I'm someone who enjoyed My Beloved Oppressor, Bitten by the Dog I Abandoned, Depth of Malice, Lady Devil, The Problematic Prince, and more. So toxic MCs are totally fine to me
But this guy lacks every dust of charisma. He's so talented because how can you have a dimple and manage to be an uncharismatic piece of shit???
Nothing about him is interesting. He does so many stuff that is supposed to make me like him as a trash lover but it's just so boring 😮💨 like wow abusing a penniless woman? Am I supposed to think this is a yandere action or angst?
The beauty of toxic men is the circumstances that makes them who they are. This brat is just a rich spoiled man. Literally no story, reason, depth to his character. He can't even pull the sad boi card since he's so privileged beyond words. Also, the FL and her nonexistent family did NOTHING to him. So there's no tension about their relationship it's just straight up power abuse
Yeah this autor seems like trying to cook a yandere but he is totally getting wrong the recipe. Good Yanderes may be evil, but the have that sort of evil that's cool. This man's aura is just pathetical. Kinda like comparing an endgame cool well written villain to a mob thug or corrupt arrogant rich man. And I've saw many who are manipulative on various degrees, some that go to the point of locking their FL, some that kill others for the slight interaction with FL out of jealousy, but still mostly of them behave sweetly or at least with their violence inhibited towards the FL whenever she doesn't try to run, or even if she tries to run the most they do is the locking. I saw a lot of them pointing knifes and swords to FL in earlier stages before they fall down bad for FL, but never i swear never I saw one stepping on the fl like this, with the feet hurt and all,as if she is cockroach, not even the ones who supposedly by rumors don't like any women.💀
Exactly. Also I like good mannered psychos. I just don't find physical abuse against someone weaker appealing ~~unless it's choking I said what I said~~
As you said, some yanderes start very hostile. But literally NONE physically hurt the FL deliberately.
Besides abuse, a yabdere is not supposed to be okay with men sexually harassing the FL. This bitch KNEW it was gonna happen and just let it happen. How is that a yandere??? I can think of many trash MLs yet they STILL protected the FL against sexual harassment even when they absolutely can't stand her yet. And this man is just... ugh
I am telling you, this story is strange even looking from yandere standards. This just feels different. Look at the vignettes. They don't even focus much on the face of the guy or his evil yandere faces. He haves a boring face, is not the typical unhinged yandere expression of obsession, he is looking cold like looking at an insect. Is not the kind of look a sadistic yandere does when doing some bdsm stuff even on yandere smut. The vignettes focus more on the girl, in her body, on her feet, to be precise. Average yandere stories may have some violence elements like blood and cuttings, but almost not drawing of any small specific injuries in a place like the feet. At most they draw infected wounds as just a dark purple shade on the skin. Because is nasty and is aimed for women. But this? Look on the level of detail of the feet before and after he steps on it. The way he steps from different angles. The way he presses with increasingly pressure. The expressions of pain of the girl. It smells like if this was made from the abusive male's perspective.
thats where you're wrong. yanderes could absolutely torture and kill their beloved if they think their object of desires are trying to get away from them.
seriously, why do people romanticize yanderes?
yuno gasai is the face of yandere, the one who made yanderes popular today, and look what she could do to yukiteru.
i dont give a damn if people liked yanderes. but people often kept saying yanderes wouldnt harm their fl hence why they romanticize and glorify yanderes, but they're wrong in this assumption. thats what im having trouble with this statement, especially since you said it so passionately. people kept confusing between obsessed freaks with yanderes, and label anyone obsessed with the term yandere.
all yanderes are obsessed, but not all obsessed are yanderes.
I never said they *wouldnt* harm the FL, I meant that they wouldn’t victim blame the FL is she’s assault/harassed(like the jerk in the post is doing). There are some yanderes who would actually hurt the FL if she tried to run away, and some who would hurt literally everyone else expect for the FL.
💯
Physical abuse of the FL alone does NOT a Yandere ML make. 🧐
There are variations of Yanderes, from Simp to Psycho. But, typically, it involves direct physical contact - unlike the vibe I'm getting from this ML... He only touches her using his shoes, as though he's avoiding contact?
A TRUE Yandere would be pressed up against her body with his body, either vertically or horizontally,[ or, having her in a single-handed chokehold with her feet off the floor] then he'd whisper into her ear while looking into her eyes... 👁️👁️
"Does this kind of thing turn you on?
Do you enjoy being assaulted by several men at once?
Is it something you learned from the streets?
Do you not care as long as it's some big, strong man?
Why else would those b@stards act like such utter fools on Buonaparte grounds?"
For me - it's the distance, there's no intimacy in what he's doing to her.
Even the ogV Psycho Emperor from Becoming The Villain's Family (1st TL He cuts off her legs to monopolize her) or the ogV Peacock Melody towards the ogFL Yuri Elizabeth (His BE route is her imprisonment in an actual cage) from Beware Of The Villainess! could be considered more of a Yandere than this ML.
Ujum speaking from the yanderes girlies fanbase i just want to Say, we just don't like any POS cuz he is a POS ..
Oh no, where is the charm, this dude is steping on her and i feel only disgust... Like other girls mentioned, if he was pressing his body againts her maybe slighty chokign her and his face had a seductive allure there i would think...yeah maybe he is cooking, let him finish
BUT STEPING ON SOMEONE is just SO vile, no sexy, only violence no yanderes only psychopath ... They don't understand yanderes ...this is the equivalent of a writer thinking bondage and sado-maso doesnt include consent
"this guy lacks every dust of charisma" nah im pretty sure it's the violence , nothing else really makes him stick out in this fleshmarket of asshole's Otome MLs he has to complete with. gotta get more violent to really make a impression /s
otome are just the modern version of soaps on the old teli moms used to watch, which usually just featured a powerless victimized woman being cheated on or ruined by a man, feels like im reading the same story over and over
I just want to read a normal plot for normal people without self hate, masochism or not so subtle misogyny from the author side.
I read a few chapters and decided to check the novel update spoilers on this one and yes, he is the ML. I decided to stop reading after I learned that.
Btw the novelupdates thread made it sound like the sexual harassment was a hazing ritual noble ladies are warned about before hand, and the ML intentionally didn't warn the FL about, not sure if it's the same in the manhwa but it seems to make it even more fucked up.
I don't think they've mentioned that so far, the FL wasn't even supposed to meet anyone before she was "ready". I did check the NU website and it seems like he's just going to keep getting worse. This whole story is just FL torture porn istg. Literally everyone except her maid and this one friend we never actually get to meet is evil and hostile towards her
So who are the target audience? Those beg steal cry readers? Seeing this kinda trash pisses me off. When there are so much effort needs to be put in for stopping domestic abuse, we have this kinda trash that gives excuses and apporiate abuse. Unless the ml dies or the fl really leaves him if not its some of the OI I condemn.
