Note: Webcomics have changed their name to KakaoPage
Manhwa Title: 별안간 아씨
Manhwa Title in Bahasa Indonesia: Mendadak Bangsawan
Status in KakaoPage Indonesia: Completed
Number of Episodes: 50 Episodes
Novel by: Seo Jayeong
Comic Illustration by: IRING
As you may have seen in the promotional video, 'Mendadak Bangsawan' or roughly translated to 'Suddenly Becoming a Noble' is a story that revolved on a lowly slave's determination to quit her low-class status as a slave with the help of her master, Hyeongsu.
Despite his higher class status compared to Deok, Hyeongsu was considered to be a low-born due to his birth history. His mother was a gisaeng while his father was the former prime minister. Thus, in the strict hierarchical country of Korea, Hyeongsu was unable to become a public servant with high status. The story timeline is set in ancient Korea that strictly divided people through their classes. One day, the crown prince visited Hyeongsu and gave him a mission to transform Deok to become a noblewoman. The crown prince wanted to marry Deok into his political rival's family that highly valued the noble status in order to control their power within the palace. Hyeongsu then brought Deok to his mother's place to study a noblewoman's attitude and behavior in a limited time. Additionally, Deok removed her identity as a slave to avoid legal consequences. During the time that Deok studied for her new life, Deok and Hyeongsu started to spend some time together. When it was finally time for Deok to marry the crown prince's chosen man, Deok and Hyeongsu realized that they were in love with each other. After some complicated political obstacles that arose in their way, the crown prince sent Deok and Hyeongsu to study with the Qing Dynasty.
I fall in love with the manhwa for two reasons: the story plot and drawing. As I used Kakaopage to read the manhwa, I got to read the manhwa in full-screen mode which made it easier for me to appreciate the artist's drawing. Before I read this manhwa, I already read 'Kim Ji Yeong Born in 1982' in which the writer discussed the gap of gender equalities in South Korea. There are some parts of the book that left some impression on me. Some of these parts are: a woman's status is determined since she was in the womb, society still views a woman's success lies in their ability to bear a family's heir, and that is a woman must act in certain ways to prove that they are woman enough. Thus, when I read 'Mendadak Bangsawan' some scenes reminded me of the book. For example, when the matchmaker visited Deok's place to know her compatibility with Choi -- the crown prince's political rival's son--, Deok got offended when the matchmaker asked Deok's womb health. Deok then told the matchmaker that her duty as a wife and woman was not solely to give birth to an heir but to support his husband from inside the house. There was also a scene in which Deok asked Hyeongsu why the noblewomen should learn specific lessons when the noblemen could learn a variety of subjects that women could not get.
I also like the fact that the manhwa wanted to question the class status that is still on-going in society. The most important impressions that I got about class status were those 'why do talented people lose to those who have higher class status?' and then 'if a class status was determined from the start, then why do we even bother to born and live in this world in the very first place?' The last sentence is related to what Deok said to her mother in the first chapter of the manhwa. Deok refused to get married and told her mother that she was 'unwilling to give birth to children who will suffer as slaves' just like her because there was no chance that slaves would be able to lift themselves from the status. I believe what Deok said is something that I somehow relate to lately. I have come to realize that many people out there also question the reason they were born in this harsh life in the very first place.
Despite the fact that Hyeongsu is also a main character of this manhwa, I like Deok better. As a character, Deok had the character that I do not have which made me admire her. First, Deok was as curious as a cat and she was not afraid to tell Hyeongsu of these curiousities. Second, Deok was not afraid to tell her opinion even when there was a strict restriction on how a woman should behave. And third, Deok was a brave character who embraced her feelings even when Hyeongsu continously tried to deny his feelings.
Artistically, the manhwa has a charming art in which I did not feel annoyed with the drawing style. Somehow, the art was calm and popping from the phone screen. It was as if the art became alive and told their own stories. Additionally, I like the fact that the artist was able to portray the characters' feelings with their expression. I think this makes it easier for me as a reader to really understand what is going on with the story. The expression gives a context to the whole story in general. I have also liked the choice of colors in the manhwa which greatly supported each character's personality. Overall, I recommend to check this manhwa as it is fun to read-- and at some points, it even has deep meanings that make you think about the current society.
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