Is this series even worth it?

[u/Stunning_Taste8845]

I remember reading I love Yoo like a long time ago, like right during the pandemic but it's all blur now. I wanna try re-reading but from what I heard this series hasn't really progressed at all. Its been like 290+ chapters and it's being dragged to hell. Not even most action series have this much space.

Maybe i should just re-read purple hyacinth instead

[u/ggc4]

I’ve been a fan from the start, and I remain so. It’s a drama with dark edges, and the writing is fantastic.

Many readers were upset that romance didn’t bloom quickly. (Romance is a small element of the story, not the focus. There were more tones of it at the beginning than the middle.) Others didn’t like waiting for weekly updates. (This is fair, I also had periods where I waited a couple months to read a stretch of chapters at once.) But to say that the story hasn’t progressed and it’s dragged on is simply incorrect. It’s progressing at a good pace, and every chapter has added to the plot and characters. It’s not a fast-paced action, thriller, or romance like many readers are used to, but it’s not a super slow burn either. I do think you’ll enjoy it more now that so many chapters are out.

[u/Weird_Vegetable_4441 → u/ggc4]

I mean with the cover and title name I was very much thinking it would be more romance centered

[u/SwaggiiP → u/Weird_Vegetable_4441]

It was at one point lmfao. The author got bored of the romance at some point and essentially lied and said it never was one. Like sis, the title itself is a remnant of its romance past lmao.

[u/teddyeatsyourface → u/SwaggiiP]

The title is about the main girl. Also, the author didn't lie. She has been pretty forthright about how WT pushed for a romance angle in the beginning and she fought back & forth with them about how they promoted her series as a romance instead of a drama.

It's not even the first time WT has interfered with a series on their platform. Especially in that era.

[u/SwaggiiP → u/teddyeatsyourface]

Nah, I was there when that webtoon was first added to the platform. The author definitely leaned into it being a romance. She changed her stance after one of her year long hiatuses.

[u/teddyeatsyourface → u/SwaggiiP]

Dope. I was also there and I've seen her Q & A on her socials and Patreon before and after her first big hiatus in '21. The shift in the story began during that first party arc when Shin-Ae was hospitalized. It continued to focuse Nol's family life, Shin-Ae's desperation and depression, Yui getting her hands on Shin-Ae as a potential plaything for Kousuke/her own amusement, and even on Shin-Ae and Nol's bond that's going to eventually lead them to a relationship. But the story dropped the wacky antics in its first real arc.

ILY was always meant to be the story we're seeing now. I do not understand why there's such a kickback to that. It's ultimately a better story than what WT wanted to promote.

[u/ObiSkies → u/SwaggiiP]

Not true.

And the indicators are all there. If you've read up to the formal arc (and I'm assuming you have cause it's about 50 chaps) that arc itself already makes it very clear.

"Subversion of tropes"

This requires a story to have SOME semblance of a trope before it can subvert it. That's what ILY does with the the typical "bullied girl, serious mean dude, and uber friendly dude in a love triangle" setup. It subverts it. This series was never a romance. Signs of everything the story is right now ARE there in the beginning. But until these aspects are brought more obviously forward a bit later on, or unless they're already catching the little details in the beginning, it's easy for some people to miss.

But to give explanation for Shin-ae and Kousuke: Neither of them ever saw each other in a romantic way. Not once. Regarding Kousuke, he DID pay a close eye on Shin-ae. But it wasn't because he liked her. Can't go into it without major spoilers, but it has something to do with how messed up his relationship with Nol is. Likewise, there are scenes where Yui "prompts" Kousuke to be with Shin-ae. But that's never presented in a "ha ha look how cute that is" way. It's always presented as "uncomfortable" for Kousuke/Shin-ae and straightup "predatory" from Yui