{ Original Title: 디파인 더 릴레이션십 | Publisher: Lezhin | Audience: Mature }
NOTE: Before reading this review, you need to have a basic understanding of the dynamics of the Omegaverse, the fictional universe of DTR. Here’s a good resource to start you off with the basics.
I’ve gone back and forth on how I wanted to handle reviewing Define the Relationship (DTR) because:
- It’s my favorite webtoon of all time.
- The main story is officially complete on Lezhin.
- There are several side stories that will (hopefully) be illustrated.
And I decided to do one series review that covers all three seasons. So buckle up, because this is going to be a long post.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Season 1 – Episodes 1 – 23
It all began with a kiss.
We meet Karlyle Frost, a noble from England, in the middle of Times Square, celebrating New Year’s Eve in New York City. He bumps into someone as the countdown begins and despite immediately recognizing that the other man is an alpha like him, the two of them kiss to ring in the new year. The other man introduces himself as Ash and Karlyle tells him that his name is Lyle, though no one ever calls him that. But before anything else can happen, Karlyle’s whisked away by the omega he was searching for earlier in the evening so they could have their rendezvous.
From the very beginning, we’re aware of how seriously Karlyle takes his position as the first son of the Frost family. For him, sex isn’t for pleasure: it’s to continue the family bloodline. It’s a part of his familial duty. He’s been raised to treat omegas, not as equal partners, but as a means to an end. His omega partners, who are never the same, are contracted by his family, and he’s been instructed never to get close to any of them. Under contract, the omegas have to report if there are any issues with Karlyle, and this time there is. Karlyle never climaxed during this encounter.
Luther, the Frost family doctor, diagnoses Karlyle with sexual dysfunction due to the pressure he feels from the expectations as the eldest son. Luther’s prescription is simple: Karlyle needs to have sex with someone who is his equal — another alpha. Even though he thinks it’s ridiculous, Karlyle agrees to go through the “treatment.” The meeting is arranged, and who walks in the door? The man he shared a kiss with on NYE: Ash Jones. Karlyle instantly recognizes Ash, but not only from their NYE kiss but also from one other rather unpleasant meeting.
This is it right here. The one gripe I have with this series: the omission of important past events. The web novel, the source material for this webtoon, naturally has a lot more detail than the comic, so it isn’t unheard of to omit details or events from the novel in the visual adaptation. However, there are several instances in this comic where it seems as though the author makes an assumption that the reader has read the novel and knows all the details. This particular omission was, in my opinion, detrimental to the continuity of the story. During this meeting between Ash and Karlyle, when Karlyle wonders internally which time Ash remembers him from, we’re shown two panels: one of the NYE kiss and the other is of Ash, Nicholas, and Karlyle. We are never told about the event in the second panel.
Through other readers, I learned that there’s a prequel to DTR called Egg’s Benedict, which focuses on the relationship between Kyle (Karlyle’s younger brother) and Nicholas. In it, Nicholas and Ash have a thing. I know that’s a very vague sentence, but I can’t fully explain to you their relationship because I’ve never read the web novel since there’s no English translation for it. I’ve heard that Karlyle runs into Nick and Ash together and assumes that they’re on a date, which is upsetting because Karlyle knows his brother and Nicholas are together…. or something along those lines. I think Karlyle says something harsh to Nick and Ash in that scene, hence why he refers to it as an unpleasant meeting.
But do you see my point here? This information would have been pretty damn useful to know. Without it, the reader is confused in this scene and in other scenes that reference Nick and/or Kyle. Knowing the history between Nick and Ash would have made this particular scene less confusing and would have added more depth to Ash’s character and his various relationships.
Anyway, it’s clear that Ash doesn’t recognize Karlyle from the NYE kiss, so Karlyle decides not to bring it up. They discuss the terms of this contractual relationship: they will have sex eight times, once every weekend. Then, Karlyle says something that he is bound to regret: he declares that there should be no unnecessary feelings between the two of them.
Mmhmmm, yeah, sure Karlyle. You’ve just jinxed yourself, but okay.
So the weeks go by and we see Karlyle and Ash on various dates and various nights together. They start off a little awkward, but eventually get more comfortable with each other. The two of them have very different personalities: Ash is very carefree and social. He takes a liking to physically touching Karlyle as much as he possibly can. Karlyle, on the other hand, is reserved and…. well, very shy.
During these dates, we get to see the layers of the onion that is Karlyle Frost. The story is told from Karlyle’s perspective, so we’re privy to his innermost thoughts and feelings. And there are A LOT of them. What we discover is he has such poor self-esteem, thanks to his upbringing, and he doesn’t think he’s worth much. He doubts his own abilities and doubts others’ intentions.
Because Karlyle harbors so much doubt about his own self-worth, he tends to do or say things that are nowhere close to what he actually wants. And that’s exactly what happens at the museum. Karlyle and Ash were having such a great time together, but when Ash asks him to pass along his congratulations to Nick and Kyle for their pregnancy, Karlyle refuses. He says that he and Ash aren’t close enough to warrant such a thing. But that’s not really what Karlyle wants to say in the first place. What he actually wants to know is what the two of them are and how Ash feels towards him.
