Stranger (Seonmyeong)

Description

"A stranger changed my life." While struggling to survive his troubled life with no one to rely on, Jiho Kim stumbles into Woojung Yeon and follows him. "Favors are not free." Jiho's way of seeing the world paints Woojung as an untrustworthy character, but Woojung's continuous kindness finally begins to open Jiho's heart. (Source: Manta)

Official Novel: Ridibooks

Official Webtoon:
R19: Ridibooks
R15: Ridibooks

Official Translations:
R19: English, Thai, French, T.Chinese
R15: English, S.Chinese

Notes:
- Audio Drama

Type

Manhwa

Related Series

N/A

Associated Names

Der Fremde

L'Étranger

Người lạ

Strangers

境外人

异乡人 (Seonmyeong)

異邦人【タテヨミ】

異鄉人 (Seonmyeong)

이방인

Groups Scanlating

Le Mafia Scans

Mokumoku Guimi Scans

XMate FreeScan

Latest Release(s)

c.11 by XMate FreeScan & Mokumoku Guimi Scans 3 years ago

c.9-10 by XMate FreeScan & Mokumoku Guimi Scans 3 years ago

c.8 by XMate FreeScan 3 years ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

108 (Complete)

S1: 35 Chapters + Review (1~35)
S2: 35 Chapters + Review (36~70)
S3: 18 Chapters + Review (1~88)
Side Story: 18 Chapters + Review (89~106)
Epilogue: 2 Chapters (107~108)

Completely Scanlated?

Anime Start/End Chapter

N/A

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

0 topics, 0 posts

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User Rating

Average: 7.9 / 10.0 (57 votes)

Bayesian Average: 7.34 / 10.0

14%

16%

40%

11%

12%

Last Updated

August 3rd, 2025 8:24pm PDT - 1 day ago

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Genre

Drama Romance Yaoi
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Categories

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Category Recommendations

Antidote (Harusari)

BOSS, BXTCH, BABY!

Unromantic Romance

Doutei Hitsuji to Abazure Ookami

Silent Heartbeat

Recommendations

N/A

Author(s)

Seonmyeong

Artist(s)

Chub

Year

2021

Original Publisher

Daewon C.I.

Ridibooks

Serialized In (magazine)

Ridibooks (Ridibooks)

Ficus (Solmare Henshuubu)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

Manta

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #669

(-59)

Monthly Pos #1231

(+111)

3 Month Pos #1278

(+85)

6 Month Pos #1456

(-135)

Year Pos #1618

(+730)

List Stats

On 170 reading lists

On 154 wish lists

On 84 completed lists

On 11 unfinished lists

On 99 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]

Big difference between mature and censored versions

by BepsRose
1 month ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

So many subtle cues and talks happen while they're intimate that get cut out for the censored version. You end up missing a lot about how their relationship builds. It affects the pacing and storytelling.

If you can't read the mature version, it won't be as good.

Was this comment useful? Yes

Quite good

by dia69
1 month ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

Well, the MC is 18 and ML is or is over 30. That bothers me less, since there are many couples with an age difference of more than ten years. What bothers me is the MC and his inner monologues. A child who has lived on the streets for several years, steals, and is abused is, in my opinion, more tough than whiny. At that age, it's more likely that he could have turned to an institution or gone to the police, unless he's mentally retarded. But that's not how he was portrayed. I feel like MC's portrayal lacks his past during his school days. Teachers should have noticed something and reported it, especially since he apparently stopped going to school. "Korea has a strictly enforced compulsory education system." I also don't believe he didn't have any friends at school because of his appearance. Well, the author leaves us in the dark there. Why does he run away and not report his father to the police... and don't tell me he was ashamed. It's completely illogical to be ashamed of it, but to go stealing and not be ashamed of it.

All in all, I still thought the story was quite good, but I rather liked Woojung's dry style of acting and his looks.

If I had read the R15 version, my verdict would probably have been lower.

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Ahhh I don't know what to think

by chapschapschaps
3 months ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

It was great. The storytelling was well done even tho Jiho was just dumb kid and he annoyed me a lot through the whole manhwa. I've also realized that I hate debt trope 💀 I enjoyed it and probably gave it a 10 but the whole thing with age is still strange for me. I don't understand why the author felt the urge to make Jiho so young. I'm really into age gap but why not make Jiho like at least 19/20 at the beginning?? Woojung is a walking green flag and he knows his flaws which is good. I'm just a little confused about the whole thing;/

🍭5/5 🎈4/5 🌶️4/5 🚩2/5

... Last updated 3 months ago

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Girrrlll idk what to think

by whitelotusflower
4 months ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

Overall - the story is great, but I really dont know what to think about the age gap, their financial positions and stability, their ways of getting over things and also the adoption..?

