Woof Wolf Review
Last year, I debuted as a writer for Boys Love Universe with my top seven science fiction/fantasy BL manhwa on Lezhin Comics. It was a fun way to get started and I greatly appreciate you for reading my articles. I wanted to write reviews of my favorite titles, and what better way to start than the first manhwa I listed in my debut article: Woof Wolf!
The BL follows the story of Jae-min, a college student who has a natural curiosity for his redhead classmate, Min-woo. On a night out with their classmates, Min-woo and his friend, Na-kyung, suddenly leave the bar. Jae-min steps out later to go for a smoke break and admires the full moon. Later, he encounters Na-kyung walking a giant red wolf. This leads to a shocking discovery: Min-woo is a werewolf! Jae-min then reveals to Min-woo that he knows his secret and promises to not reveal his lycanthropy in exchange for sex. This begins a sexual relationship where Jae-min learns just how much of a wild animal Min-woo can be.
Woof Wolf was written and illustrated by Magoo and first published in 2020. The English translation was released by Lezhin Comics in September 2021. The comic ran for two seasons with a total of 55 episodes and 6 side stories. For a supernatural BL, Woof Wolf is surprisingly grounded in a degree of realism but contains lots of sexual content to satisfy the reader. Often, it feels like the Min-woo’s lycanthropy takes a backseat, but I’m not complaining because I love the presentation and character development. Who doesn’t love a sex buddies turned boyfriends story?
Our Cast of Characters:
Park Jae-min
Our lead protagonist and uke, Park Jae-min is in the same year as Min-woo. His distinct features are his glasses and his casual approach to sex. Due to a bad relationship when he was younger, Jae-min prefers to approach sex with no strings attached as long as he’s satisfied. This leads to some questionable actions and words from him throughout the main story. But I assure you, dear readers, that he matures as a character in the second season. While one may interpret Jae-min’s actions as rude and selfish, I argue that he’s dealing with his trauma. His actions can be seen as a form of self-defense so he wouldn’t have a broken heart again. Even before learning that Min-woo was a werewolf, Jae-min had been very interested in his red-haired classmate on a physical level. The more time he spends with Min-woo, Jae-min starts to become more considerate of people’s feelings. Without spoiling the story, Jae-min had to go through his own personal trials to overcome his past and find a better future through his relationship with Min-woo.
Hah Min-woo
As the love interest, Min-woo is the seme in the relationship, despite being asked to have sex with Jae-min. There’s no complicated story over how he became a werewolf because his family are werewolves too! He’s a sweetheart! Whether he’s in wolf or human form, Min-woo is just the cutest seme you’d ever see in a BL. His adorable personality makes you want to fall in love with him and protect him at all costs!
His werewolf form is adorable! When one thinks of werewolves, we tend to think monstrous creatures in films, like An American Werewolf in London. But in Woof Wolf, Min-woo is the opposite of what you’d imagine. When he transforms under the full moon, Min-woo’s form resembles a big red-furred wolf. Min-woo is still capable to talking in his wolf form and isn’t too bothered by his transformations. But what makes him unique is how he behaves in his wolf form. Instead of a wild wolf, Min-woo behaves more like a giant puppy. He rolls around in bed, he enjoys getting pets (something Jae-min did when he first saw his wolf form), giving doggy kisses, and stick his head out of the car window during a road trip.
Kim Na-kyung
When we first see her, Na-kyung is the best friend who always hangs out with Min-woo. The two have been friends for a long time, most likely since middle school, if not sooner. This leads to some confusion from Jae-min, who initially suspect Min-woo and Na-kyung being a romantic couple. As Min-woo’s friend, Na-kyung is fully aware of his and his family’s lycanthropy and tends to help him out when he transforms, such as putting a leash on him and taking him on a walk, like any regular dog. Her support for Min-woo is encouraging and sweet. She even encourages Min-woo to date Jae-min!
Yeon-woo
Min-woo’s older sister appears a few times in the story, but she’s a great supporting character. As a rare family member without lycanthropy, Yeon-woo shares the same role as Na-kyung in being a support figure to Min-woo. Even when Min-woo is in his human form, Yeon-woo is still very protective of her younger brother. In one sequence, she and Na-kyung tail Min-woo on his public outing with Jae-min. They do get caught not too long after, but it shows how concerned she is with her brother. She does seem to hint at her support for Min-woo’s relationship with Jae-min, as any family member should!
