Compared to his genius older twin brother Jeong Jaeui, ex-soldier Jeong Taeui thought he was average. Thanks to his uncle Jeong Chang-in’s forceful request, he ends up working at the United Nations Human Resources Development Organization (UNHRDO) for half a year where he meets the crazy guy with pretty hands, Ilay Riegrow. As their lives become entwined, Taeui's life starts to go down a path that he never expected.
i came across this fmv a few days ago and it literally has me on a chokehold!! majority of its views are ALL me, that’s how much i’ve been rewatching it over and over- 🫠🫠🫠 also, i love the song used in the fmv and every time i listen to that song now, all i can think of is Ilay and Taeui. 😭
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4.5 stars ☆
edit (06/2025) almost three months later and Ilay is still on my mind 24/7. i fear my obsession will just keep growing every time i reread this manhwa. 😭😭😭
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Ilay being one of the most unhinged characters i’ve ever come across had me giggling and cackling bc the man was entertaining af. he’s so down bad for Taeui and i was here eating up every second of their interactions. oh i’m so obsessed, i can’t stop thinking about them. 🫠😭
(thank you, hope, for convincing me to read this bc i understand why you’ve been recommending it to me now!! 😭)
➸ edit, episode 125 (nov 9/25) the end of season 5 is here 😭 which means we only have one more season left i'm pretty sure. waiting is absolutely brutal when it comes to passion because this has worked its way up to being my number 1 fav manhwa. this season felt so short though 💔 we got lots of good stuff regarding taeui's brother (holy fuck 👀) and taeui and ilay's relationship though!! they are so in love and no one can change my mind! xinlu's return had me in a chokehold wtffff! i can't believe that's actually what he looked like the whole time we were just seeing him through taeui's filter. that man almost stole me from ilay (JK that could never happen). but him and gable!!!! i am so excited for passion: raga. now the waiting game begins again 😭
➸ edit, episode 110 (may 12/25) i just wanted to come back and move my initial rating from 4 stars to 5 stars because this is my number one favourite manhwa EVER. with my favourite characters EVER (ilay and taeui). this is everything i look for in a story, storyline wise, tropes, the chemistry, the obsession/possessive vibes, characters development, the soulmate energy these two give, just everything 🥹🖤 nobody will top them for me.
➸ reread #2 (dec 2024)
⁀➷"this body is mine. there's not a place my hands haven't touched." "look. everything you see belongs to me."
bitchhhhhhhhh the mirror scene???? i get what people say how iconic this scene is because wow 🦋😩😮💨🫠 it never fails even though i've read it countless times.
mr ilay riegrow definitely has worked his way up into my top 5 manhwa men 🤭
season 5 starts releasing december 26th!!!!!! so of course i had to do another reread in preparation. i fucking love passion so much, it grew on me more than i ever thought was possible. i will never get tired of reading how much ilay loses his mind when it comes to taeui. taeui's got that man wrapped around his finger you can't tell me otherwise 😩
and the cliffhanger???? i need to new season asap i just know it's going to be so good and some shit is about to go down.
➸ reread #1 (oct 2024)
well i went from despising this to tolerating it to liking it a lot! i need to explain myself 😃 there is 103 episodes released on tappytoon so far (so this is a review up until that chapter) and i had this random thought to give this manhwa another try because i see so much hype about it and i'm really happy i did.
the moment ilay blinded a man for staring at taeui's body and burning down an entire forest to find him, it won me over. i'm not going to lie, i was pleased AF 🤣 but goddamn, 103 chapters in and these characters cannot get their shit together. it's the slowest burn to exist (them becoming a couple not the 🔥 part) and even after this many chapters, these bitches still aren't together???? 😂 (it makes sense though)
i have a real hatred for ilay still (sometimes), what i said previously still kinda remains but during my second read, i felt like i understood his character a lot better. i think i was just too pissed off by his actions to really understand why he does what he does. he's a psychopath and feeling all these new emotions he has never felt before. he takes lives without a second thought….the author does not hold back at all, he is a pure black flag all the way. so i shouldn’t expect too much from him honestly. it's makes sense for the process of his development to be gradual. where the manhwa is at now, he's definitely starting to realize that what he's feeling is different than anything he has ever felt. he's just not quite there in figuring exactly what it is yet. there was even some moments of him being so soft which was a nice surprise. the character development has been super slow but satisfying. we still have A LOT to go though.