Ash tries to brush it off, but it’s obvious he’s hurt by Karlyle’s response. And Karlyle is fully aware that he has just offended Ash and feels bad about it. Despite being the one to draw the boundary, Karlyle has started developing feelings for Ash, and he’s so afraid of Ash not seeing him the same way.
Season 2 – Episodes 24 – 58
The second season starts with Karlyle trying to navigate his rut. He wants to be with Ash, but he believes he messed up so badly at the museum that he’s convinced Ash wouldn’t want to see him. He reaches for his rut suppressants but ends up passing out and when he comes to, someone is with him, and that person is Ash.
Karlyle realizes that while he was trying to reach for his suppressants, he somehow picked up his phone and called Ash instead. Uh, ok. I guess we can chalk that up to manhwa magic because I have no idea how the two of those actions could be confused with each other. How convenient. BUT ANYWAY.
Later, thanks to his maid Mariam’s suggestion, Karlyle decides that he wants to get Ash a gift to thank him for all that he’s done, and he wants it to be a memorable one. He recalls the painting that Ash spoke of so fondly during their visit to the museum. Being the noble that he is, Karlyle has the right connections to get to meet the person who owns the painting: Sir Philip Gordon.
Sir Gordon deems Karlyle worthy of the painting and gives it to him, under the condition that in the future Karlyle will grant Sir Gordon one favor. Karlyle agrees, and he begins to plan how he’s going to give Ash the painting and confess his feelings. When Karlyle goes to Ash’s workplace, he overhears a conversation Ash has with his co-workers. They’re curious about Ash’s love life and the man (Karlyle) that they’ve seen him with a few times. But Ash dismisses their inquiries and insists that there is nothing going on between him and Karlyle.
You could almost hear Karlyle’s heart shatter at the sound of those words.
We’ve watched Karlyle’s feelings for Ash bloom, as well as his confidence that Ash may feel the same. He had finally gotten what he felt was confirmation of Ash’s reciprocal feelings the last time they spent the night together, so he was here at Ash’s workplace to confess his feelings with the painting. But in an instant, his whole plan breaks down, along with his heart.
When Ash finally meets up with Karlyle, Karlyle slyly asks for confirmation of Ash’s earlier words. Maybe, just maybe, Ash will say something different to him than what he told his colleagues. But no. Ash just reiterates the words from earlier: there is nothing between the two of them. Karlyle ends the contract between them right then and there. He tells Ash there is no point in continuing their weekly meetings. He leaves and Ash doesn’t chase after him.
So many readers were angry at Ash in this moment. Initially, I was too. But Karlyle was the one who said that there should be no unnecessary feelings between the two of them. Also, we saw time and time again how Karlyle never spoke his heart. He never said a thing about what he was thinking or how he was feeling. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him to reveal his feelings because of how he was raised, but the fact of the matter is there was no way for Ash to have known what Karlyle thought or felt without being expressly told.
In short, they were both idiots.
Anyway, Karlyle tries to adjust to a life without Ash. There are some beautiful yet heartbreaking metaphors Karlyle uses to describe his heartbreak. He compares his time with Ash to feeling the sun for the first time, and that now the two of them have broken up, he’s returning to the winter he’s known all his life. No matter how many times I read through these episodes, I always, always feel a literal pang in my heart. Watching Karlyle try to convince himself that he’s better off without Ash is absolutely heartbreaking.
Karlyle sells off his residence and changes his number in an attempt to leave the past with Ash behind him. The story then shifts to Ash’s POV, and I love that we finally get to see the story from Ash’s side. We learn about his back story and how he’s come to love the way he does, and we learn what he was thinking during the weeks he and Karlyle were together. We even get to witness the moment he realizes just how much the relationship with Karlyle meant to him.
Ash attempts to call Karlyle but is met by a disconnected message. He stops by Karlyle’s mansion and is greeted by a Sold sign. Ash realizes that there’s only one way to get in touch with him, and that’s through Nick, or more specifically, Nick’s partner Kyle.
Kyle is immediately hostile towards Ash when he shows up at his and Nick’s home, and for good reason. Not only is Ash the man who broke his brother’s heart, but he’s also someone who was once after his own partner. Ash admits that he’s not a mindreader, that he didn’t know what Karlyle was thinking or what he was feeling. But he wants to see Karlyle again. Then, Kyle drops the biggest bomb in the whole series: Ash can see Karlyle again this weekend… at Karlyle’s engagement party.
While Ash is deep in thought, Kyle takes this moment to give Ash the gift that Karlyle originally wanted to give him: the painting that was in Sir Gordon’s possession. What ensues is one of the more beautifully illustrated scenes in this manhwa (and that says a lot because there are so many gorgeous scenes in this webtoon). Ash is in disbelief. Karlyle found the painting that he’s been searching for, the only trace of his mother that he has left. It’s not until this very moment that Ash fully understands how much Karlyle loved him.
And now, he’s more determined than ever to get Karlyle back.
