Killing me softly
- Mangaka : Koogi
- Publisher : Lezhin Comics
- Genres : BL, Drama, Psychological, Horror
- Published : Nov. 2016 - Ongoing
Contains Spoilers
Killing Stalking Introduction
Killing Stalking is drawn and written by Koogi and won the Second Lezhin world comics contest. The story revolves around Yoon Bum and Oh Sangwoo. Yoon Bum is enamored with Sangwoo after he rescued him from a sexual assault back when they were still in the military. Because of his obsession, Bum decides to break into Sangwoo’s home. As he explores the house, he finds a woman held captive in the basement. Just when he is about to rescue the battered woman, Sangwoo suddenly attacks him. In that moment, Bum finally realizes that the Sangwoo that everyone knows is nothing but a facade and in truth is a psychopathic killer.
Who It Caters To
Killing Stalking is well-known for its dark themes, manipulation, and violence. It is very intense and gory most of the time. If you are alright with that, then, by all means, read the manhwa. Since it’s also listed as BL, expect that there will be man on man action going on in the series. However, it doesn’t center on romance, rather, Killing Stalking centers on abuse in general. Mind-games, abuse, and humiliation? You can find those in here.
Discussion Time
If you’re going to look at the bigger picture, Killing Stalking’s plot isn’t something new and unique. In fact, this kind of story has been used a lot of times in different variations. Especially in the BL genre, there are a lot of talented authors that have drawn and created disturbing stories that are quite similar to Killing Stalking. The question is: what makes Killing Stalking so intriguing and special to its readers? Is it the psychological aspect? Or is it its BL context?
Well, you could say that Killing Stalking is somewhat uncommon in the BL genre. While there are a lot of works that are very similar to Killing Stalking, no one had really crossed the line and pushed the boundaries like Koogi did. The story is truly horrid and dreadful, and Koogi really makes sure to pass that message clearly to her readers. She doesn’t hide the fact that the abuse that is happening in the story is certainly awful and she makes sure not to romanticize or fetishize the disturbing act. Although the story isn’t the most original out there, it is very interesting, thanks to Koogi’s well-thought-out story.
We think what really draws readers to Killing Stalking are the characters. There aren’t many, nonetheless, these characters make the story much more exciting! Now, let’s start with the stars of the show, Sangwoo and Bum. From the summary alone, it is obvious that these two individuals are not mentally healthy. Bum and Sangwoo didn’t grow up in a safe and caring household. These two have been subjected to abuse at an early age, which resulted in them being the way they are; Sangwoo becomes a homicidal killer and Bum becomes a creepy stalker.
Throughout the story, Sangwoo and Bum become codependent. Sangwoo relishes the attention and affection that Bum gives to him, while Bum believes in to the sweet lies of Sangwoo and even thinks that he is someone special to the killer. After all, despite Sangwoo’s constant abuse and manipulation, Bum still sees Sangwoo as his savior, since Sangwoo is the only one who seems to “accept” him. Although Bum is mostly blinded by Sangwoo’s lies, there are times where he realizes that something is wrong and that he needs to escape at once. Now, this is where the story gets even more nerve-racking than it already is. With Koogi’s precise and excellent way of depicting Bum’s thoughts, we can’t help but feel Bum’s internal struggle as well. We feel so sorry for him even though Bum put himself in that kind of situation in the first place.
Let’s move on to another interesting character, Yang Seungbae. Seungbae is an unfortunate character who seems to be the only one who really cares about his job. He shines in the second season of the series and is on the move to capture Sangwoo. Despite the pieces of evidence that can be used against Sangwoo, no one believes Seungbae just because of a mistake that he made in the past. Seungbae shows that there are police officers, like him, that are competent but are surrounded by other police officers that are indeed lazy and corrupt.
As for the artwork, I really can’t say anything bad about it. While it’s very bold and striking, it really matches the overall feel of the manhwa. I must add that Koogi’s artwork has been improving for the past couple of chapters. She is evolving as an artist and we can’t wait for more when the third season of Killing Stalking comes out!
1. The Artwork
As stated earlier, there’s is nothing bad or wrong with her artwork. Actually, it is one of the reasons why you should pick up Killing Stalking! Koogi’s artwork is excellent as she perfectly depicts the dark vibe of the overall manhwa. There are no wasted or blank panels and even if there are, this is used to give a grim feeling to her readers. Not only that, she is also well-versed in creating different expressions for her characters. If Bum is scared, in pain, or happy in some way, you can really feel it. If Sangwoo is extremely angry or psychotic, readers can feel that as well. The colors that she uses are mostly dark ones to match the story, and the blending of the colors is nice, giving more life to the manhwa. Overall, her art is very detailed and very pleasing to the eye.
2. A thrilling experience
Each chapter of Killing Stalking is certainly a thrilling experience. In every chapter, there will always be something that will really shock the readers. Don’t even try to predict what will happen next, since the characters alone are very unstable and unpredictable. But one thing is for certain, it gets worse and even more disturbing as the story progresses. One interesting thing about Killing Stalking is that we get a glimpse of Sangwoo and Bum’s way of thinking. Admittingly, their thought process is very odd and peculiar, which may have been the result of the abuse they experienced during their childhood years. Because of their strange and bizarre way of thinking, the manhwa never gets boring and is somewhat fascinating in a way.
3. Something different from the BL genre
While the whole premise of the manhwa isn’t a new one, it is indeed extremely different from other BL works. Unlike the other works out there, Killing Stalking is not afraid to show the brutal and harsh truth about abuse. Although Killing Stalking is listed as a BL manhwa, there is no real love between Sangwoo and Bum. In fact, Sangwoo is homophobic and will not hesitate to throw explicit slurs and insults at Bum. There are times when Sangwoo and Bum can be depicted as a couple, but these moments are quite brief and will mostly end immediately without meaning behind them. In short, Killing Stalking centers around abuse and manipulation, but it delves deeper into it.
1. Not for everyone
Killing Stalking has a warning attached to it and that is no joke. It’s full of emotional, mental, and physical abuse. And truly, there are some scenes that are hard to take in and can just make you feel repulsed and disgusted. Some examples of this are Min Jieun’s murder, Bum’s past with his pedophile uncle, and Bum’s rape incident during the last chapter of season two. There are more, but the mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg. That is why, if you are extremely uncomfortable with this, then it’s better for you to turn away from this manhwa. But if you are tolerant and open-minded with this kind of thing, then it’s alright to give it a try, since it is quite interesting after all.
Final Thoughts
Killing Stalking is surprisingly an engaging manhwa. The characters are portrayed well and the story can make you feel a lot in many ways. Although it’s very explicit and gory, overall, Killing Stalking is quite entertaining. Do we condone Sangwoo and Bum’s actions and motives? The answer is simple, no. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to take a peek at what goes on in their messed-up heads. From shocking scenes to disgusting ones, Koogi really did a good job of blowing her readers’ minds. We’re sure with the upcoming third season of the series, Koogi will give us even more surprises than she did in the last seasons of Killing Stalking.
What are your thoughts about Killing Stalking? Did you like it? Or did you stop halfway through it? Always stay tuned to Honey’s Anime! We hope to see you again in the next article! Now signing off~
Author: Jopz "Yuuema"
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