Manhwa
Beyond its borders, Manhwa is more than just a style of comic art—it's a cultural phenomenon that has captivated global audiences through its unique storytelling and vibrant visuals. From its shared roots with Japanese manga and Chinese manhua to its digital revolution as webtoons, Manhwa has forged a distinct identity. Join us as we explore the fascinating journey of Korean comics, from print to screen and around the world. Manhwa shares a linguistic origin with Japanese manga and Chinese manhua, but evolved independently with unique artistic and narrative characteristics. The transition to digital platforms and the invention of 'webtoons' fundamentally changed how manhwa is created, consumed, and distributed globally. Manhwa's international popularity has led to a surge in adaptations, turning beloved comic stories into hit live-action dramas and films worldwide.
AI Summary
Beyond its borders, Manhwa is more than just a style of comic art—it's a cultural phenomenon that has captivated global audiences through its unique storytelling and vibrant visuals. From its shared roots with Japanese manga and Chinese manhua to its digital revolution as webtoons, Manhwa has forged a distinct identity. Join us as we explore the fascinating journey of Korean comics, from print to screen and around the world.
- Manhwa shares a linguistic origin with Japanese manga and Chinese manhua, but evolved independently with unique artistic and narrative characteristics.
- The transition to digital platforms and the invention of 'webtoons' fundamentally changed how manhwa is created, consumed, and distributed globally.
- Manhwa's international popularity has led to a surge in adaptations, turning beloved comic stories into hit live-action dramas and films worldwide.
What is Manhwa?
Manhwa, pronounced 'man-hwa,' is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. While the word literally means 'whimsical pictures' or 'impromptu sketches' in Korean, outside of its homeland, it almost always refers specifically to comics originating from Korea.
Much like Japan's manga or China's manhua, manhwa encompasses a vast array of genres and styles, telling stories for every conceivable audience. From thrilling action to heartfelt romance, it's a dynamic art form that reflects Korean society and imagination.
A Shared Linguistic Legacy
Interestingly, the terms 'manhwa,' 'manga,' and 'manhua' are linguistic cognates, all derived from the same Chinese characters. This shared etymology speaks to a rich, intertwined history of visual storytelling across East Asia. The Japanese term 'manga' popularized the concept in the late 19th century, influencing its Korean and Chinese counterparts.
The Korean Comic Renaissance
After the establishment of South Korea in 1948, political cartoons began to re-emerge, offering commentary and humor during a tumultuous time. The nation's first comic magazine, 'Manhwa Haengjin,' even launched that year, though it faced swift censorship.
The Korean War era saw manhwa used to boost public morale, though sometimes mixed with propaganda. Yet, despite these challenges, the 1950s and 60s marked a boom for comics. New genres like 'sunjeong' for young women, focusing on romance, and 'myeongnyang' for humorous tales, began to flourish, creating a diverse landscape of stories.
During this period, 'manhwabang' — literal 'comics rooms' or cafés — became popular havens where people could pay a small fee to read comics for hours. This fostered a vibrant reading culture, but also drew the attention of authorities, leading to increased censorship and a distribution monopoly in the mid-1960s, stifling some creative freedom.
Distinctive Characteristics
Unlike manga, which is traditionally read right-to-left, most manhwa is read horizontally from left-to-right, just like English books. This is because modern Korean text is typically written and read in this direction, making it immediately accessible to Western readers.
Manhwa also boasts a unique art style. While characters' faces often retain an expressive, sometimes unrealistic flair, their bodies are frequently drawn with more realistic proportions. You'll also notice incredibly detailed clothing and intricate backgrounds, adding depth and immersion to the visual narrative.
The Digital Revolution: Webtoons
The late 1990s and early 2000s brought economic challenges to South Korea, pushing much of the manhwa industry online. This unexpected shift proved to be a game-changer, dramatically increasing manhwa's global reach and popularity. The term 'webtoon'—a portmanteau of 'web' and 'cartoon'—was coined to describe these new digital comics.
Webtoons exploded in popularity due to their free accessibility and convenience on the internet. For creators, it offered a way to bypass strict censorship laws of the past, encouraging both amateur and professional writers to publish their stories directly to readers. It transformed the industry.
