What’s the difference between manga, manhwa, and manhua?

With the rise of digital platforms, access to various visual media from across the globe has become fairly easy. What was considered weird and obscure in the past decade has become a normalized hobby at present, and it is something to celebrate. After all, not only are more and more manga titles coming to the West, but manhwa and manhua titles, too.

Those new to the hobby may make the easy mistake of thinking the three media are the same. While they do share a lot of similarities, the differences in art style, common themes, inspiration, and formats make each of these media unique in its own way. As such, understanding these differences can help you wade through the vast array of content available and find what best suits your taste.

What is manga?

Manga refers to the comic art form that originates from Japan. It’s arguably the most well-known of the three and has had a massive influence on global pop culture. Manga has been a staple of Japanese entertainment for decades, with roots that trace back to traditional Japanese art, but it evolved into its modern form in the 20th century.

Typically, manga is published in black and white, with highly detailed artwork and expressive characters. It is serialized in weekly or monthly magazines, such as Shonen Jump or Weekly Young Magazine, before being compiled into volumes called tankōbon. One of the key features of manga is its reading direction, which follows Japanese convention: from right to left.

Manga covers a wide range of genres and demographic categories. Interestingly, the target demographics are often mistaken as the medium’s genre. Manga’s demographics include shonen (targeted at young boys), shojo (marketed toward young girls), seinen (aimed at adult men), and josei (intended for adult women). On the other hand, genres include well-known entertainment genres such as fantasy, adventure, drama, etc. However, one genre that manga popularized is isekai, wherein the main character is sent to another, often fantastical, world.

Among the demographics, however, shonen is unarguably the most popular. One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball all target this demographic, claiming global renown. Furthermore, you can read many ongoing shonen manga releases on VIZ Media or MANGA Plus for free.

What is manhwa?

Manhwa refers to comics and graphic novels that come from South Korea. While it shares similarities with manga, manhwa has developed its own identity, especially with the rise of digital webtoons. Unlike manga, manhwa is read from left to right, making it more intuitive for Western audiences.

One of the biggest differences is that many modern manhwa titles are published digitally and in full color. This design allows for easy scrolling on smartphones and tablets. This digital format, known as webtoons, has become immensely popular both in Korea and internationally through platforms like LINE Webtoon and Tapas. Unlike traditional print formats, webtoons offer a continuous vertical layout. This format allows a smoother reading experience, making immersion very easy.

Like manga, manhwa covers a wide range of genres, but fantasy, isekai, and romance dominate the landscape. Some common themes that many modern manhwa utilize include tower climbing (wherein characters are expected to conquer a tower of trials), apocalyptic dungeon breakouts (wherein dungeons suddenly appear on Earth), and acquisition of game systems (wherein a character acquires a game-like system in real life). Solo Leveling, Tower of God, and Questism are a few popular series utilizing these tropes.

Manhwa, however, does not have specific target demographics. The readerbase are mostly divided based on their preferred genre and themes.

What is manhua?

Manhua is the term used for Chinese comics, and it encompasses works from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It has a long history, dating back to ancient Chinese art forms and storytelling traditions. But like manga and manhwa, it has evolved into a modern comic format that appeals to a global audience.

Manhua often draws heavily from Chinese mythology, history, and martial arts traditions. Some themes that make it unique are cultivation — where characters strive to achieve higher levels of spiritual power — and transmigration — where the character is brought into a whole new universe. However, manhua’s narratives aren’t confined to these two. Just like in other media, manhua has a number of titles in different genres. Battle Through the Heavens, Heaven’s Official Blessing, and Tales of Demons and Gods are some of the most popular manhua.

Manhua can be published both in print and digitally Like manhwa, modern manhua is often full color and designed for vertical scrolling on mobile devices. While some older manhua titles were read from right to left, the majority of contemporary manhua follows a left-to-right reading format, aligning with Western conventions.

Both Lezhin and Tapas host a number of manhua titles, though the former is dominated by BL (Boys’ Love) manhua.

Which medium is for you?

Ultimately, everything boils down to taste. However, there are a number of factors that can affect your choice. I, personally, consume all three media, and I enjoy all three of them. I do agree, though, that each one offers a distinct entertainment value. Depending on your mood or preferences, one might stand out more than the others at any given moment.

When it comes to choices of narrative and worldbuilding, I find myself leaning toward manga. There’s just something about the depth of storytelling in manga that’s hard to beat. The episodic nature lets you become deeply invested in characters, and since many titles have been running for years, you get to experience a long-term emotional journey. One downside of manga, however, is that its main characters are often portrayed as weak. It can take literal years for them to get stronger and stand up for themselves, which makes it a rather frustrating read at times.

In that regard, both manhwa and manhua are better. Both media often feature strong, ready-to-fight protagonists. However, I find manhwa better when it comes to building up tension. Manhwa titles like Lookism know how to build up on the antagonists before giving them a rather satisfying beating. Most manhua I’ve read, on the other hand, simply hand out beatdowns like souvenirs. Furthermore, there’s the visual aspect. Color alone makes both manhwa and manhua stand out, and masterful use of it alone makes certain titles like Heaven’s Official Blessing worth reading.