BL Manhwa, Smut & Consent

Manhwa Authors:

WHAT DO YOU WANT? 

Manhwa Readers:

BL!

WHEN DO YOU WANT IT?

NOW!

HOW DO YOU WANT IT?

WITH CONSENT!

….

Me and my friend both dabble in reading BL manhwa, and at some point we started counting chapters until a rape scene would take place, a lot of times we didn’t even make it to the double digits. That was the preferable case, sometimes you would be getting into a great story and then BOOM the love interest would rape the main character… and we were all supposed to be okay with that? This is to say that there is a lot, A LOT, of rape/sexual assault in BL media, an BL manhwa is a clear example of that.

I was more than ready to just leave it at that and then jump into an example of a great manhwa (that features consent!), but I decided to look a bit more into why there is so much rape in romance fiction. 

Why someone would ‘like’ to read stories with sexual assault or rape:

When looking into this topic everyone, writer/reader alike, makes sure to state that rape and sexual assault in romance media is most importantly fictional, the way it is depicted and discussed is separated from the real life horror. 

When I googled ‘rape scenes in romance books’, I was ready to be met with articles about the phenomenon, not lists of recommendations. But I soldiered on.

First we need to turn the clock back to 1972 and look at the book The Flame and the Flower by Katherine E. Woodiwiss. A bodice ripper romance book, which features a rape scene between the male lead and the female lead. When The Flame and the Flower was published, the romance book landscape was rather chaste, mainly featuring virgins in the main lead, and here came this book with a graphic rape scene with two characters who ended up happily married. The book was widely popular and introduced the genre of the ‘erotic romance novel’. 

Why was this?

Deborah Lutz writes in The ‘Dangerous Lover: Gothic Villains, Byronism, and the Nineteenth-Century Seduction Narrative’ (2006) about such a love interest: “His desires turn on cruel mastery and imprisonment of the heroine; his evil actions set him apart from earlier mass-market formulas as a character singularly unredeemable” (p.6.) The danger of such a love interest became part of what made the story interesting, what set such a ‘romance’ apart.

Lutz later writes: “The erotic fantasy of being subjugated—terrified and trembling—by such an archetypal enemy figure hinges, once again, on his subjugation at the end of the novel by his love for the heroine.” (p.6) Thereby arguing that for that kind of love interest to work the power dynamics will in the end have to shift, as the love interest/assaulter will then yearn for the love of his victim. 

Another point I found multiple times in regards to rape in romances such as The Flame and The Flower:

“The initial rape was used as a plot device to overcome the societal norms which frowned on women who consented to premarital sex.” (Alexander Zaitchik, 2003, "The Romance Writers of America Convention is Just Super")

But BL manhwa in the 2020s aren’t fighting the same sexist landscape of the 1970s and pushing for a sexual feminist revolution I hear you say. And that is true, but what we can take from this tiny history lesson is; rape in romance is all about fantasy, and needs a power dynamic that shifts in the end.

Rape-fantasy as a kink:

When researching this I came across this article which I found quite interesting and helpful when trying to answer the question of rape in romance:

'Understanding and Indulging in Rape Fantasy' (2021) by David W. Wahl Ph.D.

Wahl gives us three possible explanations as to why someone might have a rape fantasy:

1. "Having a sense of control in response to having been sexually assaulted in the past. In my own work, it is a rarity. I have only found two participants who listed past trauma as a point of origin. One participant told me that her fantasy was to role-play the exact situation in which she was raped in order to experience it with a full sense of control of the situation. Much more research on this connection between past sexual trauma and rape fantasy is needed."

2. "Some are interested in rape fantasy purely out of a sense of sexual adventure or extended sexual exploration in a controlled environment. Individuals I have interviewed that discuss rape fantasy in this manner tend to have positive sexual attitudes and exhibit confidence in their sexuality. Rape fantasy is all part of their cognitive and behavioral sexual exploration."

3. "Rape fantasy provides an excuse for some individuals. If part of the role-play consists of their being forced to engage in sexual behaviors that are highly stigmatizing, they believe they have the excuse that if they were forced to do it (even in play with full consent), they cannot be held accountable for wanting it. This excuse can be used with one’s partner or with anyone who finds out the individual engaged in that particular sexual behavior. It’s a double-edged sword, however, as while you may be able to convince your friend that you should not be stigmatized for what you were forced to do, you still open yourself up to the stigma of rape fantasy."

So there you have it folks, we have solved the mystery with the help of Wahl and Lutz. I will now go delete my search history.

