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I Became the Lousy Side Top
Seo Jaewoo wakes up to find himself in the world of a BL novel. But he isn’t just any random person. He’s actually the lousy side top character who’s meant to torment the main bottom, Yoo Hyeonjin. What’s worse is that by the novel’s conclusion, all of Jaewoo’s despicable actions catch up to him, and he is killed by the story’s crazy main top and Hyeonjin’s love interest, Choi Mujin. In order to avoid his death, Jaewoo decides to change his original role and get on Hyeonjin’s good side. His method: lure him in with food, of course! While his tactic proves effective and he slowly befriends Hyeonjin, that doesn’t become the only major change to the plot. After an unexpected encounter with Mujin, Jaewoo’s position as the “lousy side top” gets completely flipped upside down…
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 23, 2024
it's finally complete.....ohmygod! only the ending felt too abrupt? it's very cute and sweet and fluffy, about a guy who got trapped in a book as the bad character who ends up being killed.
PS. if you're looking for a smutty manga, this is not it! I think it's the second-third? BL I don't feel ashamed of myself for liking it😂😂😂
PPS. you have to eat before you read because you'll be craving food!!!!!
PS. if you're looking for a smutty manga, this is not it! I think it's the second-third? BL I don't feel ashamed of myself for liking it😂😂😂
PPS. you have to eat before you read because you'll be craving food!!!!!
April 14, 2023
En cours (chapitre 29)
May 14, 2024
great premise, rushed ending ;;
May 12, 2024
El potencial estaba... pero la ejecución no lo supo aprovechar 😬
2 de 5 estrellas.
2 de 5 estrellas.
September 15, 2024
So cute. De a vége nem lehet ilyen
November 28, 2024
cute aggression
May 5, 2025
Sadly, there are NO side stories!!!! Yup, it's really just over, which honestly surprised me a lot.
Pretty open ending, only ONE major plot and then it ends. While it was satisfying to see them all grieve when the MC died, I just feel like that they should have written it with a colder and more realistic edge when it came to the MC coming back, before they found out it's the MC. Like, what? it felt way too anticlimactic for me. especially since the death was written to supposedly fuck up EVERYONE, they all seemed way too... two dimensionally affected and OOC for something MEANT to be so major in the plot. And that HEAVILY annoyed me, since the MC's death was written with such an amazing bang.
I also feel like if the MC didn't rush back it would be a lot more interesting. Maybe establishing himself a home first? it made it feel like the MC had extreme codependency on the ML, and what could have been the perfect opportunity to get to know the MC better was absolutely missed. Besides regret on the story's behalf, or flashbacks to his original body, there hasn't been a single time where we've gotten to know the MC as a person or gotten a glimpse of his life properly.
All we got to see was the MC's crumbling mental health as he JUMPED to return to the ML. Instead, I would have preferred if the author had the MC have self-restraint or guilt, anything. Not shameless patty cake.
Even the method that the MC was brought back into the novel was just so... the characters were so unphased over something that should've been bizarre and confusing. "Whatever, just do ___ and you're back in the lousy book." ??? that's so fucking underhyped. and cheaply executed? i don't CARE if it's not that genre. the author brought that genre into this story, and they should have either stuck with it full heartedly or not write it in at all. the author not only half-assed it, but fucked up the immersion as well.
Because of this, I'll assume that the author was forced to end the series early or something, because it'd be hard to say the author is trash at writing after all this time I've followed this manhwa. Because until now, it really has been pretty fun. I just don't understand the hard fall off.
Anyways, it's not an amazing end. But there are good characters and a whole festival of material here for fanfic writers.. basically, the author filled out enough plot holes to be okay, but left enough empty to leave the reader to expand on. Which leads me to believe the author did care, but couldn't be thorough for some reason that I won't critique on.
A better editor for the author would have done some good, honestly, but this is still written pretty decent! My only complaint is that it feels like someone cut the story in half and threw the 'the end' sticker haphazardly after taking a 5 hour shit doomscrolling on sad bart simpson tiktoks or whatever that means.
