Jinx: Toxic ☠ Sweet 🍬 or sweet🍬 Jerk 🤬?

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/jinx_en   But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex,  https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/21/who-are-you-the-significance-of-masks-in-manhwas/  and the 8th essay about Jinx Joo Jaekyung the strongest man in the world Here is the link where you can find analyses of other manhwas: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

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1. Toxic or not?

After the publication of chapter 10, many readers were upset about the protagonist’s attitude towards the uke. They started describing him as toxic because of the following panels: (chapter 10) (chapter 10) (chapter 10) He was perceived as arrogant and heartless, as he was judging Kim Dan for his way of life and as such for his poverty. Anyone can see that Kim Dan’s social status was inherited. The debts were already there, when the protagonist was a child. (chapter 05) That’s the reason why many readers were siding with the doctor, and got infuriated towards the champion due to his comments.

But the irony is that the same panels can be interpreted differently. How so? First, it is because it depends on how people view life. Is the glass half full or half empty? Are you someone who tends to see things on the bright side or not? This implies that the interpretation is based on past experiences. Let me give you an example. In the last image, one part of the main lead’s message was that he would never sleep with a drunk person. (Chapter 10) In other words, he is no rapist taking advantage of the situation. One might argue about this, for the athlete didn’t seem to seek Kim Dan’s consent before. However, this is not correct. The doctor always had the choice to refuse to have sex with Joo Jaekyung. (Chapter 2) Later, he was the one who changed the amount of the salary for his services (Chapter 6) which led to the addition of a condition. Thus they came to an agreement. As a conclusion, Joo Jaekyung has never sexually assaulted the young man. It was consensual, even if there is no ambiguity that Kim Dan was not doing it out of pleasure. Consequently, certain readers viewed it as rape, while in truth it is just “work” and as such “prostitution”. Moreover, the pressure from accepting the deal comes less from the athlete himself (chapter 3), rather more from the halmoni’s health issues and the remaining debts. (chapter 11) To conclude, this comment (chapter 10) could be seen as something positive. On the other hand, the readers were bothered due to his choice of words “reeks of booze” which sounded like an insult. Kim Dan would stink. But there exists another perception of these words. He was reproaching his drunkenness from the night before. He had drunk too much to the point that he would stink. He should know his limits. However, it is also important to put this statement into its context, hence he was definitely mocking the main character. But there is a reason for that. Joo Jaekyung felt annoyed that the physical doctor would see him as a pervert. Kim Dan thought, the fighter would even have sex with an unconscious person. This shows that the celebrity had observed his reaction and interpreted it correctly (chapter 10), when the latter had woken up. Hence the host got displeased and was harsh with his words. (Chapter 10) And note that the reproach from the sportsman did affect the doctor. (Chapter 10) The latter felt embarrassed, for he had been caught! Joo Jaekyung had truly grasped his reaction and perception about him. That’s the reason why the doctor didn’t reply. As you can see, Kim Dan’s misjudgment about Joo Jaekyung came to light in episode 10. In my eyes, it is related to the sex scene in the shower room. For the doctor, it looked like the young man would have sex at any time and any place, (Chapter 7) because Joo Jaekyung had used his condition in the shower room to achieve his goal, (chapter 8). When the athlete had added the condition, Kim Dan had imagined that the athlete would act exactly like during their first night together. He would call him at any moment, and the uke had to come to his flat. Yet because of the sex session in the showers, the doctor could only get the impression that he would do it, even if there were people next to them. So for the poor doctor, it looked like Joo Jaekyung was consumed by lust. He had already done it in the past ,and this has always been the main lead’s intention to ask for sexual favors anywhere and at any time. However, this is not correct, for the sportsman had acted that way out of jealousy. (Chapter 7) This was something totally new, for he had never shared the shower with other athletes before. But I doubt that in the shower, the physical therapist had really understood the comment from Oh Daehyun and his colleague(chapter 08) As you can see, in the penthouse, both protagonists had a false perception of each other.

