Toxic masculinity is all around us and plays a major role in the various ways violence is perpetrated around the world. From domestic abuse to school bullying, sexual assault, street gang violence and all-out war, there's no shortage of the ways that toxic masculinity rears its ugly head. And these different manifestations are at the heart of the various conflicts that take place in The Breaker: Omnibus, Vol. 1, by Jeon Geuk-jin and Kamaro.
Originally published in South Korea between 2007 and 2010, Ablaze's The Breaker: Omnibus, Vol. 1 collects the first two volumes of the manhwa series. The story follows two male protagonists: a high school student named Si-woon Yi and his substitute teacher, Chun-woo Han. Throughout the story, Si-woon is relentlessly bullied by another classmate named Chang-ho and his group of friends. During one of these regular school beatings, Si-woon meets Chun-woo -- his substitute teacher -- who questions why he never fights back. This question stays with Si-woon, who later that day decides to sign up for martial arts lessons.
On his way to sign up for a class, he encounters Mr. Han again, this time seemingly being mugged by a street gang. Much to Si-woon’s surprise, however, Mr. Han is not as helpless as he looks, proving to be a highly formidable fighter who can effortlessly take down the people who threatened him. From that moment on, Si-woon develops a strong admiration for his substitute teacher and decides to form a master-apprentice relationship with him, thinking he will learn to better deal with his problems under his tutelage.
While The Breaker is structured as an action-packed martial arts story laced with humor -- and follows many of the same tropes of the genre -- it does a lot more than present another troubled teenager in need of guidance from a martial arts master who also serves as that character's parental figure. As mentioned, The Breaker actually examines the deadly consequences of toxic masculinity and the different ways it gets internalized through the characters of Chun-woo and Si-woon.
When we first meet Si-woon in The Breaker, it's clear right away that he suffers from low self-esteem, struggling to find the courage to stand up to bullies like Chang-ho. Little is known about Chang-ho and his motivations for his toxic behavior, but it is clear he doesn't want to be perceived as weak, which is how he sees Si-woon, who has also internalized this message about himself.
Couple this with the lack of a strong support system (his father is absent and his mother is too busy with her own career to do any parenting), and there's little to prevent Si-woon from falling into a deep depression complete with suicide ideation. As such, Si-woon's storyline deals with themes related to adolescent mental health and the importance of having attentive adults during the formative years. This interestingly ties into Si-woon's relationship with his substitute teacher, Chun-woo Han.
When Chun-woo is introduced, he embodies everything Si-woon wishes he was. Chun-woo is brave, confident and not easily intimidated by people who appear more dangerous than him. Chun-woo is also not the type to be easily abused by others -- he understands the principle of being in control of one's life and not a victim of circumstance. He especially understands the importance of facing consequences and taking responsibility for one own's actions. With all these valuable traits, it's not hard to see why Si-woon looks up to Chun-woo as a father figure. What he's unaware of, however, is the dark past the accompanies his substitute teacher.
Despite his outward appearance, Chun-woo may not actually be all that Si-woon thinks he is, which is a detail Geuk-jin and Kamaro hint at consistently with his character. What Si-woon perceives as "tough love" is actually Chun-woo's lack of empathy and abusive behavior. What Si-woon thinks is confidence is actually a manifestation of Chun-woo's own internalized toxic masculinity, such as his inability to respect personal boundaries and a tendency to resolve problems with violence. These traits immediately put into question if Chun-woo is really the father figure Si-woon needs, but Geuk-jin and Kamaro are also careful not to present Chun-woo as a one-dimensional character. Instead, they suggest he may just be out of touch with his own humanity and maybe needs Si-woon to humanize him.
Kamaro's artwork is dynamic, alternating between realistic and cartoonish depending on what the scene demands. For the most part, each page is drawn with a realistic art style during action sequences and moments that need to convey a specific emotion. For the more humorous parts of the story, Kamaro uses a more cartoony art style that flows organically with the more realistic art panels. The only thing that hasn't aged well, art-wise, is the sexualization of the few female characters present in the story, who either get gratuitous panty shots or are presented in cheesecake poses. This is most notable with the character of Si-ho Lee, who is also written in a sexually tantalizing way that doesn't truly afford her any agency.
On the whole, The Breaker: Omnibus, Vol. 1 is more than just another martial arts manhwa that follows a familiar formula. It meaningfully explores its subject matter, engages readers with important questions about the characters they follow and holds their attention with dynamic, eye-popping artwork. The only thing readers might find off-putting is the previously noted sexual objectification of the female characters, but this doesn't happen often enough to distract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