Lee Yeong
Lee Yeong is a side character, but there’s a reason why I’m highlighting him. When we first meet him, Lee Yeong is just the owner of a small café adjacent to Jae-min’s apartment building. Jae-min brings Min-woo to the café one day as they begin their casual sex affair. But Lee immediately takes a sudden interest in Min-woo and reveals to him that he’s also a werewolf. At one point, when Min-woo is unable to return to his human form, Jae-min drops him off at Lee’s apartment to help him out. Lee has shown a great interest in Min-woo on a romantic/sexual level, most likely because of their shared lycanthropy. But Lee just wants to protect Min-woo from getting hurt. He also suggests that Min-woo come to his werewolf gathering. It reminds one of an LGBTQ support group, based on Lee’s description of human hostility towards werewolves. Overall, Lee shows us that Min-woo and his family aren’t the only werewolves in this fictional universe and was only a minor obstacle for Min-woo in his path to building his relationship with Jae-min. I do wish that there was a side story with Lee and another male character, werewolf or human.
Yim Geon
What is the cause of Jae-min’s aversion to romantic relationships? This guy is the answer. Geon was a high school classmate that Jae-min had feelings for and had a relationship with for a time. The two would often meet in private areas in the school to make out and kiss in public when no one was looking. But Jae-min overheard Geon telling a friend that he was humoring Jae-min’s feelings out of moral obligation. This left Jae-min heart-broken and caused him to be hesitant to have a romantic relationship.
Primarily featured in the second season, Yim Geon is the antagonist when he attempts to start a new relationship with Jae-min. To accomplish his goal, Geon would do anything to manipulate Jae-min into being by his side, such as blackmailing Jae-min over Min-woo’s unusual quirk. Despite their troubled history, Jae-min would undergo a great change when Geon returns to his life, and would help him understand how he feels about Min-woo.
Yae-jun
Of all the supporting characters in Woof Wolf, one of the most memorable is Yae-jun, Yeon-woo’s daughter and Min-woo’s niece. And she’s also a werewolf (werepuppy?). When we first see her in the second chapter, she’s already in her werepuppy form, begging her uncle to play with her.
When we finally see her human form, she’s excited that her uncle brought a friend over and wants to cuddle with Jae-min. And my goodness, she is adorable! My guess is that she’s around five years old, and yet she’s very smart.
There’s one particular scene that tugged at my heartstrings. One evening, Min-woo babysits Yae-jun at his sister’s home, and Jae-min stays over for the night as well. In the middle of the night, Yae-jun wakes up to get some water and she and Min-woo have a little uncle/niece moment. She asks her uncle if he is dating Jae-min after seeing them kiss. Min-woo denies it (whether it’s because he doesn’t know how to explain a hook-up or a same-sex relationship can be interpreted as you see fit). Even so, Yae-jun tells her uncle that she wants him to marry Jae-min. And her reasoning, which Min-woo agrees with, is that she can see him more. It’s such a beautiful scene and cements Yae-jun as one of the best side characters in any BL story. Since children aren’t old enough to understand sexual relationships, they are very capable of understanding love and romance, no matter their gender. Yae-jun suspects her uncle is in love with Jae-min, and she wants their relationship to blossom.
Artwork:
Magoo’s artwork immediately caught my attention when I first read this manhwa. The men are drawn so beautifully and are very sexy. Magoo captures their masculinity perfectly, both clothed and naked. I love seeing the chibi versions of the characters, especially with Min-woo. It just adds to his cuteness factor. Magoo would also draw Min-woo’s human form with dog ears and a tail from time to time. I approve of puppy seme Min-woo!
The sex scenes are beyond perfection! Not only do these scenes highlight their muscles, Magoo also captures their expressions so naturalistically. You can tell just how much pleasure they’re receiving. My only critique is that their genitals are censored with the usual lightsaber glow. Other than that, Magoo’s depiction of sex is hot! Here are some highlights of their hot sessions.
The look on Jae-min’s face is basically saying “yes.”
Looks like Min-woo likes this!
YAY! Footjob!
The best way to clean up after the fun.
Oh my! Make sure no one sees the car shake.
Yes, Min-woo. Jae-min is happy. And yes, werewolves are masters of doggy style.
Gotta wear lingerie from time to time to spice it up!
And the toys!
Final Thoughts
I always recommend Woof Wolf, especially to those new to BL or manhwa. This is a great read for those who love werewolves and for those who want to get into the spirit of Halloween. There are plenty of werewolf-themed BL titles, but Woof Wolf is a fun story to read. I enjoy the sex scenes (I always revisit them) and it’s fascinating to see how they develop the relationship, especially with Jae-min’s story arc. I disagree with some of his behaviors and actions, but he does redeem himself in the end. And it’s very fun to see an uke who enjoys in being a bottom and prefers it. Min-woo is one of my favorite seme characters in BL. I love his personality and cuteness. He’s a very attractive man, but his wolf form is just so cuddly and cute! Magoo is a talented artist! I hope that we get to see more of their work licensed and translated in English. Better yet, I hope their work also gets physical books. Fingers crossed we get to see this comic uncensored one day. Lezhin: we would be very grateful if you can show us the goods.
Should you enjoy this comic, Magoo is drawing a new ongoing BL called Sugar Trap. Be sure to give them your support and love. I hope you enjoy!
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