#loreic asks

Honestly, I'd say they did the best they could given the 1.5 hour runtime. The pacing was not terrible at all for something so short, which I found really surprising (am still a little awestruck tbh, cause how??? that shit shouldn't be possible), but yeah it was still a little rushed and there were definitely a lot of details that could have been fleshed out more.

Some things I really wished were explored:

Rumi's parents and their backstory (feel like this could be its own prequel movie tbh)

The sunlight sisters and their relationships with each other

The rest of the Saja Boys' backstories

The whole Rumi x Jinu plotline probably would have benefited if it had actual time to develop

The whole half-demon concept (it wasn't even explained to Jinu and that confuses me a little)

The whole concept definitely would have been better suited as a show (e.g. take the absolute masterpiece that is Blue Eye Samurai), but then again I doubt the overall quality would have been that high if it were (so eh, you win some you lose some). I'd say they still did way better than most of the stuff we get on the big screen these days (looking at you Disney), but eh at this point the bar is pretty much in hell.

First off, valid opinion anon.

Think it's perfectly okay be to be a little disappointed in Karma. I'd rate it visually 10/10, musically 9/10, narratively 7/10.

Don't get me wrong alnst had a good run and damn we are probably not gonna get anything else as good anytime soon (I say while staring at kpdh), but the ending might have been a little rushed (assuming this is really the end anyway) and yeah, they probably could have handled the whole Hyuna, Luka, Hyun-woo plot a little better.

Hyuna's death does seem pretty senseless, and that's probably the biggest gripe I have with the ending (since she and Luka are my favourites lol). Out of the three that are confirmed dead, her death definitely hits the hardest (Ivan died for Till, Till is free, Sua died for Mizi, Mizi is free-ish?/took her revenge, while Hyuna died and Luka is still in captivity + rebels' plan failing epically)

But I really don't think that was Hyuna's goal to begin with.

I think Mizi was pretty spot on with her using the rebels as an escape from reality. Girl never stopped running. She refused to face her past, refused to come to terms with the fact that it was Luka who was responsible for Hyun-woo's death, and refused accept the fact that she still loved him despite everything (stubborn queen fr), and only FINALLY decided let all of that go in her final moments.

Her death was meant to be a lesson to Luka (really bitter pill to swallow, and yeah it's pretty stupid when you look at it from a well adjusted perspective, but we've also established she's a trainwreck of a diva so), and I think in the end she did make her peace with it all. Luka being free wasn't the point, and yeah it sucks, but it does make sense. She died to teach him what it means to love, and I think she did succeed in that even if he is still captive.

It's a little convoluted but in the end I wouldn't say her death was entirely senseless (it just definitely seemed so to Mizi and us as the audience), she was doing it for Luka, same as Ivan and Sua for Till and Mizi (was their love perfect? Hell no, it's messy and all kinds of screwed up but that's the point)

As for Luka sighhhhhhhhhhh

Yeah Luka is 100% the victim here. They all are, but dude definitely got the short end of the stick of the three(?) that technically survived.

Him not being with the falling children I'd say is because A. (Mizi knew for a fact he was still alive at that moment) and B. (He is on the receiving end of Mizi's self-righteous karma). Luka's a victim but he's not entirely guiltless either and I think that's what makes him so so interest. If he really did survive the rocket crash he probably spent the next seven years pondering over everything. It was Hyuna's last puzzle for him, it's his penance for the pain he causes (unintentional or no) and yeah that's pretty fking miserable when you think about it.

Am I happy with that? Eh, not really.

I'd say there is a lot of wasted character growth potential here, but it's more or less in line with his overall arc of 'unapologetic sociopath who cannot understand human emotions learns love, lost and regret' so eh I'll take it.

Delusions of Domesticity by Loreic [completed, E-rated]

Shameless self-plug, wrote this when I burned through the entire hyuluka ao3 tag after Weige and decided fk it I’ll do it myself 

Canon-divergence from Round 5 onwards 

Pretty screwed up concept (because so is my brain), and I’ll admit not everyone’s cup of tea so read at your own risk 

Aubade by Kaden [ongoing, M-rated] 

Love of my hyuluka life

Fluff and angst hospital AU, featuring a terminally ill Luka who crosses paths with Hyuna and Hyunwoo 

It’s giving Fault in Our Stars. Peak fic with frequent-ish updates, but Kaden will probably break your heart (to give you context an aubade means lover’s farewell at dawn)

Learn to Forgive by Aniiina [completed, M-rated]

One of the rare, completed, the rebels-saved-Luka-too fic 

Canon-divergence from Round 5 onwards, fluff and angst (more angsty tho) 

The ending is a little abrupt for me but it’s still a pretty solid fic

Alien Stage Modern AU by Auphoria [one-shot collection, G-rated] 

Consist of 3 extremely underrated standalone one shots 

Modern AU featuring various scenarios ranging from fluff to crack 

Read it after Weige broke my heart and it’s been sitting in my bookmarks ever since 

Bauble by Valleykey [completed, T-rated (but I would rate it M tbh)]

Oneshot, kinda weird in a good way? 

That one well-written Mer AU. Solid lore and characterization. 

Did not think I would dig a Mer AU but the hyuluka interactions and characterization is just that good

Honorable mentions:

Lulu by nullbird [incompleted, T-rated]

Only has two 2 chapters, but I just love the concept and plot potential so it's been sitting in my bookmarks

Features the rebels find a toddler clone Luka and Hyuna dealing with it

You Are The Hymn of my Existence by Anon [one-shot collection, G to E-rated]

One of the oldest collections on ao3 

If you thought delusions of domesticity was screwed up, there is some stuff this collection that basically quadruples it, but then you also get random, really cute ones 

This beast has 28 PARTS, and I’ll admit some of the characterization of the older works is a little outdated and some of it is in 2nd pov (which I just can’t get over), but most of them are still pretty a good read

The works in there vary a lot, I’ve only read a few, so I think it’s better to just leave the collection here and you can go check out what floats your boat