Manga vs Manhwa
By saizo6
@saizo6 (2199)
United States
November 29, 2009 3:40pm CST
I don't think I've seen a discussion for this on here yet so I decided to make one. Personally, I love all types of comics but I read something on another forum that was really interesting. There was actually people that refused to one or the other for various reasons, such as art, story or whatever. But I couldn't help thinking that these people were missing out on some good stuff. So my question is, which do you like more and why?
3 people like this
10 responses
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
10 Dec 09
Manhwa is korean for Manga.
The only difference that I could think of would be the origin. There is to say about artwork and story content but, that too depends on the taste of the reader.
I have read a good amount of Manga and tried to read different genres too that got me interested.
For Manhwa, I think I have only read Ragnarok: Into the Abyss.
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
10 Dec 09
I know what you mean. That's why I can't understand how some people can make such a big deal out of it. And Ragnarok was a pretty good series. But it's been on haitus or whatever for years now and it doesn't look like it'll be resumed anytime soon. Which is a bummer.
2 people like this
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
11 Dec 09
Well, its a matter of preference. Its a bit weird though that others would try to impose their preference on others and not just tolerate each other's sense of taste when it comes to each other's interest. (^_^")
Yeah, its a real bummer, to think that the story hasn't reached some intense climax..
1 person likes this
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
15 Dec 09
It's not just for manga either. I've encountered many of those fanatics...coughNarutotardscough...that have tried to shove their interest down my throat. They've gone so far as to verbally attack me just because I don't share the same interest. It was a bit sad because these people apparently did not have a life or something.
But yeah about Ragnarok it is a shame. But I guess the creator is still busy focusing on the Ragnarok Online game.
2 people like this
@samson1967 (7414)
• India
30 Nov 09
Some comic statements are true facts... Manga Vs. Manhwa, meaning in english is Man Vs Monkey.
2 people like this
@Arkadus (895)
• Canada
9 Dec 09
Presuming manhwa is the Korean equivalent of manga like I think it is; the only ones I've encountered are a title or two that were included in Yen+ the four or five issues I managed to acquire anyway. I personally have nothing against it as long as the storyline and art are decent. Of course I'm somewhat open minded in the art aspect so it doesn't have to be what traditionally passes for 'good'. As long as it's consistent.
And it probably wouldn't hurt to throw in a pronunciation guide for character names. That "Pig Bride" or whatever it was called had a couple I tripped over. I've no idea how they're supposed to sound, the one benefit of it being written word though. I'll only feel dumb if I try to talk about it.
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
9 Dec 09
I know what you mean. I have a hard time with some of those names too. Not just the pronunciation guide, I think having translation notes at the end of each volume would be very useful. I don't know anything about Korean culture so I don't get some of the cultural references made in some of these manhwa.
2 people like this
@Arkadus (895)
• Canada
9 Dec 09
I don't see why translation notes wouldn't work. They do it often enough in pretty well all of the manga I have. And yeah I know pretty much zero about the culture, but that would change if more of the comics/graphic novels/whatever you want to call them made their way over here.
1 person likes this
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
10 Dec 09
Unfortunately, I haven't seen it yet. I own a few different manhwa books but none of them comes with any of those things. I'd actually have to go online to try and find out what they are talking about sometimes. It'd be nice if they make them like those Del Rey books.
2 people like this
@punkincat (214)
• United States
1 Jan 10
Manga was easier for me to find so I haven't had the chance to read much Manhwa but I would like to. To me the story is the most important I will read whatever has the best story and art.
I will admit that I don't like to get started on something that I will not be able to read the end of because it is hard to find. Luckly most everything is being made advalable.
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
3 Jan 10
That's understandable. Manhwa is a bit hard to find in any book store. I'm also one of those people who like to read the whole thing at one time instead of sitting around and waiting for the next chapters. It's a bit frustrating, especially with manhwa scans because those usually have really slow updates.
1 person likes this
@declovey (6)
• Singapore
4 Jan 10
i guess, it really depends on individuals.
As different people has different taste.
Personally, I like both. It does not matter to me whether it is manga or manhwa.
So long as the story line and the art are good.
the only thing which i could not stand is the waiting time for the translator to scan and translate it. Especially for those ongoing project which i need to visit every week, so that I can continue to read it. I prefer to read from the beginning till the end in one shot.
I agree with you on this point whereby those people who refused to either one of them were truly missed out some good stuff.
I have read several manhwa up till now, there are some good manhwa which i would like to suggest: Princess, Goong, The Bride of the Water God.
but there are some problem for those good manhwa: it is very hard to find those translated manhwa and it always get license. So there is no way those translator will continue to translate it once it get licensed.
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
5 Jan 10
Hey declovey,
Thanks for the recs. I'm already reading Goong and The Bride of the Water God at the moment. I've heard of Princess but haven't gotten around to it yet. And I know what you mean. It's either you have to wait forever for scans to come out or the project gets dropped because it got licensed which is a bummer.
1 person likes this
@kayree2002 (259)
• United States
10 Feb 10
I personally love both, but I think that manhwa art is so much prettier than manga most of the time. But it's also pretty weird how just about all the different artists seem to draw the same to me in manhwa compared to mangas. Now sometimes with some mangas I can't stand the art and it turns me off from reading the story, but that's just with a small few...so I read both, but I jump when I find a new manhwa.
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
10 Feb 10
Hi kayree, thanks for the response.
As far as the art goes, I think it goes both ways. It all comes down to our own preference. But I do agree with you about a lot of the manhwa art looking the same. I noticed that a lot of those ones that take place in a school setting tend to look the same. It's like it's all done by one person when I know that's not possible.
@madteaparty (2748)
• Japan
22 Dec 09
I like both, manga and manwha. The art depends more on the person than on the nationality, but I admit that coreans aren't skillful at all when it comes to draw super deformed characters.
About the story, I have read many entertaining manga and manwha, so I will usually chose to read not minding the nationality but that it will entertain me.
1 person likes this
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
22 Dec 09
I agree with you there. That's why I can't understand when someone boycotts things based on where it came from. There are a lot of very entertaining manhwa out there. Some of the artwork might be awkward or strange looking but the stories are still interesting. That takes me to those people who hate on a series based on the art. It's all very sad that they're missing out on great stories.
1 person likes this
@hardworking (36)
• Philippines
10 Mar 10
me myself, both like the Manga and Manhwa, but I prefer manga mostly, coz the difference in drawing and in a good story line. most likely the story for manhwa is short, although I read some one-shot manga.. ^^, heheh..
MANGA IS THE BEST!!!!!
@hardworking (36)
• Philippines
11 Mar 10
oh, glad to hear that, coz mostly manhwa that i read only has a short story, ahahaha.. taste and preferences,? yah I think so, it may varies depends on it.. lol.. just enjoy everything you read and its good to go.. ^^,
MANGA IS THE BEST!!!!!!!