When you just enjoy the plot as a story about growing, supporting close ones and developing - that's peak. BUT man that's so sus...

Why are they having a sexual/romantic relationship and at the same time one is getting adopted by the other? Is he his father or his daddy? And author is trying to play it off, as if Woojun thinks its icky, but at the same time goes further (one scece, when he was drinking after realising he's getting crushed on, and the other where he said something along the lines "you think you're weird, but it's me who's getting turned on by a minor"). Like!!! Pick a stuggle, are you attracted to a minor found on the street??????

🍭3/5🎈1/5🌶️4/5🚩3/5

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The art is so good bro omg and I LOVE THE MC

by FANGURL999
10 months ago

Rating: 6.0 / 10.0

The author put their artistussy into drawing Jiho

I actually like how the author make Jiho 18 and acts like a 18 years old. He's naive and selfish. He loves rather blatantly and sometimes kinda extreme.

The dynamic between him and the ML does give me the biggest ick sometimes tho…
Woojun needs to give him a hug and stop being so stiff. I am not talking about sex or anything like that. His... boyfriend? Protegee? Vulnerable teen he has kinda groomed (or ‘helped’) and ended up falling for? - whatever definition he has for their relationship in his heart, this young person is lost and hurting. I know he cares a lot, but please just be the adult and give him some emotional support.
I love this story and both characters to bits, but oh boy, at times I feel so sorry for Jiho because the man he loves is so emotionally constipated.
Thanks so much for the upload!

... Last updated 10 months ago

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Until the end I'm conflicted

by mrs_choco
1 year ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

I have a true love and hate relationship with this story which is fairly rare for me.
On one hand, I love the emotions' description, including Kim Jiho's teenager 's emotional range (which I usually cringe at);
I love the scenery and the flow between panels, it could be a movie, there's a framed shot quality to it;
I love the -Korean- dialogues. That too, it feels like a movie dialogues, so perfectly crafted you'd hear them.

On the other hand, I hate the age gap, especially with the additional unbalanced power: Yeon Ujeong is a working adult with a salary, a house, etc, while Kim Jiho is a kid without a support system who is in a situation where he can be anything but overly reliant on Yeon Ujeong. What's worst, Yeon Ujeong is even a prosecutor!
I hate that Ujeong is manipulative and childish. I like the depiction of Jiho who matures, but at the same time, Ujeong gets more childish, pouting and almost throwing tantrums when Jiho attempt to leave. This really adds up to the manipulation, even when Jiho tries to get financially self-reliant , Ujeong shoot down any attempt. Jiho is definitely a kept man, IRL that would be the cringiest, people would call the police on them.
I also hate how their sexual relationship is somehow unrealistically placated on their personal relationship. Also Jiho is strangely brawny for a dropout who doesn't go to the gym.

The ending falls short, precisely because their relationship is too awkward, and it doesn't open to a potential future between them. Ujeong -once more- guilt-trip Jiho for trying to move forward with his life.

... Last updated 1 year ago

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Quiet masterpiece

by leeloocat
2 years ago

Rating: N/A

Every panel is so intentionally crafted, and the emotions of both characters are intense. I guess this is Chub's first work and it's so admirable. She avoids so many BL tropes in which reactions can be predictable and instead continuously pushes narrative boundaries masterfully. The characters act like thoughtful human beings, and I'm learning a lot about how I want to live my life from the ML.

I'm happy this was licensed, but it's a shame that the official English version is all-ages; the sex scenes, besides being hella steamy, are filled with emotion, add to the character arcs, and feel more realistic than most BL.

*Have read up to ep 56.
*The MC is initially a minor while the ML is in his 30s. Icky in real life; acceptable in fiction.

... Last updated 2 years ago

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Pacing and characters are

by mimi201
2 years ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

Pacing is slow paced, it does have a few R19 scenes but focuses a lot on the story and characters. Not sure if I like the slow pacing or if it drags on a bit at times? I do enjoy the two MC's personalities and their dynamic.

I do have an issue with their ages but LMAO you find this a lot in BL webtoons/manga's:

I think I would have preferred if the story started out with a 19 year old or 20 year old Kim Jiho.... It would have made the power uke less conflicting if he started seeing the MC seme like that... Because like really? So suddenly he turns 18 and now you suddenly see him in another light???? )

... Last updated 2 years ago

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