The webtoon format is designed specifically for vertical scrolling, a natural fit for mobile devices. Artists leverage this to create a cinematic flow, guiding the reader's eye seamlessly from panel to panel, simulating movement or the passage of time. They also often feature vibrant full-color artwork, a stark contrast to the black-and-white print comics of old.
Major South Korean search portals launched dedicated webtoon platforms, like LINE Webtoon in 2014, which quickly gained massive international traction. By then, webtoons were being consumed in over 60 countries, boasting tens of millions of monthly users and billions of annual views, truly revolutionizing comic consumption worldwide.
Manhwa's Global Journey
Manhwa has now reached audiences all over the world. Platforms like Toptoon and WEBTOON allow millions to access a vast library of Korean comics on their phones, and even empower aspiring creators globally to publish their own webtoons.
Despite its growing influence, the term 'manhwa' remained somewhat less known in English-speaking countries for a time. Some American publishers initially marketed translated manhwa as 'manga' to tap into an already established market, highlighting the early challenges of distinguishing Korean comics in the West.
However, the unique appeal of manhwa—its left-to-right reading, realistic character designs, and blend of Eastern and Western artistic elements—helped it carve out its own dedicated fanbase. Publishers recognized this potential, and soon, manhwa was standing proudly on its own.
Early Pioneers in the US
Even before the digital boom, Korean artists made their mark in the West. Sanho Kim was a trailblazer, working for major American comic publishers like Charlton Comics, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics during the 1960s and 70s, showcasing Korean talent on a global stage.
From Page to Screen: Adaptations
While animated adaptations of manhwa were relatively rare in the past—though classics like 'Dooly the Little Dinosaur' were big hits—live-action drama series and movie adaptations have exploded in popularity in recent years. This showcases the incredible storytelling power of these comics.
Hit shows like 'Full House' (2004) and 'Goong' (also known as 'Princess Hours,' 2006) are prominent examples of manhwa successfully crossing over into television. These adaptations often introduce global audiences to the original comic stories, fueling further interest in manhwa itself.
The trend continues to grow, with countless webtoons now being adapted into incredibly popular K-dramas, films, and even animated series. This synergy between comics and other media forms solidifies manhwa's position as a dominant force in global entertainment.
Article
Manhwa
Manhwa (Korean: 만화; Korean pronunciation: [manβʷa]) is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to Korean comics.
Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. These comics have branched outside of Korea by access to Webtoons and have created an impact that has resulted in some movie, drama and television show adaptations.
Characteristics
Manhwa
The author or artist of a manhwa is called a manhwaga (만화가; 漫畫家). They take on the task of creating a comic that fits a certain format. Manhwa is read in the same direction as English books, horizontally and from left to right, because Korean is normally written and read horizontally. It can also be written and read vertically from right to left, top to bottom. Webtoons tend to be structured differently in the way they are meant for scrolling where manga is meant to be looked at page by page. Manhwa, unlike their manga counterpart, is often in color when posted on the internet, but in black & white when in a printed format.
Manhwa art differs from manga and manhua as well with its distinct features. The bodies of characters are often realistically proportioned, while the faces remain unrealistic. Manhwas also often have very detailed clothing on their characters as well as intricate backgrounds. Webtoons use vertical scrolling to their advantage to demonstrate movement or the passage of time. Manhwa webtoons are also recognized for having simplified dialogue compared to print.
Etymology and history
Manhwa
Linguistically, manhwa, manga (漫画) and manhua (漫画) all mean 'comics' in Korean, Japanese and Chinese respectively. Manga comes from the Japanese word 漫画, (katakana: マンガ; hiragana: まんが) which is composed of two kanji 漫 (man) meaning 'whimsical or impromptu' and 画 (ga) meaning 'pictures'. The same term is the root of the Korean word for comics, 'manhwa', and the Chinese word 'manhua'. The Korean manhwa, the Japanese manga and the Chinese phrase manhua are cognates (transl. "impromptu sketches") and their histories and influences intertwine with each other.
Originally the term manhua in Chinese vocabulary was an 18th-century term used in Chinese literati painting. The term manga (漫画) was used in Japan to mean "comics" in the late 19th century, when it became popular. Since then, manhua (漫画) and manhwa (만화; 漫畫) have also come to mean 'comics' in Chinese and Korean respectively.
Although in a traditional sense, the terms manga/manhua/manhwa had a similar meaning of comical drawing broadly, in English the terms manhwa and manhua generally designate the manga-inspired comic strips. Manhwaga were not culturally isolated, and the influx of manga into the Korean comics market had a strong effect on the art and content of many artists' manhwa.