Therefore while many readers detected the negative aspect of this statement (“You stink, because you drank too much”), I preferred to judge it in a rather positive light: “You should have drunk less” and “I don’t sleep with unconscious men”. On the other hand, the athlete was forgetting that his intoxication was related to the Black Men’s challenge and Joo Jaekyung had played a huge role in this. (chapter 09) In other words, the athlete was partially responsible for his inebriation too. But the man was actually denying his responsibility. To conclude, when the couple fought in the penthouse, both were at fault. Why? It is because they don’t know each other well. Furthermore, they both have such prejudices about each other, as they both come from two different worlds: the upper-class symbolizing wealth (chapter 10) versus the low social class connected to poverty (chapter 10) What caught my attention is that Kim Dan refused to explain his situation to the athlete. Why? It was only out of pride. With his tragic life, he would appear as pitiful. Thus he thought like this: (chapter 10) He didn’t want to get pitied! Let’s not forget that the young man was able to study and become a doctor despite his origins. This means that he was able to raise his social status due to his intelligence and determination. That’s the reason why he valued his job so much. Since he is a “self-made” man, he strongly internalized that he could do everything on his own. He doesn’t need anyone’s help. However, his “dream” got ruined, the moment his halmoni became sick. Note that even cornered, the doctor is refusing to explain his situation to others (chapter 11) and especially to Joo Jaekyung. (chapter 11). He has another reason which I will explicate further below. But this doesn’t end here. When he begged the sportsman on his knees, he preferred offering him something in return. (chapter 11) In exchange for money, he would offer his help and services. And when he proposed this, he was already thinking about sex!! Nevertheless, he could have explained his situation, but he chose to hide everything.

In my eyes, he had three reasons to act this way. He might have lowered himself in front of the athlete, yet he refused to accept the money for free out of pity. Till the end, the physical therapist preferred making a deal than getting money out of pity. After reading this, certain readers might have the impression that I am siding with the sportsman. But no… my point is the following: none of these two characters are irreproachable. Kim Dan is a human after all. Sure, he is definitely less flawed than the rough and selfish celebrity, but he is not perfect either. He is also prejudiced. To conclude, when the couple argued in the apartment, the readers could witness the perfect illustration of the four-sides model developed by Friedmann Schulz von Thun.

2. Sweet or toxic talk?

What is it exactly? The psychologist realized that each message has 4 sides. The theory states that each message contains 4 different pieces of information: facts or factual information, self revelation about the speaker, a message about the relationship between the speaker and the listener and an appeal.

Quoted from https://blog.rwth-aachen.de/designthinking/tag/four-sides-model/#:~:text=The%20four-sides-model%20consists,the%20sender%20intended%20to%20communicate.

This outlines the complexity of communication. As the readers can sense, I had already applied this theory, when I analyzed the fighter’s comment about the booze! And now, it is time to examine another illustration. (chapter 10) These words meant the following:

Factual information: This house is unhealthy and unsanitary. That’s the reason why he added this later. (chapter 10) And he is not wrong, since Kim Dan was supposed to leave the district. (chapter 11)

Self-revelation: (chapter 10) Joo Jaekyung couldn’t understand why the doctor could live there, as he wouldn’t be able to do it himself. He can not call this a home or house.

Relationship: Since he is rich, he can judge what a normal habitation looks like. (chapter 10) He is implying that he has more knowledge than Kim Dan who has always lived there. The champion knows about safety norms and what should be considered as normal. Besides, don’t forget that when the boxer entered the room, he saw not only the mold, but also the alcohol on the floor. (chapter 10) So in his mind, the doctor looked like a heavy drinker, even like a drug addict! And now, you comprehend why the athlete said this to the physical therapist!! (chapter 10) The problem is that the young man had bought soju, when he was sick and upset after his first night with the champion. He wanted to forget this nightmare!! As you can imagine, this had only happened one time, but the champion came to the conclusion that the main lead would consume soju constantly. Don’t forget that the fighter doesn’t drink at all. Thus I am suspecting that Joo Jaekyung truly believed the doctor’s words, when the latter explained his bruises. (chapter 11) The protagonist must have thought that his doctor had fallen in the stairs due to intoxication. Thus he gave him the following advice: (chapter 11) He should pay attention to his drinking habits!! But this actually displays his innocence contrary to the coach Park. (chapter 11) The former has no idea about the abusive behavior of loan sharks.

