Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#19: My Deepest Secret

Have you ever thought that your date was a little clingy? Well, if you did, I think that you really shouldn't relate to my deepest secret!

    Summary

Some say that true love doesn't exist, but Emma sure has proved them wrong! Despite all the odds, she found her real-life prince in the form of Elios, a guy who is somehow head over heels, over the moon crazy about an average girl like her. Only one problem, they are both holding a deep dark secret that could consume them both and everyone around them.

    Characters

    Emma: A young woman with a mysterious past that hasn't gotten revealed, she is someone with a chip on her shoulder. While she is friendly and kind, she can stand up for herself, whether from verbal or physical attackers. So far, Emma's biggest weakness is her self-confidence, as she will often worry about even the smallest of things when it comes to Elios and has usually held him as a bigger priority than herself.

Elios: The very definition of perfect bf, Elios, is charming, calm, and polite to others. However, like Emma, he also has a bit of a tragic past as his tough life has caused him to be fiercely independent and overly protective of the few he cares about, including Emma.

Yohan: An eccentric brainiac with a heart of gold, Yohan is a highly resourceful and intelligent guy. While he initially interacts with Emma out of intrigue, he has grown to care for her and respect her boundaries. Yohan is always getting himself into trouble but usually has the will and the smarts to get himself out of it. With criminal activity following Emma everywhere, it's his job to get to the bottom of this conspiracy as a self-proclaimed detective.

Overview

My Deepest Secret is an incredible webtoon.  The art has a fascinating sketched/faded style that perfectly conveys both abstract images and moody imagery. Which I think works well with the overall structure of the story. My Deepest Secret is a webtoon that is almost entirely unpredictable.

One chapter can have cute scenes with Emma and Elios. The next can feature a deadly chase with a mystery killer while making it not feel out of place through the pacing of events. At the start, the series does a great job of interjecting our central trio with a lot of personality. Pair that up with the character interaction, and I won't lie. It made me chuckle. Like legit, I would pay some great money to see these people in a pure slice of life series.  

However, later on, we realize how fitting the title is. No character in this story is precisely squeaky clean, creating a lot of theories, tension, and intrigue over what their intentions and alliances are at all times. At its darkest, it even manages to touch a lot on false accusations, harassment, toxic relationships, and more. 

Yet, I never feel as though My Deepest Secret is trying to use said themes entirely for shock value or display a mastery over the subject (which more shows could learn to do). Making the series even more interesting is the constant cat and mouse mind games on display through Yohan. 

With his tendency to put himself in trouble combined with his sharp mind, we get introduced to many very fun clues and hits that all feel believable. Saying you have an intelligent character and showing an intelligent character is always hard, but when it gets creatively done, it's so rewarding. Especially when it leads to the biggest webtoon twist I've ever seen.

Epilogue

My Deepest Secret is a viral story, and for a good reason. I think that a lot of people, both young and old, can use this story as a way to move on from the tragedy. I hope to do another spotlight on it, but until then, let's see where the spotlight takes us next.