Manhwa has become a big hit for those who are fans of manga in recent years. Manhwa originated in South Korea, although its popularity has spread to North Korea and overseas as well. While manga is in black-and-white, a variety of manhwa is in full color and attracts many readers.
Manhwa is reaching the ranks of popularity that Japan has dominated for years: comics. Manhwa is even beginning to receive anime adaptions. There are a lot of upcoming manhwas that some need to be on the lookout for.
Updated by Brianna Albert on July 15, 2020: Manhwa and webtoons both originated in South Korea and both have piqued the interest of overseas fans. Popular manhwa Tower of God and God of High School have become Crunchyroll Originals and were the first hyped-up manhwa-to-anime adaptions other than the OVA of Noblesse.
No matter the language, manhwa can catch many fans’ attention, and even more so if it’s placed in a fantastical world. With the explosion of manhwa happening in the animated world, there may be some manhwa that fans enjoyed reading and might have the chance of getting an anime adaption. Here are some of the best manhwa to get a head start in 2020.
Updated by Sarah Martin on May 13th, 2022: Since this list was last updated in 2020, we’ve added some titles that came out over the past few years that are worth reading! With the Korean Wave continuing to dominate pop culture, we don’t expect manhwa’s influence to lose its steam anytime soon.
15 7FATES: CHAKHO Is BTS’ New Webtoon (2022-Present)
BTS has done Webtoons in the past, and one of them even tied into a few of their mobile games built off of the lore in their albums. However, 7FATES: CHAKHO is brand-new territory, and it’s certainly worth reading even if one isn’t a diehard ARMY.
The manhwa includes several references to Korean history and culture. The title, “chakho,” is short for the word “chakhogapsa,” which refers to professional tiger hunters created by King Sejong, the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty and creator of the Korean alphabet. Additionally, the “beom” that the characters hunt in the story is another word for “tiger.”
14 What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? Is A Timeless Classic (2016 – 2018)
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is a timeless classic manhwa that can be read multiple times and still feel the same. The story follows the perfect secretary, Kim Mi-so, as she performs her job under her perfectionist and narcissistic boss, Lee Young-joon.
However, when Kim Mi-So wishes to quit, so she can focus on her life and take a break, Lee Young-joon begins to realize how truly precious she was as an employee, and perhaps something more.
13 The Star Seekers Is Tomorrow X Together’s Webtoon (2022-Present)
As part of HYBE‘s new endeavor with Webtoon, a few of their artists received their very own manhwa. Tomorrow X Together’s webtoon is called The Star Seekers. It takes place in a fantastical world, and a five-member idol group called “Star One” is meant to represent the five members of TXT.
In this world, Magical idols are considered the best of the best, while those who don’t have powers are the dregs. Magicless idols are doomed to fail. Star One starts out as a magicless group, but one member suddenly gains supernatural powers when a fellow member is attacked on stage.
12 Misaeng: An Incomplete Life Is An Absolute Gem (2012 – 2018)
Misaeng: An Incomplete Life is an absolute gem, and more than worth checking out if one is looking for a great starting point for manhwa. This series follows a group of employees at a trading company called One International, with the spotlight on Jang Geu-rae.
Misaeng: An Incomplete Life deals with the hardships they experience, with Jang Geu-rae using baduk — a Chinese board game which is usually called “Go,” — as his guide to figuring out his problems.
11 Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Is Enhypen’s Webtoon (2022-Present)
As the third installment of HYBE‘s manhwa endeavor, Enhypen stars in Dark Moon: The Blood Altar. Fans of vampire anime or dark shojo are sure to enjoy this one. Even though it plays on cliched and often overused tropes, it does so in a way that doesn’t feel tired. It’s heartwarming, and fans are drawn into Sooha’s story.
The webtoon follows Sooha after she enrolls in Decelis Academy. The school has a strict policy against vampires — something important to her since a vampire slaughtered her childhood friend. However, Sooha finds herself entangled between the affections of seven vampires, each trying to steal her heart.
10 Cheese In The Trap Is One Of The Most Iconic Manhwa (2010 – 2017)
Cheese in the Trap was written and illustrated by Soon Ki. If one hasn’t read this iconic manhwa, then this year is the time to get started. With the story broken up into three seasons, there is plenty to read.
When hardworking and beautiful college student Seol Hong discovers the dark side of her senior Jung Yoo, her life becomes complicated. While she wanted to expose his two-faced ways and get her life back at first, they become attracted to one another and begin to date.
9 Leveling Up My Husband To The Max Is A Webtoon Original (2021-Present)
The idea of an arranged marriage is one of the most popular romance tropes around. Two people who hate each other’s guts are forced to marry, but eventually develop feelings for each other.
Leveling Up My Husband To The Max is a Webtoon original that follows Amber as she’s sentenced to execution. She recalled the past ten years of her life and feels remorseful for how she lived up until being framed by the emperor. Instead of being executed, however, Amber is teleported back to her 20-year-old self on the day of her wedding.
