My Thoughts On “Pearl Boy”
From the beginning, Pearl Boy is an extremely dark story. The art style in season 1 tends to highlight more comedic moments, but it is dark from the beginning. Jin Jooha is a tragic character throughout the whole thing. Even in the darkest season, season 3, comedic moments are spread out and there are a lot of fluffy moments between Jooha and Dooshik. The story also gets progressively more fucked up beginning in season 2 through the end. However, the finale does not feel final at all. The side stories (especially 15-20) are really the closure the story needs. These are all of my thoughts and analysis from my second reading (spoilers ahead):
For the things I like, I do think the art & the progression of the art is absolutely beautiful. The art in the side stories is especially beautiful oh my god.
Jin Jooha is an amazing protagonist who is insanely strong and remains kind, even after everything he has endured. Kang Dooshik is a good love interest for them and their dynamic is really cute (for the most part to both things). The theming of sex, which has caused so much trauma for Jooha, being a way for him to find freedom and happiness with Dooshik is well done, in my opinion. His desire to be with Dooshik seems genuine and does help him through some of his darkest times, though it is (occasionally) to the point of detriment. Similarly, sex for Dooshik has traumatized him & desensitized him in some ways. He was a prostitute and substance abuser for many years to bury his trauma from his family, which led him into the dangerous world of gangs, violence, and debt. With both main characters having trauma related to sex, their connecting and desire with/for each other becomes healing for both of them in a way that comes across well, in my opinion. The idea of the pearls no longer mattering in Side Story 19 is a fantastic showcase of how both characters were able to retake control over their autonomy and sexuality for themselves through each other. Jin Jooha’s ptsd is also not written off or “cured” through this relationship and troubles him throughout the story, which is a pretty solid look at how mental health can impact a character. Even Dooshik’s possessiveness and anger issues stem from his anxiety which is shown extensively throughout the story, though him getting help would be much better. The blurred morality of these characters as they handle their trauma and deal with extreme violence also seems highly realistic. Not blaming each other, but accepting that some “immoral” acts are what that character felt they had to do at the time. Their explosive arguments further exemplified the realistic and gritty nature of the setting. People and relationships aren’t perfect, especially when dealing with extremely traumatized characters in distressful situations. Especially when they feel lost and don’t know what to do. Especially when they care so much they feel like they’re drowning. Especially when they don’t know how to accept help. Both characters are complex and well written. Their communication issues can be extremely frustrating— Dooshik constantly lying & emitting information because he thinks it’ll “protect” Jooha, Jooha being too (insert a whole mess of emotions) traumatized to push for that information— but they are grounded in reality and the backgrounds of both characters; it makes sense for both of them to have these communication issues.
Also, in terms of dark bls and dark romance and dark stories, their relationship isn’t all that toxic. It’s not perfectly healthy, especially in season 3, but it’s pretty decently healthy and their connection, chemistry, and love have a strong foundation of healing together and wanting the other to be happy. They have a solid understanding of each other, even if they struggle to communicate and act based on instincts drilled into them by their trauma. Their sexual chemistry throughout the entire story is also like insane and they have some super hot sex scenes. Like phew. Anyways.
For the main antagonist, Choi Pilwon, his lifelong violence and desire for control are well written. He’s clearly on a different moral compass, obsessed with control, objectifies Jooha, and sees people as worthless. Plus his whole idea of himself as Jooha’s “savior” is pretty interesting (best seen in chapter 81 imo). He’s a solid antagonist to the protagonists who fight to hold onto their humanity despite how cruel life has been.
While I hate the “memory loss” trope, I do think a couple things in there were handled well. Dooshik’s sadness at Jooha’s lack of memory but happiness to see him smiling to carefree. It feels deeply rooted in the grief of mourning someone who is not dead, but isn’t there anymore. Also Jooha picking up on Dooshik’s moments of bittersweetness and grief. Additionally, Jooha’s continued ptsd despite the memory loss and his conflicting desire to both remember and not remember are portrayed very well. These are, of course, in the side stories.
SIDE STORY 15-20!!!! Their cathartic crying, Jooha and Dooshik’s grief, the yelling, the pain, the acceptance of each other at the very end. It’s the proper ending. Also the sex afterwards is so hot. So so so hot. Amen. Thank you. Need that. Plus their communication skills do improve so there’s that.
