Isn't Manhwa Taking Over the World?

[Klyern]

Zero
Unbalance x Unbalance
Shin Angyo Onshi
Kurokami
Freezing
Tower of God
Noblesse
The Gamer


And if you consider more manhwa webcomics that im not even listing, then the list goes on, plus im sure im forgetting a few manhwas.

In my opinion lately the quality of manhwa has been better than the quality of manga in japan.
I mean yes all manga is great! I think obvious good examples would be Naruto, Bleach, Toriko, Hayate no Gotoku, Shii ga Futatsu o Wakatsu Made, JoJo, Ga Rei (Yomi <3).
I even enjoy stuff like Reimei no Arkana, Soredemo, Akuma to Dolce, Kakuri Odette, Franken Fran, Resentment, Fushigi Yugi, DNAngel,
Watashi no Messiah-Sama, Kusunoki Kei's works (ie: Girl Saurus & Bitter Virgin) etc.

But when i compare it to the few manhwa i've read so far, manhwa just feels like it has less fillers,
the stories seems to develop at a more consistent pace, plus the hangcliffs feel less brutal to me (exceptions maybe for some of those shoujo mangas lol,
for some reason they feel like they have almost no fillers). Basically i feel like Manhwa has a more stable stream of developments,
and its been growing more and more in (pardon the cheesyness) my heart.

Does anyone share a similar impression about Manhwa moving up in the world at a terrifying speed?

ps: sorry if i mixed mangas and manhwas that are already finished with others that are not, i just
used all the good examples that came to mind.

ps2: Just in case anyone needs a serious reason for me to say something so earthshattering xD then here it goes; today i woke up and saw the usuals updated in a certain manga reading site, for some reason however, instead of rejoicing at bleach naruto toriko and even HxH being updated... i sighed and i involuntarily (probably the wrong word) thought "if only there was a new manhwa worth reading" (i felt like i told myself i was reading worthless stuff even when i didnt mean it lol)

 

[Norren]

I dunno, I've been following Magician and The Breaker for a while now, amongst others, I've seen a fair bit of what I'd call filler. It's more common in the printed media, tho'. The webcomic manhwa seem more free and less likely to be forced to pad things out for ratings.

That said... something I've noticed about Manhwa is that it's more likely to have "abrupt frames". Just look at Cavalier of the Abyss. Some of those transitions are so abrupt I feel like they dropped entire chapters. Easily one of the most confusing stories I've ever read. You don't see that kind of transition shock much in Manga anymore, but some of the older ones in my library I can still see it in.

The Manhwa are really rising up in the ranks, tho', I think it doesn't stop there, and owes largely to the way Japan has been outsourcing some of it's entertainment industry to Korea, which has seen quite a few odd results I simply never would have expected- NCsoft producing an anime. Capcom outsourcing several games to Korea. Manhwa getting anime... the list goes on.

I do think once Manhwa have more time to develop their cultural tropes into fetish subcultures that it will start to fall into the pattern that Manga and Anime have fallen into. Manhwa seems to be where Manga was ten years ago, just with the technological benefits of today's computers and a better understanding of how webcomics work.

(BTW - if you liked Reimei no Arcana, you might like Akagami no Shirayukihime.)

 

[Klyern]

Thanks for the recommendation

I've also been confused by the transition from Immortal Regis to Cavalier of the Abyss, its second manga season (is that what i should call it? when a manga changes titles once its done with a major arc)

Most of all i want to figure out myself if its just my own notion (if im so to say bewitched) or if other people feel the same, i wont really get angry or anything if someone comes with a completly oposite view of this

so please bring out your comments if you have anything to say.

Like you said Norren-san, there is just so many examples, i would never have expected blade and soul to become an anime either. Actually Ragnarok Online became an anime a long time ago so that might be another good example (Gravity being a korean company).

 

[Hiasubi]

Simply put, it's because Manwha is new. It's not better than manga, but it's no worse. All it is is new - it's a relative statement I know.

Manga has been around in its modern form at least for decades, the industry has grown, and not only that the types of stories have grown with it, developing into what we have currently. I think regardless of what entertainment medium you look at it there will always be phases for what they current trend is and more often that not in one manner or another, stuff will adhere to that trend. Every now and then you will come across something that breaks the mould, that either falls by the wayside or heralds in the new trend as it were.

But when something is new, you try anything and everything. Manwha is no different. In so many years from now it will settle and like manga it will also have it's trends and tropes. That's all.

Also, a part of this feeling in probably also because Manwha is becoming more and more accessible. Before Scan groups seldom ever seemed to pick up Manwha to do and now we we western Manga publishing companies are also licencing more Manga. It being more accessible, means it is reaching a wider audience, so it will feel like it's better because for now at least it's new and different.

 

[Norren]

QUOTE (Klyern @ Jun 12 2014, 06:23 AM)I've also been confused by the transition from Immortal Regis to Cavalier of the Abyss, its second manga season (is that what i should call it? when a manga changes titles once its done with a major arc)

Immortal regis was just as bad as Cavalier of the Abyss when it came to abruptness. I still have no idea what happened to Kaladbolg or who half the old people who seem to be cameos of some sort.


QUOTE (Klyern @ Jun 12 2014, 06:23 AM)Most of all i want to figure out myself if its just my own notion (if im so to say bewitched) or if other people feel the same, i wont really get angry or anything if someone comes with a completly oposite view of this

so please bring out your comments if you have anything to say.

Maybe I was too subtle with my last point. I did kinda include the webcomic line in there as a throwaway line. Manhwa seems to have wholly embraced the webcomic format, where manga/doujin seem really hardcore locked in on the traditional print format.

I think quite a bit of the bewitching nature of Manhwa is owed to the fact that most of the really good ones are webcomics which don't have a publisher of any sort to hold them back. Consider how different Mahou Sensei Negima would have been if the Mangaka hadn't been forced to include the harem elements, or how many good stories that got abruptly canned due to ratings could have continued. (Kagami no kuni no harisugawa is an immediate one that jumps to mind.)

I agree with Hiasubi's emphasis on the youth of the Manhwa industry being part of the reason. Even though it has some heavy hitters that have been around quite a while, it has a lot of young blood and again, the webcomic format gives a platform to artists who wouldn't ordinarily have one.

The Japanese seem to have really "got it" with Light novels, which come in all flavors from cellphone novels, web books, and printed books... but they seem to have a very weak webcomic industry. Even on Pixiv, where I'd expect to see a ton of them, they have a light novel section and then have a "manga view" which I've seen less than three people use for a manga. (And even then it tends to be for something like Pixiv Fantasia or a preview for someone's upcoming Comiket/Reitaisai doujin). And Web books are amazing when you look at their raw market strength. Just to name a few heavyweight players: Sword Art Online, Mahouka koukou no Rettousei, MaoYuu, and Log Horizon. Even if you don't like them for whatever reason, it's very hard to overlook the fact that the people who wrote those got their break in the industry through web novels.

It seems baffling to me that the Japanese haven't really had that kind of mad runaway success with webcomics- especially since they could get much better control over their "Western face" and foreign profits by just talking the scanlators into being the official translators.

In short, I don't disagree with you, but I felt like pointing out most of those things you like come from A: relative growth of the industry B: Good use of technology.

And I need to catch up on "Dear, you really don't know".

 

[Klyern]

QUOTE (Norren @ Jun 13 2014, 01:56 AM)
Immortal regis was just as bad as Cavalier of the Abyss when it came to abruptness.  I still have no idea what happened to Kaladbolg or who half the old people who seem to be cameos of some sort.



Maybe I was too subtle with my last point.  I did kinda include the webcomic line in there as a throwaway line.  Manhwa seems to have wholly embraced the webcomic format, where manga/doujin seem really hardcore locked in on the traditional print format.


And I need to catch up on "Dear, you really don't know".
Yeah webcomics are a different "genre", but i personally treat them as a different "format" nowadays. Back when it just started i thought it was as different from manga as light novels or anime was, now i just think of it as a different style of manga. But korean webcomics sure are getting famous, i never expected Noblesse to become that well liked out of korea.

About Immortal Regis, personally i liked it, the abruptness was really abruptness, it wasnt something else, i cant argue there, but to me it felt a bit like a blessing since i like stuff like hayate no gotoku and similar mangas that are always slow on developments.

Dear, you really dont know, man that is one awesome gag webcomic, i also need to catch up xD did the "clean Sayaka's face with wet tissues joke" (bokura wa minna kawaiso) come from "Dear, you really dont know" ?

I wouldnt know since im a man but it sounds like those things really destroy makeup xD

about cellphone novels, its the one thing im curious about lately, if i ever learn japanese to the point im confident on my kanji, ill try to find some way to check it out

@Hiasubi, yhea it sure feels that way, i never thought about it but manhwa didnt really become accessible until just a few years ago huh? i guess reading Zero and Unbalance x Unbalance really did a number on me since i knew almost nothing about korean culture (then Kurokami came out and that didnt help LOL)

Edit: lol i cant believe i thought My name is Zushio was korean xD, i had no idea it was from the same author as Seto no Hanayome, edited that. If you have never heard of My Name is Zushio then check it out.

 

[JCDRANZER]

I share Hia's sentiments, I think the first manwha I read was UxU and I loved it as I kinda like older female with a younger guy relationships, those stories have their own unique dynamic when it comes to romance comedies or dramas. However, UxU was re-released in Japan as a manga and is slightly different to the original manwha as it was more ecchier.....unless I'm mistaking it for another series. My second manwha was Goong, started reading after watching the k-dorama series, it sort of ended in a typical fashion....I wasn't too fond of it.

Kurokami and Freezing are actually mangas, they just have a Korean mangaka.

 

[Kid-Wolf]

Okay from an outsider's prospective such as myself would someone mind explaining to me what the difference between a manga, and a manhwa would be?

 

[Norren]

Regional, AFAIK. Manhwa is the Korean term and I believe the Chinese have their own term as well.

Artistically, Manhwa tends to have a sharper look to it. The linework tends to be much more aggressive/bolder. The "symbols" for eyes and mouths also tend to be different, although not necessarily. Many manhwa just look like slightly different manga styles. (Freezing, for example, only has a few tells that you might not know to recognize.)

There are some really good Manhwa, tho'. A few others that came to mind since my last post are Legend of Maian and Id.

 

[Hiasubi]

QUOTE (Norren @ Jun 14 2014, 11:43 AM) Regional, AFAIK. Manhwa is the Korean term and I believe the Chinese have their own term as well.

Artistically, Manhwa tends to have a sharper look to it. The linework tends to be much more aggressive/bolder. The "symbols" for eyes and mouths also tend to be different, although not necessarily. Many manhwa just look like slightly different manga styles.
This pretty much. The Chinese do have their own word for it, but annoyingly it escapes me right now.

 

[JCDRANZER]

Pink Lady is a nice little manwha.

 

[Klyern]

QUOTE (Norren @ Jun 14 2014, 07:43 AM) Regional, AFAIK.  Manhwa is the Korean term and I believe the Chinese have their own term as well.

Artistically, Manhwa tends to have a sharper look to it.  The linework tends to be much more aggressive/bolder.  The "symbols" for eyes and mouths also tend to be different, although not necessarily.  Many manhwa just look like slightly different manga styles.  (Freezing, for example, only has a few tells that you might not know to recognize.)

There are some really good Manhwa, tho'.  A few others that came to mind since my last post are Legend of Maian and Id.
Yes, the character drawings seem to be slightly more buff and sharper, it seems like a caracteristic of most manhwa. If you want an example you can google Zero manhwa or Unbalance x Unbalance manhwa and watch some images, its just a slight difference but it makes characters look slightly more human than manga models (i still like manga more for their facials reactions etc and because those blend better with the manga art style)


@Drancer, thanks! im reading pink lady as i speak/write (edit: now i remember having seen this, but it wasnt getting updated, thanks). Added Goong to my to watch list while im at it!, also i share the same sentiment for UxU, for me the age gap was moe there because the characters didnt look too young/old and their feelings were (kinda) pure, "ill wait for it to be legal" or something like that was it? it hit me like a trainwreck that the thing ended, it wasnt a bad ending but i wanted to see more of the protagonists being a couple T_T

About Kurokami, now that i remember its true, i think i remember the author writting something in his commentary pages about being in japan and having a crew of assistants help him by giving him source material about korea.... how did i forget that. Didn't know about Freezing either, its always good to be schooled when you make such mistakes. (much more embarrasing to not be corrected lol)

Im reading the Light Novel of To Aru and when comparing it to manga in general, i feel the LN is superior, but im having angst pains when reading the afterwords, its awesome to get to read about the opinions of the authors and their lives, but Kamachi is Anon so no stuff about his real life there, plus the difference with manga afterwords is that mangas have funny drawings about the authors, sometimes with cartoon models xD, i cant remember which but i think one had an author depict himself as a deviruchi from ragnarok online, was it kurokami/freezing's author? (again so much ragnarok influence when you pay atention xd)

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Norren @ Jun 12 2014, 10:56 PM)young blood and again, the webcomic format gives a platform to artists who wouldn't ordinarily have one
QUOTE (Hiasubi @ Jun 14 2014, 01:36 PM)This pretty much. The Chinese do have their own word for it, but annoyingly it escapes me right now.sorry belated reply but they call it manhua from what I know, only Reikenzan is animated by a japanese studio lately... ep'12 Pv hints it'll be ongoing ;/ btw are there other manhuas into Anime? my favorite webcomic so far, Gaia (german)

 

[Norren]

QUOTE (NecroRyu @ Mar 30 2016, 07:00 PM) sorry belated reply but they call it manhua from what I know, only Reikenzan is animated by a japanese studio lately... ep'12 Pv hints it'll be ongoing ;/ btw are there other manhuas into Anime? my favorite webcomic so far, Gaia (german)

Freezing and Kurokami are the low hanging fruit here. Not sure about others without research.

I can only dream of Douluo Dalo getting the anime it deserves.

 

[Nioki]

Honestly It's getting quite popular. Well, considering its drawn digitally from the get go quite often, Its distribution is also digital via Naver, most of the time, and ITS ALL IN COLOR - makes sense that its quite popular

Not that I mind too much... But I do miss good medium length manga. They do have a different feel from each other, after all :/

 

[Ryu]

Honestly It's getting quite popular. Well, considering its drawn digitally from the get go quite often, Its distribution is also digital via Naver, most of the time, and ITS ALL IN COLOR - makes sense that its quite popular Not that I mind too much... But I do miss good medium length manga. They do have a different feel from each other, after all :/

That's from what i noticed in the manhua Reikenzan, it's popular enough to get S2 this Winter despite Deen's low quality... about korean games lately Animated there is Elsword, ElLady yet didn't hook me to keep watching like Akiba's Trip -_-