8 Fans Still Hope That The Gamer Will Receive An Anime Adaptation (2013 – 2015)
The Gamer was written by Seong Sang Yeong and illustrated by Sang A. Here is a manhwa that fans are hoping to get an anime adaption despite its ending five years ago. Jee-Han loves video games, but, when he suddenly discovers he has the power to play through the real world like a role-playing game, he is shocked.
Jee-Han can see the levels of people and the status’ of items, acquire abilities, and even level up. However, this power isn’t that peaceful. There are monsters that must be defeated like a real role-playing game, and there are others who have the same — and even more powerful — abilities as Jee-Han.
7 Noblesse Became A Crunchyroll Original (2007 – 2019)
Noblesse is a manhwa that received an anime adaptation via Crunchyroll, so this is a must-read for sure. It received an OVA before it was completed and now is receiving a full-blown anime adaption. Written by Je-Ho Son and illustrated by Gwang-Su Lee, the story reinvents the rehashed story of vampires and Frankenstein.
Rai awakens from an 820-year sleep to realize the world had changed drastically. He decides to begin his life anew and get accustomed to modern society along with his loyal servant, Frankenstein. However, things aren’t peaceful, as there are people who call themselves “The Unions” on the attack.
6 Girls of The Wild’s Will Be A Hit Among Harem & Shojo Fans (2011 – 2016)
Girls of the Wild’s was written by Hun and illustrated by Zhena. If one enjoys harem anime and manga, then this series is sure to get one interested. While Wild’s High has a 42-year history as a private fighting school for girls only, it recently became a mixed-gender school.
When the only male student, Song Jae Gu, accepts a three-year scholarship that doesn’t depend on his grades, he accepts. But, after accidentally gaining the ire of Queen — the champion of Wild’s League — his school life becomes more complicated than he bargained. Fans of My Dress-Up Darling or Rent-A-Girlfriend are sure to enjoy this manhwa.
5 Business Proposal Received A Netflix Adaptation (2018 – Present)
Anybody who has been actively following K-Drama fandoms for the past few months has surely heard about Business Proposal. Since this manhwa recently got adapted to a k-drama, now’s the perfect time to start reading the manhwa while waiting for more episodes.
Business Proposal follows Hari after she agrees to go on a blind date on her best friend’s behalf. Plus, Hari wanted to put an end to undesired arranged marriages. While she went into it thinking it would be easy money, Hari quickly realized it wouldn’t be an easy task. Then, she meets Taemu — the new CEO of her company. He’s in a similar situation, so the two decide to pretend to date.
4 Solo Leveling Is One Of The Most Iconic Manhwa (2018 – Present)
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Solo Leveling was written by Chugong and illustrated by Gee So-Lyung and Redice Studio. Some have probably seen this manhwa around, as many fans have been absorbed into its story. It’s based on a novel of the same name, as are many other manhwa, and it’s been praised for its fantastical setting and great action.
Solo Leveling centers around E-rank Hunter Sung Jin-Woo. He discovers a dungeon that only he can see and level up inside. His goal is to become an S-rank Hunter, the strongest rank in the world.
3 The Druid Of Seoul Station Blends Sci-Fi With Isekai (2021-Present)
The Druid Of Seoul Station is a perfect choice for fans of isekai and science fiction. It follows Suho, an average guy from Seoul. At first, he’s just going about his day-to-day activities. Then, he gets isekai’d to a hellish reality. The sky has two moons, and monsters roam freely.
The Druid Of Seoul Station is unique from its contemporaries. After Suho comes back home, he’s horrified to discover that those very monsters have taken over his home planet. It’s action-packed, gorey, and uses dynamic storytelling. Fans won’t be able to look away from this story once they start reading it.
2 66,666 Years: Advent Of The Dark Mage Is Based On A Web Novel (2021-Present)
66,666 Years: Advent Of The Dark Mage is based on a web novel with the same title by Hwabong. The story follows a dark mage named Diablo after being sealed into a state of limbo by twelve unknown gods for 66,666 years straight. Then, he was reincarnated into a loving family.
Taking on the name Jamie Welton, he still has all of his memories from his past life and still maintains his classic personality. Now, he seeks to get revenge on the twelve gods who cast him away for tens of thousands of years.
1 Tower of God Received An Anime Adaptation (2010 – Present)
Now is the time to read Tower of God if one hasn’t or if one doesn’t remember much. Even if one remembers it all, it’s still worth a reread. This gem of a manhwa is now a Crunchyroll Originals anime. Perhaps one of the longest-running manhwas out there, this one has quite the story to tell.
Tower of God is broken up into three seasons and has been going on since 2010 with no signs of ending any time soon. After the ending of the first season of Tower of God, many fans are hoping for a second one that will explore the true beginning of Bam’s story. Why not join in on the hype and begin reading, too?
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