Manhwa is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to Korean comics. Manhwa is directly influenced by Japanese Manga 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.
Webtoons (Korean: 웹툰) are a type of episodic digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones.
Kang Do-young, better known as Kang Full, is a South Korean webtoon artist and screenwriter. Kang began his career as a cartoonist in 1997, serializing comic reviews in Yeongseo Newspaper, then in 2002, began publishing his cartoons on his personal website. He is one of the first-generation webtoon artists in South Korea.
Noblesse is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon, written by Son Je-ho and illustrated by Lee Kwangsu. Noblesse was first posted on Naver Corporation's webtoon platform, Naver Webtoon, in December 2007 and concluded in January 2019. It was among the first webtoons to receive an official English translation at the launch of Line Webtoon in July 2014. The series has been adapted into an aeni in 2015, an original net animation (ONA) in 2016, and an anime television series by Production I.G that aired from October to December 2020 on Crunchyroll.
Tower of God is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by S.I.U. It has been serialized in Naver Corporation's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon since June 2010, with the individual chapters collected and published by Young Com in 15 volumes as of May 2024. Tower of God received official English translations by Line Webtoon beginning in July 2014.
Fashion King is a 2014 South Korean film that comically depicts the coming of age of a high school student as he matures into adulthood and discovers a passion for fashion design.
God of Bath is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Ha Il-kwon. Started on July 14, 2011, this webtoon manhwa was released on Naver Webtoon. The print release of the first volume of God of Bath was released on May 8, 2012. The webtoon was to be adapted into a feature film in 2014, though the film never premiered.
Oh Seong-dae is a South Korean webtoon artist. He is best known for his popular horror thriller anthology webtoon series Tales of the Unusual, which has gained widespread acclaim both Korean and global readers.
Cheese in the Trap is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Soonkki. The webtoon was released on Internet portal Naver WEBTOON since 2010, and the first volume in print was published on March 2, 2012. It was adapted into a television series of the same name, which started airing on January 4, 2016. A film of the same name was also released on March 14, 2018.
Dr. Frost is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Lee Jong-beom. This webtoon was released on internet portal Naver WEBTOON from February 2, 2011 to October 1, 2021, then the first volume in print was published on May 18, 2012. It was adapted into a TV series of the same name in 2014.
WEBTOON is an American-South Korean webtoon platform launched in 2004 by Naver Corporation, providing hosting for webtoons and compact digital comics. The platform, controlled by Naver and the Naver-SoftBank Group joint venture LY Corporation through a Delaware-domiciled, Los Angeles, California-headquartered holding company WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., is free and can be found both on the web at Webtoons.com and on mobile devices available for both Android and iOS.
Along with the Gods is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Joo Ho-min. The webtoon has been released on the webcomic site Naver Webtoon since 2010, and the first volume in print was published on December 27, 2010. It was inspired by the Korean Joseon dynasty Buddhist paintings and early Buddhist texts of the Ten Kings of Hell. A manga adaptation was serialized in Young Gangan from 2012 to 2014 and was illustrated by Yoshiyuki Miwa; some scenes were changed due to the cultural differences between Japan and Korea. A staged musical adaptation has been hosted by the Seoul Performing Arts Company since 2015. A film adaptation, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, was released on December 20, 2017, with a sequel, Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, released on August 1, 2018. Two additional sequels are in active development as of September 2022, as well as a television series spin-off as of April 2022.
Web novels in South Korea have been growing in popularity in the 21st century. Among e-publishing fields, web novels are the core contents that are leading the e-book market. Just as webtoons grew in the early 2000s in South Korea, web novels have been growing rapidly since 2010.
Yumi's Cells is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Lee Dong-gun. This webtoon was released on internet portal Naver Webtoon from April 1, 2015 until November 13, 2020 with a total 512 chapters. The story revolves around Kim Yumi, a 32-year-old office worker, and her brain cells, tiny blue-hooded cells that control her every mood, thought, and action.
All of Us Are Dead, also known as School Attack in early English translation, is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Joo Dong-geun. This webtoon was released on internet portal Naver WEBTOON from May 13, 2009 to November 2, 2011 with a total 130 chapters. Adapted into the live-action series, the story is about a group of high-schoolers surviving the zombie apocalypse in their school.
The Boxer is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by Jung Ji-Hoon. It was serialized via Naver Corporation's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon from December 2019 to June 2022, with the individual chapters collected and published into 10 volumes. A South Korean animated series adaptation by Xtorm has been announced, and the series will be released with 12 Episodes in 2025 second of half.
Nano List is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by MIN SONGA. It was serialized via Naver Corporation's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon from January 2016 to December 2018, with the individual chapters collected. The manhwa has been published in English by Line Webtoon. A South Korean animated series adaptation by Studio Gale and Studio N has been announced, and then later will be released on the OTT streaming platform TVING.
The Girl Downstairs, known in South Korea as Lee Doo-na! is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by Min Songa. It was serialized via Naver Corporation's webtoon platform, Naver Webtoon, from July 2019 to July 2022, with the individual chapters collected and published into 5 volumes. The manhwa has been published in English by Line Webtoon. A Chinese animated series premiered on Bilibili on April 20, 2023. A live-action adaptation series premiered on October 20, 2023, on Netflix.
Your Letter is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by Hyeon A Cho. It was serialized via Naver Corporation's webtoon platform, Naver Webtoon, from August to October 2018, with the individual chapters collected and published the first volume. The manhwa has been published in English by Line Webtoon. A South Korean animated film produced by Studio N and Studio Lico has been announced.
Guardians of the Video Game (Korean: 전자오락수호대) is a South Korean manhwa released as a webtoon written and illustrated by Gasfard.
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