The Spring 2025 K-Comics Guide

Flex Appeal

What's It About? 

Subin's love life? A total dumpster fire. Every guy he dates is just another disappointment, and even the fortune teller he goes to for advice tells him his love life is cursed. As a muscular bottom, Subin has about 0% appeal to the tops in his area…and the men he does manage to date? Yep, trash. Every. Single. Time. And so, Subin swears off dating for good…until his literal dream guy walks into his life. He's hot, he's charming, and he's totally Subin's type. But can he really be trusted, or is he just another beautifully wrapped disaster?

Flex Appeal has a story by Gelatino and art by Yamang Coconut. English translation and lettering by Lezhin. Published by Lezhin (April 9, 2025). Rated M.

Is It Worth Reading?

Lauren Orsini
Rating:

Flex Appeal has the oldest porn setup in the book: the only way this broke protagonist can pay is with his body. Escalating from solo masturbation to watersports fetish play within ten chapters, there is very little of this Lezhin comic that isn't porn. It's an extremely basic story about muscular guys getting it on, and there's been very little conflict to stop them from doing so. What I find most strange about this story that seems to be designed specifically as a vehicle for porn is that it is censored with all genitals whited-out. Even the word “wet” in “wet dream” is censored! I am not sure why that choice was made, but one of the most creative parts of the comic (certainly more creative than the plot) is the artist's recurring gag of drawing faces where characters' dicks would be to express their current feelings. It's a quick and dirty story that delivers exactly what it says on the tin, but if you're looking for something this close to porn, you might as well look at uncensored porn.

Since high school, Subin has channeled his sexual frustration into working out. Now that he's an adult, he's so muscular that he can't attract any tops who want a bottom as buff as he is. When Hyunwoo, the man of his dreams walks into his life and accepts him as a personal trainer, Subin thinks his life might be turning around. However, that's because Subin is as dumb as he is ripped. Shortly after Subin gets scammed into holding the bag for his scummy boss at the gym, he finds himself in debt to the gym's new landlord—who just so happens to be Hyunwoo, a guy who was only getting personal training to scope out the place. Subin's flat broke, so would it be OK with Hyunwoo if he pays with his body? (Of course it'S.o.K. This story dropped any pretense at realism in the scene where Subin's dick started crying.)

By chapter 10 the characters have already had all manner of acrobatic and fetishistic sex, so I don't know where Flex Appeal goes from here. Costumes? More partners? I would not be surprised. It's two hot dudes and their lovingly-drawn six-packs and bodily fluids. It's definitely one of the filthiest things I've ever reviewed for the guide. If somebody caught me reading it, I couldn't even say “I'm just reading it for the story!” because there really isn't one.