another thing that really got on my nerves was that fact that ilay planned for taeui to see him and xinlu sleep together (knowing that taeui likes xinlu). i remember being so fucking mad and thought this was VILE. however, i'm actually not mad about this anymore. ilay is so insane for taeui he doesn’t care what he has to do get him, as long as he does. so i decided not to put much weight on it because it clearly didn’t mean shit to ilay 😅 i know it was ilay's plan for taeui to see them so taeui would realize that xinlu ain't shit. to be honest, it worked. taeui and xinlu's relationship started changing drastically after that. and thank god for that because i wanted xinlu GONE. what REALLY made a difference for me was seeing that ilay actually regretted doing that to taeui later in the manhwa and he even said he wished it was taeui that he did it with instead. i literally thanked the manhwa gods for this because a lot of my anger went away after reading that LMAO.
the plot also bothered me my first read because it bored me so much, which i still feel the same about. but i am eager to see how it's going to turn out with taeui's brother though. i just hope we get more character and relationship development for ilay and taeui. it seems to being going in the right direction but who knows 😭 i'm giving this 4 stars for now, but it may change depending on the what's to come. i'm praying it will be good 🙏
➸ april 2024 (first read)
i'm going to reviewing my thoughts from episodes 1-71 here, and if i do end up continuing with this i will just update this. this will have spoilers!
unpopular opinion and rant incoming 😭
for those who are worried about a love triangle, the "second" male lead is in a good portion of the manhwa but it's really clear who taeui is going to end up with. so coming from someone who hates love triangles, don't be worried about that!
now to my total surprise, the "love triangle" was not my biggest worry AT ALL. it was the rest of the manhwa 💀 i'm slowly going through all the toxic men manhwa, as i've read the novel codename anastasia (and fell in love with zhenya) and also reading roses and champagne, but ILAY??? i HATE this man.
ilay's character was so confusing at the start and still is. i couldn't tell if he was causing all this shit because he's been obsessed with taeui since the beginning or if he did it because he's an asshole and just wants to cause shit. ilay knows taeui like xinlu (the second lead) and purposely says to him, how xinlu is exactly his type and how attractive he is. how it would be "so nice to feel his body" ilay does sleep with xinlu, and taeui sees them of course. i think(?) i'm supposed to be seeing this as ilay's way of ruining taeui and xinlu's relationship. but how exactly can i make myself see it that way 💀 that's like the last thing i would suggest. how is going after the man that YOUR man likes, going to make him like you?? and that wasn't even the worst part.
there is one thing in romances that i absolutely hate and puts a bad taste in my mouth every time. it's when one of the main characters always goes on about how unattractive the other mc is, how they would never date them etc.... ilay says this multiple times even up to CHAPTER 71 when he then is fucking taeui the next chapter!!!!! like bitch? genuinely as i was reading those words it made me feel sick. it really bothers me, i don't know why. i know a big part of it was because ilay’s intentions to me weren't quite clear even fucking 71 chapters in. like is he using him because he's the good luck charm or whatever, so he can find taeui's brother? and all they do is have sex. so it just seems like ilay wants him for sex, yet is constantly saying how ugly he is (to his face btw). LIKE BITCH BE FOR REAL.
like in codename anastasia, zhenya was kinda like that too, but it was clear that he was infatuated and absolutely attracted to taekjoo. i think he set my standards to high 😭
now for the actual plot, BOREEEEEE. and it was also so confusing due to ilay for me. it had me snoozing because all i wanted was a little relationship development. no matter how good a plot can be, if i'm not feeling the characters or their romance, my interest will fly out the window. we'd finally get the start of something between ilay and taeui but then it ends with sex or it stops and the panels go back to the plot. LIKE NO I DON'T CARE GIVE ME TAEUI AND ILAY 😭
this ended up turning into a big rant. so i'm going to stop here because i could go on for a lot longer 💀
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i’m going to be reviewing everything here because i find that easier plus this is still ongoing. i had to stop at chapter 71, i could not take anymore. RTC later because i need to contain myself for a bit so this doesn’t turn into a rant 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Its more focused on the plot then the character development so I am a bit bored. too slow for me and I’m more excited for passion raga. yuri and xinlu have caught my attention
I just realised how MILD s1 was. I didn’t realise how unhinged Ilay was gon be. I mean I thought this was gonna be slow burn but uh yeah I have no words.
Among my favourites of all time and I think I might cry when it comes to an end - I am not ready.
While I have the manhwa on Tappytoon (what has been published so far), I wish an official english translation would be published of the novel - I desperately need to read the novel so I can continue further appreciating and analysing this masterpiece . There are so many hidden details to explore. Please publish the novel in English and add as many side stories as possible.
