Manhwa (Hangul: 만화 Hanja: 漫畫) is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons (common usage also includes animated cartoons). The Chinese characters for manhua (漫畫), which also make up the Korean word, are the same characters that make the Japanese word manga. Outside of Korea, the term usually refers specifically to South Korean comics.
Korean manhwa style is generally more realistic and less cartoon-like than manga. In manhwa, hair is more natural than the exaggerated spiky style of hair exhibited in many manga. Also, in contrast to the large-eyed non-ethnic characters in much manga, manhwa faces often show stronger evidence of an Asian ethnicity. Korean manhwa are also more creator-driven than Japanese manga, which are heavily shaped by editors. Thus manhwa has more of the creators' input and artistic vision. Manhwa are often created by a team of the writer and the artist, whereas manga are created by, or at least credited to, a single mangaka. Manhwa tend to focus more on plot whereas manga focus on characters.
Manhwa are read left to right like Western comics, as opposed to Japanese manga, which are read from right to left. Though Korea's manhwa industry is relatively young compared to other Asian comics, it has attracted increasing attention in recent years. While there are manga titles published in South Korea (mainly shounen titles), the reverse is very rare, but there are exceptions, such as Shin Angyo Onshi.
There are six genres of Korean manhwa:
- Sunjeong (Sunjung or Soonjung) Manhwa (romance comics) - equivalent to Shoujo manga
- Children's manhwa with humor and adventure
- "Indie" manhwa made outside of the main publishers
- Korean Webtoons made to be posted on the internet
- Political manhwa
- Animated cartoons (Hanguk Manhwa Aenimeisyeon)
It should be noted that there are multiple systems for romanizing hangul (although South Korea has officially adopted one particular system), so the exact spelling of non-standard Korean words and names varies from translator to translator, particularly in scanlations. Therefore, Inconsistent Spelling is quite common.
There are now a number of publishers specializing in English translations of Korean comics, and by and large they are unafraid of calling them "manhwa."
- Dark Horse Comics
- DramaQueen
- IceKunion (now defunct, titles it used to own are now published by Yen Press)
- Infinity Studios
- Netcomics
- Tokyopop
- UDON
- Yen Press
See also Hanguk Manhwa Aenimeisyeon, Korean Webtoons (digital publishing), Manga (Japanese), Manhua (Chinese), and OEL Manga (English).
Examples:
- 4 Cut Hero
- 11th Cat
- 13th Boy
- Aegis
- Aflame Inferno
- Angel Diary
- Angry
- Annarasumanara - Webcomic
- The Antagonists Pet
- The Antique Gift Shop
- Anuki
- Area D
- Ark Angels
- As You Wish, Prince
- Auto Hunting
- Banya The Explosive Delivery Man
- Baroness Goes On Strike
- Become Habituated To A Kiss
- Beware Of The Brothers
- Bizarre Restaurant
- Bloody Romance
- Bloody Sweet
- Blue Flame
- Boarding House Of Hunks
- The Boss
- Boy of the Female Wolf
- Boy Princess
- The Breaker
- The Bride of the Water God
- Burning Effect
- Cactus And Radio - webtoon
- Can't See Can't Hear But Love - webcomic
- Cheese in the Trap
- Chonchu
- Chronicles of the Cursed Sword
- Ciel ~The Last Autumn Story~
- Crepuscule - Webtoon
- The Crownless Queen - Webcomic
- Cutie Boy
- Cynical Orange
- Dark Air
- Dark Fall
- Dark Heaven
- Dear My Girls
- Dear Nemesis
- Demon Diary
- The Demon King Who Lost His Job
- Doctor Elise
- Dooly the Little Dinosaur
- Doom Breaker
- Dorothy of Oz
- Dragon Hunter
- Dragon Recipe
- The Druid Of Seoul Station
- Dungeons And Artifacts
- Ensemble - Webcomic
- Escape Devildom
- Evergreen Story
- Faeries' Landing
- A Fairytale for the Demon Lord
- A Fairytale For Villains
- The First Night With The Duke
- Flight Highschool
- Flowers of Evil
- Forest of Humans
- Four God Ranger
- The Friendly Winter - Webcomic
- From A Knight To A Lady
- Get Schooled
- Goong
- The Great Catsby
- The Great Merchant Kim Manduk - Webcomic
- H2O
- Head over Heels
- Hello Jadoo
- He's Dedicated to Roses
- Heavenly Executioner Chiwoo
- Hissing
- Hot Blooded Woman
- House of Dolls
- I Became the Wife of the Male Lead
- Id
- I am the Sorcerer King
- I Don't Want This Kind of Hero
- I'm All Out of Health! - Webtoon and webnovel
- Im At End Of Your Sight
- I'm the Queen in This Life
- Immortal Regis
- Cavalier of the Abyss - sequel
- I Shall Kill That Sweet Devil
- I Shall Master This Family
- I Really Don’t Want to be Number One
- It's Love
- I Will Become the Villain's Poison Taster
- I Wish
- Jack Frost
- Killing Stalking
- Kill Me Kiss Me
- King Of Hell (Demon King)
- King of Hell
- King's Maker
- Kiss Wood
- Knight Run
- Kubera
- The Lady's Butler
- Laon
- Last Fantasy
- The Legend of Maian
- The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor
- Les Bijoux
- Let Dai
- Lets Bible
- Level One Player
- Leveling Up My Husband
- Leviathan - Webcomic
- Like Wind On A Dry Branch
- Lout of Count's Family - Webcomic adaptation of the Light Novel
- Love In The Mask
- Magic Academy Survival Guide
- Magical JxR
- Magical 12th Graders
- Magician - webcomic
- Mana
- Masca
- Metal Heart
- Miss Not So Sidekick
- The Moment When A Fox Becomes A Wolf
- Monk!
