Title: For My Derelict Favorite

Author/Story: Kim Seonyu (Original), Ryuho (Adaptation)

Artist: Kimyong

Rating: Teen

Genre: Isekai/Transmigration, Revenge, Romance, Fantasy, Time-loop

Hosted On: Webtoon

Official Link(s): English, Korean

Official Summary:

What happens after the story ends with a “happily ever after”? When Hestia enters her favorite novel as a side character, she happily fangirls from the sidelines. Thinking she’ll return home when the story reaches its end, Hestia finds that the only thing awaiting her is the tragic death of her favorite character. Now miraculously restored to the day of the ending, Hestia decides that she’ll no longer spectate from the sidelines – instead, she’ll save her derelict favorite!

My Thoughts:

I know I need to stop saying every single webtoon I read is my favorite but uh… For My Derelict Favorite is part of why I use my Webtoon account regularly. (The other reason was The Remarried Empress.) Yet another isekai romance with a white-haired hottie, this series gets me because I fell hard for the main characters and I find the female lead, Hestia, the most relatable protagonist I’ve seen in ages. After all, if I had the opportunity to fan-stitch over my side or secondary favorite character in a piece of media – wobbling between Zhuzhi-lang in Scum Villain and Suguru Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen – and save them from a certain shitty fate? Of course I would?

Anyway, the trope of going into a book and trying to get close to or save your blorbo is really popular. Like all of my recs, I am being basic and proud of it. Beyond this series, Side Characters Deserve Love Too is another webtoon where a reader comes into the world to support the character they love more than life itself. Side Characters Deserve Love Too is set during the book so the main character has to navigate the plot of the book. For My Derelict Favorite is set after the book ends… again.

Like it says on the label, Hestia previously transmigrated into the book as a minor side character content to watch her beloved second male lead Kaelus from afar. When the book’s plot ends, she’s like “okay this is the end, right?” because that’s just how transmigration should work. (If you don’t know your genre, that is.) Instead, the plot keeps plotting on for some time after the novel’s ending and Kaelus, betrayed and abandoned by the main characters for his role in ensuring their power in the main plot… takes his own life as a result of his depression and trauma. It’s the catalyst for Hestia going back in time to the day of the original ending and resolving to save Kaelus’s life at all costs.

How she does it? By pretending to be a seer and using her limited knowledge of events after the story (and therefore in the future) first to save Kaelus’ life and then to get him to enter into a contract marriage with her. With that settled, Hestia puts into place the ultimate revenge plan against the people she (rightfully) views as responsible for Kaelus’ suicide in their previous lifetimes: the prince and saintess who left him behind when they solidified their power.

When I say I’m rooting for her, y’all don’t even know. She is so valid for everything she does. But beyond that, she’s also entertaining. Watching her figure out new ways to get under the prince and saintess’ respective skin without upturning the rules of civility is delightful. Yes, I’m as tired of saintesses as everyone else is – they are everywhere in Korean webtoons and I understand why but… they’re so annoying – but I will say that I love when an awful or hypocritical one gets their just desserts.

If I could transmigrate into a webtoon, it’d be this one because hot damn Kaelus is such an attractive male lead. Brooding, hot, and in need of a little genuine love, he’s one of my favorite male leads and I genuinely only want good things to happen to him. I would fight Hestia for this man. I would absolutely beat her ass for a shot at that sad sweet hottie. My god. His hair is so long and my iPad camera roll has so many screenshots of him because like… He’s so beautiful? It’s giving Sesshomaru but sad and I am here for it.

But that’s not to say that Hestia isn’t absolutely perfect. Just as I’d fight her for Kaelus, I’d fight him for Hestia. However, I’d feel bad about fighting Kaelus…. And I wouldn’t win. Because this is a slow burn romance that already has strong flames. When you see Hestia through Kaelus’s eyes and you think about how he’s thawing out under her care, it just… feels good. He’s confused by her boisterous attitude and the way she cheers him on endlessly and like not to make loving a woman all about a man but… I love that for him? Also, Kimyong’s art is beautiful here too like Hestia is also a hottie.

For My Derelict Favorite is such a good series if you’ve ever wanted to transmigrate into a series and protect your favorite character from their doom. I cannot wait to see where the series goes in the future.  Hestia’s whole goal is focused on saving Kaelus and getting revenge, but there’s not much room in her life for… herself. I am just so curious about what will lead her to shift her point of view and start living for her future instead of the timeline she’s already dodged by being in Kaelus’ life.

Bonus: every single time I went to go type “Kaelus”, I typed Kaeluc instead. Instinct even though I don’t even go there??

Bonus x 2: apparently the novel – which is supposedly fully translated somewhere is R19 as opposed to the R15 rating of the webtoon. I am screaming. I need it. Help!