Manga Review | He Does a Body Good
An Entangling Tale of Sweet Lustful Romance
Imagine having the power to arouse anyone with just a touch. Sounds like a sweet deal, right? Now imagine having such an ability but not being able to turn it off. That’s the major plot-line for He Does a Body Good. Though it may seem like the perfect setup for a harem, it’s not actually. The author surprisingly avoids such predictability for even greater payoff.
Protagonist – Ko Hosang unwittingly gains this ability after being electrocuted by a “health” device purchased from a female acquaintance. She, like most other women in his life didn’t have any particular interest in him but instead saw an opportunity to exploit his interest in her. She of course pissed off after dumping her junk on him, ignoring all of his communication attempts.
What Would You Do?
Obviously annoyed but with no way of reaching her, he begrudgingly continues his meager existence. To his surprise it turns out he’s hit the jackpot for single men. The next day while on the train, a sudden halt in movement caused a female passenger to bump into him but instead of being repulsed as she was the previous day, she maintained the contact. After that he comes in contact with an angry customer at work who is seemingly calmed by a simple touch. Eventually Ko Hasang realizes the nature of his newfound ability and what proceeds is glorious. The overall plot is filled to the brim with carnal escapades, intense enigmas and most of all excitement. He Does a Body Good clutches the reader by the 4th chapter and never lets go.
Visuals Matter
A big part of the reason for its narrative successes is the art. Though not as sensual as stuff like Stand Up! and Sunggi’s Study Group it manages to effortlessly convey the emotion of lust conveyed by the author. It’s more realistic artstyle also does more to ground the story in a way that most other webtoons don’t. Thanks to more natural proportions and dynamic angles the artist crafts more realistic characters in this otherwise fictitious tale. Now despite this (dare I say) subtlety being a welcomed break, it’s still not my preferred style of webtoon art. Visuals like the ones found in stories like Perfect Half will (as far as I’m concerned) forever be the pinnacle of what this medium can convey.
More so than anything this tale is helped by not being as predictable as it initially presents itself. It explores the concept of a genuine relationship to great effect using the supernatural elements in a believable way. Without the fantasy and intercourse it still crafts a thought provoking experience.
Final Verdict
Although it takes 4 chapters to really get going, He Does a Body Good is a master class of romantic storytelling among webtoons. Ko Hosang is a very likable character who was easy to empathise with. Unlike the traditional webtoon main character, he’s more of a hopeless romantic. Yes there’s erotica but that’s not the primary focus. It instead explores him finding true companionship with the persistent pressure of an easy time. With only 75 chapters, the story also doesn’t drag on longer than it needs to. As a whole it’s a delightful portrayal of very human-like characters with a hint of fiction.
He Does a Body Good is written by Lee Wonsik with art from Park Hyeongjun. The entire series can be found on Lezhin Comics with the first 5 episodes free. Originally Published on 30th July, 2020.