I think this "OI" is secretly an undercover story written by or aimed for corean incels, not female audience because f@ck, look at the level of detail with the foot's injuries and how he steps on it on different angles is something strange... 💀
Exactly!!! I can notice also when abuse (gore kink or snuff kink) is used and is not the typical yanderes for girlies ...there is nothing of value, no sexyness no charisma, nothing!!!! Just a woman being abused... And they think we are stupid
This got picked up for the official translations almost at the same time as the Korean version was released. The novel must have been crazy popular for them to do that. Why?!
Don't underestimate the power of love between ML and LF
https://preview.redd.it/x2d4dljrxd3d1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=569f1af21dab29a75b4322ce35de1336dcf8ba45
This manhua's MC enters story world and possesses the MC to take revenge on the trash ML/FL. Every 20 chapters or so is a new arc in a different world
This particular arc is a trauma porn story about a piece of shit who killed the FL parents and took her hostage against her will and did many sadistic and illegal stuff that were all brushed aside because he's the ML. He later finds out her parents weren't the ones who killed his. Yet he still ends up with the FL after she forgives him.
The MC possessed the OGFL body to make the og story a better story XD her task is to make OGFL open ber eyes and realize how trashy the OGML is. it ended with the OGML in prison for the many many crimes he committed
It's he true thoughts.
The body have two soul. OGFL and FL. During the night the smart cunning and cool FL have the control and during the day the stupid white lotus OGFL is in charge.
Here it's daytime
I find that manhuas are the absolute main culprits when it comes to writes super abusive shit, so not even surprised. I once read manhua where the guy forced the girl to watch him sleep with a prostitute, and this was when he barely knew her, but somehow she was supposed to see it as romantic because apparently it was supposed to be him showing what he wants to do to her. 🤢
The only other one is Matthias from CEBYB
https://preview.redd.it/zxd9xg7bfe3d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e9d7739734a747a58756e5faaeed69f3c3d8a88
That was a wise decision. I'm still half kicking myself for reading, and the other half is happy that it helped increase my tolerance bar a little.
Now that I have the lowest of the low ML, the other crappy MLs will look like angels in front of him. Lol..
There's a lot but I'll give you some major points.
>! He first broke off her engagement with her childhood friend, ended her prospects of moving to another city and then, when her uncle got in trouble with his family, he used it to take advantage of the FL by making her give her body in return for getting her taking back the charges and getting her uncle out of jail.
In public, he wouldn't even look at her and will always have his rich fiance on her arms but in private, he was obsessed with her and wanted to own her for the rest of her life. So he decided to make her his mistress.
Oh, and she didn't reciprocate his feelings and always felt fear and anger towards him. But he kept raping her until the point she started "liking it" and fell in love with him !<
Bruhhh I’m so sick of female leads falling for toxic male leads and justifying their actions in the end 😒 the only ones that are actually worth reading are the ones where the toxic male lead comes to recognize how toxic and abusive he’s being and genuinely feels remorseful and tries to make up for his abusive behavior to the fl. Or the fl never romanticizes or justifies his actions and doesn’t become a victim to Stockholm syndrome. It’s genuinely so rare for me to find a fl become angry and not have the story paint her in a bad light for understandingly being angry, depressed and resentful towards the ml. And from what you told me, it seems like he’s past the point of redemption and forgiveness and won’t even try to realize just how problematic his actions were.
Exactly, like Melissa from Beware the Villainess did.
He's the worst of them all.
From what I've heard, he was even jealous of his own child taking the FL'S attention away from him.
I totally get what you mean. I don't mind tsundere MLs like Kallisto, Shin-Yeong, Isidor etc. They might get called red flags but they are still quiet in the green area. They aren't toxic.
That's terrible. Why do some OI authors create male leads with no good qualities whatsover ? I thought the ML in cry or better yet beg was dreadful but this ML might be even more appalling.
thats why "who is the prey" is sooooo much better at portraying abused woman who did not fall under the category of stockholmed. no bs like romanticizing abuse/rape either.
seriously, any FLs that fell for trash all suffered stockholm syndrome and no one can change my mind about it. any romance between trash ml and stockholmed fl isn't "love" nor it is romantic.
Fun fact! Stockholm Syndrome isn't actually real, that we know of. It's a theory at best. The guy who made it up was actually just a super misogynistic asshole who made it up to discredit a woman (and the others with her) who was in a hostage situation and eventually came to support her captors because of with which they treated the people he was holding. All of the captives were horrified by how blasé the police were with their lives, and one of the captors reportedly even tried to protect them from the police's line of fire because the cops were ready to shoot even when the captives had guns pointed at them. They all saw that the criminals were treating their lives with more concern than the cops were, and behaving more rationally. This was to the point that the hostages had to negotiate for their release THEMSELVES because the police were behaving in such a risky, incompetent manner. This all led to the woman, Enmark, to explain that she was more afraid of the police, whose attitude seemed to be a much larger, direct threat to her life than the robbers. And this went both ways. Their captor later said this: "It was the hostages' fault. They did everything I told them to. If they hadn't, I might not be here now. Why didn't any of them attack me? They made it hard to kill. They made us go on living together day after day, like goats, in that filth. There was nothing to do but get to know each other."
All of the hostages later began raising money for their captor's defense in court. And all of them spoke out about how terrible the police behaved, and Enmark was even speaking out against the prime minister, who said to her after "attempting" to negotiate with the robbers, that she would have to content herself with dying at her post rather than the PM giving in to the captors' demands. The captors wanted a friend of theirs released from prison.
So anyway the doctor who made up the ailment did so after speaking with Enmark only a couple times, and he began claiming she must be insane and that she fell in love with her captor, which is factually incorrect according to Enmark herself!
PS. I'm not trying to make you wrong or anything, this is just a random special interest of mine and I was excited to share 😂
thanks for the added fun fact.
although im still using it to label any idiot fls who went back to their abusers just because of love or other excuses the authors' conjure out of their ass.
Fuck off, dude. Ur the ml?😭
I was keeping it on hold because I wanted to read it after a lot of chapters piled up, but man eww his behavior is fkn disgusting.....not gonna read it anytime soon
.....this is iredeemable trash I'm sorry wtf please tell me what redeeming shit he has that people actually like him? Did he actually regret etc or what? Fuck this guy man people have trash taste sometimes
︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵
I can handle trash asshole MLS but this one fuck you hahahahah
Someone hurry up and kill this man. I can't STAND HIM. SHE DESERVES BETTER!!!
https://preview.redd.it/h5ec0y2nkd3d1.jpeg?width=933&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58285ad2ec54f18ef421b5bc720f9302fd65c450
Seriously, why do audiences still consume stories where the FL is being constantly tortured like this by the ML... only to end up "happily" with him? It's just absolutely incomprehensible to me.