I usually read shounen ai for more fleshed out plots whenever i come to read something involving BL, and i came here for that crisp, perfectly battered web of human relationships that yaois typically lack in favor of focusing on making a visually appeasing sex scene every 5 chapters or so. but this one had an ending akin to a really bad yaoi, which is a bummer. 3/5 in respect of whatever good premise the story had, but couldn't give this a 5 because of the bad conclusion the author gave.
Pretty open ending, only ONE major plot and then it ends. While it was satisfying to see them all grieve when the MC died, I just feel like that they should have written it with a colder and more realistic edge when it came to the MC coming back, before they found out it's the MC. Like, what? it felt way too anticlimactic for me. especially since the death was written to supposedly fuck up EVERYONE, they all seemed way too... two dimensionally affected and OOC for something MEANT to be so major in the plot. And that HEAVILY annoyed me, since the MC's death was written with such an amazing bang.
I also feel like if the MC didn't rush back it would be a lot more interesting. Maybe establishing himself a home first? it made it feel like the MC had extreme codependency on the ML, and what could have been the perfect opportunity to get to know the MC better was absolutely missed. Besides regret on the story's behalf, or flashbacks to his original body, there hasn't been a single time where we've gotten to know the MC as a person or gotten a glimpse of his life properly.
All we got to see was the MC's crumbling mental health as he JUMPED to return to the ML. Instead, I would have preferred if the author had the MC have self-restraint or guilt, anything. Not shameless patty cake.
Even the method that the MC was brought back into the novel was just so... the characters were so unphased over something that should've been bizarre and confusing. "Whatever, just do ___ and you're back in the lousy book." ??? that's so fucking underhyped. and cheaply executed? i don't CARE if it's not that genre. the author brought that genre into this story, and they should have either stuck with it full heartedly or not write it in at all. the author not only half-assed it, but fucked up the immersion as well.
Because of this, I'll assume that the author was forced to end the series early or something, because it'd be hard to say the author is trash at writing after all this time I've followed this manhwa. Because until now, it really has been pretty fun. I just don't understand the hard fall off.
Anyways, it's not an amazing end. But there are good characters and a whole festival of material here for fanfic writers.. basically, the author filled out enough plot holes to be okay, but left enough empty to leave the reader to expand on. Which leads me to believe the author did care, but couldn't be thorough for some reason that I won't critique on.
A better editor for the author would have done some good, honestly, but this is still written pretty decent! My only complaint is that it feels like someone cut the story in half and threw the 'the end' sticker haphazardly after taking a 5 hour shit doomscrolling on sad bart simpson tiktoks or whatever that means.
I usually read shounen ai for more fleshed out plots whenever i come to read something involving BL, and i came here for that crisp, perfectly battered web of human relationships that yaois typically lack in favor of focusing on making a visually appeasing sex scene every 5 chapters or so. but this one had an ending akin to a really bad yaoi, which is a bummer. 3/5 in respect of whatever good premise the story had, but couldn't give this a 5 because of the bad conclusion the author gave.
April 30, 2024
I thought this would be a silly little manhwa, turns out it was SO ANGSTY AND MADE ME CRY IN FRUSTRATION. first off, the translation was pretty good, the first 97/105 chapters were available so it was very easy to read. The last few chapters though I had to find it on ridibooks and read it using Google Translate and that was DIFFICULT lmao. but regardless this was really good.
The manhwa does miss a lot of things that the novel has. I didn't finish the manhwa but I did finish the novel and I really liked it!! Along with the transmigration plot, there is also a lot of cooking. It was a good surprise tbh, there were lots of details about Jaewoo's cooking and his recipes. The beginning was pretty easy to understand as well, even though its the classic isekai trope, it was enjoyable because it was more than that. Jaewoo was a really enjoyable character. He was a genuinely good person and he really cared for Hyeonjin and his two younger brothers. speaking of the two younger brothers, THEY'RE SO CUTE. they were adorable and so understanding of Hyeonjin and the sacrifices they made for him. The little scene where they were getting bullied but they told Hyeonjin everything was alright so he wouldn't be even more stressed made me SO SAD. I loved Hyeonjin's character and his inner conflict as he started to fall in love with Jaewoo even though he did like a complete 180. I actually liked Mujin tbh. NOT ENOUGH TO GET SECOND LEAD SYNDROME THOUGH. I don't get how people wanted Jaewoo to be with Mujin, like dude choked him out on their first meeting?? I did like how Mujin realized that he loved him, it was really sweet to see. even if I didn't want them to be together. JAEWOO AND HYEONJIN R PERFECT FOR EACHOTHER IDC IDC. i really liked the angst near the end as well and the slow romance progression.
