One of the Best Romance Manhwa Has an Overarching Flaw that Kept it From Becoming the Next Horimiya & The Apothecary Diaries

In the world of visual novels, Korean Manhwas are slowly gaining popularity. From Omniscient Reader to True Beauty, several webtoons are entering their respective niche. This is especially true with most upcoming series in the romance genre. This includes a popular fan-favorite webtoon that might be on par with The Apothecary Diaries and Horimiya. But there’s a catch to it.

Maybe Meant To Be is one of the popular webtoons in the romance genre. Its light-hearted take on relationships sets it apart from other series. The webtoon is a refreshing take on the romance genre as a whole. Its overarching flaw, however, is holding back its true potential.

Maybe Meant to Be is a promising yet flawed series

Maybe Meant To Be is a romance webtoon written by Honeyskein and Damcho. The South Korean visual novel follows the journey of Jia Han and Mincheol Jin. Jia, who is in her thirties, is pressured by her family to get married. She finds solace in Mincheol who accepts her proposal to get married. The series differs from most bog-standard romance webtoons.

Apart from being one of the top-rated webtoons, the series approaches romance differently. Unlike the tropes of a high-school romance, this series focuses on middle-aged characters.

It also reflects the pressure and difficulties of Asian society. From navigating family pressure to exploring love, Honeyskein captures romance differently despite its overarching flaw as fans pointed out.

A discussion on r/webtoons had several users pointing out the characters’ immaturity as the major flaw.

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While most comments outlined a vague sense of maturity, others seem to validate it. This makes sense considering romance exists on a wide spectrum. Relationships and the idea of love are bound to change. This is what makes the series different from other manhwa. Its approach to romance from a middle-aged person’s perspective is what defies the cliche tropes.

Honeyskein’s manhwa could be on par with Horimiya and The Apothecary Diaries

Despite its flaws, Maybe Meant To Be has a lot of potential as a romance series. Its unique take on relationships and love can put it on par with Horimiya and The Apothecary Diaries. This is especially true with the slow-burn romance between the two characters. Jia and Mincheol’s story starts as friends and blossoms into love which would take readers on a nostalgia trip.

It is an old-school romance but without the old systems and school life. Both characters are middle-aged and grappling with their situations. Jia is a freelancer who struggles to convince her parents. Mincheol is on the same page, which brings both characters together.

Conversely, Hori and Miyamura face struggles in their own way. Despite their struggles, they realize their true feelings for each other. In a similar vein, The Apothecary Diaries reflects struggles and hardships. The commonality between all three series is the struggle. Yet they differ from each other in most aspects.

From trafficking to societal pressure, the new-age romance series highlights realistic love stories. What makes these series unique and interesting is their portrayal of diversity. Especially when it comes to age, experiences as well as hardships. These stories are anything but bog-standard, evidently, in their portrayal of a spectrum of emotions.

Horimiya and The Apothecary Diaries are available for streaming on Crunchyroll. Maybe Meant to Be is available for reading on Webtoon.