The Fall 2024 K-Comics Guide

Semantic Error

What's It About? 

Computer science major Sangwoo Choo values reason, routine, and rules above all, so when the rest of his teammates fail to contribute to the group presentation, he doesn't hesitate to cut everyone's names from the project entirely―including design major Jaeyoung Jang, which ruins his plans to graduate and study abroad. Jaeyoung is more than happy to return the favor and strives to be the biggest thorn in Sangwoo's side―but as they spend more time together, a strange attraction begins to develop between them... Will Sangwoo be able to debug this semantic error from his life?

Semantic Error has art by Angy based on the original story by J. Soori, with English translation by Manta. This volume was lettered by Chiho Christie. Published by Ize Press (November 19, 2024).

Semantic Error is available in print from Ize Press.

Is It Worth Reading?

This volume is not Semantic Error putting its best foot forward. Re-reading it makes me wonder how I read the entire series on Manta in the first place; I'm going to assume some application of the sunk-cost fallacy. And while the story does get better later, or perhaps begins holding its readers hostage against all reason, I also wouldn't blame anyone who noped out of the series entirely partway through this book. That's because, even for the enemies-to-lovers subgenre, this first volume is extraordinarily mean.

Largely this comes from the way Jaeyoung treats Sangwoo. Even if you're not prone to diagnosing or psychoanalyzing characters, it becomes clear early on that Sangwoo is neurodivergent. He has a hard time remembering faces, he sticks to a very strict routine and melts down when he's forced off of it, and he thinks in a black-and-white, matter-of-fact manner. At one point, Jihye, a younger student he more or less befriends, asks him about it, mentioning that she's seen neurodivergence like his on American television. Sangwoo responds that he's been tested, and his doctor didn't think it was worth a formal diagnosis. He is neurodivergent in a way author J. Soori doesn't care to elaborate.

That makes Jaeyoung's targeted bullying of Sangwoo even worse. Even if Jaeyoung doesn't know enough about Sangwoo or neurodivergence to be aware of the full implications of what he's doing, it's still hard to read about. He deliberately disrupts Sangwoo's routine in ways guaranteed to mess with his mental health: he closes off Sangwoo's favorite walking path, buys out Sangwoo's preferred canned coffee, takes his usual seat in the classroom, sits too close to him and jiggles his leg, and the list goes on. It's frankly awful to read about, and even as we begin to see that Jaeyoung is desperately trying to get Sangwoo to notice him – there's an implication that he has a crush on him, and he's casually mentioned as being bisexual – it doesn't set the stage for a great romance.

Things start to get better towards the end of this volume, and I think the series evens out later on, as both Jaeyoung and Sangwoo even out and get to know each other. The art is very nice and the pages are smoothly set up, so it's not like this is a terrible book overall. But it comes perilously close to being a deal breaker in this volume, and if you're not a fan of bullies turning into romantic interests, you may want to pass this series by.

I've heard nothing but good things about this BL manhwa that was popular enough to get a drama adaptation and an animated short, so I was surprised to crack it open and realize how downright mean it was. Semantic Error is a story about a neurodivergent college student being bullied by his popular upperclassman precisely because that student's brain works differently than his own. Perhaps it gets sweeter over time, but there's hardly even civility in this first volume. Well-themed with a “glitchy” design that reflects its programming subplot, this manhwa's beautiful full-color art is spoiled by a plot that revels in torturing a student for being different.

Usually, I enjoy enemies-to-lovers stories, in which two characters who couldn't be more opposed to one another slowly come around to each other's way of thinking, attain mutual respect, and even something more. This story feels different, however, due to the skewed balance of power between the two characters. Jaeyoung is a handsome and adored theater kid who targets Sangwoo, who is described as a “robot” for his prowess in computer programming as well as his behavior pattern that other characters liken to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. After a bad first impression, Jaeyoung gets his revenge by making Sangwoo's daily life a living hell. For example, he discovers Sangwoo's favorite drink at the student store and buys up all of it so Sangwoo can't have any. It's not long before he escalates to daily stalking. However, this is all portrayed in a cutesy way instead of the terrifying antisocial behavior it is. What crime did Sangwoo commit to deserve this? He refused to cover for Jaeyoung when he skipped every class and dumped a group project on Sangwoo's shoulders—leading to Jaeyoung failing the class and being unable to graduate. Oh no: it's the consequences of Jaeyoung's own actions!!

I'm assuming the story improves over time based on how much love it gets, but this entire volume feels like nonstop cruelty. I can't imagine how this turns into a love story. We are told that Jaeyoung's motivation is that overtime he's less mad about the failing class thing and more that he thinks Sangwoo is handsome and unflappable and wants to be noticed (such a theater kid!) but that smacks of the old and gross adage that if a boy is picking on you it's because he likes you. I thought the art was great, especially the more surreal glitchy interludes that blurred the line between daily life and a video game. But it feels wasted on such a twisted bullying plot.