This review contains spoilers for the first 15 chapters of How About a Cosmic Horror?
When I first saw the cover art of How About a Cosmic Horror? with the tentacles erupting out of the male lead’s head, I had a vague inkling of what I might possibly be walking into but boy, was I both right and wrong.
How About a Cosmic Horror? is based on Lee Jeungun’s novel and was adapted into a webcomic on Manta with Galpil as the writer and Gilmok providing the artwork. The story follows a young woman named Irae who wakes up in the hospital and nearly has a heart attack when the first thing she sees is a tentacle monster. Much to her surprise, that tentacle monster is her husband and for some strange, inexplicable reason, Irae can’t see her husband’s real face–it constantly changes from tentacles to planets to boxes. Despite Yohan’s loving attitude towards her, Irae can’t help but feel there’s a monster lurking beneath that handsome exterior.
This was my first time reading cosmic horror and I was definitely intrigued. We, as readers, are in the same boat as Irae: we don’t know what the heck is going on! Irae remembers, or thinks she remembers, one version of her life but it’s at complete odds with Yohan’s version. For example, Irae remembers that she was working at a company she hated and yet Yohan tells her that she was working with him.
So, are Irae’s memories fake? Is Yohan gaslighting her? What’s real and what’s not?
Then there are the other characters like Shan the cat and Nia, Yohan’s secretary who both seem to know something about Yohan but refuse to say much–the former out of fear of Yohan and the latter who seems to have his own agenda.
Considering that this is a cosmic horror genre, it’d be a fair guess to say that Yohan is definitely not human. But what he is isn’t as important as knowing what the motivation behind his single-minded obsession with Irae is.
The manhwa does subtly allude to the reason behind his obsession. Yohan comments that the reason why he was attracted to Irae was because she saw him differently; while everyone else “saw me exactly the way I wanted them to,” she didn’t. And at this, the panel cuts to a close-up of Irae’s eyes reflecting Yohan’s image, her pupil symbolically blocking his head–nobody but her can see what Yohan truly looks like. Perhaps, all the different objects covering Yohan’s face in the current timeline might be Irae’s brain trying to protect her from whatever trauma she suffered before she lost her memories.
If Irae did see Yohan’s real appearance, is this a story about her falling in love with him despite his monstrous aspects? Or is it something much darker where Yohan has manipulated and changed Irae’s memories, distorting what she knows, in favor of the world that he wants her to see?
The pacing for this manhwa was great. It never felt like it dragged or went too fast. Every chapter, the unsettling feeling grew with every detail that Irae uncovered. Irae knows there’s something… off about Yohan, but everything about his demeanor and his words don’t make it possible for him to be anything but a caring and doting husband. Not to mention the constant gaslight that he subjects her to.
And if anyone’s curious if the tentacles make an appearance when they get hot and heavy… they do.
One of my favorite parts of the artwork was how the artist managed to convey Yohan’s emotions through whatever object his head decided to adopt that day. When he’s happy, his planet head turns pink and soft; when he’s sad, his flower head droops; when he’s confused, numerous question marks spill out of his box head. It’s hard not to feel simultaneously endeared and creeped out by Yohan.
In rereading the first chapter and comparing it to Chapter 15, I noticed a subtle detail. Nia shows Irae his ring which has a piece of red glow inside. Irae doesn’t know what it is, but it sends a chill down her spine at the sight of it. Afterwards, when Yohan’s human face does show, there’s a red glint in his eyes. Coincidence? I think not.
How About a Cosmic Horror? is a must-read for fans of yandere male leads who will do anything to make sure the object of their affection/obsession stays with them. The pacing lends itself to suspenseful storytelling that will keep readers begging for the next chapter.