Something i really liked about this book is that there isn't any smut scenes. I find it difficult to really connect with BL books because it seems like most of the time its just smut with an addition of plot sometimes. Its pretty fetishy and just uncomfortable to read. but this was just sweet and a progression of their feelings towards each other. The ending sort of arc was pretty confusing though. I don't understand the third male lead and his sister. If she wanted to get rid of Jaewoo she should've just sent him to the other world and not try to keep him in his original world?? I dont know. but regardless it ended on a sweet note and I enjoyed reading this!
April 29, 2024
Currently at chapter 70
This was so cute, but I'm a little confused with the direction they're taking
Again, spoilers ahead for the current plot twist for chapter 65
So after Seo jaewoo dies, he goes back to 'the real world' and encounters the two siblings that brought him there, the brother's like obsessed with him and firstly, I don't understand why, especially after sending him into the book for however long he was there. Secondly why do they, and only they hace this unique fucking Power to send people into books?? Like there's no explanation and after he fights with the brother, jaewoo convinces his sister to bring him back into the book, condition is that he has to go back as himself because the 'Seo jaewoo' from the book died. So he goes back, different body, and works at a restaurant. Long story short, chapter 70 they have a proper reunion but yoo hyeonjin doesn't know that hhis seo Seo jaewoo is the 'Seo jaewoon' that he knew, especially since a year has passed for him in the book. So they agree to be friends and have Seo jaewoo move in with him for the same price the old Seo jaewoo let yoo hyeonjin stay in his apartment.
So that being said I'm so confused where this is gonna go and how long it will take because we're basically back in square one, and yoo hyeonjin is already worried that he's projecting the old Seo jaewoo onto this one, (even though they are the same, but he doesn't know that) and if they get romantically involved it'll be him having anxiety about projecting his feelings onto him, and if Seo jaewoo tells him about the other world and what happened, he'd either 1. Think he was crazy. Or 2. Believe him because he's desperate to believe that seo jaewoo is still alive.
Also just thrown in the middle, if teh sister's plan was to get rid of seo jaewoo to get to her brother anyway, then why refuse him when he wants to go back, especially saying that he'd need her brothers permission, like, she'd wanted to overpower him anyway and get rid of seo jaewoo anyway, why let yourself be convinced onlybafter 3 days of begging???
Other than that I enjoyed the first half of the manhwa, didn't like the second one at all though
This was so cute, but I'm a little confused with the direction they're taking
Again, spoilers ahead for the current plot twist for chapter 65
So after Seo jaewoo dies, he goes back to 'the real world' and encounters the two siblings that brought him there, the brother's like obsessed with him and firstly, I don't understand why, especially after sending him into the book for however long he was there. Secondly why do they, and only they hace this unique fucking Power to send people into books?? Like there's no explanation and after he fights with the brother, jaewoo convinces his sister to bring him back into the book, condition is that he has to go back as himself because the 'Seo jaewoo' from the book died. So he goes back, different body, and works at a restaurant. Long story short, chapter 70 they have a proper reunion but yoo hyeonjin doesn't know that hhis seo Seo jaewoo is the 'Seo jaewoon' that he knew, especially since a year has passed for him in the book. So they agree to be friends and have Seo jaewoo move in with him for the same price the old Seo jaewoo let yoo hyeonjin stay in his apartment.
