It may seem disingenuous to say this, but I Tamed My Ex-husband's Mad Dog is one of those stories that gets very dark, maybe darker the longer it goes on. Certainly, the covers make that case, although as we all know, you can't always judge a book by one. (Or by their titles, for that matter.) But even among other yeoseong (josei) titles available in English, this work feels particularly grim. That's not because of the blood or body count, but rather because the lead characters are slowly, but deliberately, chipping away at their own happiness to pursue a vengeance that isn't even fully linked to the second life they're living.

Reinhardt, the female protagonist, is a perfect example of this. After her ill-treatment at the hands of Crown Prince Michel and the death of her father due to the same, she's devoted her second loop to ensuring that Michel is punished. At first, in volume one, that just means surviving the punishments he heaps on her with an eye towards the future. Rein believes that one of the best ways to ensure her survival and his downfall is to encounter and take in a young boy who will eventually become a seasoned, skilled knight: Wilhelm. Rein raises him and has her childhood friend Dietrich train him to eventually use him as her sword. But what she doesn't count on is that Will is his own person, and by volume three hints that he may be on his second loop as well, come to fruition. But where Rein's motives are vengeance-based, Will's seem to be rooted in his love for Reinhardt, something that becomes clear has carried over from his first go-round. Since Rein believes that she raised him (and thankfully, his retaining memories takes that uncomfortable angle out of the story), it never occurred to her that he might be in love with her. The revelation of his feelings throws her off in ways she couldn't have predicted, and his response, based on his drive to protect her and claim her for himself, is equally unforeseen.

What all of this means for the series is that these volumes get darker as they go on. Not that I'd ever have called them happy; both characters are driven by terrible events in their pasts, after all. But they think they're working at cross purposes, using each other in ways that they don't understand, and by the end of volume three, it's looking like Wilhelm, at least, is going to begin making very self-destructive choices. There's no real happiness or light break across these books, either. Small moments of what could have been joy are often undercut by other events or are misunderstood by the characters themselves. It's a lot to deal with, although the nature of the story makes it very difficult to stop reading, even as a sense of impending doom (or at least impending terrible decisions) hangs over it like ever-worsening fog.

Still, it's hard to argue with either Rein or Will. Both of them have lived through horrific events, and the same desire that grants second chances does make sense as motivation. Their lives were well and truly destroyed by Michel, and he does deserve to pay, especially since he's just as horrible a person when time resets. Volume three introduces Michel's mother, the empress, and it quickly becomes apparent where his selfishness and sense of entitlement come from…and why, when he thinks he has a chance at a different heir, the emperor makes moves to take it. But this rewriting of history, no matter how well-intentioned or deserved, isn't without its consequences, and people who played very different roles the first time, like Dietrich and Michel's second wife, Dulcinea, get caught up in the changed events. The story goes out of its way to make sure that we understand that all actions reverberate across history, no matter what their original goals were.

Tappytoon's translation (where this was originally serialized) is very good, and in part that's due to the thought that went into every aspect of this manhwa's writing. (And, presumably, the original novel by Ikyum; this is adapted by CMJM and Jagae.) Just looking at the characters' names is a good example of that – Reinhardt and Wilhelm both have names with hard consonants and a harsh sound, while the weaker characters have soft sounds in their names (Michel, Dulcinea). Even a comparison of the two ladies' names proves that thought went into this; “Reinhardt” is a traditionally masculine name meaning “brave counsel,” while “Dulcinea” is traditionally feminine and means “sweet.” Meanwhile, “Wilhelm” means “desire to protect,” while “Michel” means “who is like God.” Since that's precisely who Michel thinks he is and Wilhelm's entire motivation seems to be protecting Rein, the names are apt; the women's names are similarly appropriate, although both Michel's and Dulcinea's may also carry a hint of irony.

Don't pick up I Tamed My Ex-husband's Mad Dog if you're looking for a light, romantic read. But if you're in the mood for something darker, where no one is truly able to see past their pain and motivations, and the plot thickens with every volume, this has you covered. It's not necessarily going to end well – or if it is, it's going to take a hard road to get there – but it's a beautifully illustrated revenge story that will dig its claws into you.