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Ji Ho prepares to go back to college after a break, as he desperately searches for a place to rent in Seoul. On his first night, an unknown thief breaks into the place! Amid misunderstandings, the stranger discovers a series of embarrassing stories written in Ji Ho's youth. A deal begins where the thief promises to take care of the household chores while Ji Ho continues to write the story. Could it be that he is not just any thief?
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Oh yes, we are facing a love of boys. But a logical, real and cheesy love of boys. All these qualities can coexist perfectly. Pond Snail Robber sets up a small cast of characters, drops them off in a closed town, and lets them all get involved, betray each other, get involved, and most of all, fall in love.
A series of comic and tragic events are allowed to unfold between lost-in-life college youth who need to find themselves together with a trustworthy partner.
Personal growth. Something more than a BL:
I want to start with what I think is his best success; their individual growth, both as a character and as a person. As I said, the cast is small but varied. There are all kinds of personalities, so they clash quite often and spark some of the best conversations with just a random topic. (I really need to commend the quality of the script!)
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Jiho.
Our protagonist is the introverted and rational person we already know, thanks to his not-so-pretty past. Subjected to social pressure from Korea, he had to hide his sexual orientation for years, until he thought he was delusional with a boy from his high school, he was very disappointed and since then he has maintained a social barrier with her. people. And those barriers can sometimes only be broken by force. Ji Ho is almost forced to show his true character when he is upset and associated with situations that he avoided for years: open his heart. Ji Ho is kind, certainly indecisive, but noble and protective.
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Do-Jin.
Oh dear, "I'm just a cute boy" on duty. But it's not just that! Our nosy jumper who generates the obstacles is very, very charismatic. Likewise, under the darkness of a complicated family past, Do-Jin had to learn to take care of himself and always take advantage of the first opportunity that comes his way. That is why he is distrustful, taken advantage of, but a rookie after all. Upon meeting Ji Ho, he activates the most vulnerable side of him, actually his human sensitivity was always there, but he had to find someone to express all that love that he never received but that he longed to give. Without a doubt he is graceful, good-natured and ganial.
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Hyeon-Ui.
The confidant friend we all need. Her love language is rude, sarcastic, and honest as much as it hurts. The contrast that every friendship needs (Ji Ho, cofcof) for the characters to move, stop their confused thoughts and motivate themselves to do what they really want. But who is the confidant of the confidant? Like her friend, she requires a space where she can express herself openly and understand that he doesn't always have to be everyone's spectator or therapist.
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Seong-Yeon.
That last job should be the best of these guys. Cheerful, confident, warm and somewhat scary. Seong-Yeon defines himself as Hyeon-Ui's rooted gum. Basing his entire personality on pursuing the boy he likes, he has ignored for years pursuing his future and her desires. He stops his life by deceiving himself into getting a reciprocated love, forgetting that he has kept a mask in front of society. Could it be that he can get rid of her on her own?
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This is a romance, a romantic comedy. We'll watch the cheesy games between these guys go from fun to long-lasting relationships, delving into each other's depths to warm up, understand their personalities, and move on with their support. There really isn't that sin that many BLs commit of “complete your partner because you can't live without her anymore”, quite the opposite. They are needed to set a course in their lives, gain self-confidence.
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Pink colour:
Let's take a moment to appreciate the beautiful art and character design. Being a series that is based on the relationships of its main quartet (accompanied by more characters, of course), attention is always directed to their actions and facial expressions. And it's great to see how the balance is handled between the dramatic and sad scenes and the funny and absurd ones. Although it can be understood that everything looks "too pretty" on many occasions. I mean, I have to admit that I think it's an excellent drawing, but it's hard to believe that everyone is so cute and handsome physically, even when they are beaten up and full of tears. (I mean, how does Do-Jin look so good if he's just wearing jeans and a hoodie?). Aesthetically it is a beauty, it is worth observing all the panels because each one has a lot of detail and care.
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Lots of positivity?
As realistic as he handles situations, I personally agree that he takes some liberties when it comes to problem solving. In general, there are no conflicts that we can define as serious life and death, and we are talking about characters who are learning to leave their past behind and move on... but perhaps they soften too much.
Without going into spoilers, I think there's a big difference between persevering and forgetting. I, personally, would act differently in the situations that occur in history. The speech manages to put us in the shoes of both sides, both as the victim and the perpetrator, it includes a construction of the entire context before knowing what position our protagonist will take, it is appreciated, but in my opinion it was necessary to mention a little more about the consequences generated by misunderstandings and bad decisions, even when the event occurred years ago.
I think it's a complicated situation, but I also like the discourse of presenting the facts and letting the reader take their own perspective on the matter. It is fiction, but it is appreciated that it touches the surface of a real problem such as forgiveness and sexual orientation conflict.
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Conclusions:
Pond Snail Robber has been one of the best surprises I have been able to find and enjoy.
It is brief and focused, it does not have the need to lengthen the plot or generate conflicts that were never there. It closes all the arcs of the main cast and presents a story of love and overcoming to lead a more relaxed and dreamy life. He does not forget the nature of his characters, he does not ignore that they are still students, that they need work or that they continue with their family life.
I highly recommend reading it, it falls into very few clichés of the genre, even giving a new twist to the fads we are used to. It generates those typical BL fanservice sighs, and tops it off with extensive and admirable character development.
Personally, it has been one of the series with which I have become most fond of the characters and with which I have laughed the most in quite some time. If this genre is not one of your favorites, all the better; give it a chance and you will find a beautiful story.
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