HORROR SPECIAL: Killing Stalking Vol. 1
Author: Koogi
Illustrator: Koogi
Publishers: Lehzin Comics; Seven Seas
Age Group: Mature
Genre: Horror BL romance
Type: Manhwa
Content Warnings: All the warnings.
Spoilers ahead
Plot
Yoon Bum, a scrawny and quiet man, has a crush on one of the most popular and handsome guys in his college: Sangwoo. After the two cross paths again, Yoon Bum’s feelings grow in intensity until they become an obsession—and he breaks into Sangwoo’s home. But what he sees inside is not the Sangwoo of his fantasies; his dreams of this alluring man abruptly turn into a nightmare.
Character Development
Yoon Bum is a man who’s been bullied for being so fragile. His parents died a long time ago so he grew up with his grandparents where he was abused. Then he was under the guardianship of his Uncle where he was molested and abused. His light in the darkness was Sangwoo. He’s cowardly, whiney, and a pre-broken person. He loves Sangwoo so much that no matter what happens he continues to cry for Sangwoo.
Sangwoo is our popular strong man. He seems well adjusted but he hides a secret in his basement. He’s actually a serial killer. He killed his own parents. He has an obsession with his mother. His father was abusive and he mimics a lot of the same behaviors that his father did to him and his mother. He likes mind games. Sangwoo seems to be a hot and cold character. If Yoon is doing well, Sangwoo treats him like a lover and very sweetly. If Yoon messes up, he’s treated like a toy Sangwoo can use and abuse.
It’s a very odd dynamic that consistently leaves you unsettled. In this first volume, I found that while I understood their backgrounds I didn’t really connect with either of them. It’ll be interesting to see how the story and their dynamic evolves in the next volumes.
World-building
It seems to be modern day. There’s not really anytime as the days blur together for Yoon. He’s locked up in Sangwoo’s house where he’s pretty much a pet.
The world-building gets more confusing as we don’t know the difference in the panels between current events, hallucinations from within Yoon’s mind, and memories. I’ll delve more into this in the observations section.
Themes
Psychological wounds come out in behavior.
Honestly, I really struggled to figure out what would be a good theme for this first volume. I think psychological wounds coming out in behavior is a good one. We see and learn a lot about the behaviors of both Yoon and Sangwoo. We understand how they came to be who they are and how they interact with each other. The main thing pulling us in is how their dynamic shifts with the tides of mood.
Observations & Predictions
There could’ve been better distinction between the plot, memories, and hallucinations. The memories are slightly grayed out but still in color. Hallucinations are a bit harder to pin down until you realize they’re hallucinations and worst case scenarios from Yoon’s mind.
They did an excellent job portraying the sadistic side of Sangwoo versus his caring side based on black versus white pages. They should’ve done something to the panels so we could realize they were memories or hallucinations so it’s easier to tell.
I’m honestly not sure where this series is going. I want to keep reading to see how their dynamic changes now that Sangwoo has forced Yoon to kill someone. Yoon, knowing his personality, may break down or have a psychological break and become more like Sangwoo. It’s kind of a toss up at this point. We can expect Sangwoo to like whatever happens. He may even feel remorseful for a time just to ease and comfort Yoon to keep him under his control.
Recommendations
Horror BL
MDK
By: Ryo Suzuri
My Ranking
Plot: 10/10
Character Development: 6/10
World-Building: 2/10
Overall: 6/10
