I Thought My Time Was Up!

Are you serious rn. I was IN LOVE with this manhwa when I first found it, and so I stopped reading at chapter 40 FOR A YEAR just so I could binge read a ton of chapters in one go. News alert, I read all those new chapters today. And oh boy. This turned into every other manhwa where fl hides their sickness and runs away. Like she really pmo rn.THIS GIRL IS DUMB AS HELL. Whats the point of having powerful magic if you can't even defend yourself when it counts?? She gets kidnapped and then is the typical damsel in distress.

And tell me why she betrayed this beautiful ML like honey what are you doingggggg she believed the diagnosis of one doctor from MONTHS AGO without even getting another checkup/second opinion. Like girl, please. You don't even show any of those symptoms anymore.

• Stereotypical ML

skilled swordsman. Acknowledged in war
possessive/overprotective (with little regard for what FL actually wants)
inclined to violence
yet blushes at sexual innuendo
tragic past. Feared in society
cursed. “Healed by FL” trope

• ML violent and dismissive to others

to the point the FL is AFRAID of ML and wonders how he’ll treat her after she tries to leave

• Cliche FL

especially powerful
cheery, cutesy. “She is my light” trope
has toxic, power hungry family
self-sacrificing. “She’s different” trope

• Minimal plot outside of romance

• Second male lead: to-be-pope

where their relationship is based on a lie
he used to live on streets
despises & fears love due to traumatic past
possessive and scheming

• Temple, priests, mana, elemental magic

• Minimal to no character development (outside of realising they are in love)

• Relationship starts as contractual relationship

CONTENT WARNINGS
Domestic abuse/violence, toxic family, abandonment, blackmail, kidnapping, death, murder, blood, classism, bullying, sex (implied)

...or something? The comments on webtoons also leads me to believe there are a lot of younger readers who picked it up looking for "more of the same" romance series, since so many jokes seem to have gone completely over their heads.

This is largely a comedy and it is full of hilarious parodies of the genre. There's a bit of plot to be had, but the gorgeous artwork alternating in almost equal amounts with the most extreme derp reactions should be your first clue that you're not supposed to take this too seriously. The second being how the ML is simultaneously the most over-the-top yandere and the most over-the-top cinnamon roll, with all the cliches of those archetypes.

An entertaining read that I have recommended to many friends who're similarly burnt out on the usual romance manhwa--they all start to blur together in your memory after reading too many!

And the men's amazingly sexy fashion.

WARNING: rambling severe dislike of FL and 2nd ML ahead!

However, I can't get over how adult their bodies (Especially the men's! At times ML's body looks mid-30s!) look but their faces are drawn too young; early to mid-teens. At most. There's maybe one panel in each chapter where all characters might look late teens or very early 20s. One. (But the characters are never in the same panel. Or when they are FL will ALWAYS look weirdly young.) When both head and body are seen together it's even more jarring.

I don't like this kind of pushy, overbearing, cutesy-bubbly, kyaa~kyaa type of FL. Even if she's dying sooner than many people her me-me-me behavior is incredibly off-putting. I'm hoping she'll grow out of it and think about how her behavior right now is affecting the Duke before the news that she won't be dying drops on her. If she had a voice it would be the glass shattering, high pitched, pre-pubescent type that so many Asian men are absolutely in love with.

I mean, sure, have fun and go wild but don't be an idiot about it. Don't use your impending death like a get out of jail free card! We know she's not going to die but what if she does? She's just going to leave behind a lot of people affected by her; it's unbelievably selfish. She needs character development and growth real bad.

ML is too passive in this "romance" so far. He'll do anything for her and doesn't question her more obnoxious traits.🙄😒

2nd ML is meh but still so much more interesting than main ML...which isn't hard to do at this point. (Even the ML's butler is more memorable than ML.) FL and he have basically the same base personality only his is mixed with sweetened malice, obsession and privileged assholery.

I dropped it after ch 45! There is no plot, no development at all. This manhwa is focusing on the art & I think most of viewers are reading it solely for this reason. A dum ML & super annoying FL!

add series to my Blushing Male lead list* tho
Fml is a little bit too pushy for my taste.

And the fact that she's gonna left him after 3 months yet doesn't feel like sorry or regret for the man irks me. Like, please, at least feel bad for him. Like, at this point they love each other fr, right? She knows she's gonna make him miserable but- the author gives us nothing, not a single one of her inner thoughts on how she might be mourn or have inner conflicts. I expect that at least.

I also hate the fact they buff the characters' physical strength just for the sake of impressing readers. Ok, so every time Lariette got into some troubles or being abused, ml appears with his monstrous appearance, a dark scary background and says "How dare u touch my Lariette" while his veins pop up. Like, I'm not impressed. I prefer characters that might be scheming, cunning but actually have brains and actually gives off dangerous vibe. Like, please think of a plan or something . Don't just act dangerous and yell "How dare you touch mah girl"💀🙏 it's so cringey for me.

Not to mention that trashy 2nd ml.

Other than that, this series is funny and entertaining.

Dont know what the old reviewers pegged this series as but it's just a fun cindarella type fated lovers romance story. As of now, the series purpose is solely focused on only MC and the love interest's relationship and how the MC can live out her dream life with a hot guy until her terminal illness kicks in.

(Which might be resolved in the near future)

It's not a comedy, but there are many comedic moments that make the series feel more lighthearted. The abusive backstory the MC gets is more to justify her proactive nature and push for a close relationship with the love interest. There are times when it has been adressed but I would safely assume it will only be used as a show of strength plot device in the future. The love rivals the MC does have are incomparable to her relationship with the love interest. Great cooldown or for fun read.

2nd ML has way too much of a noncey feel to him.