Recommendation BL Manhwa
This is not donghua but a manhwa I happen to find. This manhwa still needs to be finished, and there is still much to be revealed. However, I felt compelled to write a review because I adore it.
The title is “Shining Summer”. So far, I enjoy this manhwa. I am not sure if the original tags said "psychological" or "body swap," but I prefer to think of it as psychological. There are numerous theories about this manhwa, but none of them have been proven.
Title: Shining Summer
Genre: Shounen ai, Drama, Slice of Life, Psychological (?)
Tags: Bodyswap (?), Manipulative Seme, Childhood Crush, Personality Change, High School, Accident/s
Current Chapters: 66
Rating: 10/10 (This is just my thing. Don’t mind the manipulative seme. You’d be his bitch. )
The story started when the MC and ML were 10 years old. They were involved in a bus accident on their way to the dojo where they had enrolled. Because the ML shielded MC, he only sustained minor injuries. Because of the accident, ML seemed to become a different person. He was saying that he does not know this boy who goes by the name Jihoon. He claims that Jihoon is not his name, that this is not his body, and that those are not his parents. MC was distraught and came out of the hospital room, crying. Is he telling the truth, or is it a truth he claimed by himself because of a head injury? Maybe it is more complicated than that...
You understand what I mean by "psychological" and "body swap." ML believed he swapped bodies with the original Jihoon, so when he grew up and reconnected with MC, they went looking for his original body.
I like the pacing of this story. The pacing is perfect for a story of this genre. Some people are upset about it, but I do not think there is anything wrong with the pacing taking so long to develop. This book requires a good build-up because there are many mysteries lurking. Not only to build up the plot but also to build up and flesh out their characters. The writer is doing great. This book keeps me going because I am curious about what is going to happen next.
Characters are also well-developed. They are not flat. Even the minor characters are well-developed. I particularly liked how the author shaped the ML into who he is. He is not entirely a good person; despite the book's many cute moments, he is not designed to be fluffy. That is fine because his character is tailor-made for him, given what he is been through. I just hope the best for him because he’s been through so much. Imagine if you were in his shoes. Most people would lose their minds.
I just hope the plot does not veer off course. And, if it does, I hope it swerves like a race car. I have high expectations for this manhwa. I wanted to savor it while also learning more about it and reading more of it.
