark and violent storyline. I ended up crying and sobbing in a few chapters before laughing and smiling like a goof on the next page.

I'd rate a good manga/manhwa based on how they spiral their readers into a rollercoaster of emotions and this manhwa takes the cake for it and I enjoy every moment of the story.


ART;
Now, when it comes to composition and other bits of details, I'll be completely honest to say that it has flaws if compared to many other manhwa or manga for its stunning details of the characters and background and all the jazz. However, I am enchanted by the character designs and ESPECIALLY their fashion. The author had definitely taken her time to draw the character's outfits making them look completely stunning. I felt like I was reading a fashion designer's catalogue in story-form.
Not to mention that the two main characters looked so hot that I wished they were real (like every other hot anime/manga male character). Oh the pain... hahaha.
So yeah~ flaws here and there but the characters and fashion were just on-point in every page.


CHARACTER;
I feel like if you've read my other reviews, I'm super drawn to the characters more than anything. To me, characters can make and anime/manga a masterpiece or break it into pieces right from the get-go.

Jung Ewon is probably my spirit animal. He is stubborn, headstrong and despite his major flaws of being a weak-hearted playboy and a rather dark past, he is so bright and adorable at the same time. I like how he is stubborn for the right things and not just being the whiny protagonist who simply doesn't want to admit that the male lead IS handsome. Like seriously, it turns me off to see scenes like that. Here, Ewon admits that Mookyul is hot and he even hilariously expresses it freely. Simple and refreshing characterization. I really appreciate that and adore Ewon with all my heart.

Then on the end of the spectrum, Eun Mookyul is our main heart-throb with a devilish sense of humour and also...a demonic temper. I love how he can really appear violent and almost merciless in one moment and then diffuses into a whiny baby on a tantrum. It is just too adorable for words really hahahaha. However, despite certain comedic reliefs of his character...I appreciate how he never goes out of character. He is rough and overtly masculine and that edge never changes about Mookyul. Bring him Ewon, he can be a clingy puppy and also a possessive beast; that is Eun Mookyul for you~ Ugh and don't get me started on his lovey-dovey dialogue for Fox Jung.


OVERALL ENJOYMENT;
I gave this manhwa a 10/10 5 years ago, and I would still give it a perfect score today. I actually loved it MORE when I re-read it recently after understanding the Korean culture and language. I just feel so attached to the characters and the storyline never fails to leave me crying on one page and laughing my guts out in the next before making me roll around squealing at the occasional adorable moments.
And overall...I just love how Yoo Hajin focuses heavily on the sense of friendship, brotherhood and family that runs in the background. You just feel that no matter how alone you may think you are...there will always be someone around that you've taken for granted and when you are faced with your worst, that is when you'll appreciate their presence.

Give this manhwa a shot and after a couple of pages with Ewon and Mookyul...

...you'll be Totally Captivated. *shoots myself for the cheesiness. Whatever!*

I really like totally captivated i cant wait for the other chapters to come out.^^ I really like the main characters and the uke isnt too girly. The art to it is really good and the character development is pretty good too. I really like the story.

I think every yaoi lover knows Totally Captivated (which is funny because this is a korean work, not japanese :D). This is THE mafia yaoi. Before you read any mafia yaoi, you've got to read this one so you'll have your standard set. Forget that, before you read another yaoi you've got to read this one. That being said, this is not a very mushy story. I always find it odd when mafia guys are portrayed as these really fun, cute guys--which is really common in manga (e.g. Tight Rope). Mookyul might be hot, but there is nothing cute or sweet or really fun in ... any way about him. He is abusive (both physically and emotionally), scary and domineering. Of course we love him because he's just a really messed up kid who won't hurt anybody too badly (well, okay, he does hurt people, but I suspect he is so strong he doesn't realize how painful what he does is).

