Japanese manga is great and all, but Korean manhwa offers a fresh look and completely new stories.
In recent years, Japanese animation studios have turned their attention to popular Korean comics – manhwa. Exciting graphic stories come to life in the hands of animators, delighting fans with a new format of their favorite works.
This list includes the most exciting anime series based on Korean manhwa that are rapidly gaining popularity around the world.
1. Solo Leveling, 2024-...
Solo Leveling is an anime based on a popular Korean manhwa by Chugong that ran from 2018 to 2023.
According to the plot, a low-ranking hunter Sung Jin-woo goes into dangerous dungeons to fight monsters and earn a living. However, during another attack, he finds himself in a deadly trap from which an unknown force helps him escape alive.
After this mysterious incident, Jin-woo discovers that he has the ability to improve his skills and level.
The visual style of the anime differs from that of the manhwa, but the animation of the fight scenes and the overall atmosphere are top-notch.
2. Tower of God, 2020-2024
Tower of God is an adaptation of a South Korean manhwa by S.I.U. that has been released in digital format since 2010.
A young man named Bam goes to the Tower of God, whose true purpose has remained a mystery for tens of thousands of years. According to the legend, a person who climbs to the top of the tower will be able to have any wish granted to him, including the power of God.
However, this is a hundred times more difficult than it seems. The path to the top leads through many levels, each of which presents Bam with mortal dangers and difficult trials. But the boy does not go to the tower for the sake of a mysterious power, but to bring back the girl he loves, Rachel, who climbed up to see the stars.
3. The God of High School, 2020
The exciting and dynamic anime The God of High School is based on the Korean manhwa of the same name by Yongje Park.
A student named Mori Jin, who is skilled in martial arts, receives an invitation to participate in the God of High School tournament – the reward is the fulfillment of any wish.
It sounds very tempting, so the main character agrees to participate in this seemingly simple sports competition, but everything turns out to be much more dangerous.
4. Noblesse, 2020
Noblesse is a vampire anime based on the manhwa by Son Je-ho and artist Lee Kwangsu.
A vampire from the noble family, Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, awakens from a long sleep of eight hundred and twenty years. Knowing nothing about life in the modern world, he enters high school to study the lives of ordinary people.
The anime depicts the confrontation between vampires and werewolves, whose existence has long been known to humans. The main character is confronted with a mysterious organization that wants to take over the world. The animation in the anime is less expressive than in the manhwa, but it completely repeats the style and atmosphere of the original work.
5. A Returner's Magic Should Be Special, 2023
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special is a story about a man who returns to the past and tries to save the world from an impending catastrophe. The series is based on a Korean manhwa written by Usonan and illustrated by Wookjakga.
According to the plot, Desir Herrman fights to save the world, which can be destroyed at any moment by monsters from another reality. During the decisive battle, the main character dies and moves to the past.
Desir decides to use the information wisely, because he knows what a terrible catastrophe will happen to the world in the near future. In order to save his squad and other innocent people, he decides to enroll in a magic academy.