60: Hook, Line, and Sinker

The hosts of this episode of Yaoi — Matthew Glenn and Kate Sanchez — are discussing Hook, Line, and Sinker by Sita, a 61-chapter webcomic they describe as a mix of "beautiful art" and "frustrating" narrative choices. The core problem, as they see it, is a tonal mismatch: the story wants to be a comedy about a persistent third party inserting himself into an established couple, but the actual events — stalking, kidnapping, non-consensual physical violence — undercut the humor. The episode becomes a sustained critique of how Hook, Line, and Sinker handles its central character, Kong Shinju, and what that reveals about the genre's conventions around attractiveness, consent, and the "evil gay" trope.

The Problem with Shinju: Attractiveness as a Narrative Crutch

The hosts zero in on Shinju, the sexually aggressive third who inserts himself into the relationship between Kisu and Mingon Tay. Kate describes him as "obsessive" and "a brand new weirdo" — not a love rival the protagonists might plausibly desire, but a man who "keeps on finding these ways to insert himself in" despite both Kisu and Mingon Tay "extremely" wanting him to go away. The author's notes reveal a telling choice: Shinju was drawn as the most handsome character in the series, with the implication that "this makes up for it" — that his attractiveness excuses his creepy behavior.