Season 3 – Episodes 59 – 69
Ash reunites with Karlyle at his engagement party, but it’s not the reunion that he was hoping for. Karlyle is cold and distant. He doesn’t want to waste his time talking to Ash, and he doesn’t want to hear whatever Ash is trying to tell him. So he walks away and leaves Ash behind.
As Karlyle returns to the party, we see that every fiber in Karlyle’s being is having a hard time accepting this engagement. He doesn’t want to marry this omega. He doesn’t think he could have sex with someone he doesn’t love. Karlyle thinks about how people in the Frost family normally fall in love with just one person all their lives. Like his parents did. Like Kyle and Nick. Like he did too. But his first and only love is Ash Jones, another Alpha that he knows he could never be with because of his familial obligations. Karlyle has been under so much stress because of recent events, and it has taken such a toll on his body that he eventually passes out.
He comes to and who else is beside him but Ash. They talk for a while, but Karlyle continues to try to push Ash away. He believes he’s doing this for Ash’s sake, and he’s trying to convince himself that Ash will find someone better to love and that he will be able to get over his love for Ash… hopefully, by the time he’s on his deathbed. But Ash continues to push and fight to convince Karlyle that he loves him and they should be together. Karlyle knows he must get back to the party, so they agree to part ways for now. And as Karlyle looks on longingly at Ash leaving, he turns around and declares his love for Karlyle one more time.
Karlyle tries to return to the party but is stopped by his mother. Alice tells Karlyle that she’s called off the engagement. She confesses that she had always assumed that Karlyle was fine because he never complained about anything, he just went along with whatever the family wanted from him. But seeing him pass out earlier this evening made her realize just how much he was forcing himself to do the things they wanted him to do. So she gives him her blessing and encourages him to follow his heart.
Later, after being given the green light by Alice, Karlyle decides that he wants to see Ash again. He unexpectedly runs into him during a soiree at Sir Gordon’s manor. This was such an adorable reunion scene, complete with Adrian trying to fan the flames of jealousy from Ash. It’s clear just how much Ash has fallen for Karlyle in just the way that he looks at him now. Karlyle may have fallen first, but Ash fell harder.
The two of them finally have a chance to talk. Karlyle confesses that he’s so used to keeping everything to himself that he acted like a fool by not revealing what he was feeling. The two of them accept their feelings for each other, but Karlyle has a request. Could Ash wait for him just a little bit more? He wants to set his affairs in order so that he can dedicate himself fully to their relationship, and Ash agrees to wait.
There’s a two month time skip, and we find Karlyle returning from overseas. It’s New Years Eve (as well as his birthday) and he’s running to meet Ash. He finally catches up to him, and as the countdown begins, Ash confesses that while Karlyle has been gone, he’s been thinking about things a lot.
And as the countdown reaches zero and the fireworks start exploding above them, Ash whispers:
“Happy New Year… my lovely Lyle.”
He remembered.
*cue my uncontrollable sobbing*
Karlyle’s wish comes true when Ash admits he remembers their NYE kiss. He says that he never got a good look at Karlyle’s face that night, so with just his name, he went back to the same spot the next day to try to find him. That was Ash’s defining moment: that was the day he decided to start dating alphas. It was in hope that he would possibly run into the mysterious Alpha he met in New York.
But before he even realized it, Karlyle found him first.
*more uncontrollable sobbing*
The story culminates with this beautiful scene, where Karlyle and Ash officially define their relationship. Ash says to Karlyle that if he takes him as the flawed man that he is, he’ll make it worth his while. We witness true, raw emotion from Karlyle as he asks Ash for permission to love him unconditionally. The fireworks in the background, the floral backdrop illustrations… everything is just perfect. They walk away together, hand in hand. Karlyle Frost and Ash Jones: two lovers walking to their forever.
Final Thoughts
Art: 4.5/5 – The floral backdrops and scenery were absolutely beautiful and emphasized the love blooming between Ash and Karlyle, but the uneven body proportions sometimes threw me off and took me out of the story.
Characters: 4.5/5 – Both Karlyle and Ash were complex characters who developed well as the story progressed. They were both frustrating at times with their inability to communicate, but it all worked out in the end.
Plot: 4/5 – The missing background details took away from the continuity of the story, but it was still a beautiful love story nonetheless.
Chibi Factor: 5/5 – For me, DTR set the standard for the usage of chibi characters. This web comic was made better by using the mini versions of Karlyle and Ash at strategic times to convey comedic relief.
OVERALL: 4.5/5 – An absolute must read, even if it’s set in the Omegaverse.
As I mentioned earlier, the main story of DTR is complete. There are several side stories, and I swear to God I will riot if all of them aren’t illustrated. I am SO looking forward to seeing Ash defend Karlyle to Karlyle’s grandfather and Sir Gordon giving his blessing. I want to see Ash in his rut, and even though it’ll hurt, I want to see Karlyle and Ash’s fight about Hazel. I can’t wait to see all of these stories illustrated and more!
It has been such a pleasure reading Karlyle and Ash’s love story, and this is definitely one of those manhwas I will continue to read over and over again.
