By Eu
Voice of Love by Pongpong
Status: Completed
Available at Lezhin
From Lezhin:
After experiencing a traumatic incident involving a previous lover, Jiho is too afraid to tell his classmate Soohan that he likes him. Thankfully, Soohan can hear other people’s thoughts and asks him out first. But, as we all know, love isn’t always that easy. Will Jiho and Soohan really get their happily ever after?
May contain spoilers so proceed with caution!
Story
Positive ♡(｡- ω -)
Voice of Love is generally cute and fluffy. What drew me in initially was how Jiho was so cute crushing for Soohan. He was so obvious and flailing all the time. His struggle to remain close to his crush while trying not to be so obvious with your feelings is a struggle many of us can relate and it’s funny because of that. But it is more amusing to read because it is Jiho.
While everything starts off nice and funny, the dark undertones rear its head when the first hint of Jiho’s past resurfaced. There are some low-key bullying and bastard ex involve. While this issue persists for the most part of the story, Voice of Love doesn’t take a sharp turn to angst which is something I’m grateful for since it would disrupt the mood it presented at the start.
Voice of Love also deals with the importance of communication in a relationship which I think is more important for Soohan. It is important for Jiho after what happened to his past relationship but Soohan is the more closed-off one when it comes to his feelings. And his ability makes him an observer more than directly involved with his relationships of any kind.
Negative (￣︿￣)
At first, I thought the title Voice of Love talks about Soohan’s ability to hear other people’s thoughts. He, after all, hears thoughts especially if they like him. His ability intrigues me the most. So when I see that the story is going in a different direction than with the one I expected it to take, I am quite disappointed. And especially when the ability went away just like that.
Okay, so I get it that there are more pressing matters for Soohan other than his ability. I also kinda guessed what happened to his abilities. The creator’s afterword only confirmed the details about it. But that’s the thing, the explanation happened afterward. It happened outside of the story. It’s like J. K. Rowling clarifying HP matters AFTER the series. I wish the subplot that is Soohan’s ability is explored more or at least explained more IN the story, not just a vague explanation about it.
Characters
Positive ♡(｡- ω -)
I love Jiho and Soohan as they are adorable babies. But while I love their flirty moments I feel like both of them have incomplete character arcs. It is frustrating because I like them but I feel like there’s something more to them that they haven’t told yet.
But my favorite character is, hands down, Jung Hyebin. She is the most awesome friend among the handful of lovable ladies in the BL world. She is just the most precious for always looking out for Jiho at all times despite her own feelings. Hyebin is the kind of friend we all secretly wish to have.
Neutral (¯ . ¯٥)
Meanwhile, Jisoo is also a good friend. It is mentioned in the creator’s afterword that he is the last addition to the characters and I sort of guessed that too. Jisoo just feels… like an afterthought. He comes in in the middle of the conflict so he hasn’t really solidified his position but somehow he is also an important character. It was a whirlwind of events that puts him on the edge between a friend and a foe that I had this impression that he is just there for convenience. His appearance is convenient for all people involved and for the resolution. But he is also not a full character like Hyebin.
I liked him but his character could have been more fleshed out.
Art
Positive ♡(｡- ω -)
I loved the art of Voice of Love because it is vibrant. It’s colors add to the light atmosphere of the comic. Though, at times, I had a hard time distinguishing Soohan and Jiho’s first love because they almost looked the same. They even have the same vibe. But the good thing is, this mostly happens in previews where the coloring is black and white.
Enjoyment (✯◡✯)
It was a fun quick read with lots of cuteness and lovey-dovey scenes. It’s not perfect and I wished some of the things in the story are more polished but hey, the most important thing for me is if I’ve enjoyed it and I did!
✭ Highlights ✭
Jung Hyebin standing up for Jiho when their class is on the verge of doing a second round of bullying. I love her more for that and I also feel sad for her somehow.