Am I seeing this correctly? A Webtoon added onto MyAnimeList, and an absolute banger one at the very least? I honestly think I’m a bit too overqualified or biased to write a review on this manwha, since I’ve been through thick-and-thin with its translation, community, etc., so much that I swear I’ve already wrote a review on this on a different website, but I can’t find it. Anyways, if you will ignore my sentimental backstory then I have nothing but praises for this story:
I will be the first one to say that the premise had me absolutely hooked — not only are time-loop/loop upon death stories so interesting, but a time-loop story revolving around the concept of a harem is, from what I knew back then and presently, basically unheard of.
Though, I will also state that the momentum and interest does die down after a few twists and surprises in the middle of the first thirty chapters because the plot seems to be a bit basic and cliche with a wimpy mc who constantly faces reality checks — yet, this is one of the main reasons you allow a story to fully flesh itself out and develop before forming an opinion, as I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The main reason why “Webtoon Character Na Kang Lim” has made me brainwashed into such a hardcore fan over the years is solely due to the character development and characters themselves. Each character comes off a bit cliche and archetypal at first, which should, in theory, make for some boring developments; however, each character is developed so uniquely with their own twists in their personality to make them lovable — the best quality in any harem story.
This especially includes and applies to the main character, as you basically experience a “oh, how the tables have turned” reaction to some parts of the story solely due to how much the main character has developed from his past self from his life-and-death experiences.
Though I have high praises for this, this story has also lost me a lot of times solely due to how ridiculous the plot is at times, making for some rather sloppy writing and developments jumbled in — this especially applies to the later chapters, as the author doesn’t seem to know what to write anymore, and the resolutions/tensions are a bit unsatisfying or random. I mean, my major criticism is rushing over some fmc character arcs, making certain characters (you’d know who) feel misplaced and wasted.
Yet, I still love my entire experience with the manwha despite some of the flaws — that is a testament to how well-developed the characters were to brainwash me to this extent, to make me continue loving a story with a messy plot.
If you read this, maybe try not to become obsessed as me, and give the story time to fully flourish, as I had previously rated (unofficially) this as a 7.7/10, and I would’ve regretted that for eons. This has some of the best character development in the manwha scene, and I get feelings of a proud father watching the main character grow, and I don’t even know what that feels like, since I definitely don’t have a child, but I’m guessing that’s what it would feel like. Anyways, I’m rambling; give this time, and you’ll love this.
Oh, before I leave, did I mention the RETURN BY DEATH + HAREM CONCEPT IS JUST AMAZING. I NEED MORE OF THIS.
… I just realized that I have no idea who best girl is after 161 chapters… anywho, go read this.
It’s 2:30 a.m., and you could probably tell from my writing, ok. Seriously, bye and goodnight!
Reading Rankings (Portnoy inspired + A Huang-Teizan Original)
10 - God’s penmanship
9 - Must-read. Drop everything else.
8 - Instant bookmark
7 - Entertaining
6 - Good to time
5 - Why are you reading this?
4 - Bad.
3 - Typical garbage.
2 - My head hurts.
1 - Retirement is a thought.
0 - “Did they even give you a story?!”
