So, you also like comic books. Which one are you reading currently? Do you read the printed ones or the webcomics? What are your top favourites?
Did you also complete that one Manhwa (maybe Marry My Husband), before watching its Drama adaptation?
Or maybe you are a millennial and get nostalgia every time you look at your old black & White Manga Naruto comics.
Oh! Wait, I got it. You also thought you could do martial arts after reading Manhua Tales of Demons and Gods.
Which one gives you the euphoria? Is it Manga, Manhwa or Manhua?
Maybe, ironically, you know all these illustrated comics but not how these three are different and always thought they were just one and the same thing.
Well, now you will know they are NOT!
Storytelling surely does wonders. You can be Anything with your imagination. And, what gives your imagination a road map is a captivating story or even better, with pictures, which are called illustrated comics.
Comics take you to their own world, providing an escape from your reality and making you what you want to be, whether it’s a war hero, a princess in captivity or even a shapeshifter dragon.
The first ever created comic book is believed to be “The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck” in the year 1837 by a Swiss artist, Rodolphe Töpffer. Since then, illustrated comics have evolved significantly along with their distinct art forms around the world.
Of these, Manga, Manhwa and Manhua stand as the towering figures, dominating the global comics world. While they are often confused to be the same, they have different origins, and each of these art forms carries a unique cultural fingerprint.
The literary meaning of all three words is the same, which is “whimsical drawings”, referring to a style of visual storytelling that combines art and text to narrate a story or convey information. The reason these three are written differently is due to the language in which they are written.
All three word’s first character is the same, which is 漫 (man), meaning “whimsical” or “free-flowing,” The only difference is with their second character.
- The word Manga’s second character originates from the Japanese character 画 (ga),
- The word Manhwa’s second character is derived from the Sino-Korean character 畵 (hwa) and
- The word Manhua’s second character is written from a Chinese character 画 (huà).
All three characters have the same meaning “drawings” or “pictures.”
Well literarily, they are the same, but technically, Nope.
Given that the languages are distinct, so are the origins (Obviously!).
As a result, we can observe distinct variations among the three, highlighting their unique characteristics and differences.
Manga
The most famous and globally recognised of all the three comic arts is Manga. Originating from Japan, Manga has its own distinct art style, depicted with large, expressive eyes, exaggerated facial expressions, and dynamic action sequences.
Manga gained international popularity in the 1960s and 1970s when Japanese anime adaptations of the manga were broadcast globally.
The printed manga comic books are primarily in black and white, with occasional coloured pages, and are read from left to right, reflecting Japanese reading styles.
There are various types of Manga, among which the types of Manga that have been leading the world of comics are Shōnen Manga (which focuses on action, adventure and coming-of-age themes) such as Naruto, Dragon Ball, Beyblade, etc, and Kodomo Manga (designed for children) such as Doraemon, Pokémon Adventures, Crayon Shin-chan and so on.
These Mangas also gained popularity with their animation adaptations.
Manhwa
Manhwa, originating from South Korea, has its characters and storylines influenced by Korean culture, language, and publishing practices. These are read from left to right only, aligning with Western reading habits.
Although printed Manhwa comics were not quite famous, their digital incarnation – Webtoons – has surged them into popularity.
Manhwa’s first digital approach has revolutionized how comics are consumed. Instead of turning pages, comics are now vertically scrolled on smartphones, making them accessible and easy to read anywhere (even under the blanket).
Manhwa offers a variety of genres for every type of reader, fantasy, action, thriller, horror, royal, science fiction, reincarnation, (which is recently in trend) and many more. Webtoon, Lehzin Comics, TappyToon and Tapas are some of the most popular Korean platforms for reading Manhwa digitally. Manhwa
As Manga comics are adapted to animes. The Manhwas are adapted into Korean dramas and web series. Many famous Korean drama web series are actually adapted from webtoons.
‘True Beauty’ by Yaongyi,
‘All of Us Are Dead’ by Joo Dong-geun,
‘Marry My Husband’ by Seon So-Jak,
‘Perfect Marriage Revenge’ by Yibambe,
… and the list goes on.
While Manga has been leading the comic world, after Manhwa’s digital innovation and its Korean Drama adaptations, it has been positioned as a leader in the digital comics space.
Manhua
While Manhua is not equally famous as the other two, it has its unique traits influenced by Chinese culture, language, and artistic traditions. Manhua’s most popular genres are Martial Arts, Immortal Heroes and similar genres.
You can read Manhua both in print and online. The printed Manhua is colourful showing vibrant colours with exquisite details and similar to Manga, it is also read from left to right. Digital Manhua can be read through platforms such as Bilibili Comics, Tencent Comics Kuaikan Manhua and more.
Manhua is adapted into both animation and Chinese dramas.
Chinese Anime like- “The King’s Avatar” by Quan Zhi Gao Shou and “Soul Land” by Doulou Dalu and Chinese Dramas like “The Untamed” and “Love Between Fairy and Devil” are some adaptations from Manhua.
There are millions of consumers worldwide who enjoy illustrated comics. These comics have also emerged as a form of soft power, allowing countries to globalize their traditions. As a result, many other nations are also innovating to create their own unique styles of comics. However, three “Man- drawings” still dominate the comic world with their captivating stories, innovations, and creative ideas.
So, the next time someone around you wonders why their childhood anime seems slightly different from their favourite webtoon story, well, now … you know why!
