Greetings people! How was your week? Mine was a bit meh and the weather turning real cold had a lot to do with it. Also, a BL series I loved have ended this week, and not having an update on Wednesday made me feel lonely. But well, such is life. I have a lot of favorites, and I’m here to talk about one that’s still ongoing: Bongchon Bride. Let’s go!
Title: Bongchon Bride
Author & Artist: Sohn Gaepi
Status: Ongoing, 42 chapters.
Where to read: On Manta!
Bongchun is scary. I mean, he’s over 2 meters, has a sturdy build, has long, unkempt hair that covers most of his face, and has superhuman strength. He only comes down from his house in the mountains to trade or farm and seldom socializes. Who wouldn’t be scared of or spread rumors about such a man! When he arrives at the house of a wealthy family that he does business with, the Jeon family, to sell what he harvested, Mr. Jeon decides that it’s time for Bongchun to buy a slave. What a coincidence! He just happens to have one at his disposal. A younger man who’s battered very badly and unconscious. And Bongchun buys him for 50 sacks of rice. That means he has to work for the next 20 years to pay for the price and the interest for Soongap.
When Soongap finally wakes up in a different house after 4 days of sleep, he’s equally scared and relieved; scared because who the capital-F is this scary man and why the capital-H he’d buy Soongap for such a price? Relieved because he’s finally free of the exploitative clutch of Mr. Jeon. But mishaps don’t end there. Bongchun lives with his blind and almost deaf mother, who happens to think his son finally married a good woman! This giant softie bought Soongap with the rice he’s supposed to set aside for his future wife, because if he didn’t, Soongap would probably die at the hands of Mr. Jeon. What awaits these two strangers who are supposed to act like newlyweds and live under the same roof? What happened in their pasts that these two paths have crossed today?
Before I say anything else, let me start by begging you to give this series a chance. Of course, if you’re okay with getting sad here and there. Since Bongchon Bride is a historical piece where slavery exists and most of the inhabitants struggle with poverty or severe shortage of food, there is bound to be drama and unfortunate events that can feel a tad dramatic for some. Although as someone who steers clear from melodrama, I can assure you none of these events are out of place or there solely to get emotions out of you.
The narration flows neither slow nor fast. It does feel a bit slow because life itself in the mountains is very slow for Bongchun and Soongap. They get up, eat and leave the house to farm, collect water, or chop wood. Together, if Soongap is in good health. Then it’s dinner time and then sleeping. The days come and go one after another while we learn about the two’s pasts through flashbacks or dreams. And those flashbacks provide enough action or drama to keep the reader interested.
Bongchun is just a giant, lovable bear. While Soongap is wary of him at first for very valid reasons, over time he leaves himself to the gentle care and unconditional love of his master. Although I fear in the following chapters, this warm and enjoyable mood will soon be replaced and my heart will be torn in two… Need to steel my heart… I just need my boys to be happy and live the cottagecore life to its fullest!
I was surprised to learn that this series has a rated version, because normally when a mature series is shortened/censored it’s very easy to pick up this fact but reading Bongchon Bride, I didn’t feel anything was lacking or cut out. I usually prefer to read a series as intended, but, amazingly, this manhwa didn’t make me feel I was missing things out.
Another detail that might be of interest is that, although Manta operates on a monthly subscription fee, some of the series are free to read after downloading the app and signing up for free, and Bongchon Bride is one of those series! The last 4 or 5 chapters are locked behind the paywall, but the rest is available for the registered members.
To sum it up, Bongchon Bride is a marvelous BL manhwa that has a great balance of cuteness and heartbreak, has an impeccable and beautiful art style that is just pleasing to look at. I can assuredly say you won’t regret meeting Bongchun and Soongap!
Let me know what you think about the BL series that are set in older periods and whether you’d give a chance to Bongchon Bride or not. Or, if you have already read it, what did you think of it? Hopefully, my post was interesting enough to get you onboard and see you next week!
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