real-life depictions of joel & mara: ꒰ఎ ꒰ᐢ- ˕ -ᐢ꒱ ໒꒱˖࣪⊹* ੈ ♡ ◥(⃔*`꒳´* )⃕◤↝
i decided to read this manhua because it’s created by and drawn by the artist of a different manhua i previously read (modern wizard hunting project), whose style i really liked! so i was interested to read a story of their own creation. 🥰
the plot: mara yi is a demon who eats dreams, specifically nightmares. sickly joel lin has a 100% chance of actually dreaming every night and a 100% chance of having a nightmare every night, which instantly attracts mara to him. and then, you know, love ensues. predator and prey to lovers? lol
it’s a college setting, so there’s a lot of going to class and hanging out with friends and such; a lot of shenanigans which i think make this manhua super funny!!
the craziest aspect has got to be that dream demons’ powers manifest via magical tendrils. tendrils like tentacles??? i was a bit shocked lmaoooo. like why did joel moan when mara wrapped him up with his magical tendrils? 😩😩😩😭 mara: AREN’T YOU SCARED OF ME? YOU SHOULD BE SCARED OF ME I’M A MONSTER joel: *hngh* *anh* *unf* *mmph* ???
one plot point i’m genuinely so interested in is why joel has always been having nightmares of, basically, a dream demon? as soon as those started is when he began to get sick and weak as a child? on top of that, joel is able to physically SEE mara’s magic, which normal humans shouldn’t be able to do. but he IS a human. so, like…. What’s Going On. i wasn’t expecting this manhua to have a deeper mystery like that!
(btw, i read the official english translation of this manhua, so that’s why i’ve been referring to them by their english names!)
the characters:
lin you / joel - a softhearted main character with bella-swan-blood levels of attracting predators. lol, his nightmares have every dream demon in a 10 mile radius clocking him, but thanks to protective charms, he’s keeping safe! and good thing because his physical health is poor (ㅠ‸ㅠ), and i’m worried!! he and mara meet at school, under dubious circumstances, and joel pretty much has never had friends before (because he’s been sick most of his life), so when mara takes such good care of him, he gets attached.
the silliest thing— the fact that he takes one sip of alcohol and is drunk is RIDICULOUS, i’m so sorry. in a story wherein demons feast on your dreams, i draw the line at alcohol intolerance. 🫠🫠🫠 i would sooner believe in dream demons than someone being shitfaced, sloppy-drunk, off ONE SIP OF BEER.
also, joel was literally watching pink smoke put everyone in the vicinity to sleep and still not questioning mara??? at the very least, i think he should’ve asked him if he had an eating disorder because he definitely caught mara throwing up food (which he can’t digest because he’s not human), but he fr said nothing lol. 🙃
yi kui / mara - pink-haired, green-eyed rich boy with mommy issues and a craving for nightmares, heh heh. 😈 his magical demon tendrils 😳😳😳—was not expecting that from what’s an otherwise pretty tame manhua.
him wanting to eat joel’s nightmares so bad, it was so funny?? the way he kept failing at every attempt omfg i would’ve just given up. the ONLY reason he gave up is because he developed feelings for him ajsjskss lol. when mara finally started to fall for joel and started blushing in return—CUTE!! ^^ and, tbh, he does still want to eat his dreams, it’s just that he doesn’t want to endanger joel.
shane & shirley - wingman and wingwoman; comedic relief; good friends. i thought i’d include them since they make so many appearances throughout the manhua! they’re brother and sister, and they’re good friends with both mara and joel.
ian - i’m including him because i just wanna know what the hell he is!!! some kind of sorcerer? ( 。 •̀ ᴖ •́ 。) also, not to forget, there was literally a CONTENT WARNING on two chapters because ian DRUGGED mara 🤨, and mara kinda got pushy and pinned joel against a wall and was going to forcefully consume his dreams? ian seems otherwise harmless?? but like.. that’s evil. especially considering he only seems to be fascinated by researching / studying different types of non-humans. idk, it’s kinda giving creep. kinda giving go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect your $200. plus he saw a “dark aura” around joel when he read his fortune.. HELLO can you please elaborate??? ian and i may still have to tussle a bit until i figure out what he wants and who he is.
the romance: there are definitely more complex and swoon-worthy romances out there, but joel and mara *are* really cute together! it’s kind of the usual beats: - soft and pure main character - “cold” (and rich) love interest who inevitably falls for the mc - Lots Of Blushing - getting together shenanigans - etc. lol, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but if you like the usual tropes and romantic gestures commonly found in this type of media , then you’ll find comfort in the familiarity. and if you’re into tentacles, well… there’s those, too. 😶
surprisingly enough, there’s a “fade to black” sex scene in this manhua??!! i was prepared to never see any hint of a sexual relationship, so i was very surprised. i mean, even the morning after was shown. manhuas are notoriously more censored, but i guess if magical tentacle bondage (😟) can be shown, why not an implied sexual encounter!
the art: the way this manhua artist does chibis is INSANE, i swear to you i have never seen them used so frequently and so effectively and so cutely!! half this story must be panels with chibi art; i love that!!! 🫶🏼🫶🏼 super duper creative, and i’m certainly going to continue on with reading the author’s other work because i love their style so much.
overall, the art of this manhua is really, really cute, and i think it has a lot of humor. the characters aren’t weird and toxic. there’s no smut, if that’s your preference, but it still has “steamy” (🧐) moments. there’s a good supernatural element to the plot. and it’s very readable, very easy to get lost in. (i definitely fell into a black hole binge with it. 😅) i’m going to continue to keep up with it and see where it goes!
