Your Eternal Lies Review: To Never Give Up
Review
Writer: Kkomak (Original Story by jeonhoochi)
Artist: Kkomak
Publisher: Manta
Format: Webtoon
Your Eternal Lie is a romance fantasy webtoon with an underlying powerful message that resonates with those who've ever felt helpless and alone against the world.
Your Eternal Lies Review: To Never Give Up
ReviewWriter: Kkomak (Original Story by jeonhoochi)
Artist: Kkomak
Publisher: Manta
Format: Webtoon
Your Eternal Lie is a romance fantasy webtoon with an underlying powerful message that resonates with those who've ever felt helpless and alone against the world.
If I had to list the best webtoons I read in 2023, Your Eternal Lies would be high up there. With its bewitching story and surprisingly loveable cast of characters, the rofan webtoon hooked me from start to finish. Its charming and eloquent narrative seems to roll off the screen and come to life, much like Rosen Walker’s lies in the webtoon. With pleasing art and great pacing for an 81-episode series, Your Eternal Lies effortlessly took my breath away. Continue down below to find out my favorite parts of the webtoon!
Image: MantaOverview
Sentenced to prison at the age of 17 for murdering her husband, Rosen Walker escaped twice and was recaptured both times within eight years. The story begins when she gets sent to the world’s most notorious island prison, where most prisoners don’t survive. Her escort to the island is Ian Connor, a respected pilot and war hero. How will their story unfold when Rosen tells Ian she has always been innocent of her crimes? Will he carry out his duties or help her escape? Things don’t bode well for Ian when he gets stuck between lies and truths as he falls dangerously in love with a condemned criminal.
Review
Something that captivated me about the story of Your Eternal Lies is how it uniquely explores feminist themes within a world that’s unjust and cruel. While the webtoon’s main story takes place entirely on a ship, the injustices of Rosen’s world are expressed through character actions and flashbacks. The experiences of exploited women are recounted by Rosen, revealing a misogynistic and abusive society. Young orphan girls get sold to old men. Wives get beaten by their husbands. Then there’s Rosen's unfortunate life. Caught in the middle of a world dominated by patriarchy, she gets framed as a female “villain” who is pretty but wicked for supposedly killing her husband. And, just like many other women in the story, Rosen is severely punished even without a fair trial. But as harsh as this world is, all these narrative details set the stage for a character like Rosen to shine the brightest.
Image: MantaRosen’s uncompromising character perfectly contrasts the story’s devilish patriarchy. She is a beacon of light for the underprivileged women in the webtoon, making her an empowering character to read about. One of my favorite quotes comes from Rosen poking fun at the inequality she faces. “Funny, is it? It’s always witchcraft when a woman does something great.” The author does a great job of bringing up this empowering theme subtly at times and then more explicitly at others. No matter how hopeless of a situation she is in, Rosen will lie, seduce, and even sell her body if that is what it takes to gain freedom. Then, with how artist Kkomak draws Rosen with intense determination, you always sense her unwavering will to survive. It’s alluring to read such a morally gray and imperfect character like Rosen be as likable and inspiring as she is. If anything, her flaws are what make her a character you can’t help but support.
But let’s not forget that Your Eternal Lies is a romance fantasy. Writer jeonhoochi doesn’t leave Rosen to her own devices. Ian Connor, as the handsome war hero, perfectly complements Rosen’s strong character. But while Ian helps raise up Rosen, the story never falls into the common trap of taking the female lead’s agency away and turning her into just another damsel in distress. No matter what happens between the two, Rosen always maintains her strength despite the differing power dynamics. What makes their relationship dynamic so compelling is how Ian is one of the first men to treat Rosen humanely, and the only man to treat her as a woman in a gentlemanly manner in such a misogynistic world. With his imperfections and crippling PTSD, Ian is equally as broken and complex as Rosen is. Despite their flaws, they ultimately develop into each other’s saviors. Interestingly enough, readers loved the Rosen and Ian pairing so much that they named them the favorite end-game couple on the Manta app. After eating up the story from start to finish, I must wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.
Image: MantaFinal Thoughts
There’s just so much to love about this captivating webtoon. Seeing Rosen’s character grow, with her strong will to survive, is perhaps the best and most refreshing part of the webtoon. The second best part is the relationship between her and Ian, which I found to be emotional and intense. Even with its relatively short run, I cannot express enough how satisfying I found the ending of Your Eternal Lies to be. Considering the story’s world is so harsh and cruel, it was heartwarming to see the characters staying true to themselves throughout the journey. Your Eternal Lies was a good wrap for my 2023 webtoon reads, and you should check it out if you haven’t already.
Why You Should Read Your Eternal Lies
- It’s a fantastic romance story for fans of the enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
- It’s for readers who love strong female leads.
- The series is complete and has a good amount of episodes to read.