The Tainted Half begins with an ancient legend that tells of a time long ago, when a maiden from the heavens descended to earth and fell in love with a mortal. Her children inherited their mother's beauty, made their home in the realm of humanity, and became known as the people of YUL. The otherworldly beauty of her people proved to be more of a curse than a blessing, as they were ravaged by greedy humans, and their numbers dwindled drastically.
This was no exception for the last survivor of the YUL, summoned by the emperor to wait and serve at his pleasure. Seolha Seon, our protagonist and the last of that ancient lineage, suffers after-effects on her face, disfigured by her own mother to prevent the emperor from obtaining his coveted concubine.
However, she is condemned to endure a life of all kinds of abuse and mockery while being the emperor's abandoned and scorned concubine. Suddenly, a ray of hope appears in her miserable life: the Emperor's twin brother, who remained on the battlefield for more than 10 years and is known as the ghost of the battlefield and even a monster, Muon. Can she trust him? What are his dark intentions?
Characters from "The Tainted Half"
Seolha Seon
She is the main protagonist of this work. She is a very beautiful woman, but when her mother summoned her by the emperor, she disfigured her face in a fit of rage and then committed suicide along with the rest of the village, leaving her as the only blood of the YUL. Incredibly, this action of her mother was her salvation, since the prince did not dare to sleep with her. She lives in inhumane conditions with a nanny. She is mistreated and constantly mocked for her appearance. She tries to remain pure so she can become a nun and escape this nightmare, and she manages to gain an unexpected ally: the emperor's twin brother, Muon. However, she must continue to hide her secret from everyone: the beautiful maiden's powers, inherited from generation to generation.
Prince Moun
Emperor Yeom
Conclusion about "The Tainted Half"
"The Tainted Half" it's a work that honestly doesn't stand out so much for its art, setting, or coloring, but the story is a gem. It's raw, with every action in itself meaningless, to the point of making you feel sorry for the protagonist... As for the cast, the main character is the typical good girl who suffers misfortune after misfortune without losing her good nature despite everything. On the other hand, the emperor is the typical macho man who must control everything and can humiliate anyone he pleases. The prince and ally of the protagonist is a mysterious man who at first glance seems fierce and ruthless, but incredibly detailed in his own way, with some enigmatic approaches.
Something I like, and not all manhwas specify this, is that at the beginning they warn that it's a story not based on real life and that it may contain explicit content. As I said at the beginning, I honestly didn't like the drawing, but if you're just going for the story and it's your style, I can recommend it.
