The main character gets shit on the entire read and never catches a break... The characters are all retarded and even

... Last updated on May 9th, 2019, 10:21am

You want to read something different. The story reminds me of other K-dramas set in a Korean historical time period. But this story is a lot simpler since it's so short. The art is soothing to look at, and the plot is alright. I like how it's based on a real person, but only vaguely.

But one thing that puzzles me:


This might have been done so that the story would follow the life of the real Manduk more closely, but that really annoys me because the granny is probably a fictitious character and the author should have come up with a better reason to go back to that island.

Other than that, it's a slightly above average story. Probably won't reread this in the future though.

... Last updated on August 10th, 2014, 7:56pm

This webcomic is a nice change of pace for all those, which can't stand those generic plotlines or fantasy/action packed stories anymore. I was searching for something quiet to read in-between and this one didn't made me regret giving it my time, so it's worth it's while.

The coloring and drawing style is appealing, being focused on pastel (soft) colors and impacts being thrown in, when they are needed. The characters can be differentiated easily and the panels give off the right atmosphere, while the backgrounds show some beautiful landscape aspects of one of Koreas most popular nature spots - Like Jeju island. Kkk.

The storyline was bound to the biography of a merchant Kim Man-Duk, which has been going through a hard life, including being a Gisaeng and having to face the hardships of the pasts daily life. Even though the story deals with many dramatic and tragic issues, they are - Aside from a few shortcomings, because of the length maybe - well executed. It's told in an interesting way and it won't make you regret taking another look, even though romance isn't the main focus.

A worthwile read. I love the subtleness of the story-telling, realism and the character interpretations, which all formed a well-balanced and thought-evoking story. This was very humane and gentle with a touch of something classical. I admire the author for not making this cheesy and being able to tell the story with colours and expressions just as well as with words and the plot. Of course, this is nothing like a grand, majestic work for the masses. On the contrary, The Great Merchant Kim Manduk feels very personal. It is certainly not for everyone but those who seek something light and romantic but at the same type realistic and not overdone will simply love it.

... Last updated on September 7th, 2012, 8:48am

I don't know.When i started reading this one i thought that it would be more close to seinen/josei genre and since the plot seemed a bit out of the ordinary and i was searching A LOT of time for a story like this,i said what the heck,let's read this one.But Until chapter 8 unfortunately it's kinda more of a shoujo.Not to also mention that it's also bloody confusing at times.For the moment i am not that impressed.Sth bothers me with the execution,probably the character development(Minuscule at least for the moment, i still don't understand when the protagonist managed to fall in love with that guy in the first place.Their initial meeting wasn't almost presented at all!) and the pacing(too fast).Not to forget to mention the diabolical coincidences...

This series had potential for sth really really great,but the way that it is going due to the author's storytelling i don't think it can reach that level.At least,I hope it will get better on latter chapters.If anyone knows anything similar to this or to "Memoirs of a Geisha" pm me.

... Last updated on March 26th, 2011, 8:57pm

I agree with PrincessVera's comment. This is really progressing quite nicely so far and I'm looking very forward to continuing this. The art, as stated before, is lovely, and the author incorporates all the characters with their POVs and the situations well.
The story reminds me of the Korean drama which aired a while back called "Dae Jang Geum." If you've ever watched it and enjoyed its basic plot (putting all the cooking and doctoring aside for a moment), I can almost guarantee that you'll like this manhwa. Happy Reading!

Now, having finished this, I can give it a just review:

The plot is based on the true story of a heroic female merchant who had been a prostitute in the past... this is Kim Manduk, the main character. The story has a bit of adventure, a dramatic romance, and antagonists. But it is really, as the last chapter says, about Manduk becoming a 'person', that is, becoming a fully formed human being through her trials and suffering (as well as her joys). As the tags say, it is a tragic story; fans of tragic, dramatic Korean romances will like this.

The story is well-done, dramatic, and not too hard to follow (as long as you're paying attention). Several moments could have been fleshed out in another chapter or two - the people who were the antagonists were just simply not well-developed, and the political plot that leads to an important death near the end is really confusing if you don't remember everyone's family names.

I suggest reading this all within a few sittings or a few days. Why? Because it's a great story, but it is SO easy to get confused. If you don't keep track of faces and family relations, and you forget important details (such as the fact that women cannot leave Jeju Island), then you will end up scratching your head multiple times.

As before, the artwork is clear and concise, and the colors are fittingly mild, sort of like a soft pastel. The characters are distinct and expressive, although as a whole things are not incredibly detailed.

The translation is very clean, and since this comes from a webcomic, the images are also very clean--all in all, a pleasant reading experience.

I do recommend this series... and I do wish it had been longer. But it's a good and fairly short read, so go ahead and check it out!

... Last updated on July 12th, 2013, 1:10am