Thank you Inklore Books for collaborating with us on the cover reveal and advance copy for review!
Her Tale of Shim Chong follows two girls from very different worlds. One has lived all her life on the streets, taking care of her blind father and begging to get by. The other has lived a life shackled by expectations and is destined to become the wife of a Chancellor twice her age. Despite how different their lives are, they bond over a shared feeling: wanting nothing more than to leave this cruel world behind. Will they find solace in each other, or will the rules of society tear them apart?
Spoilers: Minimal | Content Warnings: Poverty, Arranged Marriage, Violence
The Story
This manhwa is based on the classic Korean novel The Tale of Sim Cheong, which tells the story of a young girl who sacrifices her life to help her blind father. The original is a highly regarded tale steeped in karmic law and the concept of filial piety (showing respect to your parents). While I haven’t read the novel this manhwa is based on, nor will I pretend to be an expert on Buddhist or Confucian teachings, Her Tale of Shim Chong clearly wants to elaborate on, and perhaps even question, the themes and morality of the original story.
When we first meet Chong, she is caked in dirt, roaming the streets and begging for food and money to support herself and her father. Almost immediately, we see how society treats her with either passive pity or outright revulsion. When she was a little girl, people were more sympathetic toward her circumstances, but as she’s grown older, society has become much less kind.
Chong has very few options. Sometimes, she has to steal simply to get by. Yet despite having almost nothing, she still makes offerings at the temple. There, a monk tells her to keep making offerings in order to cultivate her virtue. He also tells her that she will never fully resolve her karma because she is merely a woman.
It’s a short interaction, but it establishes one of the central themes of the story: the standards placed upon women are often impossible to satisfy. Chong is expected to be kind, virtuous, selfless, and even grateful when society has given her almost nothing in return.
One night, Chong prays to a higher power to end her life and all the suffering that has come with it. Then she hears the same prayer echoed by a girl drowning nearby. Chong saves her, and we meet the soon-to-be bride of Chancellor Jang.
Poignantly, the first volume never gives her a name. She is only known by her husband’s name: Lady Jang. She is a young girl who has essentially been sold to the Chancellor, with the expectation that she will become a devout wife. Seemingly, her whole life has led to this moment. She has been trained in every way imaginable to be “good” to her future husband.
Despite coming from completely different circumstances, Chong and Lady Jang quickly find something familiar in each other. Their unlikely friendship (and later romance) challenges the rules that have dictated both of their lives.
They may have very different perspectives, but both girls carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Neither is allowed to simply exist for herself. Chong is expected to suffer with grace, while Lady Jang is expected to surrender herself completely.
Both girls’ stories exemplify the often cruel expectations placed on young women. They’re shackles disguised as morality and divine judgment. Be kind. Be pious. Ask for nothing. Want nothing. Only then are you truly “good.” Suffering equals goodness.
But Her Tale of Shim Chong challenges that notion very effectively. It asks what happens when women stop accepting suffering as the price of being considered virtuous. This manhwa is a heavy read, but it is just as much a breath of fresh air. It isn’t purely a romance; it also explores relatable struggles with agency, classism, and the pressure of living up to fickle societal values. If those themes sound interesting to you, Her Tale of Shim Chong is absolutely worth picking up.
The Art & Exclusive Cover Reveal
Each page has a lovely, flowing art style that highlights the beauty of the natural world. So many scenes feature delicate draped fabrics, cascading hair, and floral motifs. It’s all incredibly pleasing to the eye, and the gorgeous use of color makes it even better.
I particularly enjoyed the sketch-like line art, which gives everything a natural, grounded feeling. There’s a softness to the artwork that contrasts beautifully with some of the darker subject matter.
The characters are expressive as well. Even when they’re drawn from a myriad of different angles, their faces remain distinct, which makes their emotions easy to follow.
The Details:
Her Tale of Shim Chong is a manhwa written by Seri and illustrated by Biwan. The physical English edition will be brought to readers thanks to the Random House imprint, Inklore. The first volume is set to release February 2nd, 2027.
Pros
- Beautifully Illustrated
- Complex Themes
Cons
- The young age of the characters, while thematically important, does make the suffering they go through all that much harder to read.
