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A review by sweetpea
Painter of the Night (야화첩) by Byeonduck
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CH 1 - 103
Conflicted. I'm pretty unfamiliar with yaoi, but I saw this recommended a lot. The art looked incredible, but the premise did not grip me. I also dislike the pairing of someone with so much of a physical and social advantage with a character that reads as diminutive and childlike. I read an early chapter at random one day and was blown away and went back to read the whole thing.
The MC, Seunghon, is monstrous. He repeatedly assaults, rapes, and exploits practically anyone he pleases. The titular painter Na-kyum is raped in nearly every encounter with him. If dub-con/non-con isn't for you please reconsider reading this. Even as "affection" develops the power imbalance is too great for me to truly condone. I found much of Book 1 a chore to get through for this reason. Practically every character in this book is completely self-serving except for Na-kyum.
However, as a treatise on class, wealth, and power too much of this rings true. I wish the painter wasn't as much of a Mary Sue and had a bit more resolve. Although, you could argue for the time period and within these circumstances, he exhibits a lot of agency. The side story addresses this in a way... The supporting characters are also complex. The author subtly ties together plot points hinted at early in the story. Should you reread this you'll notice facial expressions, clothing, and bits of dialogue that you missed on the first pass. The artwork is sumptuous! I cannot imagine the effort that went into creating this. A panel in chapter 71 literally took my breath away. Personally, I am unsure about dub-con/non-con in works of fiction. In PotN a lot of this is to be expected, but, even in "consensual" encounters reading a character not give explicit consent is very triggering! I'm also not a fan of romanticizing abuse and it seems like fans of this work and other yaoi titles do this constantly. All said I thought this story was compelling. I completely understand if folks DNF with all the graphic content.
Conflicted. I'm pretty unfamiliar with yaoi, but I saw this recommended a lot. The art looked incredible, but the premise did not grip me. I also dislike the pairing of someone with so much of a physical and social advantage with a character that reads as diminutive and childlike. I read an early chapter at random one day and was blown away and went back to read the whole thing.
However, as a treatise on class, wealth, and power too much of this rings true. I wish the painter wasn't as much of a Mary Sue and had a bit more resolve. Although, you could argue for the time period and within these circumstances, he exhibits a lot of agency. The side story addresses this in a way... The supporting characters are also complex. The author subtly ties together plot points hinted at early in the story. Should you reread this you'll notice facial expressions, clothing, and bits of dialogue that you missed on the first pass. The artwork is sumptuous! I cannot imagine the effort that went into creating this. A panel in chapter 71 literally took my breath away. Personally, I am unsure about dub-con/non-con in works of fiction. In PotN a lot of this is to be expected, but, even in "consensual" encounters reading a character not give explicit consent is very triggering! I'm also not a fan of romanticizing abuse and it seems like fans of this work and other yaoi titles do this constantly. All said I thought this story was compelling. I completely understand if folks DNF with all the graphic content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness