Very fewmanhwaare able to tell an enthralling story from start to finish, but every once in a while, you can come across a webtoon that achieves peak perfection, never gets boring, and is able to keep readers of all kinds hooked till the last page. The following manhwa are the peak of their genres and deserve recognition.
Whether a reader is interested in an aspirational climb to the top, a pinnacle work among its genre, or a thrilling masterpiece, these manhwa should be the first place you start looking. The following contains only completed works so that audiences don’t have to wait to find out if theauthor successfully sticks the ending.
The Sound of Magic: Annarasumanara
The Sound of Magic, orAnnarasumanara, is a story about a young girl who becomes disillusioned with the wonders life can bring after having to confront the reality of being an impoverished high schooler in charge of her younger sister. After accidentally stumbling into an abandoned amusement park, she crosses a magician who simply asks, “Do you believe in magic?”
Written and illustrated by Ilkwon Ha,Annarasumanarais a simple but effective short story about the loss of childhood in a world that’s geared to beat down those who dare to dream. Through different antagonists, it explores this concept, all the while taking full advantage of a webtoon’s paneling to make the experience trippy yet memorable.
Leviathan
Written by Lee Gyuntak and illustrated by Noh Miyoung,Leviathanis a dystopian fantasywhere the entire world has been submerged by water after a comet collided with the moon, resulting in a never-ending monsoon that drowned entire continents. Centered on Bota and his family, they now survive aboard a boat, using harpoons to hunt while avoiding giant, dangerous creatures.
Leviathanstands out not only for its dark undertones that persist throughout the entire narrative as humanity fights for its survival, but for its remarkable art style that captures both the beauty and the horrors of this new world. This manhwa is everything you could ask for if you crossedAttack on TitanswithRaftorSubnautica.
Solo Leveling
After two widely successful anime seasons,Solo Levelingis undoubtedly one of the best manhwato get into while waiting for the next installment. Having originated as a webnovel by Chugong, it was later adapted to be illustrated by Jang Sung-rak (also known as Dubu) into a proper manhwa in 2018, wrapping up in 2021.
Sung Jinwoo is an ordinary subpar E-Rank Hunter; however, one abysmal run in a dungeon above his grade turns into a fight for his life. After nearly dying, Jinwoo wakes up to notifications spamming him to get training; otherwise, the System will penalize him. This extraordinary program enables Jinwoo to level up his current abilities and become stronger.
With plenty of action and a beautiful art style to boot,Solo Levelingshowcases just how it’s made its mark in the genre of power fantasies. By taking a look at its manhwa, readers can see for themselves how this series managed to land itself an anime adaptation.
The Breaker
Manhwa Available for Purchase On Crunchyroll or Amazon
The Breakeris a classic martial arts manhwa written by Geukjin Jeon and illustrated by Jinhwan Park. Like many underdog stories, it starts with Yi “Shioon” Shi-woon, a young boy who is bullied day in and day out by his fellow classmates. One day, such a beating is witnessed by a passing man who calls Shioon a coward and leaves.
Offended, Shioon enrolls in a martial arts academy only to discover that the man who insulted him is his substitute, Chun Woo, and is caught beating up a group of men who came to threaten him. Having recorded the event, Shioon uses this as leverage against Chun Woo in exchange for martial arts lessons, unknowingly entering a dangerous unknown world.
As the first in a line of manhwa,The Breakerdelivers on both action and drama, serving as aspiritual predecessor toEleceedand many other training novels. Fans have also praised its sequel,New Waves, but are still mixed on the third installment, which can be read on Webtoon, titledEternal Force.
Who Made Me a Princess
Who Made Me a Princessis widely considered to be one of thebest entries in the reincarnation fantasy dramafor how it handles its many elements from the very first page to the very last. Written by Plutus and illustrated by Spoon, the story starts off with a modern young woman getting transmigrated into the body of a child.
What she goes on to realize, however, is that this new form is the daughter of a tyrant and is doomed to face a life of torment and neglect until her fateful execution ordered by her father. To avoid that same fate, ‘Athanasia’ must endear herself in the eyes of her tyrant papa to circumvent her destiny.
With a beautiful artstyle and a compelling story,Who Made Me a Princessstands out because it manages to handle both the nuances of Athanasia’s predicament and the complexities of the king’s behavior. As a tyrant, he’s not respectable or admirable in the slightest, and yet the audience is privy to his newfound weakness and fear for his daughter’s safety.
Bastard
Another manhwa that continues to be a real page turner right from the very get-go isBastard, written by Kim Carnby and illustrated by Hwang Young-chan. Seon Jin’s life is pretty ruthless, getting bullied at school and then having to suffer at home as well. There is no peace, though not for the reasons you think.
As it would turn out, Jin’s father is a cruel serial killer who puts on a front as a successful and loving father, but secretly ropes his son into helping him conceal his many crimes. But when his father sets his sights on one of Jin’s fellow classmates, he’s forced to decide how far he wants the farce to go.
Brutal and gory,Bastardis a thrilling psychological story that’s sure to keep your teeth chattering as the story unravels throughout the manhwa.
Seasons of Blossom
In contrast to the previous entry,Seasons of Blossomis a much more wholesome and romantic story, exploring the complexities of first loves with all of the warm, affectionate tenderness and the cold, lingering whispers left unsaid. This manhwa is more than just its intricate relationships, as it tackles the difficult themes of coming-of-age, mental health issues, and tough subjects.
As the title suggests,Seasons of Blossomcovers different story arcs across the changing seasons, reflective of both the subject matter it portrays and the characters’ weathering through difficult times. The manhwa was written by Hongduck and illustrated by NEMONE.
The Boxer
Created by Jeong Ji-Hoon,The Boxercontinues to live up to its reputation even years after being completed, and is speculated toreceive an anime adaptation by Netflix. Following the theme in this manhwa list, Yu is another young boy who is often subjected to beatings from his fellow classmates, to the point where he no longer feels any emotions.
Although he’s fully able to dodge their attacks, taking the assault leads to a faster resolution, and so he’s learned not to fight it. Until an old boxing trainer takes notice of him and is determined to make Yu into a proper fighter. At first, he’s unwilling, until something sparks in his memory.
Determined to find that passion again, Yu takes the trainer up on his offer and enters the brutal boxing world. As a sports manhwa,The Boxerisn’t quite as hopeful and cavalier as many other sports manga, but it still packs a punch when it comes to dynamic fights and stirring the hearts eager to cheer on for an underdog.
The Horizon
Created by Jeong Ji-Hoon,The Horizonis a deep and polarizing glimpse into the effects of war on the innocent lies entangled within its crossfires. It’s a short entry that expresses a lot without outright stating the facts as a traumatized young boy walks along by himself through a ravaged area after seeing his mother killed.
He takes shelter in an abandoned bus and comes across another lost child, a girl, but the horrors persist as the war rages on, and they scramble to escape. Their journey to push on despite the fear and isolation begins to slowly ignite the hope that a better tomorrow will come about, if only they can push through and survive.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
Based on the webnovel by SingnSong and illustrated by Sleepy-C,Omniscient Reader’s Viewpointis singularly the best story manhwahas to offer. After keeping up with his favorite online series to its bitter end, Kim Dokja is saddened and yet grateful to the story that had been a shining light in his otherwise gray life.
From an ordinary salaryman to an omniscient reader, Dokja is changed, now ready for the apocalypse and all of its misfortunes, but how far will he go to survive, and will he forsake his humanity in exchange?Omniscient Reader’s Viewpointis an outstanding story in every medium it’s faithfully recreated, set to also receive an anime adaptation in the future.
