In Full Bloom (YON Jae-Won)

This is some seriously good work, but overall I find it too short and it didn't go too deep into things I wished it did. But what a manhwa! So so good! The plotting is next level, and the three main chars are pretty intriguing and interesting. And the art is something else, didn't like it at first glace,but fitted the story like a glove! You never know what is going to happen, and it keeps you guessing the whole time.

However, I think this should have been longer and the interesting plot points should have been developed much better. I felt somehow hollow when this ended, like i was robbed of great potential, and only got the bare minimum. I get it that the scheming was up and front, but more background would have made this a top tier manhwa. This way, I will not really stamp this as a classic you won't forget. But pretty dang good, and quite close to the top!

Do it, try it, you won't regret it

1. unusual artstyle
   I've tried reading it the first time and stopped at the first chapter because of the unusual artstyle, but then the second time I tried to read it more and I am glad I did try again. the art maybe feels different but the plot covers it all

2. plot
   The political plot flows naturally and feels so realistic for the time, each chapter captivates you to read the next, very engaging with unexpected twists but not over the top.

3. characters
   the main female isn't the ordinary webtoon strong female who is super cunning can do anything. she's an assasin whose strong point is one vs one combat, as a normal assasin should be, and she is an assasin by choice, simple as that. she kills and she accepts that.

main male is more complicated. two faced with righteous cause. he would do anything to achieve his goal, and damn he's smart.

romance is there, but super scarce. it is a seinen story focused more on the political drama

Art -
Not traditional, but pretty in its own right. I've always loved the historical Asian art style and this manhwa resembles that very much so. The characters might seem simplistic but they're well-drawn for the most part and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous! Not going to lie, the art really shocked me and I warmed up to it and have come to love it!

Characters -
With a lot of physically strong female leads, sometimes they come off as pretentious and annoying with how they act because they're so strong. However, this FL Dan Hyang was certainly not like that. I adored her every time she came up in a scene. She's witty, smart, and acted like a real person. I could say that about almost every other character; they all act according to their own beliefs not just because it's convenient for the plot.

Plot -
I became more intrigued by this story's politics than I expected! Usually, at some point, I would start skipping panels because it'd be just filled with pointless politics that didn't matter/I didn't care for. I didn't do that here! The dialog was well written as well. There were also some parts that were so predictable and others that shocked me entirely. It was overall very enjoyable!

I wish more people would read this manhwa! It's SO good! Enough that I binged it all in two days! Though I wished it was a little longer (because I couldn't get enough) it ended gracefully and appropriately. My only gripe was some panels being oddly drawn and the conclusion feeling somewhat rushed. Other than that, please give this series a go!

ITS REALLY WORTH READING. not to mention no boring time at all. even though it contains no romance at all, I, who is one of the biggest romance-freak, can assure u that this is WHAT HISTORICAL MANGA(manhwa) SHOULD BE!

This is one of my favorite manhwas of all time.

Art:
Usually, I don't like this type of art--I like my art to be "prettier." But in this story, it works--the simplicity and the Asian-style paintbrush strokes are elegant and convey the story well. I love it!

Plot:
Again, normally I prefer more romantic/light-hearted plots rather than military-style tales of intrigue, but this plot is amazing. There is perhaps a very, very, very light dusting of romance, but the best part is the plot with all its machinations, characters with unexpectedly intertwined backgrounds, and the political setting. I LOVE THE POLITICS in this story.

Characters:
I am always looking for badass/strong/talented/smart/all of the above female characters. I have a hard time finding them. Well, Dan Hyang (the main female) is one of my favorite characters. She is smart, capable, and determined. The supporting cast is very strong and well-developed, too. Excellent, excellent.

Overall, this is an amazing manhwa. If you read it chapter by chapter, you may think it moves too slowly--the trick is to read it in chunks (so I wait until there are 2-3 new chapters before I start reading each time).

I usually HATE seinen mangas, but I love this one--and would venture to say that it would appeal to josei readers as well. Read this right away. It's great--the political background, the characters and their motivations, and the artwork are all excellent.

The translators have done a FABULOUS job as well. Great work all around.

Eventhough I know less than 10 korean words, I had read this manhwa until the last chapter some time ago due to the amazing artwork (!!) as well as the mind-gripping, enthralling plot. The characters are portrayed in details and realistic. Don't just judge it right away, sit through several chapters and you'll see.
I haven't seen any manga/ manhwa involving the imperial palace and historical politic system this convincing as well as interesting. Like Shin Angyo Onshi? Garaman? Historie? Try this!!