Star Ginseng Store

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A series that strays from the rom-com herd. The opening feels unhurried, almost hesitant, yet each chapter gradually reveals genuine affection for every character—a level of care i've not witnessed in many in this genre. Rooted in 2006 South Korea, the narrative swaps candy-coated fantasy for a somewhat grounded realism and captures the era without sliding straight into nostalgia, it makes you get think you were a high schooler in south corea. Artwork is simple it somehows resembles early comics and it meshes perfectly with the early-2000s vibe.

A hidden gem now firmly in my top 10 favourites mangas/manwhas. Truly i cannot recommend you more if ... you want a unique fresh of air in this manwha/manga fast food era.

Star Ginseng Store is a fresh and unique take on the school-life manhwa genre, mixing action, romance, and friendship in a very natural way. Instead of trying to turn the main character into some rich heir or badass troublemaker, the author focuses on what he’s really good at—drawing, especially making comics.

Problems like school bullying, smoking, and gangs are shown often, but not in a heavy-handed way. The story points them out gently but clearly, making you think without feeling forced.

The characters are also very different from the usual manhwa style. Instead of always showing who’s strong and who’s weak, each person has their own personality, ... thoughts, and bad habits—but also good sides that make them real and worth caring about. Many of them realize their flaws and actually try to change, which feels honest and touching.

The story also does a great job showing school relationships that feel close to real life—like romance, friendship, teamwork, and how students and teachers interact. There’s a strict teacher who follows all the rules but truly cares about his students. There’s the awkwardness of liking someone in your friend group. There’s also the way the boys respect each other’s interests and hobbies.

Most of all, behind every “cool” or “tough” character, there’s a deep feeling of loneliness, pain, or being lost. That quiet sadness is something many of the students share—and it’s what makes the story really moving.

Star Ginseng Store is a fresh spin on the school life romcom genre in manhwa. While the beginning is bit slow, the plot gives ample time to allow the reader to be introduced and familiarized with the characters, their motivations, and internal struggles. Taking place in 2000s Korea, the attitudes, behavior, and habits of the middle school aged cast provide a window into the cultural norms and trends of the time, while also showing how the cast chooses to navigate through this formative period of their lives. If anything needs to be said about this manhwa, it's that no character feels half-baked or underdeveloped.

The main ... character, Ji Suwon, is a teenager who has a talent for drawing. With a low self-esteem and bland appearance, he struggles to make friends in middle school. However, he soon learns that through his talent, he can gain the attention of others around him and even receive praise for it. The attention he gets isn't always good, and when his crush, Seol Hyorim, finds out he has been secretly drawing portraits of her, she embarrasses him in front of her friends and makes him feel ashamed for using his talents for selfish reasons. The story between these two obviously doesn't end there, and by making connections with Hyorim's mutual friends, he's able to reconcile with her and begin regularly interacting with her and her friend group.

Throughout the story, we see how Suwon and the others struggle with teenage life and the influences of the people around them. It's a coming of age story that many will be able to sympathize with and which doesn't feel over-the-top. Struggles with self-esteem, romance, authority, and conformity each impact the characters in this story in different ways, and the manhwa does a great job at showing how each character decides to tackle these issues.

Overall, this is a solid read and I strongly recommend this manhwa.