Initial Thoughts

I encountered this comic through WEBTOON! Only a few chapters were out, and the moment I laid my eyes on Cakenyam's art style, I knew I had to read it. I lean towards modern rather than historical comics, so this pushed me to read it even more! It's difficult to find manhwas I like, so I just dart wherever I can. I especially found Jaeha's character design to be so stunning. I kept up with the WEBTOON for a few months or so, but the chemistry between the two leads felt slow, so I eventually stopped. Now, after a year, the English translation has finally come to an end! So, naturally, I wanted to wrap it up. After all, I only left off halfway into the plot (Chapter 37), so it wouldn't be any trouble to just finish the rest. I honestly didn't expect this comic to be so record-breaking for me. It was a predictable plot, but something about the two leads just kept me reading and reading.

Post Thoughts

Spoilers included. Favourite Characters . . . I think it's crystal clear that Jaeha & Se-I were a very lovable duo. They complete each other. Jaeha has always been there for Se-I, and the way he treats her is something even I began to wish for. Their love is imperfect. This may be a bit cliche, but I think, without a doubt, their best scene was when they realised they had mutual feelings for each other. It was a moment I was waiting for ever since I started reading this WEBTOON, and the fact it came sooner than I thought was crazy. All I can say is they're so cute together. If destiny is real, this is it.Favourite Scene . . . After the main couple confessed around chapter 40, I did not understand what else they could cover for the remaining 20 chapters. Was it just going to be them being lovey-dovey? That'd be cute, but I'd be bored, and would just be reading for the sake of completion. Thankfully, I was so wrong. The plot delved into Jaeha's backstory. At first, I didn't really comprehend what was going on, but it turns out Jaeha is adopted, and his grandma really didn't like him because her sister died because of him "supposedly." This does spark a question: Where is Jaeha's dad? I'm not sure if I missed something, but it is definitely questionable. The scene where Jaeha meets an abandoned kid at an amusement park especially stuck with me. When the Mom came back for the kid, Jaeha said something along the lines of how he shouldn't abandon her kid. I didn't really understand at first why he commented or how he knew honestly. But now I see why. He was speaking from his past experiences. Anyway, now I feel like this comic was too short. Only 68...Artstyle . . . I can't conclude this review without mentioning how pretty the art is. There are so many moments in this manhwa where I'm just in awe of how Cakenyam draws their characters. I actually noticed Jaeha's character design is slightly different before and after the confession. Before, he had these white streaks in his hair, and after, his hair turned purely black. I'm not really sure what the reason for this is, but Jaeha definitely looks different after Se-I confessed. I also find it really amazing how this art style barely uses any shading. It's mainly just flat colours. As an artist myself, I have no idea how you could pull that off! I hope Cakenyam releases another comic again! I will miss seeing this art style in the meantime.Honourable Mention . . . Jimin and Ye-eun. Can we just appreciate the fact even THEIR romance is cute too??? Normally I'd be bored of whatever is going on that's not about the main leads, but these two are just inevitable. Jimin is a cheeky guy and Ye-eun hides her feelings. As I'm writing this, the spin-offs haven't all been translated yet, but even the SPIN-OFFS are interesting! I was at the edge of my seat reading them!! That's usually not the case for me, so I think the plot was very well made. Nothing felt like it was written with half-effort.

Closing

Thank you, Cakenyam, for creating such a great comic. Our Secret Alliance will forever remain in my top favourites. I was actually also in a neverending burnout, so reading this comic really resurrected me back into the manga community. I firmly believe there cannot be a better comic than this.

Spoiler, click to view

A big thank you to @SaiteiDaOrette for helping me with this review! I know I didn't entirely follow what you suggested, but it really motivated me to get started. Otherwise, it might take me another year to write one...T__T