Tropes: badass uke, action, gangster, underworld, tsundere, yandere (sort of), childhood backstory, age gap
Under the Greenlight is one of the best manhwas I have ever read. It is the perfect example of an intricately produced piece of art where every aspect of it that is just so cohesive and balanced. It was so overwhelmingly good that I literally needed a whole day after I finished reading it to allow myself to recover and let the emotional whirlwind in my mind to settle. I’m not even sure if any words I use can really do it justice but I guess I will try (sorry in advance, this review will be long but I promise it’s worth it).
Jin is one of my favourite characters to ever exist. He is a complete badass power bottom who is fierce, ruthless and sassy but also has a soft side buried deep inside him. He has been completely put through the wringer and suffered so so much but still remains ever so strong. Matthew on the other hand, is the sweet, unassuming, golden-retriever top who also has a creepy and obsessive side to him, and would do literally anything to protect Jin. They’re both amazing characters and a part of why they’re great is because they are layered and flawed in a way that’s coherent and consistent to who they are. There were many instances where these characters made bad and hurtful decisions, or let their irrational emotions completely take over — but these happened in a way that made sense given everything they had gone through in the past and everything they were going through now. And that’s really where the plot comes in.
These characters were developed and shaped through the plot of the story - their growth and arcs occurred as a result of all their past and current experiences. And the way the author delivers this - by intertwining the backstories with the current plot line, whilst showing how everything affected and moulded these characters, was so amazingly well-done. Other parts of the writing that I liked included the more subtle and nuanced style of storytelling. For example, on top of the usual expository flashback scenes, the author would tell pieces of the backstories through conversations between the characters. Or another example was how Jin and Brandon’s relationship was never explicitly fleshed out until the very end, but there were enough subtle cues earlier on to piece everything together. I also loved how the present-day plot line was actually vital in the overarching arcs of the characters. The story starts off with a new project that initially felt like just a random new development in Jin’s life but quickly pans out to be the culmination of unresolved conflict, feelings and attachments that had been brewing beneath the surface, and now places Jin at the crossroads. I also loved the concept of the dream pills, and how this parallels what the characters were going through. The art was also absolutely beautiful and fully sets the tone of the story, enhances the emotions of the scenes and just ties everything together. Basically, this was like a full circle story with everything coming together at the end, and all round genius storytelling.
Additionally, Under the Greenlight is a masterclass in excellent pacing. Sure it already has all the makings to be a great manhwa, but what makes it truly stand out is its immaculate pacing that completely elevates the entire story. I’m not going to pretend like I know anything about what goes into pacing a story, but all I know is that reading it just feels extremely smooth and the sequence of events feels natural. The overall dark and gritty tone of the manhwa was consistent throughout even until the very end. The soft, fluffy and lighthearted parts came in at just the right time to break the heaviness of certain plotlines and allows the readers a glimpse into what we hoped will be the light at the end of the tunnel, but it never drags on for too long such that it feels out of place. The angsty climaxes again came in at the right time after a good build-up and linger for just the perfect duration for us to feel the palpable pain and anguish (which I will definitely talk more about later). Even the unintended long hiatus after the cliff-hanger ending on season 1 ended up being a good thing for the story because the payoff when season 2 finally came out was just unimaginably good. The main thing about having good pacing, is that it adds weight not just to these characters’ decisions and actions, but also to their words and the overall plot. Good pacing makes you feel the right emotions for the right amount of time and that keeps you, as a reader, wholly engaged and invested.
And so let me segue here to talk about the angsty parts of this story as I had promised. I don’t know if it was truly just the pacing or the art style or a combination of everything, but the angst in this story was so viscerally painful. During the angsty scenes, I could literally feel the anguish behind every word and every emotion of these characters. It was so palpable that at parts, my heart physically ached just from reading. There was an episode that I read one morning before work which turned out to be potentially the most angsty climax of the story, and it completely took over my entire day, the scene just kept replaying on my mind. There were many moments like that and if that’s not a hallmark of good writing, I don’t know what is.
Under the Greenlight is beautiful and painful and beautiful in all of its pain. I don’t think there’s any other way to describe it apart from a complete masterpiece.
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