So that being said I'm so confused where this is gonna go and how long it will take because we're basically back in square one, and yoo hyeonjin is already worried that he's projecting the old Seo jaewoo onto this one, (even though they are the same, but he doesn't know that) and if they get romantically involved it'll be him having anxiety about projecting his feelings onto him, and if Seo jaewoo tells him about the other world and what happened, he'd either 1. Think he was crazy. Or 2. Believe him because he's desperate to believe that seo jaewoo is still alive.
Also just thrown in the middle, if teh sister's plan was to get rid of seo jaewoo to get to her brother anyway, then why refuse him when he wants to go back, especially saying that he'd need her brothers permission, like, she'd wanted to overpower him anyway and get rid of seo jaewoo anyway, why let yourself be convinced onlybafter 3 days of begging???
Other than that I enjoyed the first half of the manhwa, didn't like the second one at all though
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2025
* review of entire manhwa series *
This was an average BL transmigration story where the MC is ends up as a side character in a BL story. There were no clear rules on the consequences of upsetting the original storyline and the MC seemed to adjust way too quickly to being in the story and didn't seem at all concerned with going home.
Jaewoo didn't have a really discernible personality. He just cooked for everyone, got damseled a lot, and sacrificed himself for Hyeonjin wherever possible. To be honest, he read a lot like the female protagonists I hate in stories like this. I just wished for more backbone? The punching the joker moments where he just tells off Mujin for being controlling or Jiheon for the same were clearly never going to have any actual effect. So, it made a MC that was just not at all inspiring or super likable, in my opinion. After the other webtoons I've read recently, it was a bummer.
I wished more had been made of showing Mujin as an actual option? Whatever my complaints about how love triangles are sometimes handled, I prefer it to actually look like a triangle? His development was also a bit nonsensical towards the end because it was clearly speedrun.
Hyeonjin is a character I've read/watched a lot. His story was sad and I liked how much he cared for his brothers.
Overall, this was somehow too long and too short. We have too much back and forth with Jaewoo making deals with Jiheon and Mujin. The reveal of what caused the transmigration is done in like one chapter. It's not quite a recommend from me because I think there are other manhwas with MCs with personality and manhwas with romances that are a lot more interesting and eventful, but the art was nice and it wasn't terribly toxic. So, there's that.
This was an average BL transmigration story where the MC is ends up as a side character in a BL story. There were no clear rules on the consequences of upsetting the original storyline and the MC seemed to adjust way too quickly to being in the story and didn't seem at all concerned with going home.
Jaewoo didn't have a really discernible personality. He just cooked for everyone, got damseled a lot, and sacrificed himself for Hyeonjin wherever possible. To be honest, he read a lot like the female protagonists I hate in stories like this. I just wished for more backbone? The punching the joker moments where he just tells off Mujin for being controlling or Jiheon for the same were clearly never going to have any actual effect. So, it made a MC that was just not at all inspiring or super likable, in my opinion. After the other webtoons I've read recently, it was a bummer.
I wished more had been made of showing Mujin as an actual option? Whatever my complaints about how love triangles are sometimes handled, I prefer it to actually look like a triangle? His development was also a bit nonsensical towards the end because it was clearly speedrun.
Hyeonjin is a character I've read/watched a lot. His story was sad and I liked how much he cared for his brothers.
Overall, this was somehow too long and too short. We have too much back and forth with Jaewoo making deals with Jiheon and Mujin. The reveal of what caused the transmigration is done in like one chapter. It's not quite a recommend from me because I think there are other manhwas with MCs with personality and manhwas with romances that are a lot more interesting and eventful, but the art was nice and it wasn't terribly toxic. So, there's that.
January 29, 2025
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
I am so glad that jaewoo and hyeonjin finally get the happy ending they deserve. They went through a lot and sacrificed so many things for each other. My heart melts when they kissed at the end.
I like both the MC and the ML. Jaewoo, who transmigrated as the original lousy side top, is really cute, kind-hearted and such a great cook. Everytime he cooks it makes me crave korean food. I also love the details and the art style of the food too.
