Today I am going to review another underrated manhwa which is "Couple Breaker" it is a romance drama which is written by Maenggi Ki. This manhwa has fresh twist and a blend of reality show, there is betrayal, romance and emotional growth. This manhwa does not focus on sweet love stories, it starts with messy and complicated relationship. Where every bit of feels realistic and relatable.
The story revolves around four characters the first female lead is Taerin Yang, the second female lead is Ju-a Gong, the first male lead is Yoonsik Bong, and second male lead is Gyeongmo Chu. The story beings with Taerin who is very beautiful and has good fashion sense which made her popular amongst everyone.
She's someone who is desired by everyone, she's someone who people can look upto. Taerin is a beauty with brain, she always works with potential, she is bold and has confidence. On the other hand Ju-a is very shy and soft spoken. She does not have any confidence and feels insecure about her looks. She was once a idol trainee but she left everything for some personal reasons.
Taerin has a boyfriend his name is Gyeongmo. He is very self centered and a great model who is always dressed by his girlfriend Taerin, he cares about social media a lot and gets flustered when other girls texts him. On the other hand Ju-a's has a boyfriend who's name is Yoonsik, he is very supportive towards his girlfriend and always takes care of her and tries to understand her whenever she's at her low point in life.
Taerin discovered the secret of Ju-a's past because they study at the same university and same subject which is fashion not only that they are also neighbors. Taerin slowly tries to make friends with Ju-a and they became close friends.
At first, everything seems perfect and both of them started to support each other’s dreams. They were also having a perfect relationships with their own boyfriends. However, things got messy and situation got out of control when Ju-a and Gyeongmo cheated on their partners.
This breaks the heart of Taerin and Yoonsik but they didn't wait for their apologies and started their own journey to take revenge on their partners. They decided to join a reality couple show where Yoonsik paired with Taerin and Ju-a paired with Gyeongmo. The winner couple will receive a huge amount of prize money and fame.
I really like the title "Couple Breaker" it's a perfect name for this manhwa it reflects the stories premise. The main leads decided to join the reality show which is designed to test relationships. The exes will confront each other on the stage where their deepest insecurities will reveal.
The show is not only lovey dovey scenarios but also about the temptations which will push the couples beyond their limits. This manhwa is not about the couples winning money or reality show it's about exposing the truth of love, trust, and loyalty.
These four characters are the heart of this manhwa.
My favourite character is Taerin because she's bold and has dreams, independent. When she did not crumble when she found about her partner cheating on her Instead, she used her pain and turned it into a determination. Taerin’s journey can be the inspiration for the ladies, she is an amazing empowering lead.
Ju-a, is someone that I would never like to befriend. She was once a idol trainee, but still she's not someone who should get any publicity, her insecurities drove her to the wrong path. She's a tragic figure in the story. I disliked her character along with Gyeongmo. He is also a disaster, no matter how much Taerin took care of him he ended up cheating.
I truly hate cheaters and I do not find any reasons valid to cheat on someone. Gyeongmo craves attention I think someone like him deserves Ju-a. Both of the characters are frustrating and relatable because we can usually find people like them in real life. No one deserves a friend like Ju-a who stoles others boyfriend also Gyeongmo is not a boyfriend that any girl would desire to have.
Yoonsik is such a sweetheart, even if he has a quite personality I believe he's a good human being. He is a loyal partner and someone who is very supportive. He is completely a green forest to me. He is someone who can be seen as dependable.
The most interesting part is the relationships between these four. It is complicated and tangled which is constantly shifting. The jealousy and conflicts makes the story spicy. I completely got hooked by the storyline each chapter is so interesting and their love blurs into revenge that excited me the most. The story is really addictive. Sometimes it will be disappointing but you can still feel the urge to read it more.
I must admire the art style they highlights the eyes of the characters. Which makes them look clean and expressive because they perfectly captured the subtle emotions. Such as emotional scenes or jealousy. The backgrounds are vibrant, it will give you the authentic vibes. It is illustrated by Taegeon.
Overall, Couple Breaker has become one of my favourite manhwa because the story is not only about romance but also about growth and facing truths about relationships. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Compelling twists will keep you hooked continuously.
This is a must-read manhwa, if you like complicated relationship stories then this is the one for you. There's a good news that is, this manhwa is completed so you don't have to wait for any new chapters. It has 80 chapters I am still in the half away and it's very short so anyone can complete reading it in short period. Well, it is going to stay in my favourite list because of the drama in the story and the twists which kept me reading the manhwa.
Ratings: 9/10
The images are screenshots from chapter 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 on webtoon. Images are edited with Canva