The downside of the occurring rape in BL manhwa:

Whilst we now know the why, does this mean that it is all groovy? I’m gonna go ahead and lay my cards on the table and say no, it is in fact not all groovy. I have quite a few issues with the constant rape/sexual assault in BL manhwa:

The first issue being that there is never any warning. I have at this point come to expect such a scene, but many people might not. Imagine wanting to have a fun time reading a smutty romance only to then get hit with a graphically drawn rape scene lasting multiple chapters. They could give us a trigger warning in the least. 

The next point I might have a more difficult time articulating but I’ll try my best. BL manhwa’s are almost always drawn/written by straight women for a female audience (most statistics reporting women as 78% of consumers majority being straight), and these kinks are being explored but within a queer male relationships. As a queer person myself I can’t help but it feel… icky. 

Exploring rape-fantasy or consensual non-consent as a kink with a short story, is very different than 100+ chapters of watching a main character get abused and assaulted by the man we’re supposed to root for them to get together with. You might think I’m splitting hairs here, but if it is a sexual kink then why are we then reading and seeing how the other person is traumatized inside as well as outside the bedroom?

If I might leave the world of manhwa and take a quick stop to a Thai BL series, in 'KinnPorsche' (2022) where there was also a rape scene. Why in the world would you show us Porsche utterly traumatized and in pain, if you wanted us to root for him and his rapist to get together?  

These stories are not only going to show you a graphic rape scene which lasts multiple chapters (which we now know why exists thanks to our pal David Wahl). We also see how the person is degraded and abused outside of the bedroom. Then we’re moving away from kink into a whole new territory of abuse. In my research I certainly couldn’t see anyone talking about domestic abuse-fantasy as a kink.  

I was pondering whether or not to add examples of manhwa’s that include rape and abuse as part of the romance, but that would lead me to have to read them again and that is honestly not something I’m interested in.

Why I even called you all here in the first place:

To talk about: 'Dangerous Convenience Store', and why it should be on everybody’s smutty (CONSENSUAL) reading list. 'Dangerous Convenience Store' is a 92 chapter manhwa written by the author 945, first released in 2020 and ending its story in 2022.

The story centers around 25-year-old Yeo Eui Joon, a university student who works night shifts at a convenience store which is often frequented by shady types/gangsters. Eui Joon keeps working there as the pay is slightly higher than other similar jobs, and he is responsible for not only his education fees, but also his brother who is in a coma. Eui Joon crosses paths with the scary-looking 37-year-old Bum Geon Woo, who despite his rough demeanor always treats Eui Joon nicely. The two of them end up growing closer as Geon Woo always seems to be around whenever Eui Joon needs someone to talk to, later finding out that they are also neighbors. Whilst not being much of a talker Geon Woo always listens to whatever Eui Joon has to say.

Eui Joon decides that he is going to get over his crush (on a fellow student who has treated him poorly), by finding a man way better! And hotter! And with a bigger…! He makes this declaration whilst talking with Geon Woo, after the two share a kiss Geon Woo simply asks Eui Joon if he would like to give him a try (chapter 8). From thereon we see a relationship blossom between the two. Whilst it might have started out purely physical, the two soon grow closer.

(From here on out MAJOR Spoilers)

The Characters:

Eui Joon is (in my opinion) a very well written character, he has depth! He is not just a blank slate to carry us from one sex scene to the next. Eui Joon is a sensitive young man, who cries easily but the author makes sure we don’t mistake that for him being someone you can just walk over. Eui Joon sets boundaries even when it’s difficult. This is shown most clearly in the relationship he has with Yoon Hyeon Woo, a senior who Eui Joon has had a crush on for years. Hyeon Woo is what you might call an asshole, and that is the kindest description I have for him. Whilst knowing about Eui Joon’s feelings Hyeon Woo dates another person, and tells Eui Joon he also likes him (messy, messy, messy). When Hyeon Woo finally ends the relationship with his partner (first picture, chapter 18), he seemingly thinks that he and Eui Joon can now get together. But this is not the kind of person Eui Joon is, as told by his friend Joo Yeon (second picture, also chapter 18).

And Eui Joon does exactly that, he forgives Hyeon Woo but wants nothing more to do with him, simply stating that now he feels nothing for him anymore. 

Eui Joon has the unfortunate (but quite realistic) habit of jumping to conclusions, not always giving the benefit of the doubt, instead deciding that it is not his place to ask. I see this as a reaction to his relationship with Hyeon Woo. He wasn’t able to say anything about the relationship between Hyeon Woo and his partner, so why would he be allowed to say anything about Geon Woo’s potential relationships? Instead when Eui Joon presumes Geon Woo has a lover, he decides to end their entanglement (after one last romp of course). 

