Honeyskein and Damcho, Cover Art, Maybe Meant to Be, Webtoon.
Maybe Meant to Be – Information
Author of Story: Honeyskein and Damcho
Chapter Count: 132 chapters
Status: Completed
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below; only the literary work itself.
- Harassment, bullying
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Plot Summary
Maybe Meant to Be is a fun rom-com story between two unmarried adults, Jia Han and Mincheol Jin (both age 32). They grew up in the same building and were good friends in their younger years.
Jia lives at home with her family as a (currently jobless) freelancer, and Mincheol is the assistant manager of a programming company. Both of these two unfortunately have their families constantly nagging about marriage, and so on a whim Jia suggests…why not just marry each other? Problem solved!
Much to Jia’s (and the readers’) surprise, Mincheol agrees! The marriage happens very quickly, and we are immediately thrust into learning more about these two as they navigate their lives as newlyweds!
Maybe Meant to Be is a humorous and sort of unserious rom-com story that is lighthearted and fun to read. It takes a sort of slice-of-life approach, so we readers get to enjoy seeing how these two will adjust to this big change.
Why I Enjoyed Maybe Meant to Be
There are lots of reasons why this webtoon is so enjoyable. It’s a hilarious romcom, with such a relatable main character.
Jia is an open book, with very expressive reactions to everything. The humor is well-timed and pretty much focused on the uniqueness of the characters. You never know what to expect, and there are lots of little twists that’ll keep you excited (or laughing).
Honeyskein and Damcho, Cover Art, Maybe Meant to Be, Webtoon.
I also can’t help but love the opposites-attract trope. Not sure if this was intentional in Maybe Meant to Be, but it feels that way to me!
Jia is an expressive character who is easily embarrassed and actually has a short temper. Mincheol, on the other hand, has a calm and collected personality, and doesn’t seem to be bothered by typical social norms.
Another aspect of this webtoon that I love is that the romance is a bit more suspenseful, growing gradually but passionately between the two main characters. It’s fun to see them grow and adjust to each other’s lifestyles and personal preferences, as well as grow closer as a couple.
After all, they didn’t actually date beforehand, and start out as cohabiting friends with a contract marriage. They are shy with their new feelings and it’s really cute to see how they care for each other! Plus, they knew each other as kids, but don’t seem to really know each other as adults.
Besides the sweet, slow-blooming romance, the characters are also two adults. The romance in the Maybe Meant to Be webtoon isn’t always cute and innocent, and can be pretty passionate (as much as Webtoon allows, anyway).
Although the story is very whimsical and silly most of the time, it can also be pretty wholesome and cute. It occasionally reminds us readers that it has the childhood friends trope, so these two have a history that we slowly learn more and more about.
Maybe Meant to Be also doesn’t focus on the two main characters as the only plot. There’s also a really cute side relationship that is kind of unexpected but still very sweet! They don’t seem absolutely necessary to the plot of this comic, but they’re cute and a lot of readers like them.
We also see some other important side characters that bring backstory to Jia’s career and past, that help push more interest throughout the story.
The art style is also pretty unique. It feels sort of cartoonish as webtoons often are, but also nicely shaded with extra effects or finishing touches here and there. It seems like extra details appear during the most important moments too, for better impact. I also like that the authors use a lot of bold colors for this story!
The character design in Maybe Meant to Be is fun, too. We have Jia Han, who is clearly an attractive woman just enjoying her passive income; but she’s got a rather dramatic personality even though she seems like she just wants to go with the flow.
I like that she is an adult who doesn’t have major career aspirations. It’s nice to see characters who aren’t completely put together and who are still figuring their lives out! Sometimes the perfect leads in manhwas are a little hard to relate to.
Honeyskein and Damcho, Cover Art, Maybe Meant to Be, Webtoon.
Mincheol Jin, the male lead, at first seems like a stoic guy who gels his hair down and has strange choices of clothing because fashion isn’t a priority for him. He’s a gym nerd, and that’s about it.
However, as the webtoon progresses, we get to see more of his hidden sides and personality. I love the hidden-hunk trope; it isn’t used often enough! It keeps things exciting and we often get some interesting reactions from side characters about it, too.
Overall, Maybe Meant to Be has a laid back plot that is romance-focused most of the time, while also slowly revealing more of Jia’s past and previous career. It’s very fun and goofy, as the characters are very eccentric and weird in their own ways. If you like lighthearted, silly rom-coms, this webtoon could be a great reading choice!
Any Cons?
One thing about Maybe Meant to Be that some readers may not like is that although these two are adults, they act a bit younger in terms of their attitudes and responses to conflicts in the series.
The main character, Jia, does act immature pretty often and has difficulty recognizing or verbalizing her own emotions. She frequently overreacts, and has a difficult time admitting her true feelings.
Don’t be mistaken, I’m not trying to label ages with expectations of maturity. I don’t think there’s a specific age where a switch flips and suddenly you’re emotionally mature, or that anyone has to act a certain way at any specific age. Plus, the immaturity of the characters does keep the story pretty humorous and unserious.
The reason I mentioned this is because the timing of the emotionally immature acts or dialogue can get a bit frustrating. Mostly because Jia tends to make the progress drag slower with her shyness or denial of her true feelings.
I also found some of the things she says embarrassing for me as the reader, haha. I felt that second-hand embarrassment just a bit too often, and personally had hoped more maturity would reveal itself during more serious or romantic moments. So if this aspect of the story bothers you, you could try Romance 101 instead for some more emotionally mature characters!
We also see a handful of typical manhwa tropes in Maybe Meant to Be, such as side characters creating love triangles, the parent-trial trope, and others that some readers might not be fond of, but I personally don’t mind these.
I think that these “cons” are also just part of the overall vibe of this webtoon: a dramatic rom-com with extreme character types. Jia’s tendency to be easily embarrassed and her inability to admit her feelings just makes you more eager for the two main characters to create their relationship into something more!
Final Thoughts
Maybe Meant to Be is a fun, suspenseful, and very humorous romance webtoon. It’s a bit more on the lighthearted side with very extreme character types and dramatized scenes. It’s an enjoyable read that keeps you wanting more, and is great for those looking for a less serious, whimsical romance.
Disclaimer: Any images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Honeyskein and Damcho. Maybe Meant to Be. Webtoon, 2022. https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/maybe-meant-to-be/list?title_no=4208.