- The Monstrous Duke's Adopted Daughter
- My Boyfriend Is A Vampire
- My Heart Is Beating - webcomic
- My Life as an Internet Novel - A webnovel that is adapted to a webcomic
- My Love Tiger
- My Secret Brother
- My Three Tyrant Brothers
- Need a Girl!
- Nephilim/Nephilim John
- Nineteen, Twenty-One - Webcomic
- Noblesse - Webcomic
- NOW
- ONE.
- Orange Marmalade
- Overgeared
- Painter Of The Night
- Paladin The Manga
- Papi Nyang - webcomic
- Peerless Dad
- Perfect Half
- Perfect Marriage Revenge
- PHD: Phantasy Degree
- Pig Bride
- Ping
- Pink Lady - Webcomic
- Player Kill
- President Dad
- Priest
- The Rabbit Hole
- Ragnarok (1997)
- Really?!
- Rebirth
- Red Lion
- Redrum 327
- The Remarried Empress
- Replay
- A Returner's Magic Should Be Special
- Return To Player
- Revolutionary Eve
- Rooftop Sword Master
- Irregular Squad - sequel
- Rotten
- The Ruler Of The Land
- Rure
- Safe Again Today
- SAVE ME
- The Scholars Reincarnation
- See You in My 19th Life
- Sexercise
- Shade The Other Side Of Light
- Shaman Warrior
- Shin Gumiho
- Sinamhaengeosa Shin Angyo Onshi (Blade Of The Phantom Master)
- Skeleton Soldier Couldn't Protect the Dungeon
- Snow Drop
- Solo Farming in the Tower
- Solo Leveling - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- Soul Cartel
- The Soulless Duchess
- A Stepmother's Marchen
- Study Group
- Sunjeong Manhwa - Webcomic
- Survive as the Hero's Wife - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- Taming Of The Tyrant
- The Tarot Cafe
- That Summer - Webcomic
- Thesis - Webcomic
- Threads of Time
- The Three Times - Webcomic
- Totally Captivated
- Tower of God - Webcomic
- Trace (Nasty Cat) - Webcomic
- Trapped in a Webnovel as a Good for Nothing - Webcomic
- Trinity Wonder
- Unbalance × Unbalance
- Vagrant Soldier Ares
- Vanilla Ice
- Veritas
- The Villainess Flips the Script! - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- The Villainess Lives Again - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- The Villainess Turns The Hourglass - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- Viral Hit
- Wait Wolf - Webcomic
- The Warrior Returns
- The Way to Protect the Female Lead's Older Brother - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- Weak Hero - Webcomic
- Welcome to Room #305 - Webcomic
- Welcome to the Convenience Store - Webcomic
- Westwood Vibrato - Webcomic
- When The Fox Meets The Wolf
- When The Killer Falls In Love
- Who Made Me a Princess - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- Why?
- Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion - Web Serial Novel that was adapted into a webcomic
- Witch Hunter
- Wolf's Castle - Webcomic
- Wonderlab - Webcomic
- Yoo Ah Dok-Jon -my first idol-
- Your Throne
- You're So Cool
- Yureka
- Zero: The Beginning of the Coffin
- Zippy Ziggy