Hyeonjin, the original MC, is someone I’ve been rooted for since the beginning. I love how, despite turning into an ML, he still has the traits of an MC esp the most common trope in kbls ‘living a pathetic life and paying off debt,’. It’s quite refreshing to see an ML who is not filthy rich, struggling in life, soft and emotional and being taken cared of by the MC.
I feel bad for Mujin thou, the original ML and the crazy top. I feel like he should have ended up with someone too. He deserves it after he finally decides to let jaewoo go to be with the love of his life.
Though there are some moments that make me ask a lot of questions and some characters are not fleshed out properly like Mujin. Im not quite sure why he became obsessed with MC, maybe it’s the food, i dont know. At least there was a blossoming romance between the main pairing. But really, jaewoo is so ship-able with the men in this story. Also fvk jaewoo’s friend hes literally obsessed with jaewoo. Glad his sister gave in and let jaewoo returned to the novel she deserves a cookie.
This is some lacking in some part but still an enjoyable read.
I am so glad that jaewoo and hyeonjin finally get the happy ending they deserve. They went through a lot and sacrificed so many things for each other. My heart melts when they kissed at the end.
I like both the MC and the ML. Jaewoo, who transmigrated as the original lousy side top, is really cute, kind-hearted and such a great cook. Everytime he cooks it makes me crave korean food. I also love the details and the art style of the food too.
Hyeonjin, the original MC, is someone I’ve been rooted for since the beginning. I love how, despite turning into an ML, he still has the traits of an MC esp the most common trope in kbls ‘living a pathetic life and paying off debt,’. It’s quite refreshing to see an ML who is not filthy rich, struggling in life, soft and emotional and being taken cared of by the MC.
I feel bad for Mujin thou, the original ML and the crazy top. I feel like he should have ended up with someone too. He deserves it after he finally decides to let jaewoo go to be with the love of his life.
Though there are some moments that make me ask a lot of questions and some characters are not fleshed out properly like Mujin. Im not quite sure why he became obsessed with MC, maybe it’s the food, i dont know. At least there was a blossoming romance between the main pairing. But really, jaewoo is so ship-able with the men in this story. Also fvk jaewoo’s friend hes literally obsessed with jaewoo. Glad his sister gave in and let jaewoo returned to the novel she deserves a cookie.
This is some lacking in some part but still an enjoyable read.
March 17, 2025
This was good, but the balance wasn't quite right. The overall dynamic was a bit jarring at times and it made it hard to settle into the story because it was equal parts fluff and whump/angst. Some moments were very heart-warming and sweet, like the way Jaewoo wins over the kid brothers and makes everyone mountains of comfort food; but then we'd swing to wildly depressing realities of debt and gangsters and body-selling to pay bills.
The ending also felt a little rushed for the build-up in getting there. I liked the twist and the explanation of the transmigration, I just wished it had been better integrated into the pacing/plot. The final ending of the antagonist basically just becoming nice all of a sudden also felt like a bit of a cop out.
Overall, interesting and pretty unique premise, but a bit rough around the edges.
The ending also felt a little rushed for the build-up in getting there. I liked the twist and the explanation of the transmigration, I just wished it had been better integrated into the pacing/plot. The final ending of the antagonist basically just becoming nice all of a sudden also felt like a bit of a cop out.
Overall, interesting and pretty unique premise, but a bit rough around the edges.
June 2, 2025
Esse manhwa é divertido, mas não tem desenvolvimento. Metade dos capítulos é o personagem cozinhando, indo de um lado para outro, mas a história não sai do lugar e quando sai, não muda muita coisa. Eu acho que os personagens poderiam ter um desenvolvimento muito bom, capítulos teve para isso. Eles são bons, o casal principal é fofo, mas são extremamente rasos.
O personagem principal abre mão da vida dele em um mundo, mas não tem nenhum peso nisso. Tudo foi resolvido muito rápido, porque sim. Parece que é algo tão normal como escolher o que comer.
Enfim, a história é divertida, temos um final feliz, mas tem muitos furos e tinha um potencial que foi jogado fora.