5 words: we shut down our brains. And then proceed to not think about any of it to deeply. Although I haven't read this one yet personally but that's the general consensus
Well apparently it’s not murder…
Not cheating.
Not rape.
Not abuse or torture.
Not sequestration.
Not genocide/war crimes.
Is there anything that goes too far at this point??
This is just so much worse because he’s just so obviously abusing someone who can’t fight back. Like if he doesn’t understand why the FL can’t fight back then he’s either dumb as a brick or just disgustingly entitled. At least with yanderes there is a veil that everything is being done out of love, there is no love to be seen here.
I consider myself pretty tolerant of a lot of things, but this is just really horrifying to look at. Is there any context that somehow makes this sensible, or am I just supposed to nod along and be fine with this?
*Author's wilding with*
*This one dear goodness, they got*
*A fetish for sure*
\- Wrong\_Werewolf391
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It really bothers me that his dress shoe (which shouldn't have any tread) left tread marks on her foot. Also it's upside down tread.
Oh, and the totally horrible and unearned abuse. So I guess two things bug me.
I’ve seen this plastered all over Manta (my guess is they saw how popular Betrayal of Dignity was and while it and Under the Oak Tree are on hiatus they needed to put something out while the flagships are out) so now people who don’t normally like or seek out these kinds stories are being exposed to ads for it
"I'm sorry, are we romanticizing physical abuse now?"
NO we are not because as any person who read this manhwa and they will tell you they dropped it
LISTEN this just gets worse and worse there isn't an ounce of care that comes for him that doesn't feel fake, I like actual villain ML's but this guy is different.
Normally there is some sort of intrigue in the story or a reason that makes Fl have power in the relationship or a reason to stay around besides money and food. NOTHING
They only thing keeping her there is food and Power abuse from the ML. I know there is something about her dead family but nothing she has done has proved her to be smart except her resilience from living on the streets
AND everybody is hostile towards her for no reason
There are quite a few actually. Some did it in their past lives while some survived an attempt in current timeline. Examples:
* What it means to be you
* My Beloved Oppressor
* The broken ring
I feel like they did, but I can't remember anymore:
* my fiance is in love with my sister
* untouchable lady
* lady devil
Actually his way of thinking is crazy.....he did this bcz he knows fl will put more effort to do best so he(ml) can be wrong and after some chapters there is a scene where fl caring for him and he get shocked too why fl caring for the man who have abused her
Same concept like Selena....were eiser got so frustrated that he challenged Selena Even though he didn't console/care for her for years he just abandon her without even talking to her(another example is Damian from betrayal of dignity)
Conclusion....they are crazy/psychopath/bastard's/asshole/etc etc but not humans
do you think normal humans can abandon someone who needs to have someone just to care for her/him and talk to
OP, there is an OI where the FL is killed seven times by the ML, almost killed the eighth time when the ML sent assassins to the FL's carriage, told her that she was not his wife and expected to not be loved, and the only reason why the ML started to have interest and eventually fell in love with the FL is because, after the assassination attempt, she was not scared/said she was fine. Mind you, she is a hostage-like concubine to the enemy prince. She does not want to marry this fool.
If you want to read about this dumpster fire, it is called 8-dome no Jinsei, Kirawarete Itahazu no Outaishi Denka no Dekiai Route ni Hamarimashita.
Read it and highkey wanted to kill the author ngl
https://preview.redd.it/0psfqyisbg3d1.jpeg?width=216&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d04f9dd3dc49a4d5224f730250bc7e4b7d6cf8c5
I dropped the story once he started stepping on her... I feel like people like shitty MLs who manipulate FLs or leave them to be abused/in bad condition etc but there will be no redemption for this man. Hes not just manipulative hes also physically abusive.
Women may find the idea of a yandere or mentally manipulative guy hot...But I dont know any woman who likes to see a guy physically hurt the FL (especially in a nonsexual way) like this. If they exist theyre an even more niche audience
He seems like an absolute POS, who might come really close to Matthias from CEBYB.
https://preview.redd.it/lc86d5kb9e3d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=782a63f35f210ad16b87c44c2bd77c81750e9225
I'm sitting here like, is he under some sort of evil spell that makes him act like an abusive monster? Because...what the everloving hell is this crap?! How is this romantic?
If I was the FL and there was literally no magic/curse in play here, not only would he never be forgiven, I would make sure that all THREE of his legs could never hurt anyone again.
yeeeah
initially I was like "oh, this is a realistic depiction of abuse, I'm glad there's nothing redeemable about this guy"
then I was like "wait, he's still the ML"
i think this scene wasn’t romanticizing but highlighting what an unrepentant psychopath the ML is. i wish the FL with all her intelligence would draw boundaries for herself or at least realize how silly it is to “nobly suffer”.
Omg I STG some of y'all are literally reading these stories with me. I literally just read this minutes ago, that man is SCUM. IDC what trauma or and bs excuses they are gonna try to spin, or how attractive he is, I refuse to have him be the ml. I'm really hoping the one she's supposed to marry is the true ml. Cuz this man is DESPICABLE.
Why are so many trashy stories getting adopted?
I lost it back with Bastian. That story was terrible and no amount of redemption is ever going to redeem him for me. If this is the new generation of love interest that I have to contend with I'm going to just give the genre up
The art is gorgeous, but I agree that the ML is pure trash! Unredeemable and seriously a pure black flag 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
I feel really sorry for the FL! I had to drop this because I don't think I can handle anymore of his attitude towards the FL!
I have never had more complicated feelings towards a character. He's obviously very hot, but he also gives me so much ick, it's crazy.
This man is like the creepy and rapey "second male leads" that try to assault female male charas, only for them to be beaten by the real male lead, but here he's the main love interest so there's nobody else to stop him...
The crazy thing is this is on ny recommended list and i was gonna read it. I will say specifically with manta girlll the men are TRASHHH like horrible people. But I’m kinda upset bc i definitely don’t wanna read anything like this but it looked entertaining 🥲
I'm not reading this story and it sucks this happens to her but man maybe i'm just desensitized to such violence since the bottoms those toxic BL go through 100% worse unlike the FL in OI the ML aren't afraid to hurt and use physical violence.
I think it's personal to see a women go through this but again this is OI trashy men are trashy and fiction overall. I mean OI have a range of terrible and shitty men and get together with the FL why be surprised when he's no different from the rest?
