Anything, and I mean anything, that involves a possessive yakuza seme and a reluctant uke instantly piques my curiosity. Young and Pretty Husband had me raising my eyebrows within the first few panels. Six chapters later, and here I am writing this BL review with mixed feelings and a head full of thoughts about coercion, control, and smutty BL fantasy.
[Post read time: 6–10 min]
About Young and Pretty Husband:
- Type: Manhwa, Webtoon
- Chapters: 6
- Status: Completed
- Original Run: 2024
- Genre: BL, Drama, Smut, Romance, Yaoi
- Tropes and trigger warnings: Power imbalance, Dub-Con, Age Gap, Forced Proximity, Gangster Romance, Yakuza
- Tone: Dark, Tense, Erotic, Possessive
- Setting: Modern Yakuza, Criminal Underworld
- Anime Adaptation: No
- Available On: LaLatoon
Our story kicks off with a classic problematic trope: forced marriage. Powerful yakuza boss, Yongwook Jang, cold and commanding, decides to remarry, but his chosen spouse, a man 20 years younger than him (just 24!), never agreed to it. Hajun Lee is a student and part-timer just trying to survive, but suddenly finds himself trapped in a life-altering contract.
My Thoughts:
To be honest, I’m torn. There’s a huge part of me that recognises this as a fetish-forward story, crafted for a specific kind of reader, someone who wants the problematic, who thrives on the messy, the dangerous, and the dubiously consensual. And to be fair, it absolutely delivers on that. The smut is high-quality, the art is decent, and the erotic tension is supposed to be sky-high.
But six chapters aren’t enough to make that work well. The characters don’t develop at all; they react. The plot doesn’t evolve; it escalates. And the result is a story that feels more like an extended smut scenario than a romance.
We get hints, very brief and fleeting hints, of what could’ve been a deeper connection or emotional arc. Still, they’re swept aside in favour of another round of intense, possessive interactions.
What makes this even more intense is that the relationship is one-sided. There’s no negotiation, no warm build-up, just possessiveness and enforced proximity. It’s a toxic dynamic from the start, and the story never pretends it’s anything else. Rather than tiptoeing around the premise, this leans all the way in. Think age gap, dub-con, and major power imbalance, framed not as red flags, but as spicy tension.
The older male lead, Yongwook Jang, takes control, and the younger, Hajun Lee, has no choice but to follow. This isn’t a romance built on respect or mutual care; it’s a fantasy soaked in dominance, manipulation, and desire.
I hate to admit that I really liked the art. It’s moderately clean, polished, full-colour, and the anatomy is well-drawn without feeling over-stylised. The character proportions do shift around if you pay attention, and at times, the angles can be befuddling. Yet, I still liked the styling.
The artist does know how to convey intensity, though, through body language and facial expression. There’s a sharpness to the visuals that matches the sharpness of the relationship. However, while the art is solid, the backgrounds are often minimal, and the visual storytelling is sometimes rushed, likely due to the series’ brevity.
The biggest issue for me, though, is the lack of emotional balance. BL stories that explore darker themes, such as coercion or non-consent, can be effective when there’s eventual growth, redemption, or even just reflection. Young and Pretty Husband doesn’t really offer that. There’s no significant remorse from Yongwook Jang, the seme, and no true resistance from Hajun Lee, the uke.
The imbalance remains unchallenged. That’s what leaves me feeling most uncomfortable, not the kink itself, but the lack of depth surrounding it.
Strengths of the series:
- Appeals to a specific fetish-oriented BL audience who enjoy dominant/possessive semes and high erotic tension.
- Modern gangster setting provides a unique flavour compared to school or office BL.
- Strong opening premise with a forced-marriage twist; creates instant drama and sexual tension.
Weaknesses of the series:
- Relies heavily on coercion and power imbalance, which may be triggering or uncomfortable to many readers.
- Short length (6 chapters) limits any real character development or arc for redemption.
- The uke’s lack of agency is framed as romantic tension rather than problematic, which can be harmful in representation.
Would I Recommend Young and Pretty Husband?
Yes: if you’re looking for a quick, intense, and unapologetically smutty BL read that dives deep into domination and dark desire. It scratches a very specific itch, and if you go in knowing what you’re getting, it can be enjoyable.
No: if you want character development, a romance that blossoms, or any kind of emotional payoff. This is not a healing love story. It’s a hot, messy, dub-con fantasy. And if you’re sensitive to themes of coercion or want your BL to be grounded in mutual respect, this one will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Is Young and Pretty Husband Worth a Reread?
Despite all that, would I reread it? Probably not. But do I regret reading it? Yes and no. It was uncomfortable, but deliberately so, and that kind of storytelling has its place, even if it’s not for everyone. I’d absolutely add it to a “problematic” list alongside titles like Sadistic Beauty: Side Story, Killing Stalking, or BJ Alex. If you liked those, you might like this.
If this were to be extended into more chapters or explore the emotional aftermath of such a toxic start, I’d be curious to see how it develops. Until then, Young and Pretty Husband remains a short, sharp, and highly erotic tale that makes you question what you’re comfortable enjoying in fiction.
Quick Info Summary on Young and Pretty Husband:
I am trying something new as I organise my reading series into a list with over 100 columns. I will share a small snippet of that list in my reviews, such as this.
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Art | 7/10 – Clean, expressive, sharp smut scenes |
| Storyline | 6/10 – Strong premise, weak follow-through |
| Smut / Eroticism | 8/10 – High intensity, explicit scenes. It’s the driving force of the manhwa. |
| Consent & Comfort | 3/10 – Major issues with coercion |
| Emotional Depth | 4.5/10 – No development |
| Representation (BL) | 5/10 – Fetish-focused, not emotionally diverse |
Will you read Young and Pretty Husband? Or have you already finished it and formed your own opinion?
Let’s talk about where we draw the line between fantasy and discomfort in BL.
My overall rating for this series: 5/10
Beautifully drawn, intensely erotic, but emotionally hollow and ethically messy. Definitely one to approach with care and only if you’re comfortable with the themes it explores.
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