O personagem principal abre mão da vida dele em um mundo, mas não tem nenhum peso nisso. Tudo foi resolvido muito rápido, porque sim. Parece que é algo tão normal como escolher o que comer.
Enfim, a história é divertida, temos um final feliz, mas tem muitos furos e tinha um potencial que foi jogado fora.
June 22, 2024
It was such a great start. Rough for my heart cause God Hyeonjin life is so freaking hard! His brothers are adorable too but they do not have it easy so the effort that Jaewoo makes for them is heartwarming…
Of course, I was living for the romance between the two it was slow but real.
4 stars because the end feel rushed, the intrigue seemed to get lost a little. It’s sad to say the 10 final chapters drag the book down.
Of course, I was living for the romance between the two it was slow but real.
4 stars because the end feel rushed, the intrigue seemed to get lost a little. It’s sad to say the 10 final chapters drag the book down.
August 10, 2024
4.3/5.0 🌟
-It's pretty good but it was kind of a little fast for me though cause what mostly happened was always angst so I wanted more romance in the story. But I did like the character development of the other top, so it was a good ending I guess. I couldn't focus that much on the food that was always pictured in the story (I love food related stories) cause the drama was just something that I anticipated so much.
-It's pretty good but it was kind of a little fast for me though cause what mostly happened was always angst so I wanted more romance in the story. But I did like the character development of the other top, so it was a good ending I guess. I couldn't focus that much on the food that was always pictured in the story (I love food related stories) cause the drama was just something that I anticipated so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2025
Típica novela ligera para matar una tarde. No tiene nada que la haga llamativa, pero tampoco nada que la haga desagradable. La historia está bastante enfocada en cocinar, no sé si eso es popular en Corea, yo lo veía eso de que me empezara a describir recetas y como el 40% de la historia sea el prota cocinando como relleno, cuando luego el final es abrupto y hay mucho que se podría habar desarrollado más. Pero bueno, para gustos los colores, como se suele decir.
December 23, 2023
przeczytałam tyle rozdziałów ile wyszło do tej pory (czyli jakieś 53) i to manhwa trochę inna niż wszystkie, dość się różni i ma ciekawy plot, jestem ciekawa jak historia się dalej potoczy, jak na ten moment mega mi się podoba ❤️
November 30, 2024
First isekai I’ve read that was also a BL, it was cute and had a happy ending. Even though it had some toxic love interests it didn’t have any sexual violence towards the main character and the actual couple were not toxic themselves 👏🏽
January 17, 2025
Tbh tiene hartas incoherencias y vacíos pero me gusta mucho el pelinegro (no mafioso), hubo escenas muy angst también como en el cap 42. Lo único malo que realmente no me gustó es que no tuviera nada de hard 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
This was honestly so incredibly cute that it really warmed my heart. The only issue I had was with how he moved on to a new body without saying anything, which prolonged the miscommunication and caused the male lead a lot of suffering.
June 17, 2024
Id give it a four if it wasn’t for the late chapters, it has a nice plot and good characters but the ending felt too rushed and I wasn’t really satisfied with it.
August 8, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
December 21, 2024
Cute, funny but the love interest was kinda boring, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for their fluffy dynamic
January 25, 2025
novels better with the pacing and everything in general, but the manhwa’s art was reallyyy cuteee🙏
but it ended abruptly so pls read the novel yall..
but it ended abruptly so pls read the novel yall..
March 28, 2025
Dos lunas para un solecito.
February 8, 2025
? what happened in the last few chapters
December 27, 2024
This was overall a wholesome slice of life story. As most transmigration stories, Jaewoo (MC) and Hyeonjin’s (ML) relationship started off on the wrong foot but Jaewoo slowly but surely won Hyeonjin and his brothers over with his incredible cooking skills. Jaewoo and Hyeonjin’s relationship developed organically as they spent more time together and they were both trying to protect each other, but in the end, Jaewoo was the one who succeeded in his plans. There were some plot holes but I think the author concluded the story nicely and I don’t feel bad for the 2nd or 3rd MLs because they treated Jaewoo badly.
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