The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway ✦ Webtoon Review

Psychological anguish takes a new form in The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway, a webtoon by CHOKAM and Cheong-gwa (originally a webnovel by CHACHA KIM).

It has everything I adore in a story: deeply flawed main characters, a mature and intricate plot, and phenomenal art. This isn't a revenge story, nor is it a cut-and-dry romance. The Broken Ring is a dark, emotional roller-coaster, and I think it's one of the very best in its genre.

⚠️ The following review discusses themes of infidelity, sexual violence, abuse, suicide, and mental health issues. No spoiler warnings apply. Please use your discretion before reading further. Remember to take care of yourself and skip this review if you're not in a good mental state to read about potentially triggering content.

Plot

At the age of six, Inés Valeztena declares her intent to marry Cárcel Escalante, heir to his family for the sole reason that he is handsome. Unprepared for the shackles of marriage, Cárcel spends the next several years avoiding the commitment of marital life and Inés, by taking advantage of his good looks and sleeping around.

However, he eventually finds out that this is exactly what Inés wants—a marriage doomed to fail and a husband willing to break up with her. She even gives him explicit permission to continue in his rakish ways, so long as he stays out of her business. His fiancée's approval makes his promiscuous lifestyle much less satisfying, and Cárcel resolves to become a faithful husband and change Inés's perception of him.

Once married, the secrets guarded in their hearts come to the surface. And slowly but surely, the truth behind Inés' apathy is revealed.

Characters

Inés Valeztena is the female lead, depicted as a solemn and ordinary woman who wears formless black mourning gowns like she is perpetually dressed for a funeral, and whose expression so rarely changes from an uninterested frown. She carries an air of detachment and apathy as a defence mechanism to keep others at a distance. Inés is a character full of contradictions. She is fiercely intelligent and resourceful, and her plans often reveal her sharp wit and eerie ability to anticipate the actions of others.

Cárcel Escalante de Esposa is the male lead, portrayed as a handsome and charismatic nobleman known for his promiscuity and playboy tendencies. He is a deeply conflicted character who struggles with feelings of guilt and shame over his past behaviour. Cárcel has been raised to fulfill his duties as the heir to his family's noble house, but he's also keenly aware of the limitations that his station places on him. As a result, he feels trapped and suffocated by the expectations others have of him.

Visuals

The art in The Broken Ring is simply breathtaking. In fact, the artist, Cheong-gwa, was chosen to illustrate the webtoon because of her love for the source material. Webtoons live and die by their art style and how well they convey meaning through space and visual hierarchy. How the reader's eye will flow from one panel to the next is a critical consideration of any webtoon. The way everything comes together so cohesively in The Broken Ring is truly impressive.

The characters themselves are a work of art, with every detail meticulously designed and rendered. Their facial expressions and body language convey a wide range of emotions that add even more depth to the story. I could wax poetic about how the dresses in the webtoon create meaning in themselves. The backgrounds and settings are also beautifully illustrated, making every location feel like a real, lived-in place. It's a masterclass in world-building, and it all feels perfectly suited to the story being told.

What's really interesting is how The Broken Ring draws heavily from Spanish culture and language. The use of Spanish names and words adds another layer of depth to the story and creates a unique atmosphere that sets it apart from other webtoons of its genre.

Themes

The Broken Ring explores and covers a wide range of thought-provoking and dark topics, with a particular focus on trauma and its lasting effects. It deals with heavy themes of abuse, self-harm, rape, and suicide. Inés' traumatic past is handled with great care and nuance. It doesn't shy away from depicting the unforgiving nature of trauma, but it also doesn't exploit it for shock value like many webtoons tend to do. Instead, it approaches trauma from a place of speculation and empathy. The best word I can use to describe it is grimdark.

I can hear the harsh sound of the port's waves, and see the unsteadiness of my vision… and with each laborious breath, my hands trembled, anxious that I would soon lose him. — Chapter 19

Intimacy, sex, and the complexity of human relationships are also integral elements. The relationship between the main characters is mature, steamy and fraught with tension, but portrayed with depth and emotion, which makes the characters feel like real, imperfect people. Because let's face it, Inés and Cárcel are deeply flawed individuals, and this doesn't go away when they become a married couple. Far from it, in fact. Sometimes it feels like their push-and-pull dynamic makes them worse—and it's so much more fun that way.

Still, tense scenes are sometimes offset with some levity, and the webtoon manages some really humorous moments in between the dramatic ones.

Writing

I should preface this by saying I've never read the novel—not yet anyway, so I can only judge the 30-something chapters at my disposal.

The pacing in The Broken Ring is, so far, purposeful and excellent, with a lot of emphasis placed on character development and introspection. Some chapters solely explore the history of the characters, including their motivations and thought processes, which makes the eventual revelations much more impactful. By sitting with the characters for a bit, you find ways to appreciate them better—or at least see where they're coming from.

The quality of writing is excellent. Each character's distinct voice feels raw, consistent, and real. I think the webtoon does an excellent job of conveying the emotional weight of the story without ever feeling over the top. Some scenes stay with me for weeks.

Only those who have died know how long a lifetime is. And that is how I, too, came to know the limits of my fleetingly insignificant life — Chapter 9

Recommendations

The Broken Ring is not an easy read. It's probably the very opposite. Many readers get hung up on the cheating subplot at the very beginning and are turned off by Cárcel, then find themselves unable to enjoy the rest of the story. This is completely fine, however, it represents a very minor part of the storyline, and there are still hundreds of chapters left to tell. By getting hung up on the minor details, you lose sight of the story.

It may be best suited for mature readers who are comfortable with heavy and visceral themes like trauma, abuse, and difficult relationships. The webtoon also contains mature language, sexual content, and violence. I'm not a terribly squeamish reader, but certain scenes in The Broken Ring have left me rattled.

Readers who enjoy psychological dramas with flawed and nuanced characters, intricate relationships, and angst will appreciate The Broken Ring. Those who prefer light-hearted linear narratives will find this very difficult to stomach, and honestly, I recommend not to overextend yourself trying to enjoy it.

Conclusion

The Broken Ring is one of the most compelling webtoons out there, and I could not think of a single thing I would change about it. Art, narrative, and characters—all are stand-out elements. It's no wonder that it recently got its own OST.

The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway is one of my new favourite reads, and the only downside are the perpetual cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. They kept me dying for more, but when I finally caught up with the weekly releases, there were no more chapters to read!

I'm sure all webtoon readers can relate. The waiting game is long and painful.

5 Stars | ☆☆☆☆☆