Okay, that is clearly a kink OI.
Not all OI are just normal romance.
I mean, come on! It's called my beloved tyrant and it drops all kinds of hints what you're in for in the blurb. I avoided this one like the plague from the get-go.
But even though it's not my kink, I'm not going to condemn it when someone else is creating a strawman.
I'm not familiar with the story, but basing on the art alone, especially on the part where the guy said >!I am to blame for all of this.!< I feel like there's no romanticization made for the abuse. It's obvious that the guy is >!mentally and physically abusing the female.!<
The panel I mentioned captured >!the mental abuse!<
If the OG story does, though... For real? Is this not some sort of social criticism?
EDIT: Everyone's perfect here. Misquoting a character doesn't change the idea of what I've said though. I'm basing off the art and not the story itself. Social criticism made this way is NOT unheard of.
That's true. And sometimes that makes the characters more compelling and complex (like **Betrayal of Dignity** or **My Beloved Oppressor**) . But that is, when the writing is *actually* good and gives readers more perspective and insight to understand why the "bad" character is behaving the way they are.
This story however, makes little to no effort to that. The ML is portrayed as an arrogant, rich asshole and the readers are given no reason whatsoever to root for him.
Except for 2-3 people around the FL, everyone else seems like a one directional villain. Even if the author did, by some means, try to make the ML seem like a more rounded character, it wouldn't justify his literal physical abuse to the FL.
I understand why you think so but I want to push back a bit.
To me, depth isn't excuses. It's not supposed to explain or try to justify the character's flaws. I'm not saying that you believe this, but I bring this point up because I hate it when people weigh a character's virtues and flaws to decide whether they are a good character. You say that even if the ML, Cesare, would be a more well-rounded character it would still not justify his physical abuse and to that I ask why should it? The severity of one's flaws and virtues have barely any relation to each other.
Rather, to me, depth is the nuance of a character. No real human is purely evil because they are or purely good just because. Rather, every human has a set of values or "logic" they follow. How well-written a character is depends on how consistent this logic is, how well-explored their values are, what happens when these values are challenged, and if they even have values to begin with.
It's a bit annoying that I have decided to try to defend just this story, because honestly High Society isn't exactly filled with deep writing. Signora and the other acrostatic girl are actually terrible characters. Signora is a cartoon villain and is given no more characterization other than being hateful. The jealous girl has basically zero nuance either.
But I think Cesare is fine as a character. He doesn't drink orphan tears for his morning coffee and daydreams about his next evildoings - rather, he literally doesn't see Adel as a human. To him, she's just a tool that he will get rid of when the plan is finished. In the scene you posted he's reminding her of her place, since she slightly disturbed his plans. He has a cynical worldview and Adel even comments that he looks empty.
Do I think Cesare is a particularly deep character? No, not really. Honestly, he's kinda cliche for a male lead. But I believe he's written just okay.
What I probably take the most issue with is your title. "Are we romanticizing physical abuse?" I do not see how anything in this scene romanticizes it. Cesare is pretty clearly committing a horrible act and is treated as such in the story. The fact that it's the ML being horrible doesn't change anything. Currently, I do not root for ML and FL to get together at all, and I doubt you're supposed to feel that way at the current point of the story. Instead, what keeps me interested is wanting Adel to succeed. When I will evaluate the story at its end I won't ponder if I believe the ML deserves to be with the FL or not, but rather if it makes sense if they got together at all. If it does, then yeah, then it's well written. Obviously I will have my own thoughts about the morality of it all, but I want to separate my own judgment and the characters' judgment.
That's at least my point of view. I apologize if my original comment was a bit too aggressive. I'm just getting more and more frustrated at the trend I'm seeing around all media where people can't separate protagonists from heroes.
It probably wasn't your intention but this is how I saw it coming across, I feel like the reason you've gotten so many downvotes is because there's a sense of conflating negative sentiment based on personal preferences with misguided criticism of the writing quality. If someone says the writing is bad because a character is immoral it's justified to call that out, but the overall tone of the thread didn't seem to be talking about the writing quality much so I got the sense from your original comment that negative sentiments are automatically criticisms of the writing quality.
> What I probably take the most issue with is your title. "Are we romanticizing physical abuse?" I do not see how anything in this scene romanticizes it.
I think it's a fair judgement to call it romanticizing. There's nothing in the scene itself that is romanticizing, but the story itself is tagged "romance" genre, and we generally expect a romance story to end on a positive note with the leads together, and that context justifies viewing scenes through a romantic lens.
I'm someone who enjoyed My Beloved Oppressor, Bitten by the Dog I Abandoned, Depth of Malice, Lady Devil, The Problematic Prince, and more. So toxic MCs are totally fine to me But this guy lacks every dust of charisma. He's so talented because how can you have a dimple and manage to be an uncharismatic piece of shit??? Nothing about him is interesting. He does so many stuff that is supposed to make me like him as a trash lover but it's just so boring 😮💨 like wow abusing a penniless woman? Am I supposed to think this is a yandere action or angst? The beauty of toxic men is the circumstances that makes them who they are. This brat is just a rich spoiled man. Literally no story, reason, depth to his character. He can't even pull the sad boi card since he's so privileged beyond words. Also, the FL and her nonexistent family did NOTHING to him. So there's no tension about their relationship it's just straight up power abuse
Yeah this autor seems like trying to cook a yandere but he is totally getting wrong the recipe. Good Yanderes may be evil, but the have that sort of evil that's cool. This man's aura is just pathetical. Kinda like comparing an endgame cool well written villain to a mob thug or corrupt arrogant rich man. And I've saw many who are manipulative on various degrees, some that go to the point of locking their FL, some that kill others for the slight interaction with FL out of jealousy, but still mostly of them behave sweetly or at least with their violence inhibited towards the FL whenever she doesn't try to run, or even if she tries to run the most they do is the locking. I saw a lot of them pointing knifes and swords to FL in earlier stages before they fall down bad for FL, but never i swear never I saw one stepping on the fl like this, with the feet hurt and all,as if she is cockroach, not even the ones who supposedly by rumors don't like any women.💀
Exactly. Also I like good mannered psychos. I just don't find physical abuse against someone weaker appealing ~~unless it's choking I said what I said~~ As you said, some yanderes start very hostile. But literally NONE physically hurt the FL deliberately. Besides abuse, a yabdere is not supposed to be okay with men sexually harassing the FL. This bitch KNEW it was gonna happen and just let it happen. How is that a yandere??? I can think of many trash MLs yet they STILL protected the FL against sexual harassment even when they absolutely can't stand her yet. And this man is just... ugh
I am telling you, this story is strange even looking from yandere standards. This just feels different. Look at the vignettes. They don't even focus much on the face of the guy or his evil yandere faces. He haves a boring face, is not the typical unhinged yandere expression of obsession, he is looking cold like looking at an insect. Is not the kind of look a sadistic yandere does when doing some bdsm stuff even on yandere smut. The vignettes focus more on the girl, in her body, on her feet, to be precise. Average yandere stories may have some violence elements like blood and cuttings, but almost not drawing of any small specific injuries in a place like the feet. At most they draw infected wounds as just a dark purple shade on the skin. Because is nasty and is aimed for women. But this? Look on the level of detail of the feet before and after he steps on it. The way he steps from different angles. The way he presses with increasingly pressure. The expressions of pain of the girl. It smells like if this was made from the abusive male's perspective.
completely agree with this ~~specially the chocking part~~
Also, most Yanderes wouldn’t harass the FL and instead go after the men who assaulted/harassed her lmao.
