Last year I wanted to check out a Wait Until Free (WUF) title on Lezhin. It seemed intriguing and for some reason I used this as an exercise in restraint. If you read From Me to You I do not recommend reading it that way. Buy the whole thing outright if possible. (It is 94 episodes but well worth it if you have the coins)
The premise of this manhwa is that a divorced 70 year old man is diagnosed with dementia. Whilst looking thorough his personal affects, he soon discovers that he is able to communicate with his past self through an old journal.
I absolutely adore the characters in this manhwa as well as the threads of the story leading the main character Seungtae to discover himself — both in the present and the past. Being a BL, there isn’t a lot of romance involved. More than anything, we’re watching the dogged desperation of a man who had his first inkling of gayness aged 12 and decided it wouldn’t be for him. Of course, his admiration for a cool(?) older guy makes his last year of high school exciting but he’s absolutely not gay about it.
The themes of denial, self-repression, and acceptance all intertwine so masterfully in From Me to You. My heart hurts whenever I think about it. The simplistic art style really does not clue you in to how heavily the emotional beats of this manhwa will hit. The fear and confusion of an old man suffering with dementia are portrayed so realistically. Moreover, the fantastical elements of the time travelling journal entries melts with the reality of the illness and create a narrative that is compelling as it is ambiguous.
Nothing is clear cut here, be that whether Seungtae really understands himself, whatever Seungtae’s motivations are behind trying to stop the serial killer in his town, nor even why he spends any time with Hwangyeon.
Lee Hwangyeon might just be my favourite manhwa character ever (Yes, even above Seo Doram!). He is a sweetheart but I cannot fathom how he is happy to live like that. He is kind and patient and supportive in ways that make me deeply hate Seungtae. That is a quality I adore in characters. Is he a pathetic pushover who needs to get off his knees and stand up for himself? Yes (No! I will stand up for him, he’s perfect and doesn’t need to do anything!). Does anything good happen in his life? Well, when we first see him he is a single old guy who meets Seungtae again at a dance class to encourage socialising. So, the jury is still out on that one.
Both of the timelines in From Me to You have their ways of clinging onto you and it really makes for a thrilling read. I can definitely say that I am glad that I didn’t have to wait for weekly updates because I could not have coped.
Please be aware that I am accepting applications to the Lee Hwangyeon fanclub so let me know if you want to join.
