The life and times of Abigail and her step-family march on in the fourth volume of Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom! Read this volume for such shenanigans as the following: a scandalously masculine new outfit woven by Abigail, a panoply of adorable Abigail-Sabrian moments, and all the cute Blanche moments you could ever want! Sadly, though, it’s not all fun and games. A strange illness ravages the people of Kronenberg and even gets Blanche sick. Political storms brew behind the scenes, creating all sorts of problems and threats to the Friedkin family. In the midst of all these pressures, will the Friedkins stick together and grow closer as a family? Or will the tensions pull them apart at the seams?
TL;DR: We loved this volume. Again. Those of ye who be not afeared of spoilers, read on!
Initial Thoughts
sleepy: WHERE IS MY BLANCHE ON THE FRONT COVER?? Joking aside, what a page-turner! I’ve never felt more conflicted reading a manga because I couldn’t decide whether I should blitzkrieg through the whole thing because it’s so exciting or take my time to enjoy the scenery, the precious designs, and the hilarious reaction images! Time and again this series shows that yes, the isekai genre is more than ecchi jokes and worn-out clichés—it’s full of potential for meaningful storytelling and indulgent craft. Excited to dive into another team review—3/3 this time!
claire: The dilemma is real! (I binged.) This volume made me laugh, it made me cry, it tested my knowledge of art history, and, as sleepy said, it renewed my hope that isekai can be story-driven and character-focused and touch my heart. This series continues to be a rare gem indeed!
Laura: Whoa, every volume of this manhwa reminds me it’s not like the other manhwa I’m reading where I’m closing the back cover in utter outrage and ranting about X character (though Duke Stoke is at the top of that list!) or immediately looking up merch of “best girl” so I can have her represented in my collection. Instead, I feel I’m always in a reflective mood, looking inward, and that was no exception with this volume! Sometimes, the measure of something really good doesn’t equate to ranting and merch buying, but instead to wiping tears and taking a moment after finishing the volume to sit there and think on the themes and messages that touch on a heart level, which is something I don’t often do with manhwa…unless I’m reading this one. (Don’t worry though! My wallet is still not safe from my looking into merch for this series! Ha!)
Abigail’s Past
sleepy: The previous volumes spent more time on Sabrian’s past, drawing back the curtain to reveal the root of his standoffishness with Abigail and Blanche. This time around, however, we focus on Abigail’s pre-reincarnation past, which was an exciting development. We’ve seen how the unrealistic body expectations she endured in her past life have led her to seek reform in this one, but we haven’t seen the full weight of those pressures on her, and how they’ve led her to shrink away from genuinely connecting with Blanche and Sabrian.
I found myself resonating a lot here with the way that Abigail’s self-isolation leads to isolation from others. When she pushes away Sabrian’s gifts, thinking herself unworthy of them, it actually leads to him hurting, not just her. Not only that, but Blanche also hurts as she wonders whether her parents actually love each other. Her refusal to see value in herself actually prevents others from experiencing the joy of being able to care for her. Abigail might think it’s noble for her to hide her feelings, but she’s part of a family now, and her shirking from full commitment is a strain all three members of the family will feel.
claire: This is a really key theme. I really appreciate, though, that Abigail doesn’t just remain stuck in this pattern of reacting to old wounds. She begins to recognize the impact that her past is having on her new life now, and she’s not content to just keep building protective walls.
For Abigail as Baekhap Lee, former children’s fashion designer, it’s second nature to love Blanche. It comes easily. She can interpret, practically at a glance, what’s going on in Blanche’s heart because her own heart is aligned with the child. She easily takes steps to show her compassion and make a safe space for her. But the wounds of rejection from her former life, especially from her college crush, make it hard for her to do the same for Sabrian at times. She guards her heart, anticipating rejection. But in a pivotal moment, she sees Sabrian through the lens of his daughter, the one she loves easily and without restraint. She sees him, in other words, through the eyes of love, recognizing a kind of parity between the girl she easily cares for, and the grown man who is more challenging for her to interact with. Abigail then leverages her love for Blanche to help her to know how to show care and compassion to Sabrian as well. She literally grows, right before our very eyes, in her capacity to demonstrate love.
This reminds me of John’s exhortation to believers to walk in love. He calls us out for saying we love God while yet treating others poorly, and points out that love is consistent. Baekhap/Abigail makes this same connection between her love and compassion for Blanche, and the need to approach Sabrian with that same care as well. What a beautiful illustration!