La storia è molto carina e la prima parte l'ho divorata per quanto è stato snocciolato bene l'evolversi della relazione tra Joel e Mara. E poi... quando hanno messo in chiaro i loro sentimenti ho avuto una delusione grande che mi ha portata a un blocco: perché forzare del sesso tra loro se poi la scena è pure completamente tagliata? Visti i presupposti e quanto erano andate lente le cose, a quel punto non ci stava di già, ma se proprio un autore lo forza si suppone sia per farlo vedere... e invece no. In generale, tutta la parte legata allo spicy non mi è piaciuta, ad esempio il fatto che sembra quasi che sia sempre Mara a insistere affinché qualcosa avvenga tra loro e Joel che non lo voglia. Sappiamo che non è possibile, visto quanto stravede per lui, dico solo che è stata espressa male la cosa. Poi c'è quel dettaglio della sua debolezza ai tentacoli che è stato buttato lì e io mi sono fatta mille film e poi non è stato ampliato e mi ha lasciato delusa. Ma quello è il minimo. A parte questa finestra, ho trovato che il romance sia stato esposto nel migliore dei modi, sono sempre stata soddisfatta della storia a parte quel capitolo sopra citato e ho amato in egual misura sia Joel, così carino e coccoloso, che Mara, altrettanto dolce seppur non voglia dimostrarlo. Ma anche i personaggi secondari sono stati gestiti molto bene, tra cui i loro amici e il figlio della strega. Insomma, è tutto un dispiacere lasciarli andare. Magari prima o poi farò una rilettura!
AMÉ esta historia. La trama principal es hermosa y la extra al final es tan linda y sad, pero un gran complemento a modo de precuela. No es una historia plagada de momentos hot y explícitos como en otros manwhas, pero sí tiene un gran nivel de síntesis y coherencia. No se anda dando vueltas cuando alguno de los protas tiene una duda o confusión y necesita sincerarse y hablar con el otro sobre lo que le pasa. Y eso es tan refrescante de leer! Además tiene un gran enfoque en el desarrollo de los sentimientos, los vínculos, la empatía, el amor verdadero, la honestidad y el compromiso. Es todo muy hermoso. Y por último, dedica momentos de la trama a la problemática de cómo afontar el salir del closet, presentar a la familia la pareja y sobrellevar el mostrarlo al resto del mundo y los comentarios que pueden surgir por eso. La manera en la que cada uno ve y se preocupa por el otro me pareció muy genuina y me gustó que lo charlaran y no fuera un tema para generar “trama” en la que uno evita al otro por miles de caps para que no hablen mal o le arruine la vida. La super disfruté, me la leí de un saque y la recomiendo para quien quiera leer algo lindo, corto y al pie pero bien relatado 🩷
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
... I have so much to say! I love this so much; I can't believe this got to #1 of my favorite Mangas. Honestly, I love Mara and Joel so much. They are def my favorite characters. Although this is obviously not the most appropriate manga there is out there (some parts), I would say there are not very many 13+ scenes, idk. Also I'm very happy that there are LGBTQIA+ characters. Give this manga a chance! I read this on manhuahot.com for free but I wanted to say that this is such a great book and you should def read this. Finished reading this book for the third time! Also I finished this in a flash. Only took me a few hours. (2 hr)
The first 50 chapters of this can be described as sickly and lonely college boy chases around and clings to popular good good-looking kid who doesn't particularly want anything to do with him. It is truly pathetic to witness
I should've dropped it and was pretty close to doing so, but I kept reading. Things did get better. Joel's pathetic clinging to Mara eventually pays off, and Mara falls for him, too. The art is pretty to look at, and the colour palette used is nice. The story in itself is nothing to write home about. It's cute and pretty low-stakes.
Cute, but pure fluff. The plot really lacks intrigue and stakes. I got pretty bored through the middle and by the end was just reading because I hate to leave things unfinished. This would have been better if it was half as long because then I could have just enjoyed the fluff without feeling like the story dragged. That said, the ending, when it eventually came, was satisfying; it tied up all the story threads and utilised the plot points that had been laid from the very beginning.
and finished! i rated this a 4 stars, i thought the story had a great plot and ending. ||i especially love the magic system because it wasn’t overly complex|| this was just tooth-rotting fluff honestly and i am such a sucker for that. i think the only thing keeping it away from a 5 stars is just that it’s not really based on the age range that i prefer reading, but i still really enjoyed this. it was very wholesome 🩷
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
One of the most lovely and cute manhua I've read recently. Adorable characters in a soft and lighthearted story, which knows how to alternate sweet moments with slightly spicier ones and boasting some (little but interesting) plot twists. Personally, I'm in love with this work; it really warmed my heart. 💖
A sweet love story about a sickly human and a dream demon becoming friends and falling in love. No big drama, no sob-stories, no real adversaries, just a lovely story. The little drama it has is resolved quickly and the sadness is balanced out well.
This book is absolutely incredible, and I cannot express how much I adore it. It has moved me to tears and filled my heart with overwhelming happiness. The story is truly fantastic! 😭😭😭😭😭
Wholesome story and cute couple. It's pretty stress free since everything got wrapped up faster. The creator of this comic has only given great stories!