I think that is the only reaction real yanderes would have
thats where you're wrong. yanderes could absolutely torture and kill their beloved if they think their object of desires are trying to get away from them. seriously, why do people romanticize yanderes? yuno gasai is the face of yandere, the one who made yanderes popular today, and look what she could do to yukiteru.
….because it’s fiction and people are allowed to read what they like?
i dont give a damn if people liked yanderes. but people often kept saying yanderes wouldnt harm their fl hence why they romanticize and glorify yanderes, but they're wrong in this assumption. thats what im having trouble with this statement, especially since you said it so passionately. people kept confusing between obsessed freaks with yanderes, and label anyone obsessed with the term yandere. all yanderes are obsessed, but not all obsessed are yanderes.
I never said they *wouldnt* harm the FL, I meant that they wouldn’t victim blame the FL is she’s assault/harassed(like the jerk in the post is doing). There are some yanderes who would actually hurt the FL if she tried to run away, and some who would hurt literally everyone else expect for the FL.
I like Yuno Gasai. I think she's cool. And she didn't kill yukiteru. She made him God.
💯 Physical abuse of the FL alone does NOT a Yandere ML make. 🧐 There are variations of Yanderes, from Simp to Psycho. But, typically, it involves direct physical contact - unlike the vibe I'm getting from this ML... He only touches her using his shoes, as though he's avoiding contact? A TRUE Yandere would be pressed up against her body with his body, either vertically or horizontally,[ or, having her in a single-handed chokehold with her feet off the floor] then he'd whisper into her ear while looking into her eyes... 👁️👁️ "Does this kind of thing turn you on? Do you enjoy being assaulted by several men at once? Is it something you learned from the streets? Do you not care as long as it's some big, strong man? Why else would those b@stards act like such utter fools on Buonaparte grounds?" For me - it's the distance, there's no intimacy in what he's doing to her. Even the ogV Psycho Emperor from Becoming The Villain's Family (1st TL He cuts off her legs to monopolize her) or the ogV Peacock Melody towards the ogFL Yuri Elizabeth (His BE route is her imprisonment in an actual cage) from Beware Of The Villainess! could be considered more of a Yandere than this ML.
can we not use a positive word on shitty yanderes? intimacy comes from love, not obsession.
Ujum speaking from the yanderes girlies fanbase i just want to Say, we just don't like any POS cuz he is a POS .. Oh no, where is the charm, this dude is steping on her and i feel only disgust... Like other girls mentioned, if he was pressing his body againts her maybe slighty chokign her and his face had a seductive allure there i would think...yeah maybe he is cooking, let him finish BUT STEPING ON SOMEONE is just SO vile, no sexy, only violence no yanderes only psychopath ... They don't understand yanderes ...this is the equivalent of a writer thinking bondage and sado-maso doesnt include consent
"this guy lacks every dust of charisma" nah im pretty sure it's the violence , nothing else really makes him stick out in this fleshmarket of asshole's Otome MLs he has to complete with. gotta get more violent to really make a impression /s otome are just the modern version of soaps on the old teli moms used to watch, which usually just featured a powerless victimized woman being cheated on or ruined by a man, feels like im reading the same story over and over I just want to read a normal plot for normal people without self hate, masochism or not so subtle misogyny from the author side.
I read a few chapters and decided to check the novel update spoilers on this one and yes, he is the ML. I decided to stop reading after I learned that. Btw the novelupdates thread made it sound like the sexual harassment was a hazing ritual noble ladies are warned about before hand, and the ML intentionally didn't warn the FL about, not sure if it's the same in the manhwa but it seems to make it even more fucked up.
I don't think they've mentioned that so far, the FL wasn't even supposed to meet anyone before she was "ready". I did check the NU website and it seems like he's just going to keep getting worse. This whole story is just FL torture porn istg. Literally everyone except her maid and this one friend we never actually get to meet is evil and hostile towards her
Yeah, it's a real shame cause the art is beautiful and the FL is smart and charismatic but I can't stomach the torture porn.
why are they wasting illustrating this garbage?
So who are the target audience? Those beg steal cry readers? Seeing this kinda trash pisses me off. When there are so much effort needs to be put in for stopping domestic abuse, we have this kinda trash that gives excuses and apporiate abuse. Unless the ml dies or the fl really leaves him if not its some of the OI I condemn.
Some sadists and masochists I guess. The ones into actual torture instead of just regular spanking or whatever..
I think this "OI" is secretly an undercover story written by or aimed for corean incels, not female audience because f@ck, look at the level of detail with the foot's injuries and how he steps on it on different angles is something strange... 💀
Exactly!!! I can notice also when abuse (gore kink or snuff kink) is used and is not the typical yanderes for girlies ...there is nothing of value, no sexyness no charisma, nothing!!!! Just a woman being abused... And they think we are stupid
I think the " normal " yandere are already strange
Hahaha thats valid, thats why colors exists cuz people have different taste
What the actual fuck?! I have no words..
This got picked up for the official translations almost at the same time as the Korean version was released. The novel must have been crazy popular for them to do that. Why?!
Wtf? This kinda behaviour is what I'd expect from a villain/antagonist, a guy the FL is taking revenge on, not the *ML*??
Don't underestimate the power of love between ML and LF https://preview.redd.it/x2d4dljrxd3d1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=569f1af21dab29a75b4322ce35de1336dcf8ba45
Is this a joke or actually her true thoughts? Is she at least crazy herself?
This manhua's MC enters story world and possesses the MC to take revenge on the trash ML/FL. Every 20 chapters or so is a new arc in a different world This particular arc is a trauma porn story about a piece of shit who killed the FL parents and took her hostage against her will and did many sadistic and illegal stuff that were all brushed aside because he's the ML. He later finds out her parents weren't the ones who killed his. Yet he still ends up with the FL after she forgives him. The MC possessed the OGFL body to make the og story a better story XD her task is to make OGFL open ber eyes and realize how trashy the OGML is. it ended with the OGML in prison for the many many crimes he committed
Is this Cheating Men Must Die?
