Born too late to trade bootleg anime DVDs, born too early to watch life-sized hologram anime, but born just in time to witness the rise of manhwa-to-anime adaptations. Manhwa’s spike in popularity over the last few years means our favorite vertical-scrolling panels are getting picked up by animation studios! From the powerhouse battles of Solo Leveling to the isekai romance of Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, here are some recommendations for what to watch now and what to keep on your radar for next year.
1. Solo Leveling
Genre: action, dark fantasy
I have to start the list with Solo Leveling because I’ve been blogging (and raving) about it since 2020. The manhwa itself remains one of my favorite power fantasies in the medium, and in 2024, it finally got an anime adaptation!
In a world where “gates” of abyssal monsters have spawned, some humans have developed powers to fight against them. This small population is known as hunters. The story follows Sung Jin-Woo, an E-rank hunter known as the world’s weakest, on his rise to power to become the strongest hunter in the world. The anime adaptation 100% lives up to the manhwa – from the fluid animation of the fighting scenes to the visual aura of Jin-Woo himself, Solo Leveling season 1 had me in a chokehold all 13 episodes. Yes, I may be biased (the Shadow Monarch is FINEEE) but it’s genuinely such an entertaining action anime with isekai + RPG elements, unexpected humor, a sleek stylistic art, and ultimately an underdog story you want to root for.
2. Who Made Me a Princess
Genre: romance, fantasy, drama
Who Made Me a Princess was a gateway to manhwa and otome isekai for many people nearly a decade ago. The story follows the “reincarnated as someone destined to die trope” where a woman wakes up as Athanasia, a princess who will be executed by her own father, Emperor Claude. Knowing her tragic fate, she has to use her wits and charm to survive.
The anime adaptation may be somewhat controversial to the passionate fans but considering otome isekais tend to have terrible animation, I will take small victories where I can (it’s a step up). There are quite a few changes from the manhwa to the anime adaptation – some good, some bad – if you haven’t read the source material you’re more likely to enjoy it. My recommendation here is to watch the anime then read the manhwa – that way you’ll enjoy both!
3. The God of High School
Genre: action, comedy, martial arts
The God of High School is another favorite adaptation of mine – and most people I talk to don’t even know that it’s adapted from a manhwa! Jin Mori, a high schooler who excels in taekwondo, gets invited to a tournament where all of the strongest fighters come together to clash and determine who’s truly the strongest of them all. If he wins, he gets anything his heart desires. His wish? To find his grandpa (crying). The fighting choreography and animation are hands down AMAZING (MAPPA is the studio after all), which is why I actually like the anime even more than the manhwa.
4. Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion
Genre: romance, drama
Another otome isekai worth the watch (and read) for romance fans! After her mysterious death, Rinko is reborn as Raeliana, a minor character in a novel who gets poisoned to death by her own fiance. What does she do to survive? She strikes a fake engagement deal with Duke Noah Wynknight. She’s bold and cunning, while he’s like a sly fox. The animation is not the best, but it’s pretty okay for an otome isekai!
5. Viral Hit
Genre: action, drama, martial arts
This anime and manhwa deal with a prevalent problem not just in Korean high schools, but schools worldwide: bullying. Hobin Yu is a scrawny high schooler who is severely bullied and is desperate to pay for his mom’s medical treatment. His life takes a turn when a brawl with a bully goes viral on ‘Newtube’. Get paid to fight bullies? Count him in. I enjoyed the realism aspect of this story, from bullying to social media clout culture to the monetization of violence.
6. Lookism
Genre: drama, school life
A bullying story that takes a different approach than Viral Hit (but the same author!) – Daniel Park is an outcast heavily bullied for his appearance. After transferring schools to escape his bullies, he wakes up one day in a completely new body: tall, handsome, and athletic. He comes to realize that he has two bodies, but only one can be awake at a time. Thus begins his double life. This manhwa and anime focus on the dehumanizing beauty standards in Korea and the subsequent bullying of people who don’t fit the ideal image.
7. Noblesse
Genre: action, supernatural, fantasy
Noblesse feels like a mix between a comedic slice of life about an ancient noble vampire who wakes up in modern-day Korea and starts going to high school, and an action-packed thriller about a supernatural war involving secret societies. The manhwa is great and the anime is still entertaining despite its flaws. The anime adaptation feels more rushed but that’s sometimes the nature of a longer-form medium getting adapted into 13 episodes.
COMING SOON
Omniscient Reader
Genre: action, apocalyptic fantasy
If I could only recommend one manhwa for the rest of my life it would probably be ORV. I’ve been reading the manhwa since 2021, and now, the anime adaptation has been confirmed by Crunchyroll!! I’m hoping it will air in 2027, but the exact date is still unknown.
So what’s the story about?
You know the meme “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss”? That’s the exact trio of Omniscient Reader. Their dynamic has borderline unhinged found family vibes – extremely dysfunctional. I’m talking about clown-to-clown communication, which makes the wholesome moments all the sweeter. This manhwa, at its core, is an ode to stories and storytelling. Too vague? Here’s what you can expect:
- An ordinary office worker is the lone reader of a web novel about an apocalyptic survival game. Then it suddenly becomes reality, and he’s the only one who knows how it ends.
- The survival of humanity in these apocalypse scenarios is basically being livestreamed for entertainment on an interdimensional level where ‘constellations’ (mythological gods and figures) watch and can sponsor survivors to help them.
- An impressive cast of characters with their own distinctive personalities and struggles + powerful female characters who are more than love interests and also play a vital role in the plot.
- The ULTIMATE chaotic trio of gaslight (Kim Dokja), gatekeep (Yoo Joonghyuk), and girlboss (Han Sooyoung). Very questionable moral compasses but endlessly entertaining.
