Comics. They’ve been a huge part of my life. I can remember first being introduced to them by my Uncle. Maybe I was seven or eight. He showed me a copy of an old X-men comic book; issue 143. On the cover, Kitty Pryde stood in her black and yellow X suit with a terrifying alien Brood monster towering above her. In the far left top corner the head shots of Storm, Angel, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Kitty (the current X-men roster) demanded I open that book. I did and a life long fan was made. I’ve got boxes upon boxes of comics sealed away in plastic with cardboard backs as testament to that. Over the years my comic book love affair has waxed and waned, but trying to find Comics in Korea almost put an end to it all.
And even though we live in a digital age where comics can appear at my fingertips on a I-pad or Macbook pro screen I’ve lost touch again. Digital comics, no matter how convenient, just don’t offer the same thrill as an actual comic in your hand. Other than digital there are few options in Seoul for English language comics. The closest comes by way of What the Book. They usually have a small collection of graphic novels and collected editions for sale. If you don’t mind the wait, you can try Mile High Comics back in the States. They’ll ship to Korea. But if the digital way is your only way then try Comixology.
I love comic books. It’s a wonderful weakness of mine. Sadly these last few years I’ve not been a regular collector hindered not only by my living in South Korea, but also by a waning interest. However, if your Korean skills are up to par then you can check out Korea’s very own comics called manhwa. Manhwa are Korean comics that come in many different variations such as editorial comic strips, more artistic works, webcomic serials, or manga-esque versions.
Crossovers Communities Forums Misc Manhwa/Korean Comics/만화 Filters. Pairing Plus Filters. I'm an 18-year-old biochemist. Recently, I have been assigned on a mission to deliver my cure for monsterization to an unnamed town and help the monsters recover. However, I have to brave my way through the monster-infested streets. Noblesse is a great manhwa to start with if you’re curious about Korean daily life, but.
You can find some of the notable Manhwa comics over at My Anime List for titles such as The Breaker, Noblesse, and Can’t See, Can’t Hear but Love.
Directions:
Take the Seoul Green Line (Seoul Subway Line 2) and get off at Hongik University Station. Take Exit 8 and make a right at the street corner. You will see the entrance to Book Sae Tong on your right.
A large bookstore chain that usually has a small English language collection of comics as well as a huge manhwa selection.
It’s a used bookstore chain that often has bargain basement Manhwa on sale.
Comic Book chain in the states that will ship to Korea.
Manhwa is the Korean version of manga. Thus manhwa is an umbrella term for Korean comics, although sometimes it’s used specifically for printed comics. This is what you should know about this genre and where to get started.
How and Where to Read Manhwa and Webtoons
Manhwa is produced in both South and North Korea, although the former predominates. Unlike manga, manhwa is read left to right, and it’s rare for manhwa series to be released in print anymore.
Manhwa has been largely replaced by online comics (webtoons), with the rise of smartphones. Webtoons are read vertically in long segments, making scroll your best friend. The web/app format has also given rise to a common webtoon style of uncluttered images and abundant white (or occasionally black) space in the gutter between panels.
The enthusiastic community of commenters and volunteer translators has become an important part of the webtoon reading experience. For instance, the comments section of the online comic Rodong Simmun (Labor Interrogation), about North Korean defectors adjusting to life in South Korea, is a space for the two groups to interact and learn about each other.
Unfortunately, websites with pirated versions may be the only places to access English versions (scanlations or scanned translations) of certain webtoons. To avoid contributing to piracy, and to read webtoons as the majority of Korean readers do, you’ll need to download an app like Tapas, WEBTOON, or Lezhin Comics. These typically combine free content with in-app purchases. Tapas makes the first few installments of many webtoons free, with the possibility of purchasing virtual coins to unlock more. WEBTOON is a massively popular platform for web comics. WEBTOON’s, uh, webtoons are mainly free, but you can buy coins for early access to new episodes.
The History of Manhwa
The first Korean comics magazine, Manhwa Haengjin, began publication in 1945, although it was soon closed down by the government. Such censorship continued with ethics committee removal of content deemed offensive, or even public burnings. This escalated as depictions of sex and violence in manhwa escalated. In 1967, manhwa were even declared one of the “six evils of society.” Obscenity laws have continued to be enforced into the 21st century.
A manhwa creator is a manhwaga. While the rise of webtoons, social media, and direct payment platforms like Patreon has meant that relationships between readers and creators are in some ways closer than before, webtoons have arguably diminished the comic auteur culture. Many webtoon creators are only known by their usernames, and the mechanisms for earning money can be unclear.
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There is still overlap between digital and printed comics in Korea, with webtoons sometimes inspiring printed magazines or books. The popularity of webtoons is influencing manga and digital comic markets in other countries as well.
Graphic epics have been called geukhwa to differentiate them from the often breezier manhwa. In North Korea, the term manhwa refers more to critical satire. An underground comics scene doesn’t exist in North Korea, according to Paul Gravett’s comprehensive book Mangasia, due to repression of ideological dissonance. Interestingly, some North Korean war comics include elements of the individualistic hero-worship common in American superhero comics, despite the collectivist focus of North Korean society.
A manhwabang is a South Korean manhwa cafe. In North Korea comics are often sold at portable book stalls.
Popular manhwa genres include some familiar from manga. There’s BL (boys love), or homoerotic stories about men often aimed at women. Soonjeong (like Japanese shojo) is also targeted at girls and young women, and are often romance stories. There are plenty of horror, fantasy, supernatural, and thriller manhwa as well. Unsurprisingly, given the often voracious young audience for manhwa, many works are set in schools.
The Best Manhwa To Start With
Uncomfortably Happilyby Hong Yeon Sik
Hong Yeon Sik’s Uncomfortably Happily chronicles an urban manhwaga’s move to the countryside, together with his wife and pets. The memoir shows how challenging but also rewarding the lifestyle transition is, with headaches caused by deadlines, isolation, and more. The art is crisp and mostly straightforward, with occasional moments of pastoral loveliness.
Chocolat by Shin Ji Sang and Geo
Chocolat is a charmingly zany series by Shin Ji Sang and Geo, about a mega-fan of a boy band who schemes her way into a rival band’s fan club in order to be closer to her loves. It’s full of affection and understanding of fandom’s obsessiveness and community building.
The Color of Earthby Kim Dong Hwa
Kim Dong Hwa’s The Color of Earth is the first in a trilogy following a girl coming of age in rural Korea, where her widowed mother runs a bar. The story and the artwork are lush and romantic. But some critics are uncomfortable with the (male) author’s obsession with developing female sexuality.
Webtoon Recommendations
True Beauty by Yaongyi
The ongoing WEBTOON hit True Beauty, by Yaongyi, explores the transformative power of makeup and the importance of physical attractiveness in appearance-fixated South Korea. A schoolgirl feels like an ugly duckling without makeup, and a goddess with it. It’s like an extreme version of that teen movie trope, Beautiful All Along.
Bastard by Youngchan Hwang and Carnby Kim
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Another WEBTOON series is Bastard by Youngchan Hwang and Carnby Kim. Bastard is the dark and brooding tale of a boy whose serial killer father forces him to be an accomplice. You know, that relatable old situation.
Oh! My Assistant by MILA and YALGAE
The Tapas series Oh! My Assistant, by MILA and YALGAE, centers on the slow-to-start romance between an overworked cartoonist and his hunky new assistant. It’s humorous and sexy, in a light-touch way.