Manhwa vs Manga: What's the Difference and Where to Start

Someone recommended "Solo Leveling manhwa" and you're wondering what makes it different from manga.

Here's everything you need to know.

The Basic Difference

Manga - Japanese comics. Read right-to-left. Black and white pages.

Manhwa - Korean comics. Read left-to-right (normal Western direction). Often full color. Vertical scroll format common.

Manhua - Chinese comics. Various formats, often colored.

The distinction is cultural and format-based, not quality-based.

Format Differences

Reading Direction

Manga: Right to left (you read "backwards" from Western perspective) Manhwa: Left to right (normal Western direction)

This takes getting used to if you switch between them.

Color

Manga: Traditionally black and white (some exceptions) Manhwa: Often full color (especially webtoons)

Layout

Manga: Traditional page layouts with panels Manhwa: Often vertical scrolling (optimized for phones)

Release

Manga: Usually weekly magazine serialization Manhwa: Often online platform releases

Art Style Differences

Generalizations (many exceptions exist):

Manga tends toward:

• More varied art styles
• Page composition with complex panels
• Action lines and motion effects
• Distinctive manga "look" with specific conventions
• More experimental layouts

Manhwa tends toward:

• Cleaner, more polished art
• Vivid full coloring
• Vertical scroll optimization
• Sometimes simpler backgrounds
• More uniform style across the industry

Genre Strengths

Manga Strong In

• Shonen action (Naruto, One Piece)
• Horror and psychological
• Slice of life
• Isekai variety
• Sports manga
• Historical settings

Manhwa Strong In

• System apocalypse/hunter stories
• Regression stories
• Villainess/otome isekai
• Romance webtoons
• Martial arts/action
• Tower climbing adventures

Popular Manhwa

Solo Leveling - The genre-defining hunter story. Essential.

Tower of God - Epic tower climbing fantasy. Long-running.

The Beginning After The End - Reincarnation fantasy. Strong characters.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Meta apocalypse. Clever premise.

True Beauty - Romantic comedy. Massive popularity.

Lookism - Supernatural body swap drama.

Popular Manga

One Piece - The pirate epic. Longest running success.

Jujutsu Kaisen - Modern supernatural action.

Chainsaw Man - Unique dark action. Unconventional.

Spy x Family - Found family comedy.

Frieren - Fantasy adventure about an elf mage.

Vinland Saga - Viking historical epic.

Where to Read

Legal Manhwa

• Webtoon (official app)
• Tapas
• Manta
• Tappytoon

Legal Manga

• Viz Media (Shonen Jump app)
• Mangaplus
• Crunchyroll Manga
• Publisher sites

Web Novel Adaptations

Many manhwa adapt web novels. The novel usually has more content; the manhwa has visuals. You can switch between formats.

Which to Start With?

Start with manhwa if:

• You prefer color
• Vertical scrolling is natural for you
• You want progression/system stories
• Reading right-to-left feels awkward
• You're on mobile primarily

Start with manga if:

• You want the widest variety
• You prefer traditional page layouts
• You're already comfortable with the format
• You want specific popular series
• You value black-and-white art

The Crossover

Many readers enjoy both. The format differences are less important than story quality.

Don't limit yourself based on country of origin. Good stories are good stories.

Manhwa Recommendations for Manga Readers

If you read manga and want to try manhwa:

• Solo Leveling if you like action
• Tower of God if you like epic adventures
• The Beginning After The End if you like isekai
• True Beauty if you like romance

Manga Recommendations for Manhwa Readers

If you read manhwa and want to try manga:

• Chainsaw Man for unique action
• Spy x Family for character charm
• Frieren for fantasy
• One Punch Man for humor + action

The Novel Connection

Many manhwa adapt web novels. Reading the novel first gives you:

• More content
• Faster updates (usually)
• More detail
• Complete stories when adaptation catches up

Or you can read manhwa and switch to novels when you catch up. Both approaches work.

narrator generates original stories in prose form. If you prefer reading to visual formats, we're here for that.

Just Enjoy Both

The manhwa vs manga debate is less important than finding good stories.

Try both. See what you like. Format preference is personal.

The content matters more than the container.