'BJ Alex' Comic review

BJ Alex, a comic by the talented and dynamic Mingwa, began releasing its first chapters in November of 2017, and finished up mid 2020. With a total of 89 chapters including all the trimmings, I would consider it a medium to long webcomic series, with plenty of extras for anyone wanting just that little bit more. The comic starts by introducing us to the sweet and shy Nam Dong-gyun, a university student that has completed his military service and works part-time in a nearby cafe. Dong-gyun, despite being seemingly innocent, has an obsession unmatched by any BL bottom I've seen before-he's totally in love with a cam boy. 'BJ', or 'broadcasting jokey' is a title given to those in Korea who stream live on online broadcasting platforms for hundreds to millions of viewers. Alex, the most popular BJ on 'NutworkTV', produces a live show where he enagages viewers with racy stories and explicit solo content. Famed for being the sexiest BJ on the site, Alex collects donations in the thousands from his committed viewership, one of which happens to be the not-so-innocent Dong-gyun.

After living a mostly peaceful university life, Dong-gyun is invited by his popular superior Jiwon for a drink after classes, and fails to pass it up. After becoming intoxicated, Jiwon, being the kind, popular and sweet upperclassman everyone knows him to be, offers to take Dong-gyun home, and after an encounter, exposes himself unwillingly as the famous cam boy 'BJ Alex' that Dong-gyun so feverishly is enamoured with. Subsequent to being caught out, Jiwon, or 'Alex', shows a much more abrasive side to himself, and after threatening Dong-gyun, offers himself as a sexual partner in order to avoid being found out. After a mishap, Dong-gyun is left to process things alone, and trouble continues to arise after the two become intertwined from then on. Dong-gyun, holding Jiwon's dirty little secret, and Jiwon, unable to forget his immediate attraction to his underclassman, find themselves in a physical relationship, when both of their emotions begin to go awry. A long, complex process ensues, before the both of them begin to realise they aren't too different after all.

I read BJ Alex for the first time a good few years ago in my late teens. It was fairly new and was starting to grow its audience online. When I first read the comic for free on a comic site, I could only access half of the chapters, but quickly chose to invest in the official release on Lezhin. It didn't take long for me to feel a deep connection to the characters, and I ended up paying for a good chunk of the comic, despite not having much money to my name. Something I came to appreciate about 'BJ Alex' was that although it isn't the most realistic love story, it does feel genuine. The raw emotion encapsulated in each character doesn't feel artificial or displaced, and after rereading it many times, I still feel attached to the characters. With a satisfying and endearing side couple that is explored quite nicely, the story wraps itself up in a neat little bow from beginning to end. If you're looking for a story that has raw, toxic emotion, but manages to smooth itself out and delve into a sweet and charming end, I would fully recommend this one. Mingwa never fails to outdo herself when it comes to her craft, and if you liked the seemingly perfected art style of this comic, her newest release, 'Jinx', has not only shown a significant improvement, it's probably the most stunning webcomic I've ever read. And I've read a lot of comics.