It also reminds me of what happens with our own rebirth, our own new life as new creations: those old wounds can stick around and affect our behavior, our mindsets, our views of other people. We can even be tempted to believe that our new lives in Christ won’t really be activated fully until after we die and find ourselves in heaven, freed from all earthly things, including our past. But actually, that’s not the case. Just like Baekhap as Abigail, we have new life, the old is washed away, and we don’t need to let those old wounds shape the rest of our lives on earth. Thankfully, too, our rebirth is not just a cosmic accident as it is with Baekhap, and, unlike her, we do not need to realize these things on our own, but instead we have the help of our savior, living right here in and with us, as we learn to see ourselves, our past, and those around us like he does and receive healing for those old hurts.
Laura: When we started seeing more of Abigail’s backstory and how deeply she was affected not just by other people’s words, but by her own words too, voiced about herself, I almost cried. Abigail may be a very beautiful woman, but Baekhap Lee’s heart is deeply relatable, and having that heart in Abigail’s body really bridges the gap so that she is not so unrelatable as a female lead. While I have not been through the same situations she has in her past life, her words of feeling like an ugly woman and as a result, questioning what the point is in dressing up and caring about our appearance, hit harder than I would care to admit.
However, like claire shares, as believers, we have a new life that results in a new mindset. Does that mean the way we used to view or think about things changes right away? Sadly no, because as Sleepy and claire both pointed out, Abigail viewing herself the same way she did before–thinking she is unworthy–is hurting her husband and child. Blanche worries and asks Abigail if she doesn’t like her father anymore and Sabrian questions if his feelings will ever get across to Abigail in the form of what he feels speaks his love: giving gifts. Sometimes these things take time to realize, and maybe more often than not, it’s other people’s words that help us realize that what we are telling ourselves internally has a much greater impact than we expect. This volume is a firm reminder that sometimes we may think we are hurting just ourselves with “dangerous” thoughts, but in reality, we are unintentionally hurting the people we love and care for the most.
The Power of Words—and one little word in particular…
sleepy: As in the previous volumes, Abigail’s words—and the clothes she sews!—continue to carry healing in their wings. Her scene with Karen at the beginning was incredibly encouraging, as we feel the contrast between the shame and rejection Karen expects and the grace and kindness that Abigail shows her. The soothing, comforting words Abigail assures Karen with in a particularly embarrassing moment—they paint a picture of the flourishing life that results when we speak in love rather than vengefulness towards our opponents.
Meanwhile, in Abigail’s own family, her words are stitching up old wounds. Blanche continues to remember her step-mother’s words and open herself up to her innocent, childlike side. “It’s perfectly okay to act like a child when you’re sick or lonely. There’s no need for you to grow up so fast,” Abigail reassures her step-daughter, once again freeing her from the weight of responsibility foisted on her at too early an age. And Abigail’s promise to Sabrian that they would start a family leads him to be more determined to grow as a father and husband, and to be more vulnerable about his feelings for her (though we still haven’t gotten a confession yet and I’m REALLY UPSET BECAUSE WHY DID THEY END IT ON A CLIFFHANGER!).
claire: Ah, sleepy my friend, you missed the most powerful word of all to be spoken in this volume! “Mother”. I shed a tear or three at that. There is something so precious about it being Blanche who moves beyond simply healing wounds with her words, to building something new, something so beyond what any of the adults dared anticipate or even hope for. “And a little child shall lead them,” indeed!
There is something profound here, about how, as adults, we seek to right wrongs, to heal and restore, and this is good, but it takes the innocence of a child to dream beyond that, to not simply make the best of a broken situation, but to chase after beauty and wholeness and abundance as if all things are possible, not just the reasonable or rational ones. Unless we are like these little ones, we never fully enter the kingdom of heaven, which is impossibly glorious, above and beyond all that we could ask, think or imagine.
Also, I AM HERE for Karen’s Redemption Arc!!! Love it. What a good reminder that Karens are worthy of kindness too.
Laura: I very much second that I am here for Karen’s Redemption Arc! I was quite bummed that we didn’t see her past the opening scene because I want the best for her, and freedom from her controlling father!
