Lady Devil

While i'm giving this story "Mixed Feelings" know that I was REALLY impressed by this one...I'm just aware that there will be many put off by the premise or drop it within the first few chapters because of it. I was really surprised to see no reviews. I stumbled across this story randomly while looking for a completed manhwa, but wasn't expecting it to be this dense! Sometimes with these "historical" settings the story is pretty surface level or just follows the same formula, but Lady Devil is not like that at all. It's one of those stories where no character is a good character. Everyoneis fairly morally ambiguous and leaves you conflicted with each new chapter. If that's not something you typically like, I still think you could find a way to enjoy this, as it's very well executed. I felt I had a love-hate relationship with every single character. No one is perfect, no one makes all the right choices, and the end result is a very thrilling story! The plot itself is insane. The author is extremely creative, and you can tell they really poured everything into it. I know people will be turned off by some of the themes here, but without spoiling everything, I will say that not everything is how it appears!! That being said, there are definitely shocking moments that can be tough to read. I can't imagine the story being depicted in any other way, though. The art is amazing. Characters were well done and memorable. I NEVER felt bored reading this. It was too long for me to read in one sitting, but if I could, I would. I seriously couldn't put this down. In similar manhwas I will often find myself skipping stuff but I didn't have to with Lady Devil (plus, if you were to do this you would miss out on important details integral to the main plot) My only critique is the ending felt quite rushed, and there were some holes and questions I was left with regarding certain characters. You don't learn too much about the world around them, however, it was very character-focused and I think it was enough to carry the story. Overall, I think I would give this a 7-8/10.

I feel this manhwa has gotten unfairly dunked on due to its dark topics. If you're someone who enjoys reading about taboo relationships, cycles of abuse and generational trauma, you'll enjoy this. Lady Devil is something I came into expecting enjoyable trash but instead got a beautiful story of broken children becoming broken adults and eventually trying their best to heal from that and break the cycle they were born into. It also is probably one of the best in terms of historical elements in manhwa often labeled "historical". The clothing and hair, especially for the protagonist Giovinetta takes medieval inspiration and is beautifully done.The panel composition was also stunning with tons of symbolism and references to classic art pieces. The character writing was also phenomenal with antagonists not being just cookie-cutter bad guys but people with their own motivations and stories. The relationship between John and Giovinetta was also really really interesting and complex, showing how the abuse they both faced and the misunderstandings they've had about one another due to their upbringings and their lack of communication impacts their dynamic. Honestly the only real reason I rated it a 9 rather than a ten was some pacing and storytelling issues. The non-linear storytelling made it a bit convoluted at times and the middle part felt a bit dragged out compared to the finale. But overall? still worth the read and time.

One of the most twisted, disturbing and tragic stories I've ever read. From start to finish you will NOT be able to guess anything that is going to happen because the whole plot is twisted in a way that you just cannot see any future for anyone in this story. While the "incest" part is NOT real it is believed to be real by most characters because of the nature of their relationship. So i do understand the distain towards this story however i think it is judged way too harshly when this whole thing is one psychological horror and this is just one element. The darkand toxic relationship between the ml and fl is explored in such ways that you will second guess everything you learn about them at every turn because both are very mentally unstable people. This was a masterpiece of psychological horror to read and to say it has a relatively happy ending is not a far stretch. Definitely a must read especially if you love tragedy, pain and dark romance.