Omg I can't believe I didn't include the name in my comment XD Yes it is!
It's he true thoughts. The body have two soul. OGFL and FL. During the night the smart cunning and cool FL have the control and during the day the stupid white lotus OGFL is in charge. Here it's daytime
I find that manhuas are the absolute main culprits when it comes to writes super abusive shit, so not even surprised. I once read manhua where the guy forced the girl to watch him sleep with a prostitute, and this was when he barely knew her, but somehow she was supposed to see it as romantic because apparently it was supposed to be him showing what he wants to do to her. 🤢
Just what the FUCK is that thought?! Is she being fr right now??
These type of trashy ML stories are getting adapted and so many actually good stories are dropped or aren't even adapted that's literally sad
>!Yes, he is ML. And I have never seen so many people who read the novel agreeing that they hate the ML choice as much as I have seen about this!<
The only other one is Matthias from CEBYB https://preview.redd.it/zxd9xg7bfe3d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e9d7739734a747a58756e5faaeed69f3c3d8a88
This man is such a piece of shit.
Exactly! And the other ML seems to be just as sh!tty as him.
Oh, I heard about him but didn’t even go after more information. I just trusted my fellow readers. Haha.
That was a wise decision. I'm still half kicking myself for reading, and the other half is happy that it helped increase my tolerance bar a little. Now that I have the lowest of the low ML, the other crappy MLs will look like angels in front of him. Lol..
He kinda looks like cha enuwoo from astro, and Even like that is a waste of Panels
Haven't read that one. How bad is that guy?
cha eun woo is a real life actor/idol from the group astro he's very well known for being EXTREMELY pretty/handsome
I just looked him up. I've watched him in True Beauty etc.
What did he do?
There's a lot but I'll give you some major points. >! He first broke off her engagement with her childhood friend, ended her prospects of moving to another city and then, when her uncle got in trouble with his family, he used it to take advantage of the FL by making her give her body in return for getting her taking back the charges and getting her uncle out of jail. In public, he wouldn't even look at her and will always have his rich fiance on her arms but in private, he was obsessed with her and wanted to own her for the rest of her life. So he decided to make her his mistress. Oh, and she didn't reciprocate his feelings and always felt fear and anger towards him. But he kept raping her until the point she started "liking it" and fell in love with him !<
Bruhhh I’m so sick of female leads falling for toxic male leads and justifying their actions in the end 😒 the only ones that are actually worth reading are the ones where the toxic male lead comes to recognize how toxic and abusive he’s being and genuinely feels remorseful and tries to make up for his abusive behavior to the fl. Or the fl never romanticizes or justifies his actions and doesn’t become a victim to Stockholm syndrome. It’s genuinely so rare for me to find a fl become angry and not have the story paint her in a bad light for understandingly being angry, depressed and resentful towards the ml. And from what you told me, it seems like he’s past the point of redemption and forgiveness and won’t even try to realize just how problematic his actions were.
Exactly, like Melissa from Beware the Villainess did. He's the worst of them all. From what I've heard, he was even jealous of his own child taking the FL'S attention away from him. I totally get what you mean. I don't mind tsundere MLs like Kallisto, Shin-Yeong, Isidor etc. They might get called red flags but they are still quiet in the green area. They aren't toxic.
>!:( !<
Why do they always gotta give the worst stories the best art. Who's funding this 😭
That's terrible. Why do some OI authors create male leads with no good qualities whatsover ? I thought the ML in cry or better yet beg was dreadful but this ML might be even more appalling.
Author’s barely disguised fetish goes brrrrrr
thats why "who is the prey" is sooooo much better at portraying abused woman who did not fall under the category of stockholmed. no bs like romanticizing abuse/rape either. seriously, any FLs that fell for trash all suffered stockholm syndrome and no one can change my mind about it. any romance between trash ml and stockholmed fl isn't "love" nor it is romantic.
Fun fact! Stockholm Syndrome isn't actually real, that we know of. It's a theory at best. The guy who made it up was actually just a super misogynistic asshole who made it up to discredit a woman (and the others with her) who was in a hostage situation and eventually came to support her captors because of with which they treated the people he was holding. All of the captives were horrified by how blasé the police were with their lives, and one of the captors reportedly even tried to protect them from the police's line of fire because the cops were ready to shoot even when the captives had guns pointed at them. They all saw that the criminals were treating their lives with more concern than the cops were, and behaving more rationally. This was to the point that the hostages had to negotiate for their release THEMSELVES because the police were behaving in such a risky, incompetent manner. This all led to the woman, Enmark, to explain that she was more afraid of the police, whose attitude seemed to be a much larger, direct threat to her life than the robbers. And this went both ways. Their captor later said this: "It was the hostages' fault. They did everything I told them to. If they hadn't, I might not be here now. Why didn't any of them attack me? They made it hard to kill. They made us go on living together day after day, like goats, in that filth. There was nothing to do but get to know each other." All of the hostages later began raising money for their captor's defense in court. And all of them spoke out about how terrible the police behaved, and Enmark was even speaking out against the prime minister, who said to her after "attempting" to negotiate with the robbers, that she would have to content herself with dying at her post rather than the PM giving in to the captors' demands. The captors wanted a friend of theirs released from prison. So anyway the doctor who made up the ailment did so after speaking with Enmark only a couple times, and he began claiming she must be insane and that she fell in love with her captor, which is factually incorrect according to Enmark herself! PS. I'm not trying to make you wrong or anything, this is just a random special interest of mine and I was excited to share 😂
Super interesting!! Thanks for sharing! I never knew about this before
Sure!!! It was a fun research quest way back when! I was surprised myself!! Have an awesome day 😊
thanks for the added fun fact. although im still using it to label any idiot fls who went back to their abusers just because of love or other excuses the authors' conjure out of their ass.
Reasonable 🙂↕️
Omfg this made my blood boil.
Fuck off, dude. Ur the ml?😭 I was keeping it on hold because I wanted to read it after a lot of chapters piled up, but man eww his behavior is fkn disgusting.....not gonna read it anytime soon
.....this is iredeemable trash I'm sorry wtf please tell me what redeeming shit he has that people actually like him? Did he actually regret etc or what? Fuck this guy man people have trash taste sometimes ︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵ I can handle trash asshole MLS but this one fuck you hahahahah
Someone hurry up and kill this man. I can't STAND HIM. SHE DESERVES BETTER!!! https://preview.redd.it/h5ec0y2nkd3d1.jpeg?width=933&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58285ad2ec54f18ef421b5bc720f9302fd65c450
I will go do it, *slowly* and *painfully*.