Finally, the last side of the message, appeal: He should move out, since he has now money!! (chapter 10) In other words, he was actually showing concerns for the doctor, but the latter never realized it. He only saw it as arrogance and lack of empathy. For him, “it’s disgusting” sounded like “you’re disgusting”. Besides, I also think that his intervention was not well perceived. I would like to point out that Kim Dan’s life has always been affected in a negative way, when people interfered in his life, and these were the loan sharks!! (chapter 10) Since the fighter has a similar behavior (rough, rude and cold), there is no ambiguity why the doctor would reject the athlete’s advices and assistance. (chapter 10) So when the doctor resented the champion, for he knew nothing about his life, he was not realizing that it is the same for him. He knows nothing about Joo Jaekyung as well, for he judges him based on impressions. Both characters both jumped to false conclusions. Since the athlete lives in a huge and fancy house, and he owns a very expensive car, it looks like he is swimming in money. I would even say, he even imagines that Joo Jaekyung is throwing away his money so easily, and because of this scene. (chapter 2) But he is actually wrong. He is definitely careful, like we could discover it in episode 11. (chapter 11) On the other hand, he never pondered on the question how the young man could spend 14.000 dollars within a week. In my eyes, he is jumping to a false conclusion, exactly like the doctor. In his mind, the young man must be probably gambling. In other words, I believe that Joo Jaekyung has the following mind-set: people are poor due to their poor mind-set (drug addiction, gambling, no real common sense or good taste). To conclude, they are responsible for their misery. From my perspective, the major problem between these two characters is their bias about rich and poor people. On the other hand, Kim Dan views the sportsman as a selfish and spoiled brat (chapter 11), hence his personality is lacking!! Thus when the boxer explained why he brought Kim Dan to his house, the latter could only have the impression that he had done it against his will. (chapter 10) The champion’s words reinforced his false perception about the main lead. He was just selfish, and his gesture was not done out of generosity. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that even Kim Dan didn’t feel any gratitude towards Joo Jaekyung as well. If he had felt indebted, he wouldn’t have looked away and blamed himself for this incident. By putting the responsibility on him, he was actually denying the boxer’s selflessness. And exactly like in the video mentioned above, the tones and the gestures contributed to increase the misunderstanding between them. However, when Joo Jaekyung declared “It’s not like I wanted to do it”, he was actually thinking like this. He had done it, because the doctor had requested it!! (chapter 10) This shows that actually, Joo Jaekyung had been quite considerate. For me, there is no doubt that he felt pity for Kim Dan, who was crying and clinching onto him. And I have a proof for this interpretation. When Kim Dan was begging on his knees, this is what the athlete thought. (chapter 11) Pathetic is a synonym for pitiful! So while his words “fucking pathetic” gave the impression that he was calling Kim Dan a loser, I believe that it was the opposite. Thus he replied to this plea, he desired to do something new. He was seeking “entertainment”! The antonym of pathetic is HAPPY and CHEERFUL! And that’s how he responded. He was not mocking Kim Dan in the end. He wished to change the atmosphere in my eyes.

To conclude, their argument in the penthouse was not toxic at all! It actually outlined their prejudices, the issues lie in their communication too. And since the doctor judges Joo JAekyung as someone obsessed with sex, it is not surprising that when the main lead agreed to his request (chapter 11), many readers were again upset, because they were thinking exactly like the doctor. Some manhwalovers were already imagining that the champion would ask for a BDSM session due to his expressions: “I’ve been wanting to try”. Why? It is because so far, his conditions were all linked to his sexual behavior. BUT if the manhwalovers look for the story’s description, they will discover that Jinx is not tagged with BDSM! It is just categorized as “rough”. That’s why I don’t think that this is what the lover has in mind! For me, his new desire is to share his penthouse with the doctor. So far, he has never lived with anyone else before. Yes, I believe that he is proposing cohabitation. Don’t forget that Joo Jaekyung saw his terrible house. Secondly, he refused to give him money, because in his mind, this will never solve the problem. From his perspective, Kim Dan will keep spending money (either alcohol or gambling) I also think that the fighter prefers not to rely too much on his family and his wealth. (chapter 11) Though he comes from a rich family, there is no ambiguity that he is careful with his money. He is actually like the doctor, he worked hard for his fame. Secondly, the distressed protagonist revealed that he had no longer any home and he needed the money in order to find a new flat. (chapter 11) And cohabitation is the perfect solution for this couple. That way, they can discover their own bias and false judgment about each other. Finally, let’s not forget that in chapter 4, the champion had been happy, when the doctor had left the flat quietly. (chapter 04) Yet, later he came to regret it. Striking is that he had never asked the young man to leave the bed, when he woke up. (chapter 4) This shows that he had not mind of sharing his bed with him.

