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51 reviews for:

Checkmate

TAN

3.86 AVERAGE

azula's profile picture

azula's review

5.0
dark
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
clare_39's profile picture

clare_39's review

4.0
dark emotional tense medium-paced

"You're the engine behind every move I make"
This was honestly such a rollercoaster. A messed up captivating one that I just couldn't take my eyes or brain from.

Soohyun is such a messed up character. A weird mix of obsessive + sadistic + incredibly anxious. His monologues, especially in relation to his feelings towards Eunsung are rather messy and more often than not, quite troubling. But somehow, in the end, the author is able to tie everything up so beautifully and even make Soohyun endearing. Bro made his happy ending happen at all cost

As for Eunsung, his story and situation were just so sad. I cannot imagine living you life like that. Always knowing that people around you are with you because they want something from you and are secretly hoping for your downfall. And then having to deal with a piece of shit like Park Moon Seob - AND HAVE PEOPLE TURN THEIR BACKS TO YOU AND BLAME YOU FOR SAVING YOURSELF FROM A SHITTY SITUATION. I just...oh I'm mad all over again. I'm just glad that he finally got his happy ending

Park Moon Seob... this utter piece of shit. Calling him bottom of the barrel trash is actually insulting to bottom of the barrel trash. I'm glad things ended the way they did for him. He deserved to end up exposed and in jail. I hope his years in jail were horrendous

Season 1 - 3.75⭐
Season 2 - 3.75⭐
Season 3 (plus side stories) - 5⭐
Overall average - 4⭐
sweetwheat's profile picture

sweetwheat's review

4.75
dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

ENG/ESP

I swear I tried to finish it but it's too much shit.

unpleasant characters to the maximum, and why say the arrogant.

different plot but with a very basic management, that relationships are sustained based on sex and that absolutely nothing else develops has me flat.

I stayed in cap 21, but I can't not leave it.

----

juro que traté de terminarlo pero es demasiada mierda.

personajes desagradables en su máximo esplendor, y para que decir lo arrogantes.

trama diferente pero con un manejo muy básico, eso de que las relaciones se sostengan a base de sexo y que no se desarrolle absolutamente nada más me tiene chata.

quedé en el cap 21, pero no puedo no abandonarlo.

Not sure what to make of this one. It's a lot of blackmail, a bit of childhood grudge, and a lot twisted, but I'm intrigued.

Now that I'm further in, I'm upping my rating to a 4, because it is so seriously twisted and warped and weird, but I'm fully invested now and I can't stop myself...I'm addicted and desperate to know what happens next!

Season 1: 3.5 stars
Season 2: 3.5 stars
Season 3: ( still ongoing )
digni's profile picture

digni's review

3.25
challenging dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
wanderer24's profile picture

wanderer24's review

3.75
dark mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow, how do I even sort thru the emotions I felt and the events that occurred in the last two seasons? There will probably be a few spoilers.

First things first, I hate Park Moon Seob with all my heart and I hope he rots in jail for all he did, but that is too tame of a sentence for that scum.


So, I'd like to start by saying that I love the author. I don't usually read the creator's notes at the end of the series unless I have a physical book, but the way this creator talks is so adorable to me, that I spent a lot of time just rereading parts of the creator's notes, enjoying the little doodles and having fun with the QnAs.

The characters were so well written. They were so messed up and complex but still easy to understand and sympathize with. And we all rooted for the!!! Despite their crazy....antics. [Or well, one of them.]

I cannot begin to fathom writing a character like Soohyun and making him the hero. It sounds crazy. How does one make a cold, stubborn, intelligent yet confused, yandere-type obsessive, violent guy sound like a good guy without having people question one's morals? How does one make a relationship based on "I want to lift you high, clean you from the mess you've been in and make you see me as your saviour, only to make you hit rock bottom when we're alone because I'm the only one who should be able to see you in that state".... and still make it sound romantic and... dare I say, adorable even??? How did you do that? This shit was toeing the line between toxic and soulmates so gracefully. I loved every second of it, lapped every drop up like I was starved (and maybe I was after all the books with non-con and unhealthy relationships being normalized). Don't get me wrong, there's plenty wrong in this book too, there's a lot of stuff that is not wholesome, this is the furthest thing from fluff, but never is it portrayed as normal or wholesome or fluffy. It's not perfect because the main couple doesn't have problems, it's perfect because the main couple is a mess, individually, together, at the moment, and even in their history with and without each other, yet they know it, and they embrace it. That makes it so much better.

And you know the best part, the couple isn't the only part of this story that's done well. The plot and the other characters are also so lovable, except for Park Moon Seob (SCREW HIM😒). The plot was so engaging and til the end, I kept wanting to know what would happen next, what the resolution is what they did, and how they felt! Not because there were any major plot twists, but because the tension was stable throughout the story. There's a great balance of chill scenes where we learn about the main couple and tense scenes where they're dealing with all the shit they get into.

I would also like to say that this is one of the e few comics that has a more realistic end to their problem
with the whole collecting evidence and going to court thing
instead of the usual, Top commits crimes including but not restricted to blackmail assault and threats to anyone that bothers the Bottom yet doesn't face any consequences.

I really enjoyed this okay, and I can't think of other words in which to explain this. This was very enjoyable.
emotional mysterious