But I was even more deeply touched by the theme of motherhood in this volume. Now, it might seem obvious that the theme of motherhood has been prevalent since page one and the title itself even reflects this. However, there is something very different about knowing the theme and seeing the theme in a very raw way. I agree with claire that the word “Mother” was the most powerful word spoken in this volume, but I would say even further that the most powerful part of this volume is Abigail’s reaction to this word. As a mother of three children myself, there is no “step” in the struggles she is facing, (?) as I saw my own fears, worries, and joys conveyed in Abigail’s internal struggle. When she questions whether she even knows what motherly love is and asks the loaded question, “Am I even qualified?,” I felt those words deeply in my heart. What an ongoing “struggle” this is, as I raise my three children!
Yet, while it might seem discouraging to say that raising children is hard (and I’m not going to say it’s not, because it can be challenging for sure!), Abigail deciding that, despite not feeling ready or prepared to be a “proper mother,” she will still embrace Blanche as her daughter in that moment and for a whole lifetime and that is so very powerful. Despite the worry, despite the fear, she knows that her feelings in this moment won’t be passing and that she will love Blanche as a “Mother” from here on out because she knows that love is greater than any fear or worry of failing, of not being enough, or of the mistakes she will make along the way. Talk about capturing the very essence of motherhood and encouraging all mothers through story!
Also, sleepy, THAT CLIFFHANGER SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!! And then to have the preview for the next volume at that? WE NEED MORE!!
sleepy: We demand justice now! No more cliffhangers in stories—give the readers what they want!
Sabrian’s Past
sleepy: One passing point that I really appreciated was how the volume reveals the care that Sabrian has shown for Blanche behind the scenes, even when it was hard and despite no one else seeing it. Reading Abigail’s descriptions of his endurance broke my heart. In one scene where Sabrian has to put his foot down and prevent Blanche from meeting her family, Sabrian’s morose expression leads Abigail to declare, “I sincerely wish that someday, I can tell you about everything Sabrian has done to keep you safe, and how his hopelessly clumsy sacrifices led him down a lonely path.”
In a very real sense, Sabrian gave his life to protect Blanche, marrying Abigail to protect the young child from those seeking her early marriage. Rather than being just a “coldhearted person who doesn’t know how to show affection,” Abigail comes to see the real Sabrian: someone willing to put his own life on the line for others, even at great personal cost.
claire: You’re so right to highlight this little moment, sleepy! It’s really becoming clear to me in this volume that this entire series is basically a primer on how to love others. Sure, Sabrian doesn’t feel like a father–and indeed, Abigail doesn’t feel like a mother–but they are able to love Blanche well from where they are, and what they do feel. It may not be personal for Sabrian yet–he is, in a way, seeking to love the child he once was–and it may not be motherly yet for Abigail–she is definitely more the zany auntie still at this point!–but they are building something genuine here, and Blanche’s life is all the richer for it. It takes the pressure off of “getting love right”, doesn’t it? “Just dive in! Share your heart however you can. The rest will come.” This seems to be the message, and I’m all for it.
Laura: I second all of this! When I think back on my feelings about Sabrian and how I had him in the “dog house,” I definitely have caught myself saying “Sorry!” for my early mistreatment of him! Ha! With every new layer to his story, I continually empathize with Abigail and the anger she felt that his parents would “hurt someone with such a warm heart” because we are continuously seeing that he is not the man he seemed to be at first glance. Also, to have a conversation with Blanche for a whole five minutes! What a feat! Go Sabrian!
sleepy: I so resonate with that point about mistreating Sabrian because I despised him at the beginning of the series! I always love when stories are able to take unlikable characters and truly redeem them, showing that there’s often more going on under the surface of a cold expression and a harsh demeanor. Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom is a masterclass in that regard, and I’m excited to see more of Sabrian’s real heart in the coming volumes!
Final Thoughts
I will borrow sleepy’s words here and reiterate that this series, time and time again, shows that the isekai genre doesn’t simply equal an overload of fanservice. But instead, meaningful storytelling can be told in a passionate, thought-provoking, and emotional way, where you, as the reader, are not simply being entertained but touched on a heart level. Yes, with the hilarious expressions, we surely were entertained, but once again, the Freidkin family is gripping our hearts as they continue to grow closer and closer. Cheers to the next volume with more tears, more fun, and more heartstring pulling!
Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom is published by Yen Press. Volume four releases on June 18th.
