Hotel Phryne takes the question, “If I had a clone, would you be able to tell I’m the real one?” to the extreme. Doyoung takes his love interest on a romantic date and when they arrive at the hotel they have reservations at they begin a game neither of them could have anticipated.
Plot: 8/10 – The story of Doyoung and his potential lover, Hyunjin, is simply fascinating. After a year of friendly flirting, Doyoung in finally ready to ask Hyunjin out. Taking him to the only hotel he was able to make reservations at, Doyoung prepares to romance his Hyung off his feet. Upon arriving, however, Hyunjin is split into 12 identical clones by the mysterious hotel manager, Mr. Rose. Mr. Rose informs Doyoung that the only way out is to find the real Hyunjin. A simply fascinating mystery that will have you writhing in frustration.
Characters: 10/10 – Doyoung is incredibly interesting. Put in an impossible situation, he handles it amazingly. He’s not perfect and it really adds to the tension. Hyunjin is the main focus of this story. Having 12 identical Hyunjin’s interact with each other is the perfect way to explore the character. Mr. Rose is as confusing and frustrating as he can possibly be. I won’t say much more here to keep this relatively light in spoilers.
I really enjoyed reading this. I was so caught up in the story being as confused and worried as Doyoung was. I wanted to find the real Hyunjin just as badly as he did. The mystery is so thrilling, and the artwork lends itself really well to this story. The bold line work made for some dramatic moments. The “spice” was a little on the light side, but that is not the focus of this story. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Clue, mysteries, or suspense. An awesome find in the BL genre!