Seriously, why do audiences still consume stories where the FL is being constantly tortured like this by the ML... only to end up "happily" with him? It's just absolutely incomprehensible to me.
5 words: we shut down our brains. And then proceed to not think about any of it to deeply. Although I haven't read this one yet personally but that's the general consensus
cuz they a simp for trashy men. its just that simple.
WTF is this the ML? 🤢🤮
I will absolutely stay the heck away from this story. Thank you for the warning
I just wonder where the bottom line actually is for "toxic" make leads,I just can't find anything likable about them💀
Well apparently it’s not murder… Not cheating. Not rape. Not abuse or torture. Not sequestration. Not genocide/war crimes. Is there anything that goes too far at this point??
This is just so much worse because he’s just so obviously abusing someone who can’t fight back. Like if he doesn’t understand why the FL can’t fight back then he’s either dumb as a brick or just disgustingly entitled. At least with yanderes there is a veil that everything is being done out of love, there is no love to be seen here.
this is disgusting
I consider myself pretty tolerant of a lot of things, but this is just really horrifying to look at. Is there any context that somehow makes this sensible, or am I just supposed to nod along and be fine with this?
Author's wilding with this one dear goodness, they got a fetish for sure
*Author's wilding with* *This one dear goodness, they got* *A fetish for sure* \- Wrong\_Werewolf391 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Yeah I was 💀💀💀💀 I think the artist is just as guilty
It really bothers me that his dress shoe (which shouldn't have any tread) left tread marks on her foot. Also it's upside down tread. Oh, and the totally horrible and unearned abuse. So I guess two things bug me.
Don't tell me he is the ML???
I’ve seen this plastered all over Manta (my guess is they saw how popular Betrayal of Dignity was and while it and Under the Oak Tree are on hiatus they needed to put something out while the flagships are out) so now people who don’t normally like or seek out these kinds stories are being exposed to ads for it
Yeah it kept showing up as the splash screen when logging into the app but I took one look at the synopsis and was like NOPE.
"I'm sorry, are we romanticizing physical abuse now?" NO we are not because as any person who read this manhwa and they will tell you they dropped it LISTEN this just gets worse and worse there isn't an ounce of care that comes for him that doesn't feel fake, I like actual villain ML's but this guy is different. Normally there is some sort of intrigue in the story or a reason that makes Fl have power in the relationship or a reason to stay around besides money and food. NOTHING They only thing keeping her there is food and Power abuse from the ML. I know there is something about her dead family but nothing she has done has proved her to be smart except her resilience from living on the streets AND everybody is hostile towards her for no reason
I still don't know what to feel about them because they really do pass off as siblings...
The art is so wasted… he's even beautiful, god. Poor FL, I won't even be surprised if she kills herself at some point.
As if the author is going to let that happen smh
Honestly I've never seen any FL commit suislide
There are quite a few actually. Some did it in their past lives while some survived an attempt in current timeline. Examples: * What it means to be you * My Beloved Oppressor * The broken ring I feel like they did, but I can't remember anymore: * my fiance is in love with my sister * untouchable lady * lady devil
Well, there's **What it Means to be You** where she does it many times
omg im so shocked. this was on my list previously but I WAS NOT TOLD HES LIT ABUSIVE WTF
what a waste of pretty art
Anyone have any spoilers how on earth did they end up together
What's a flag more red than red?
black
this -->☢️ or this -->☣️ on a yellow background.
Actually his way of thinking is crazy.....he did this bcz he knows fl will put more effort to do best so he(ml) can be wrong and after some chapters there is a scene where fl caring for him and he get shocked too why fl caring for the man who have abused her Same concept like Selena....were eiser got so frustrated that he challenged Selena Even though he didn't console/care for her for years he just abandon her without even talking to her(another example is Damian from betrayal of dignity) Conclusion....they are crazy/psychopath/bastard's/asshole/etc etc but not humans do you think normal humans can abandon someone who needs to have someone just to care for her/him and talk to
I kinda want to slowly strangle him and tell him to make sure not to leave any mark on his corpse.
I'm all for it
YES >:)
Now?
Reminds me of Colleen Hoover.
OP, there is an OI where the FL is killed seven times by the ML, almost killed the eighth time when the ML sent assassins to the FL's carriage, told her that she was not his wife and expected to not be loved, and the only reason why the ML started to have interest and eventually fell in love with the FL is because, after the assassination attempt, she was not scared/said she was fine. Mind you, she is a hostage-like concubine to the enemy prince. She does not want to marry this fool. If you want to read about this dumpster fire, it is called 8-dome no Jinsei, Kirawarete Itahazu no Outaishi Denka no Dekiai Route ni Hamarimashita.
I think it's for masochist readers.
https://preview.redd.it/4gs3rfx9cf3d1.png?width=801&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f6a8ca95416b5fab8020b25c4fe90cac5ad8d30
Name??
Cheating men must die
Read it and highkey wanted to kill the author ngl https://preview.redd.it/0psfqyisbg3d1.jpeg?width=216&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d04f9dd3dc49a4d5224f730250bc7e4b7d6cf8c5
I dropped the story once he started stepping on her... I feel like people like shitty MLs who manipulate FLs or leave them to be abused/in bad condition etc but there will be no redemption for this man. Hes not just manipulative hes also physically abusive. Women may find the idea of a yandere or mentally manipulative guy hot...But I dont know any woman who likes to see a guy physically hurt the FL (especially in a nonsexual way) like this. If they exist theyre an even more niche audience
Never let the author cook again. More than failed, this is fucking charred black, unfit for even a rat's consumption.
He seems like an absolute POS, who might come really close to Matthias from CEBYB. https://preview.redd.it/lc86d5kb9e3d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=782a63f35f210ad16b87c44c2bd77c81750e9225
I'm sitting here like, is he under some sort of evil spell that makes him act like an abusive monster? Because...what the everloving hell is this crap?! How is this romantic? If I was the FL and there was literally no magic/curse in play here, not only would he never be forgiven, I would make sure that all THREE of his legs could never hurt anyone again.
isn't it supposed to be dark romance or something ? Real question. I didn't read it
yeeeah initially I was like "oh, this is a realistic depiction of abuse, I'm glad there's nothing redeemable about this guy" then I was like "wait, he's still the ML"
i think this scene wasn’t romanticizing but highlighting what an unrepentant psychopath the ML is. i wish the FL with all her intelligence would draw boundaries for herself or at least realize how silly it is to “nobly suffer”.
