Totally Captivated

Totally Captivated
By Hajin Yoo

Overall: Pretty Much Awesome
Smex Factor: Modest
Art: Generic Manhwa
Status: 6 volumes; Complete

Review: I was hesitant on this, I admit, but Totally Captivated is really good.
It's really weird, because it honestly has a lot of components that I would mark a manga down for, but somehow Yoo makes it work.

First, a summary: Ewon cheats on Jiho, who in turn dates Mookyul, who in turn beats up and enslaves (well, sorta) Ewon at the request of Jiho. Then Ewon/Mookyoo dramalove ensues and Jiho isn't really an important character, so you don't have to remember him.

Okay, maybe I'm a little biased because Mookyul works for a (sorta) yakuza/gangster organization and there are tons of Honorable Thugs, but it's part of the appeal! And there are bad thugs too occassionally, including Mookyul. Did I mention he's BATSHIT INSANE? Well, he is. And Ewon has issues too, but he's better at keeping them NOT SO OBVIOUS.

Mookyul's insanity (despite somehow being suave, cool, and influential) is what makes his character interesting. He is, by all accounts, completely retarded. But he's still cool. Eh? An interesting seme?
Ewon's fairly interesting too. He's a former seme, forcibly turned uke, so it's interesting to see him seductive and seme-like sometimes, and freakishly uke other times. (HE COOKS. hurr hurr.) And he's cute, which is always nice.

The story may be drama filled, but the authoress mixes in the humor really well, so nothing gets too tense without little chibis chiming in to screw it up. And even though the series might have several potential endings, it really makes an effort to tie up everything nicely, and the dragging on is entertaining, so there's no "when is this going to end??"

For a relationship that, no doubt, starts out abusive, this turns into something really good. Honestly, this is what Okane ga Nai should have been.
And the last two pages are just...amazing. I love them.

The title fits so well that it hurts me. So sick and sweet.