Jaeshin sees dead people, and Officer Han can sniff out evil. Literally. Their search for a missing friend leads them and professional stuntwoman Yuhyeon into a tangled web of vile cover-ups and twisted violence. Can they handle the overpowering stench of evil?
Rotten is a 2019 supernatural horror mystery manhwa created by GOOD GUY on Webtoon. It centers on three individuals investigating sudden disappearances between
Rotten contains examples of:
- Abandoned Area: Jaeshin’s apartment is revealed to have been long abandoned and used by Baekho as a hunting ground for his victims.
- Abusive Parents: Jaeshin’s mother, Cheolyeong Kim, The Butcher’s father, and Baekho’s mother.
- And I Must Scream: The Butcher, whenever he sleeps, is force to murder all his victims one by one in his dreams, going from his most recent kill down to his first kill, his own father, before having to face his mother. In the end of the story, The Butcher is placed in a straight jacket, force to be unable to move or sleep properly so he doesn’t kill himself.
- Big Bad: Baekho is revealed to be responsible for all the disappearances in the last decade, and has been orchestrating the events the three protagonists faces.
- Bittersweet Ending: Baekho died and justice was brought to the all the people who disappeared for the last decade. The Butcher and Officer Ko were imprisoned for his actions as Shinhong and Junhwan were saved. However, Officer Han lost his life and his spirit powers were transferred to Jaeshin, and despite being ostracized from most and disliked in the police department due to his resemblance to Han, he still proclaims to use his powers to help others. Yuhyeon was never able to save her sister while Junhwan is implied to have inherited Baekho’s ability.
- Cowboy Cop: Officer Han has the tendency to defy orders and go on his instincts, for the best usually.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: The Butcher deeply cares for his mother, regretting leaving her to die in the fire caused by their father and his main reason to not sleeping is to not confront her in their dreams.
- Mad Artist: Baekho uses his murdering and tortured for his book, When “ When the flame is extinguished” and is interested in seeing how the soul behaves as it died.
- Never My Fault: Yuhyeon’s father, Cheolyeong, is diagnosed as a megalomaniac who refuses to believe he’s a bad father and blames Yuhyeon and her sister for being ungrateful to him.
- Tragic Villain: The Butcher has a downright awful life, having to deal with an abusive father, having to leave his mother to die in a house fire the father caused, killing his father and being picked up by a street gang to murder people, all the while being cursed to relive all the murders he has committed.
- You Killed My Father: It’s revealed that Baekho was responsible for the death of Han’s grandmother’s all those years ago, and when Baekho realizes, he just taunts Han about it as he dies.
