With the rise of webcomic apps comes a new contender gaining people’s attention. Manhwa has entered the stage and is delivering new content to the nerd scene.
While Manhwa has been around for a while, it has recently gained popularity and continues to get closer to mainstream media like its Manga counterpart. With more Manhwa being adapted into animated series, like Solo Levelling, Manhwa is stepping up as the easier medium to consume. But what is Manhwa exactly and how does is compare to the well-known Manga?
What is Manhwa?
Manhwa is Korean comics that are published and formatted to be read on the internet. Manhwa is often published on websites or webcomic apps for easy access on phones. Each chapter, or episode depending on the app, is formatted as one long page that reads left to right and top to bottom. It has a more open and flowing way of setting up scenes and panels.
Manhwa is also known as Webtoons, a combination of Korean words which translate to “website” and “cartoon”. The term was coined in 2000 with Webtoons starting to gain notoriety. Webtoons started to really gain popularity in 2014 when the WEBTOON’s app launched. One of the earliest Webtoons to put the medium on the map was Noblesse which went from 2007-2019 and went on to gain an animated adaptation in 2020.
What is the Difference Between Manga & Manhwa?
Manga and Manhwa at a glance look very similar but there are a lot of major differences between them.
| Manga | Manhwa |
|---|---|
| Japanese | Korean |
| Formatted for physical publication | Formatted for digital publication |
| Black & White | Colored |
| Read Right to Left | Read Left to Right, Top to Bottom |
| Chapters & Volumes, serialized in magazines for consistent updates | Episodes & Seasons, will have hiatuses in between seasons that can be months long |
When it comes to the writing style of both Manga and Manhwa, they both have their own tropes and nuances that fans can predict will happen depending on the genre. However, Manhwa takes tropes to a whole new level, sometimes making different Webtoons seem like they are exact copies of one another. It’s as if Manhwa artists have a long checklist they must follow or a formula they must adhere to. Try finding a Villainess story without a Duke of the North. Or an action story where the main character isn’t OP.
One of the biggest differences in writing style for the two is how the main character’s abilities and growth is shown or explained. Manga tends to show more self-reflection and inner struggles, going past their limits in order to improve. Manhwa does the same but relies on a third party’s acknowledgment to show just how great the main character really is. This is usually emphasized by cutting in the middle of the action to show a bystander reacting then immediately going back to the action.
For those looking for more content, check out the release of Solo Leveling’s season 2 trailer, another Manhwa turned animation.
