Based on a Korean folktale, two very different women find themselves making the same wish - to leave this world behind. One is Shim Chong, a young beggar living off the kindness of others to support herself and her blind father. The other is the bride-to-be of old Chancellor Jang, sold off to him for the sake of her family. When Shim Chong rescues this new bride from the river, their relationship triggers both love and hidden intentions. But will these two women be able to find their way forth in a world that favors men?
Madam Jang’s daughter-in-law is another interesting character whose struggles with abuse add another layer to the story. She’s stuck in a toxic relationship and uses Madam Jang as a scapegoat to avoid facing her own emotional pain. I really appreciated how her character was written with complexity—her victimhood doesn’t excuse her actions, but it explains them. It’s a painful dynamic, yet it ultimately leads to her transformation as she forms a new bond with Madam Ditchdok. Seeing these two women come together, supporting each other, was a heartwarming ending to this plotline.
There’s also Sunim, the creepy priest who abuses Shim Chong in various ways. I was relieved when he met his end, but he, too, was very one-dimensional. I would have liked to see more complex male characters, even if they weren’t the focus of the story.
I adore Shim Chong’s character, and I’m hooked on Madame Jang’s (can’t wait to know her real name) character development—though it develops slowly, it is undeniably compelling. But the one who truly steals my heart in this manga is Madame Ditchdok; I’m •desperate• to learn her real name, too!
With each volume, the story grows more exciting, and I can’t wait to see every worthless excuse for a man in this manga suffer excruciatingly! 😠
Estoy totalmente enganchada y sufriendo con los acontecimientos de La Leyenda de Shim Chong. Cualquiera diría que no sé lo que pasará (contexto: ya lo leí por internet en su momento). ¿Es que no les pueden ir las cosas bien? La trama está en un punto de máxima tensión y a partir de aquí solo puede ir a peor. Por lo menos, antes de todo lo ocurrido, hay uno par de capítulos en los que se ven la gran complicidad y atracción que sienten Chong y la Señora la una por la otra. ¡ME ENCANTAN! Tengo muchas ganas de seguir revisitando esta historia en la siguiente entrega.