Political cartoon slowly reemerged following the establishment of the Republic of Korea (commonly known as South Korea) in 1948. Popular artist Kim Yong-hwan started Korea's first comic magazine, Manhwa Haengjin, in 1948, but it was quickly shut down because the authorities disapproved of the cover.
During the Korean war, Manhwa was used with the aim of boosting the morale of the public, however there was also doctrine and propaganda on some manhwa leaflets and books, for example was "Hong Gil Dong". The popularity of comics rose during the 1950s and 1960s, creating diversity of styles and subject matter which led to the construction of new genres such as sunjeong (or soonjung), stories containing romance that are aimed at young women. Also around this time another more humorous genre, myeongnyang or happy comics had become popular in order to counteract gritty ones. Manhwabang (lit. comics room), comics cafés and stores that allowed readers to pay a set rate to sit and read comics were also introduced to the public, creating a positive atmosphere around the comics. In response to the increasing publication of comics, as well as social and political changes within South Korea, the government began to enforce censorship laws and, by the mid-1960s, created a comics distribution monopoly that further censored manhwa. Then the changing courses of manhwa history occurred during times of Manhwa Revolution when the authorities formed many commissions many times who oversees manhwa publications as well as community movements in order to suppress manhwa fanaticism among childrens and in order to address parents' concerns. Around this time was when Manhwa had come up in North Korea as well.
Webtoons
Manhwa
Then in the early 2000s, the majority of Manhwa was transferred to online sources due to economic collapse that South Korea had experienced at the end of the millennium. The online publication of Manhwa significantly increased its popularity outside Korea. This led to the South Korean search portal to launch LINE Webtoon, a platform for distributing online Manhwa.
The term "Webtoon" (웹툰) is a portmanteau of the Korean words 웹 meaning web and 카툰 meaning cartoon. The term was first coined on 8 August 2000, by Chollian, one of South Korea's oldest and now discontinued internet service engines. Webtoons are the digital form of manhwa that first came into popularity in the early 2000s due to their free access and availability on the internet. It was also beneficial to creators because it helped them get around strict South Korean censorship laws. Webtoons encourage amateur writers to publish their own stories for others to read. Since their creation, webtoons have gained popularity around the globe and have even been adopted outside of Korea as another form of comic publication. This is credited to their unique format and pay model.
In 2014 WEBTOON's global website and mobile app were launched, revolutionizing the comic world's way of reading for entertainment. Also, around this time JunKoo Kim, the person that started LINE Webtoon, had reported that Webtoon was used in 60 countries, had 55 million monthly users, and 100 billion annual views.
Manhwa outside of Korea
Manhwa
Manhwa has reached all over the world now. With websites such as Toptoon, a webtoon company from Korea that also has a global service in DayComcis (former ToptoonPlus), people are able to access a wide variety of comics from their phones. There are also places like WEBTOON that not only allow people to read original comics, but make them as well, opening up this aspect of Korean culture for everyone to take part in.
But despite that, the relative obscurity of Korean culture in the Western world has caused the word manhwa to remain somewhat unknown in the English-speaking countries. English translations of manhwa have achieved success by targeting the manga and anime community, to the extent that manhwa were marketed as manga by the American publisher Tokyopop.
United States
Sanho Kim was the first manhwa artist working in the States. During the 1960s and 1970s, he worked for publishers Charlton Comics, Warren Publishing, Iron Horse Publishing, Skywald Publications, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics.
According to journalist Paul Gravett, in 1987 Eastern Comics published the first original manhwas in the United States.
Due to the explosion of manga's popularity in the Americas, many of the licensed titles acquired for the American market seek to emulate the popular elements of other successful series. Recently, long-running webtoons serialized via Internet portal sites (e.g. by Daum Media), like Lezhin Comics and personal homepages have become both the creative and popular destination among the younger generation in Korea. With manga proving to be both popular and commercially successful in Europe and the United States, a number of publishers imported and translated manhwa titles in the hope of reaching the same audience. The readability and left-to-right orientation of manhwa contributed to its growing popularity, as did the realism of the characters and the combination of Eastern and Western styles and mythologies.
