The Devil’s Temptation is a new summer release from the graphic novel platform called Lezhin, published by the author, Youn. The first episode was released on July 25th, 2018.
In most BL graphic novels, the intro would normally gradually unfold but not in this one. The reader is thrown straight into an explicit steamy scene between the two main characters. Who doesn’t love jumping right to the point?! Though aside from the obvious hot illustrations and lewd commentary, there is a lot to admire in the first episode of this manhwa.
As they say: it’s all about first impressions.
▍Characters
Youn’s first characters introduced in the story seem to be quite…interesting, but in a quirky way. Though only two are introduced by name with detail, a lot is revealed in a short amount of time.
■ Hyun
Hyun seems to be the one the story centers around right from the beginning. He is a humble single salaryman who wants nothing more than to live in complete and utter peace…alone. He has never experienced love, let alone been with another person. And frankly he doesn’t care much if his love life is destined to be doomed. He’d rather be the person who is unseen and unheard – in other words a walking ghost. But if he hears the slightest mention of his office crush, the oh so handsome Alek, then it’s a different story.
■ Ivan Mariani
This man right here seems to be the thorn in Hyun’s poor side, or in this case, poor rump. Ivan is an eccentric character who is quite outlandish and acts upon impulse. He is the type who is known to have a new lover within a blink of an eye. The epitome of a playboy some might even say. Ivan takes pleasure in indulging himself in the pleasures life has to offer, but soon he sees he indulged a little too much when he wakes up in a bed that is not his own with an unexpected “lover”.
▍Art Style
Unconventional is hardly the word to describe the art style of The Devil’s Temptation, but it will do for now. We have all seen our fair share of…interesting…art styles in just BL graphic novels alone, but Youn takes the cake with their style. Everyone is always easily impressed by great attention to details, it’s always highly appreciated by readers the time an illustrator takes to convey their story through images. With that being said it is also safe to say readers also appreciate a wonderful sense of liveliness and humor through images alone as well.
There are many scenes within the first episode where the reader will be able to observe wonderfully detailed characters. And there will be many scenes where the reader will be able to enjoy the laughter they will experience when they see said detailed characters illustrated in a much more comical fashion. The creative facial expressions alone are enough to crack a smile and burst out laughing.
Though as comical as it may sound, the art style of the setting and the characters is crucial to the novel to help the reader see, understand, and feel what is going on in the story, since imagery takes the place of words in most cases within a graphic novel.
▍Story Style
As mentioned before, the story begins with a running start. The reader is immediately thrown into a rather steamy scene that would surely capture the attention of many quite easily and quickly. Many would say it seems a bit rushed, right? It would seem that way, that is until flashbacks are utilized to help better explain the events prior to the intro of the story. We are taken to the beginning told by the protagonist, and are guided through the events that lead to the scenes shown in the beginning.
Yes, the story style appears to be somewhat scattered and all over the place, but it works so well that it leaves you waiting for more as you read each panel and take it all in.
First impressions are everything. They leave a special mark in your mind that decides whether or not something is worth continuing to read. And it is exciting to said that The Devil’s Temptation does not fail in exceeding expectation of first impressions. Yes the style is not normal, but normal grows to boring so it is always nice to try something new and different from the norm. If you are looking for something hot and steamy, yet comedically satisfying, this manhwa may be the one for you. So you should go on ahead and give it a read to see for yourself!