Another general occurrence I noted and liked was that, despite often being put in horrible situations where he is “saved,” Jooha is never truly a weak, helpless “damsel in distress.” Hes extremely resilient, even if he resigned himself to getting through his hard life one day at a time.
Things I dislike is also a big list. I think, when the first season touched on Jooha’s sexual abuse & rape, it was better because there were about twoish panels showing it, to the point where the reader could interpret what was happening. However, as the story progresses, the rape scenes get longer and more graphic. Especially when Dooshik captures Dae-kwang and has him sexually assaulted in the manner that Jooha was. That was an extremely long and horrible two episodes. In a similar vein, in season 3, during Jooha being repeatedly raped again, the rape itself is less graphic than the twin’s rape and is more a reflection on how Jooha saw strength, joy, happiness, and hope in his relationship with Dooshik. As well as Jooha’s shame and trauma. So, overall, basically, I think the rape scenes get unnecessarily long. I don’t think it’s bad or immoral to have rape in stories, it’s a really unfortunate reality that tons of people all over the world experience. It’s not even that it feels unrealistic either, horrible things happen everywhere, especially in violent mafia types (and mafia stories— I mean, human trafficking & shit hello). It’s just that the rape scenes seemed highly sexualized and overdone. They were extremely disturbing, which is likely the point.
I don’t enjoy the Dae-kwang rape revenge storyline, either. I’m not going to excuse it. Dooshik is objectively wrong for putting someone through rape just because the twins were the ones who previously ran the pornography scheme (where Jooha & others were drugged and raped). I do, however, understand that the author was showcasing an “an eye for an eye” mentality and the corruption of morality that occurs in gangs/mafias where extremely violence is the norm. I also do not think the author is glorifying and justifying rape in any way, but telling an extreme and disturbing story in an incredibly harsh environment.
Another thing I didn’t like was the sort of “shock factor” of the twins’ ambiguously incestuous relationship. Incest is real and it does happen, and I know that the author is working with a shocking, violent, disturbing, taboo world so seeing sort of incestuous twins is… not surprising. Also I know that “brotherly love” relationships are a common “forbidden relationship” trope. I just didn’t like it.
I dislike the amnesia arc, as well, because I often feel like amnesia is a trope that’s sort of a “get out of jail free” card. The author can excuse not writing any closure for the trauma based on amnesia/memory loss, and it’s not a true “happy ending” to me. A happy ending is finding happiness despite the trauma. Of course, in the side stories, he gets his memory back and they have a big talk about everything. Also the pearls going away never being explained? I was curious about what causes them but alas.
Side Story 1-12. I don’t like the memory loss arc. The part of the side story where he puts the pearl… in his dick hole… and Jooha is begging for him to take it out… feels very icky.
Okay! Overall! I enjoyed pearl boy more on my second read through, probably because I knew what would happen so I was able to engage with it more without being just straight up disturbed for a whole season (looking at you season 3). Also I’m no longer angry over the ending because of the side stories. Without the side stories, I’d be really annoyed about the ending. Anyways. I think Pearl Boy has an interesting plot (it’s action packed, it’s disturbing, it sticks with you), beautiful art, a great dynamic with the main couple, interesting explorations of trauma and sex (not looking at the graphic rape scenes), and a cute ending (side story 19). There are drawbacks and things I’m not the biggest fan of, but most things have that. Do I think the author is a bad person for writing graphic rape? No. Do I think people who like this manhwa are bad people? No. Do I think it’s okay to read fiction with problematic elements? Yes. Did I fall in love with Jin Jooha all over again? Yes. Yes I did. I adore him. One of my top ukes of all time. I think another reason why I enjoyed Pearl Boy so much was because I was able to think about it and dissect certain aspects of it to see the layers that went into the characters. There’s nothing wrong with stories for smut’s sake, but I do enjoy something that I can really chew on. And Pearl Boy really does stick with you. The characters are interesting and detailed, even down to the side characters (mostly) and the villains. It’s overall entertaining, too, even if it leaves me going “oh my god that’s so fucked up!!!!” at times. I think I’d give it a solid 7/10 after this read through :)!