Geon Woo (referred to mainly as Ahjussi in the manhwa, and as Ahjuicy by fans), is quiet and stoic, a man of few words, the only person able to break through those barriers being Eui Joon. Geon Woo being the first person to fall confuses no one more than Geon Woo himself. (Picture from chapter 13)

From the way Geon Woo is written you can clearly see the age difference between the two in the way they behave. Whilst Eui Joon has a habit of jumping to conclusions, Geon Woo notices and does his best (at times in a clumsy way) to reassure him, as seen in chapter 26:

This same chapter Geon Woo tells Eui Joon that he likes him, much to Eui Joon’s surprise. Geon Woo simply tells Eui Joon to pay attention to how he treats him, and if he likes him to choose him.

The story:

The story makes use of a time skip lasting three years where Eui Joon and Geon Woo are separated, each unable to move on from the other, before reuniting in a convenience store, reminding us of where it all started. Whilst some might hate the story telling device of a time skip, I tend to enjoy it IF it is done right, which in my opinion 'Dangerous Convenience Store' manages to do.

The time skip was in my opinion needed to develop Eui Joon’s character. There is a whole lot of development one experiences from ages 25-28, so when we meet Eui Joon again, he is not a student working nights at a convenience store, instead having an office job and a boyfriend. He is going through the motions of adult life, and whilst things might look okay on the surface he has still obviously not moved on from Geon Woo, who left things unresolved after it being revealed to Eui Joon the type of business Geon Woo was involved in (spoiler: it wasn’t very legal).

I must say that I love their reunion (chapter 62) and all the complicated feelings it entailed.

Whilst we first see the reunion from the perspective of Eui Joon, who perceives Geon Woo as behaving as casually as ever. We later get to see the same reunion from the perspective of Geon Woo, who was internally scrambling as to how to keep Eui Joon in his life this time around. Geon Woo thought he had managed to push Eui Joon away so successfully that he would be the only one missing him:

“I was relieved when you pushed me away. It was fine if I was the only one missing you, the only one hoping to see you again in God knows how long.” (chapter 70)

“I left you first, yet I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Not a single day went by without thinking about the time I spent with you.” (chapter 70)

All of this was done in order to protect Eui Joon, Geon Woo planning on finding him as soon as possible, but before that was possible they ran into each other at a convenience store. Whilst Eui Joon thought Geon Woo was behaving casually, the internal monologue of Geon Woo shows us he was far more nervous than Eui Joon had thought.

“...do I look tired? And for the first time in my life I was concerned with that sort of thing” (chapter 71).

From there on Eui Joon and Geon Woo stumble their way through the feelings they have for each other and reconcile with their complicated past of where they left off. 

The intimacy:

Whilst I wouldn’t put the consent meter at 100% (the car scene comes to mind, where Geon Woo spends some time convincing Eui Joon), I think it is some of the best intimacy scenes I have read. What I’m gonna focus on here is not the actually sex scenes, those you are free to go read and judge yourself, instead I wanted to use this section to highlight some of the small details which builds the intimacy between these characters. 

One of these moments is when Geon Woo pulls Eui Joon’s wrist which pushes down on his watch and hurts. When Eui Joon expresses this Geon Woo moves to hold his hand instead (chapter 20). Then in the ensuing scene Geon Woo kisses Eui Joon’s wrist (chapter 21).

What is also a great detail is Geon Woo not being an experienced kisser, telling the reader that whilst he is quite experienced in certain areas, he is new to others (chapter 24).

Now to my absolute favorite sex scene between the two is after they have confessed their feelings (post time skip), this being their first time since becoming a couple. In between Eui Joon’s laughter and smiles, we get to see a side of Geon Woo we haven’t seen much of, him being nervous (chapter 78). 

This ties in with his inexperience with kissing. This is not an area where he has experience, sex? Sure. Love? Now that is a different ball game. Leading to one of my favorite panels of the entire manhwa (chapter 78):

Even Geon Woo can get nervous when he is with someone he loves.

The ending

We leave the characters to their happily ever after, with a simple proposal.

“I’ll figure out a way” - Geon Woo (Chapter 88)

Same-sex marriage is of now not legal in South Korea, so far I haven’t read a manhwa (set in South Korea) that ends with a wedding. Yet this is not the only proposal I have read, a proposal that comes with a promise, not only for a lifetime together, but a determination to one day be able to have a marriage as any other. That to me is beautiful.

Conclusion:

'Dangerous Convenience Store' continues to be one of my favorite love stories, with every re-read I fall in love all over again with these characters. Not only because I love an 'opposites attract' story, but because it is well written. The small details which make the sex scenes feel as if it is two actual people and not just toys arranged for the readers. I hope maybe this will inspire someone to go read it and support the author.