3. The clash of civilizations

Since both protagonists come from two different worlds and have a different past, this is not surprising that they are arguing. In chapter 10, I had already sensed that Kim Dan has a different notion of home than the fighter’s. The physical doctor was associating his humble dwell to his grandma. (chapter 10) In this place, he could witness her love. She protected him from the loan sharks, (chapter 5) she even brought him a sweet bread for his birthday. (chapter 10) This means that this small house is a place full of “good memories” despite his struggles. Thus the doctor made the choice to never leave this place. One might say that his stay is related to his promise to his grandmother. (chapter 11) But there is more to it. Let’s not forget that when he sensed the presence of Joo Jaekyung in the room, he already imagined that this was his grandmother. (chapter 10) It is because he has never brought home anyone else before. He didn’t want people to see his “poverty”. From my point of view, he wanted to stay there, because it was the only thing that was reminding him of his grandmother! If she were to die, he would have nothing left. For the champion, it looked like the doctor was living alone, as there were no traces of the grandmother. The champion could discover his loneliness and his abandonment issues. The house itself symbolizes the halmoni. That’s the reason why he is so attached to it. And this displays that Kim Dan had decided to stay there on purpose. That way, he wouldn’t feel too lonely. But the thought to lose the flat is like announcing the grandmother’s death. For me, there is no ambiguity that he is very scared of losing her. To conclude, for Kim Dan, home is connected to a loved one and the souvenirs they share together. But this notion stands in opposition to the champion’s who prefers living far away from his own family. (chapter 10) For him, a house is connected to comfort, independence, security, functionality and health. He has definitely a cleaning lady. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung couldn’t grasp why Kim Dan would stay there. And he was partially not wrong, for it was Kim Dan’s decision to stay there. It was not just out of his financial situation, while he gave the opposite impression. (chapter 10) His reasons for his stay were more sentimental in the end. Thus I come to the conclusion that it was in truth a blessing in disguise, when Joo Jaekyung visited his flat. (chapter 10) He was the only one who knew about his living conditions!! In a way, he can feel good, if he proposes cohabitation to Kim Dan. What he is not realizing is that he is indirectly learning to take care of others, to open up and to share things (the showers, and in the future his flat). And this leads me to the following observation. During that night, the fighter had been quite generous. While Mingwa exposed Joo Jaekyung’s narrow-mindedness (chapter 10) and roughness in the small room on purpose (chapter 10), it was up to the readers to detect his kindness. (chapter 10) Despite the crude idiom “dude”, he was quite gentle, when he tapped him with his foot. Then, when the main lead woke up, he was sleeping in the middle of the bed with the cover on him. (chapter 10) This exposes that Joo Jaekyung had covered him and not just let him fall on the bed. Secondly, he had even offered him a bed, while he had slept elsewhere. He could have dropped him on the sofa. And if you compare the boxer’s behavior in the earlier chapters, you can detect the huge transformation: (chapter 02) The dispute was short, but it ended in violence. However, this is not the case with the sweet Kim Dan. Note that he could have pushed away the doctor more brutally, as he is really strong, but he never did. (chapter 10) He is already changing. Nevertheless, his other problem are his expressions and as such his vocabulary. His favorite idioms are “fuck” and “punk” (chapter 10) (chapter 11) This reflects his lack of education. He is not good with words, his statements could only fuel the argument. Therefore it is not surprising that he prefers using his hands. Research has already outlined the connection between violence and vocabulary. Here you can read this interesting article about criminality and expressions (“When ex-cons change their vocabulary, they stay out of jail”).

4. Toxic relationship and toxic people

So far, I have not defined what toxic relationship or toxic people are.