Second time around:
So this manhwa often gets labelled as "yaoi," so I used that term in my first review. But it really isn't. Actually, it's one of the most innocent in terms of sexual explicitness of any shounen-ai I've read. Which is very funny, because this is one dark story.
I think a tool that authors sometimes use that can prove to be rather dangerous is introducing protagonists that are actually really awful people. You know, the kind that in a normal story would be the antagonists? On the one hand, we have Ewon, who is basically the kind of person I can't stand--he cheats on his lovers, thinks nothing of it or their feelings (and even blames his disgusting behavior on "curiosity!" I mean, are you for real?) and then throws said lovers to the curb. Then on the other hand we have Mookyul, a violent, hulking thug who thinks nothing of people's feelings either, only he expresses it through his fists. Now, if this was a normal story, our protagonist would be Jiho, the lover whose heart Ewon completely crushed, and the plot would be how Jiho breaks up with Ewon only to get mixed up with the mafia boss Mookyul, but finally manages to put that all behind him and find a decent and caring boyfriend.
But no, what we get is the story of the two jerks, Ewon and Mookyul.
And the reason I said that this tool is dangerous is that if the writer/mangaka isn't careful, they may end up with characters that we just hate throughout the volume. However, that did not happen to Yoo Hajin. More than anything, Totally Captivated is a story of personal growth. It's not just about finding true love; Ewon and Mookyul could have found that anywhere (no really, they each have like a thousand suitors, or the gay-equivalent of suitors). Totally Captivated is about learning to care about other people, learning to put them before yourself, learning what it feels like to be cheated on (it's called karma, Ewon) and learning that everything can be solved without violence if you just try (so proud of you, Mookyul).
Yes, upon analysis, we find that Ewon and Mookyul were pretty terrible guys in the beginning. But this situation is so aptly handled that we just feel for them the entire way through.
Also, I feel like I need to give a disclaimer for what I said earlier: Mookyul is abusive, but he never actually harms Ewon or Jiho. No wait, he slapped both of them. And I'm pretty sure he slapped Ewon twice! Ahh, but I think Ewon slapped Mookyul at some point too. Not that justifies the violence from either side. Bad boys! Behave!

There are many funny and cute moments in this manhwa, but overall, it is very gloomy. The situation seems hopeless, the characters are messed up, and I just found myself cursing the mangaka-goddess for putting Ewon through all that misery (yeah, I was mean, but I love him).

What must at this point be the tenth time around:
Out of all the many mangas I have read, this is the one that I keep going back to again and again. No matter how many times I read it, it manages to surprise me and draw me in all over again. I have been trying to put my finger on why, since this manga is choke-full of tropes and storylines that I cannot stand in other mangas and should have made me drop it in the first place, let alone reread Totally Captivated for years at this point. I've brought up the horrible domestic abuse, but I didn't mention that both the protagonists lie to and cheat on each other repeatedly. This manga should be totally depressing, so why is it so capitvating?
I think maybe it's because despite being mired in a grim, realistic and tragic setting, at the end of the day this manga tells the story of a love so obsessive and heart-wrenching its fantastical in its essence.

By now it has to be official, Totally Captivated has totally captivated me (ha! I'm so funny).

This is, by far, my absolute favorite yaoi manga of all time. It's got the perfect blend of engaging story line, adorable characters, and laugh-out-loud humor. It even made me tear up a couple times. It's got it all in one beautiful package.

What I love about it:

1. Yakuza setting = adult themes - no high school drama.
2. The characters are incredibly lovable and while somewhat typical in their roles, the uke isn't a blushing maiden - he's still masculine with a strong will of his own.
3. It's dark but not too dark, and the humor helps to keep it ... in balance.
4. The art is just gorgeous.

It starts off sort of typical for a yaoi and I rolled my eyes a little but after that, it really develops into a solid story. I got engaged and invested in the story. It was refreshingly unpredictable and surprising at times. The author continued to introduce new forms of conflict and resolution to keep that roller coaster ride moving along.

The characters are what made the story interesting for me. They are very real, lively, and lovable. Ewon is a strong-willed and independent thinking uke. Mookyun is an incredibly possessive yet remarkably observant and caring seme with a temper and a sardonic sense of humor that I couldn't help but completely fall for. Most of the character growth comes from Ewon and it's touching to experience.

One of the most enjoyable things about this manga was the artwork. It's somewhat reminiscent of the Finder series. Ewon looks a lot like Akihito. Eyes and hair are stunning but their clothes are also amazingly drawn. Because they're yakuza, they're dressed pretty snappy and this artist really excels at displaying that. It's a male fashion show in every frame and it's delightful.

There's very few sex scenes in here and they're not explicit, but their suggestiveness is hot in itself. I never really felt overly disappointed by the lack of smut because the story and the characters were so engaging.

I read it straight through in one sitting and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys adult themed (as in non-high school) yaoi stories.

Maybe I'm biased, maybe I'm not...But Totally Captivated is one of the best yaoi stories I've read. The story, set in the 'underworld' as the protagonist likes to believe, is really well constructed. The art is beautifully draw, with a few disproportions here and there, but overall, very well done.
The protagonist, Ewon played the desperate seme first, but did a 180 turn and became the sought-after uke. He rocked both roles. It would be nicer to see some more desperation after he got dumped, but the desperation came back later in the story. He's, by my standards, a pretty well-developed, well thought of character.
Mookyul, ... oh Mookyul. Smexy Mookyul, with the designer clothes, and the cash that matches his million dollar face. A sort-of brute seme, with a really dark secret, that gives him that extra depth in his character, which isn't revealed until the very end, meaning that the story doesn't drag, and the writer doesn't prolong it for more than it needs to be prolonged.
Storyline: It's longer than most manga, but there are always obstacles in their way. There are false climaxes that leave the audience in suspense, and funny parts to lift their spirits. I'd say that it was very well done.