What is manhwa, manhua and manga? What are your differences?

I think most people are familiar with mangas, but have you heard about manhwa and manhua? In this article, we'll talk a little about these comics of Chinese and Korean origin and their differences with Japanese manga .

The famous stories of the east intrigue thousands and thousands of readers in the west. Taken by the fanciful plot of Korean, Chinese and Japanese narratives, comic books from the other side of the world are certainly successful in the Americas and Europe.

As manga is the most popular among Asian comics, few people are aware of the Korean and Chinese variations known as manhwa and manhua. Today you will finally meet and know your differences!

What is manhwa, manhua and manga? What are your differences?

What are Manhwa? Korean Comics

The first of item on our list is the manhwa . Of Korean origin, the term literally means comic book . They are often marketed as mangaes .

Manhwa differs from the traditional Japanese style and is closer to Western comics. Its reading is from left to right and its creators are called manhwaga.

Adaptations in animated versions of manhwas are rare. Animated films are more popular than series and live-actions . An example of live-action that yielded good results was the film Padre (2011) . An adaptation of Hyung Min-Woodo's manhwa .

What is manhwa, manhua and manga? What are your differences?

A curiosity is the difference between North Korean and South Korean manhwas . Due to the socialist government, the works of the manhwagas are always exalting the motherland and the love of the nation. While South Korean works are totally free of political concepts.

What are manhua? Chinese comics

The manhua are of Chinese origin and their literal translation means “ irresponsible drawings ”. Its first appearance was in the 18th century through the artistic works of the painters of the time.

We can't talk about manhuas without mentioning the 80's work that was a pioneer in the market: Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword . Author Ma Wing-Shing brought Japanese influence to his realistic, innovative and detailed designs.

What is manhwa, manhua and manga? What are your differences?

However, in 1954, with the opening of Hong Kong culture, there was a great American influence – coming from Walt Disney cartoons – in the Little Angeli manhua (1954).

An interesting point about the manhua is that it has local influence. Some authors use the Japanese pattern of reading, starting backwards with dialogues from right to left. Others take advantage of the western mode.

What caused some changes in the manhua was the Chinese communist government. Several times, they changed the writing pattern. At one time, they adopted horizontal writing, as well as in the West. In the other, they used the more conventional writing in countries that use ideograms, vertical writing.

In addition to Chinese Mangas, you know the Chinese Light Novels?

What is manhwa, manhua and manga? What are your differences?

What are Mangos? Japanese comics

Like the previous ones, manga are the Japanese comics responsible for popularizing the genre across Asia and globally. We don't have much to describe other than its possible origin.

The origin of manga can be traced back to the 19th century, when Japanese artists began producing Western-style illustrations for newspapers and magazines.

In the early 20th century, artists began producing Japanese-style comics, which evolved into what we know today as manga.

Since then, manga has expanded and diversified, spanning a wide range of genres including action, comedy, drama, science fiction, and fantasy. Manga are also often adapted into other media, such as television animations and films.

Today, manga is a popular form of artistic and cultural expression around the world, and is enjoyed by millions of fans of all ages.

The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

What are manga and what are the differences with MANHUA and MANHWA?

Finally, the mangas are the best known by the fanatic public for the culture of the east. The term is, once again, a reference to “comics ”, or “comics” .

With the largest audience among the three, the manga has its own publication styles. There are the famous shonen , which is the style of manga aimed at a young male audience. Shoujo are intended for young female audiences and Josei for adult female audiences. In contrast, O Seinen is rated for adult men.

As the Japanese have a more fertile culture of books and reading than other countries, there is also the Kodomo manga style, aimed at children. Soon, since childhood, boys and girls are influenced to the habit of reading.

The manga's reading pattern follows the model: reading backwards, with dialogues organized from right to left.

What is manhwa, manhua and manga? What are your differences?

An important point to be emphasized is that the overwhelming majority of anime arises due to the successful prominence of its manga. Several productions have followed this model. Among them, we can mention the most famous ones: One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, and so on.

While for Westerners the word manga means “ Japanese comics ” – strictly for Japanese it is just a designation for comic books. It is also a cognate of the other words presented here: manhwa and manhua .

Disney had a great influence on Japanese comics after World War II. If you want to understand a little about the history of manga, I recommend reading our article talking about Osamu Tezuka , considered the God of Manga.

Read more articles from our website

Thanks for reading! But we would be happy if you take a look at other articles below:

Read our most popular articles:

Do you know this anime?