Media franchise
Manhwa
Animations based on Korean comics are still relatively rare (though there were several major hits in the late 1980s and early 90s with titles such as Dooly the Little Dinosaur and Fly! Superboard). However, live-action drama series and movie adaptations of manhwa have occurred more frequently in recent years. Full House in 2004 and Goong ("Palace" or "Princess Hours") in 2006 are prominent examples. Below is a list of manhwa titles adapted into television series, web series, films, etc. Not to be confused to another adapted works of adapted from Webtoons.
<table><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Author</th><th>Format</th><th>Premiere</th><th>Notes</th><th>Reference</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Meongteong-guli Heotmulkyeogi (멍텅구리 헛물켜기)</td><td>Lee Sang-hyeop and Ahn Jae-hong and Noh Soo-hyun</td><td>Film</td><td>1926</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Gobau (고바우)</td><td>Kim Seonghwan</td><td>Film</td><td>1958</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Walsun Ajimae (왈순 아지매)</td><td>Jeong Woon-kyung</td><td>Film</td><td>1963</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Geokkuligungwa Jangdaligun (거꾸리군과 장다리군)</td><td>Kim Seonghwan</td><td>Film</td><td>1977</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bridal Mask (각시탈)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Film</td><td>1978</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Animated film</td><td>1986</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TV series</td><td>30 May 2012</td><td>Bridal Mask SPC Pan Entertainment KBS N</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Space Black Knight (우주 흑기사)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Animated film</td><td>1979</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Alien Baseball Team (외인구단)</td><td>Lee Hyun-se</td><td>Film</td><td>2 August 1986</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Last Station (퇴역전선)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>TV series</td><td>14 September 1987</td><td>Broadcast on MBC</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dooly the Little Dinosaur (아기공룡 둘리)</td><td>Kim Soo-jung</td><td>Animation</td><td>7 October 1987 – 1989</td><td>Daewon Media Broadcast on KBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>OVA</td><td>1995</td><td>Tooniverse</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Animated film</td><td>24 July 1996</td><td>Dooly Nara (Dooly Nation), Seoul Movie</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Animation</td><td>8 January 2009</td><td>Broadcast on SBS, Tooniverse</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Chameleon's Poem (카멜레온의 시)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>TV series</td><td>14 May 1988</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yeongsimi (열네 살 영심이) Young-sim (영심이)</td><td>Bae Geum-taek</td><td>Film</td><td>29 July 1990</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Animation</td><td>5 October 1990</td><td>Daewon Media Broadcast on KBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TV series</td><td>15 May 2023</td><td>The Great Show, MODT Studio Broadcast on ENA</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mr. Sohn (미스터손) Fly! Superboard (날아라 슈퍼보드)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Animation</td><td>15 August 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001</td><td>Hanho Heung-Up Co., Ltd. Broadcast on KBS1</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Asphalt Man (아스팔트 사나이)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>TV series</td><td>17 May 1995</td><td>Broadcast on SBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>48+1</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Film</td><td>4 November 1995</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Beat (비트)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Film</td><td>3 May 1997</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mr. Q (미스터 Q)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>TV series</td><td>20 May 1998</td><td>Broadcast on SBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nudlnude (누들누드)</td><td>Yang Young-soon</td><td>OVA</td><td>October 1998, 1999</td><td>Seoul Movie</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>We Saw the Bird Lost in the Middle of the Road (우리는 길 잃은 작은 새를 보았다)</td><td>Hwang Mi-na</td><td>TV series</td><td>19 April 1999</td><td>Broadcast on KBS2</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Blade of the Phantom Master (신암행어사)</td><td>Youn In-wan and Yang Kyung-il</td><td>Animated film</td><td>4 December 2004</td><td>Oriental Light and Magic and Character Plan</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Full House (풀하우스)</td><td>Won Soo-yeon</td><td>TV series</td><td>14 July 2004</td><td>Kim Jong-hak Production</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hammerboy (망치)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Animated film</td><td>6 August 2004</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Goong ("Palace" or "Princess Hours") (궁)</td><td>Park So-hee</td><td>TV series</td><td>11 January 2006</td><td>Eight Peaks</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tajja (타짜)</td><td>Kim Se-yeong and Huh Young-man</td><td>Film</td><td>28 September 2006</td><td>Sidus FNH</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TV series</td><td>16 September 2008</td><td>Olive9 and Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>War of Money (쩐의 전쟁)</td><td>Park In-kwon</td><td>TV series</td><td>16 May 2007</td><td>Victory Production Broadcast on SBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TV series</td><td>7 March 2008</td><td>Broadcast on tvN</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TV series</td><td>6 January 2015</td><td>Kansai Television Co. Ltd.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sikgaek Le Grand Chef Gourmet (식객)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Film</td><td>1 November 2007</td><td>ShowEast Co Ltd</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TV series</td><td>17 June 2008</td><td>Broadcast on SBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Film</td><td>28 January 2010</td><td>IROOM Pictures</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Saranghae (사랑해)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>TV series</td><td>7 April 2008</td><td>Broadcast on SBS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Priest (프리스트)</td><td>Hyung Min-woo</td><td>Film</td><td>13 May 2011</td><td>Screen Gems</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The 7th Team (제7구단) Mr. Go (미스터 고)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Film</td><td>17 July 2013 (South Korea) 18 July 2013 (China)</td><td>Showbox/Mediaplex (South Korea) Huayi Brothers (China)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Would You Like a Cup of Coffee? (허영만의 커피 한잔 할까요?)</td><td>Huh Young-man</td><td>Web series</td><td>24 October 2021</td><td>Broadcast on KakaoTV</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Acacia (아카시아)</td><td>Kim Dong-hwa, Han Seung-won</td><td>Webtoon</td><td>12 May 2023</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
Korean manhwa publishers
Manhwa
• Daewon C.I. • Haksan Culture Company • Seoul Cultural Publishers • Shinwon Agency Corporation
North American manhwa imprints
Manhwa
• ADV Manga • Dark Horse Manhwa • DramaQueen • DrMaster Publications • Manta • Media Blasters • Netcomics • NBM ComicsLit • Seven Seas Entertainment • SuperAni • UDON's Korean Manhwa • Yen Press's IZE PRESS
General and cited sources
Manhwa
• Cain, Geoffrey. "Will the Internet Kill the Manhwa Star?" The Far Eastern Economic Review, 6 November 2009 • Fukushima, Yoshiko (2013). Manga Discourse in Japan Theatre. Routledge. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-136-77273-3. • Son Sang-ik (1999). 한국만화통사 1 (General History of Manhwa 1) (in Korean). Sigongsa. ISBN 89-7259-890-9. • Hart, Christopher (2004). Manhwa mania: how to draw Korean comics. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. ISBN 0-8230-2976-X. • Kim Jinsu (2 June 2007). 개화기 일제의 시사만화 탄압 [The Japanese oppression on Sisa manhwa] (in Korean). Chammalo. • 만화 (in Korean). Empas/ Encyclopædia Britannica. • "Manhwa" (in Korean). Empas/ EncyKorea. • Onoda, Natsu (2009). God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga. University Press of Mississippi. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-60473-478-2. • Petersen, Robert S. (2011). Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels: A History of Graphic Narratives. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-36330-6. • Prohl, Inken; Nelson, John K (2012). Handbook of Contemporary Japanese Religions. BRILL. p. 596. ISBN 978-90-04-23435-2. • Rousmaniere, Nicole (2001). Births and Rebirths in Japanese Art : Essays Celebrating the Inauguration of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures. Hotei Publishing. ISBN 978-90-74822-44-2. • Sim Ji-hoon. "Korea Manhwa Museum". INISteel Webzine (in Korean). • Sugiyama, Rika (2004). Comic artists — Asia : manga, manhwa, manhua. New York: Harper Design International. ISBN 0-06-058924-8. • Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-48590-8. • Webb, Martin (28 May 2006). "Manga by any other name is..." The Japan Times. Retrieved 5 April 2008. • "Korean Comics in the U.S., Part 1, Comic-Con International 2004", Jade Magazine.com, Sep. 2004 • "Korean Comics in the U.S., Part 2, Manhwa Sampler", Jade Magazine.com, Sep. 2004 • "Sang-Sun Park, Les Bijoux Comic Artist", Sequential Tart.com, Aug. 2004 • Manhwa site for "Siya Ben" • Manhwa site for "Demon Diary" ({{Korean|hangul=마왕일기|labels=no}}) • "Infinity Studios and Manhwa", Anime Tourist.com, 16 June 2004 • Our Toys, Our Selves: Robot Taekwon V and South Korean Identity • Nettruyen