The attention to detail in the manhwa, nuances it captures in the characters that are multi-faceted and interesting, conflicts, plot development, jokes, dialog chef kiss . It has well and truly earned its place.
Without doubt Ilay is the hottest and most terrifying character of all time.
It has got some very dark themes and some chapters I even struggled to read but it is brilliant and continues to live rent free in my mind.
This, is a rapeshow, for sickos who love to see people screaming, getting raped by a handsome man and romanticizing it.
Illay is an asshole. He is unhinged. This is not dark romance. And no, I will not take "But this is fiction, everything is okay 🥺👉👈," for an answer. It encourages people to think rape is ok. You can call it SEXUAL ASSULT, RAPE, NON-CONSENSUAL SEX, but you cannot, CANNOT call it love. It is a sick twisted obsession. Doesn't mean it's NORMALISED, it's OK.
Poor Taeui falls for this man and ends up with him, after all the mental, physical abuse he had to endure form this "man" who "loves" him. I wanted Illay to die and Tay to find a good man (not Xinlu) who treats him right.
I DO NOT RECCOMNED. THE MANHWA HAD REACHED ABOUT 115 CHAPTERS, AND THERE IS STILL NO DEVELOPMENT (the dumbasses who say Illay saying 'sorry' for the first time can go jump off a cliff), AND ZERO ROMANCE.
Please, don't read this. It is not dark romance, it is just pornography for those with rape kinks.
No, I'm not okay! First of all, the art in the manhwa is amazing. Secondly, Ilay is the most beautiful character in it. Thirdly, his obsession with Taeui is destructive. Fourth, the story is mind-blowing and a total page-turner. Fifth, the love triangle between Ilay, Taeui, and Xinlu is driving me crazy, especially since I'm not a big fan of love triangles and misunderstandings. That said, I did feel bad for Xinlu at the end.
Sixth, Jaeui is the mysterious character causing me all this pain, but that’s also what makes it so engaging. Seventh, my God! Rehman is an incredibly beautiful man. I was literally screaming when he first appeared on screen.
Eighth, I can't wait for season six of the manhwa! However, I understand that creating a masterpiece like this takes time, effort, and heart, so I’m willing to wait. That's everything I can share in summary, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for passion and emotional intensity!
the 4th season left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I tried to continue with the 5th season and couldn't do it anymore
I loved the beginning of the manhwa, I feel like Ilay is such a complex well written antagonist and I absolutely adore Tay, but after being sexually assaulted, threatened and low-key kidnapped, Tay eventually started to develop feelings for Ilay, nope I'm not buying it, and if he really did, then this Stockholm syndrome story is not for me
I get that Ilay has developed feelings for Tay he doesn't understand, since all his life he's been so cruel and cold, without a drop of emotion, but Tay, I don't know man, please get a therapist or something if you ever manage to escape Ilay
I'm on the 3rd volume and oh my god this should have been called "the suffering of Taeui" instead. a friend told me that shit only gets worse from volume 3??? Like what. But it makes sense cause the author apparently took inspiration from "the passion of Christ" so I guess that explains why Tay suffers and forgives so much ... But maybe the author should've added the psychological tag too. Anyways the plot is good and I'm genuinely hooked on Tay and Jay's story and can't wait to read more.
Ps. FUCK U ILAY AND XINLU
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This manhwa falls into a slow burn category. More of the plot of the entirety of the story instead of focusing on the character development of the two MCs.
I love Tay and Ilay but holy fuck! The characters surrounding them are a bunch of shitty people.
Maybe the slow pacing of the story and the annoying side characters makes this a “just okay” read for me.
Im more of a PASSION novels girly but I do also love the manhwa adaptation. The art style is just so freaking gorgeous and the character designs are chef’s kiss.
The romance between Iltae is as slow as a snail pace and it’s kinda infuriating because theres another man getting in their way. Yeah not a fan of Xinlu I really dislike this manipulative and obsessed guy.
4,5 ⭐ Me he leído el webtoon . Hasta la temporada 5 que se estrenó el día de hoy. Así que por el momento la historia tiene esa cantidad de estrellas. Esperaré la siguiente temporada para ver si le subo las estrellas.
Yo adoro con locura y pasión el slow burn de los protagonistas
Personalmente non fa per me, personaggi toxic, più toxic del normale. Le relazioni sono un casino, la narrazione è confusa. Il triangolo non mi piace, Ilay ha una fan base toxic, come lo è lui.