Manhwa Review: Not-Sew-Wicked-Stepmom, vol. 6

Abigail may be falling more and more for Sabrian these days (and trying desperately to keep it to herself), but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t also have a packed social calendar! First off, there’s that oddly persistent half-brother-in-law, Raven, to navigate, as Abigail pushes down her suspicions and seeks to treat him with compassion. What on isekai is he up to, the supersilious snake? More enjoyable, though, is Abigail’s excursion with Blanche to the mysterious abode of the royal magician who is indisputably a chuunibyou despite her grey hair. This, in turn, leads to Verite’s realization that Abigail may just have a magical aptitude of her own. Meanwhile, this really is Verite’s volume, as his friendship with Blanche deepens and Sabrian—yes, Sabrian himself!—comes to rely on the mirror-boy’s wise counsel, which, on second thought, maybe isn’t such a good idea, especially when it involves spurring the King on to hug people as a test of love? The misunderstandings are bound to come thick and fast!

Spoiler-free TL;DR: Although slow-burns that burn slowly simply because of poor communication between the love interests can be super frustrating, Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom pulls this trope off well here, with the entire volume consisting of fun little dramas and side quests that entertain even while the central romance is more or less stuck in low gear. There’s just enough romantic development to give an impression of progress between Abigail and Sabrian, while the worldbuilding is expanding and new characters are being added (and a few old ones, developed) interestingly enough to keep the story engaging. The hints of a more magical turn in the near future certainly add a dash of excitement, too! In short, a fun read, with the promise of new arcs on the horizon.

Now, on to the spoiler-filled discussion!

Baekhap’s Old Wounds Come to Life in Abigail

We can see so clearly in this volume just how much Sabrian has grown and changed since Baekhap entered his life as Abigail. To think that he’s even willing to act on Verite’s “insight” about how hugging can serve as a litmus test for love! (Which Verite, of course, ripped off the romantically inclined maid, Clara, since he has no real arms to hug with himself!) But we also, sadly, see how Abigail has carried over her wounds and insecurities from her previous life as Baekhap, and how persistent they are, even when she tries to talk herself out of them.

Now, we might be tempted to think, “What, this again? But she’s been doing fine for volumes now!” So, is this just a convenient plot device, bringing back such a deep-seated obstacle to Abigail’s happiness, at the very moment when Sabrian is nearing realization about his feelings? Maybe. 

But it’s also pretty true to life, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but when I was young, I thought that by the time I was an experienced adult with not just years, but decades under my belt, my life would be a lot tidier, troublesome emotions and insecurities dealt with, and my trajectory in life more or less on an upward slant in perpetuity. I thought I’d have it all sorted. But in reality, it doesn’t feel that way. Instead, there are dark nights of the soul, times when the past comes to haunt you, or the future you thought you’d have shows up to taunt you. I thought that, as I grew in faith and wisdom, all the wounds would heal and disappear; and they do heal, but they also scar. I wasn’t prepared for that. Old wounds, even healed ones, can still ache and threaten to throw us off course. That’s what is happening to Abigail. It’s part of life; and it’s why we need God’s mercy anew every morning. 

The Work We Do for Happiness

There’s a moment that really stood out for me, when Abigail is reflecting on Raven, and more generally, on people who are born wealthy, born fortunate. She shares that she used to be jealous of such folks, the elites in life, but seeing Raven’s unhappiness—even knowing that he’s a little (read: A LOT!) suspect—has given her a new perspective. She observes: “But it turns out that things are pretty fair, since each person must put in the work to achieve happiness.” 

Now, what’s so interesting to me about this is that, well, she sees herself as being far happier than Raven! So what is the work that she’s put in? It wasn’t hustling or scheming, or getting an education or a promotion or trying to please people somehow. No, Abigail’s work has been 100% relational: She has poured her time and effort, passion and cleverness into building good relationships with those around her, and helping them to build healthy relationships with others, in turn. I love that as a picture of what the pursuit of happiness looks like!

Let’s Talk About the Supporting Characters

What is it that makes Raven so…creepy? Yes, it’s that sneering smile and his tendency toward espionage, but I think there’s something else at play here that makes him so chilling (and causes me to shudder at the sight of him): It’s the way he uses emotional intelligence and performative vulnerability to essentially force Abigail’s trust in him. Every time she begins to doubt his motives, he cunningly spins a story to make her give him the benefit of that doubt, blocking her ability to call out his bad behavior. 

I really struggle with the way that Verite warns Sabrian about Raven’s intentions toward Abigail in this volume, without doing the same for her and warning her directly about the nefarious fellow. She needs someone to speak clearly into the situation and confirm that Raven is up to no good. But then again, I can see that Verite is trying to protect her as his friend by getting someone else—someone stronger and more authoritative (the king himself!)—to deal with the situation on her behalf. In real life, these kinds of situations are really difficult to navigate, particularly since, unlike a magic mirror, we always bring our own baggage and biased perception into it as well. Is what we’re seeing manipulation? Do we need to warn our friend or family member? Or do we just not like and/or trust the person because they remind us of someone else, or trigger our own wariness and suspicions? The dilemmas are real.

My one disappointment with this volume is regarding Lady Karen. I’ve been anticipating her redemption arc for so long, only to see, in her one brief scene, that…well, it seems to have happened already, off page. She’s fully enamored with Abigail at this point, and we didn’t get to see her change of heart play out. Oh well. Also, someone needs to tell her that Abigail is happily married… (Now there’s a plot twist I wasn’t expecting! Karen be giving off some GL vibes there.)

Outro:

I continue to appreciate how the author, Iru, weaves Baekhap’s story, or at least memories of her first life, into Abigail’s journey toward healing and love. And is it possible for Mo9Rang’s art to be any more lively and aesthetically pleasing? So, while this volume may have felt a bit like a setup for larger developments and new arcs to come, but even so, it charts a number of key steps for the Freidkin Family toward their happily ever after. Looking forward to the next installment!

Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom is published by IZE, an imprint of Yen Press.

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