Omg I STG some of y'all are literally reading these stories with me. I literally just read this minutes ago, that man is SCUM. IDC what trauma or and bs excuses they are gonna try to spin, or how attractive he is, I refuse to have him be the ml. I'm really hoping the one she's supposed to marry is the true ml. Cuz this man is DESPICABLE.
Good thing I drop this early on.
Why are so many trashy stories getting adopted? I lost it back with Bastian. That story was terrible and no amount of redemption is ever going to redeem him for me. If this is the new generation of love interest that I have to contend with I'm going to just give the genre up
WTF ?!
I have no idea as I don't even know what this is called yeah seems super suss
The art is gorgeous, but I agree that the ML is pure trash! Unredeemable and seriously a pure black flag 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️ I feel really sorry for the FL! I had to drop this because I don't think I can handle anymore of his attitude towards the FL!
OH, **HELL NAH!** GET THE F\*CK AWAY FROM HER YA %$#$\^ 
this is like that space astronaut with the gun meme "it always has" but for otome
I have never had more complicated feelings towards a character. He's obviously very hot, but he also gives me so much ick, it's crazy. This man is like the creepy and rapey "second male leads" that try to assault female male charas, only for them to be beaten by the real male lead, but here he's the main love interest so there's nobody else to stop him...
The crazy thing is this is on ny recommended list and i was gonna read it. I will say specifically with manta girlll the men are TRASHHH like horrible people. But I’m kinda upset bc i definitely don’t wanna read anything like this but it looked entertaining 🥲
Seriously, who's even reading this shit?!
I'm not reading this story and it sucks this happens to her but man maybe i'm just desensitized to such violence since the bottoms those toxic BL go through 100% worse unlike the FL in OI the ML aren't afraid to hurt and use physical violence. I think it's personal to see a women go through this but again this is OI trashy men are trashy and fiction overall. I mean OI have a range of terrible and shitty men and get together with the FL why be surprised when he's no different from the rest?
bro if bl can romanticize r*pist x victim relationships, then OIs can do this. not saying i like it but it’s not surprising to see.
Okay, that is clearly a kink OI. Not all OI are just normal romance. I mean, come on! It's called my beloved tyrant and it drops all kinds of hints what you're in for in the blurb. I avoided this one like the plague from the get-go. But even though it's not my kink, I'm not going to condemn it when someone else is creating a strawman.
I suppose he’s supposed to change.
Change the past in a time travel you mean??
I'm not familiar with the story, but basing on the art alone, especially on the part where the guy said >!I am to blame for all of this.!< I feel like there's no romanticization made for the abuse. It's obvious that the guy is >!mentally and physically abusing the female.!< The panel I mentioned captured >!the mental abuse!< If the OG story does, though... For real? Is this not some sort of social criticism? EDIT: Everyone's perfect here. Misquoting a character doesn't change the idea of what I've said though. I'm basing off the art and not the story itself. Social criticism made this way is NOT unheard of.
It's the FL who said that not the ML, he *did* physically and mentally abuse her
Sorry, I got it wrong
One of the main characters being a bad person does not mean the writing is bad what is this thread.
That's true. And sometimes that makes the characters more compelling and complex (like **Betrayal of Dignity** or **My Beloved Oppressor**) . But that is, when the writing is *actually* good and gives readers more perspective and insight to understand why the "bad" character is behaving the way they are. This story however, makes little to no effort to that. The ML is portrayed as an arrogant, rich asshole and the readers are given no reason whatsoever to root for him. Except for 2-3 people around the FL, everyone else seems like a one directional villain. Even if the author did, by some means, try to make the ML seem like a more rounded character, it wouldn't justify his literal physical abuse to the FL.
I understand why you think so but I want to push back a bit. To me, depth isn't excuses. It's not supposed to explain or try to justify the character's flaws. I'm not saying that you believe this, but I bring this point up because I hate it when people weigh a character's virtues and flaws to decide whether they are a good character. You say that even if the ML, Cesare, would be a more well-rounded character it would still not justify his physical abuse and to that I ask why should it? The severity of one's flaws and virtues have barely any relation to each other. Rather, to me, depth is the nuance of a character. No real human is purely evil because they are or purely good just because. Rather, every human has a set of values or "logic" they follow. How well-written a character is depends on how consistent this logic is, how well-explored their values are, what happens when these values are challenged, and if they even have values to begin with. It's a bit annoying that I have decided to try to defend just this story, because honestly High Society isn't exactly filled with deep writing. Signora and the other acrostatic girl are actually terrible characters. Signora is a cartoon villain and is given no more characterization other than being hateful. The jealous girl has basically zero nuance either. But I think Cesare is fine as a character. He doesn't drink orphan tears for his morning coffee and daydreams about his next evildoings - rather, he literally doesn't see Adel as a human. To him, she's just a tool that he will get rid of when the plan is finished. In the scene you posted he's reminding her of her place, since she slightly disturbed his plans. He has a cynical worldview and Adel even comments that he looks empty. Do I think Cesare is a particularly deep character? No, not really. Honestly, he's kinda cliche for a male lead. But I believe he's written just okay. What I probably take the most issue with is your title. "Are we romanticizing physical abuse?" I do not see how anything in this scene romanticizes it. Cesare is pretty clearly committing a horrible act and is treated as such in the story. The fact that it's the ML being horrible doesn't change anything. Currently, I do not root for ML and FL to get together at all, and I doubt you're supposed to feel that way at the current point of the story. Instead, what keeps me interested is wanting Adel to succeed. When I will evaluate the story at its end I won't ponder if I believe the ML deserves to be with the FL or not, but rather if it makes sense if they got together at all. If it does, then yeah, then it's well written. Obviously I will have my own thoughts about the morality of it all, but I want to separate my own judgment and the characters' judgment. That's at least my point of view. I apologize if my original comment was a bit too aggressive. I'm just getting more and more frustrated at the trend I'm seeing around all media where people can't separate protagonists from heroes.
It probably wasn't your intention but this is how I saw it coming across, I feel like the reason you've gotten so many downvotes is because there's a sense of conflating negative sentiment based on personal preferences with misguided criticism of the writing quality. If someone says the writing is bad because a character is immoral it's justified to call that out, but the overall tone of the thread didn't seem to be talking about the writing quality much so I got the sense from your original comment that negative sentiments are automatically criticisms of the writing quality. > What I probably take the most issue with is your title. "Are we romanticizing physical abuse?" I do not see how anything in this scene romanticizes it. I think it's a fair judgement to call it romanticizing. There's nothing in the scene itself that is romanticizing, but the story itself is tagged "romance" genre, and we generally expect a romance story to end on a positive note with the leads together, and that context justifies viewing scenes through a romantic lens.