“In human behavior, toxic is used to describe someone who causes distress in others through negative words and actions. However, it isn’t always easy to identify a toxic person, as their behaviors can be subtle. […] Often the phrase “toxic person” is used to describe someone who is subtly or outwardly manipulative, self-centered, needy, or controlling. These behaviors may manifest from underlying feelings of low self-esteem and mental health conditions such as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), childhood trauma, or other deeply rooted personal issues. In addition, research suggests that some people who behave in toxic ways may have certain “dark core” personality traits. These traits manifest as a tendency to put their goals and interests above all others while justifying their behavior to avoid guilt or shame.” Quoted from https://psychcentral.com/blog/whats-a-toxic-person-how-do-you-deal-with-one#whats-a-toxic-person

As the manhwalovers can detect, this adjective is linked to manipulation, gaslighting and deception, and the partner is not realizing it first. However, if the readers pay attention to the champion’s behavior, he is far from being manipulative and fake. In fact, he is not capable of hiding his anger (chapter 5), his disappointment, his admiration (chapter 8), his arrogance… He speaks up his mind all the time. Thus he made a deal with the doctor, and the latter is aware of the content which he also accepted. Furthermore, I would like to add that calling people “toxic” is actually wrong, for this implies that they will never change. I agree with the author Hannah Baer that the word “toxic” is overused and is actually contra-productive.

“Research suggests that even difficult personality styles can change over time, rather than being fixed and immovable. Intractable conflict experts don’t focus much on bad actors in part because they know that dynamics and situations are toxic, not people. […] Of course, the world is rife with unequal power dynamics, and power abused. But when people with equal amounts of power are blaming each other for being “toxic,” “manipulative,” or a “narcissist,” they’re often taking the easy way out. In situations of interdependence coupled with severe harm, it may help people in crisis to temporarily frame their boss or girlfriend or parent as pathologically bad in order to extricate themselves. In the long run, however, resorting to fixed pathology to explain bad behavior creates problems for all parties.” Quoted from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/26/toxic-people-behavior-blame-psychology

In truth, the real jerks in the story ARE the loan sharks. They are the toxic people who had no reason to beat the young man, for he had already paid the interests on time. (chapter 11) They felt pleasure by tormenting Kim Dan, for they felt powerful. They don’t care if they ruin his career. (chapter 11) Who would hire or keep a physical therapist, when he appears with bruises on his face? Kim Dan never revealed his situation to the Black Team, for he feared that he could lose his job, as he is connected to dubious loan sharks. (chapter 11) Yes, with such a meddling, they are actually dragging down the debtors so that it becomes more difficult to escape from poverty. Now, you have the other explanation why Kim Dan lied to the coach and the other boxer. However, imagine the loan sharks’ reaction, when they recognize that they can no longer harass Kim Dan, for the latter moved out without leaving an address. His departure is actually a blessing in disguise like mentioned above. There’s no ambiguity that they will go to the hospital and harass the halmoni. (chapter 11) And if my prediction is correct, the athlete will be able to monitor his roommate’s movements. So far, the champion thinks that the halmoni is no longer from this world. (chapter 10)

As a conclusion, by moving out, the physician won’t be able to hide the debts and the existence of the loan sharks to Joo Jaekyung. And that’s how the latter will recognize that Kim Dan’s poverty is not self-created. (chapter 5) In fact, it was the result from his parents. Honestly, I am even suspecting that they are not dead. They vanished, while leaving the huge amount of debts to the halmoni and the grandson. And don’t forget that Joo Jaekyung’s matches are broadcasted on TV!! (chapter 05) Thus the coach was also seen there. So the moment Kim Dan’s face appears on TV next to the champion, many people will be surprised: the vicious director of the hospital, the loan sharks, and if my theory is correct, then the persons responsible for the debts! They could discover Kim’s lucky career! They could even imagine that the physical therapist is now rich, since he is working for a successful person. So they would jump to the conclusion that the family was able to pay off the debts so that they would resurface and try to rekindle with the halmoni and Kim Dan.

To conclude, though I felt terrible for Kim Dan, I do think that Joo Jaekyung is his bird of fortune. He is his toxic sweet, for the latter is full of flaws. And thanks to the doctor, the champion is discovering a new world, he is feeling more emotions and attachment. Thus he is opening up and speaking more and more. Consequently, it is no coincidence that as time passes on, the athlete is getting less and less selfish and brutal. Finally, the moment Joo Jaekyung discovers that his assistant was assaulted by three men using a bat (chapter 11), I am certain that he will see red! Why? It is because he stands for fair fighting! That’s how he also makes a living. Thus there is no ambiguity that the loan sharks will feel the champion’s wrath. 😉 And I am looking forward for this moment!

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