Summary

• Tower of God and The God of High School were catalysts for the rise of manhwa adaptations in anime, opening the door for more series like Solo Leveling.
• Blade of the Phantom Master predates the establishment of modern manhwa and showcases the cultural and thematic ties between Korea and its original source material.
• A Returner's Magic Should Be Special successfully extrapolates storylines without relying solely on its time travel premise, creating an engaging magic school narrative.

The best anime adaptations of manhwa pull from a small but refined pool of titles, as the cream of the crop series are the first to receive anime adaptations. In the year 2020, manhwa began its monumental rise in anime with series like Tower of God and The God of High School.

However, those two titles are not the first manhwa to be made into anime, but merely the catalyst that opened up the deluge of Webtoon adaptations. In recent times, manhwa has peaked its head once more with the long-awaited adaptation of Solo Leveling. With overwhelming , the series has made yet another argument for why more manhwa should be brought into the animated medium.

10 When I Woke Up I Became a Bagel Girl Is a Fresh Gender Bender

Based on the manhwa by Tank Guy

The original net animation (ONA) produced by Studio Animal, When I Woke Up I Became a Bagel Girl, is an isekai-esque anime that explores the idea of metamorphosis, especially with gender contexts in mind. The series follows protagonist Bong Gi, an unemployed and overweight NEET, or shut-in, whose only solace is in playing video games. However, one day, Bong Gi wakes up to find himself transformed into a girl, and an attractive one at that.

This surprising transformation harks back to themes present in Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name while giving a casual Korean twist to the gender bender genre. With this new body, Bong Gi comes to startling understandings as he reckons with his situation. However, once Bong Gi begins to seek advice on the wide expanse of the internet, a complex story of relationships unfolds with an added touch of revenge.

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9 Blade of the Phantom Master Predated Manhwa Animation By Decades

Based on the manhwa by Yoon In-Wan and Yang Kyung-il

Blade of the Phantom Master is a manhwa anime adaptation that came before the idea of the modern manhwa was even established and brought to the international eye. The original source material of the same name is technically a manhwa by today’s standards, as it hosts culture and themes closely tied to Korea and was written by Korean authors. However, the series did not feature full color art like the manhwa of today and was serialized in both Japanese and Korean publications, which is how a film adaptation eventually came to be.

The story of Blade of the Phantom Master is an interesting take on an old Korean tale called The Legend of Chun Hyang, and follows a protagonist named Munsu, who roams a world of monsters, martial arts, and imperialism. The premise of the movie opens up once Munsu is saved by a young man in the desert at the cost of his own life. Munsu takes his savior's dreams and ideology upon his own shoulders, starting a riveting river of adventure.

Blade of the Phantom Master is not available for streaming in the United States.

8 A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special Makes Magic School Interesting

Based on the manhwa by Yu So-nan and Uk-jakga

A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special is an action fantasy anime produced by Arvo Animation that brings the classic regressor story commonly seen in manhwa to the anime sphere. Although the time travel do-over trope is not new to anime, and it is well-used and oftentimes abused in manhwa, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special does a wonderful job at extrapolating storylines without needing to overly rely on its premise.

The series follows main character Desir Herrman, one of the last human survivors in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world. Fighting monsters in the Shadow Labyrinth has honed his strength, but at the cost of his allies' lives and eventually his own. Fortunately for him, by some miracle or magic, Desir is sent back 10 years into the past, where a fresh story of magic school unfolds, with the dangers of the Shadow Labyrinth unknowingly looming on the horizon.

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7 Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp Is a Mix of Isekai and Villainess Stories

Based on the manhwa by Yuin and mini

Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp has been riding the tailwind of the manhwa anime boom, though it has been slightly overshadowed by Solo Leveling, which is currently airing in the same season. The story follows Elise de Clorance, the disagreeable wife of an emperor. She dies due to her own follies, but takes up a second life as a prodigal surgeon named Takamoto Aoi (Song Jihyun in the manhwa). However, she dies yet again, this time due to a tragic plane crash, returning her to her original existence as Elise.

Although the route to regression is quite roundabout, such a premise allowed Elise to pick up the medical skills she needed to paint an interesting story. With memories of two lives, Elise strives to spread goodness with her practice and avoid all the tragedies of her past. Overall, Doctor Elise is a creative take on the double isekai, as it spins an interesting occupation into the royal narrative.

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6 Noblesse Paints the Classic Vampire Story in Motion

Based on the manhwa by Son Jae-Ho and Lee Gwang-Su

Noblesse is one of the popular manhwa series that raised the first substantial wave of anime adaptations, along with series such as Tower of God and The God of High School. However, differing from the latter two series, Noblesse takes a more subtle tone in of storytelling and world-building, though no less effective.

The story follows Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, or Rai for short, who is a slumbering vampire of progenitor status who awakens after 800 years. Subsequently, the world he awakens in is nothing like he ed, causing immediate culture shock and amusing altercations. Eventually, Rai’s loyal servant, Frankenstein, is made aware of Rai’s awakening and enrolls him in his school to help him acclimate to the current world. Although Rai begins attempting to live the average high school life, his status as Noblesse quickly arouses the vampires and other nightly creatures alike, as a supernatural story unfolds with flare.

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5 The God of High School Is a High-Stakes Clash of Martial Arts

Based on the manhwa by Park Yong-Je

The God of High School is a modern martial arts fantasy anime in the truest sense, as the series produced by MAPPA, the studio of Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, takes the influence of the classic Journey to the West story and infuses it with the hype of tournament arcs. The series follows Jin Mo-Ri, who’s been trained by his grandfather in Taekwondo and enters into a high school brawl session that turns into so much more.

The mysterious tournament that claims it will grant a wish to the strongest high school martial artist pushes the limits of The God of High School’s narrative structure. When Jin Mo-Ri gets serious and the series’ world expands, the grandeur of the mythical Sun Wukong enters, creating new dimensions in this martial arts story that began as a typical shonen beatdown.

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4 Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Shows the Romance Side of Manhwa

Based on the manhwa by Milcha and Gorae

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion is a series that brings the allure of the manhwa-style romance isekai to the anime stage. The narrative follows Park Eunha, a Korean girl who is transmigrated into the body of Raeliana McMillan after her death. Furthermore, her protagonist's powers follow that she knows the plot of the world due to its being that of a novel she’s read before.

Romance and treachery unfold among Raeliana’s antics, which include but are not limited to fake marriages. This style of isekai, or transported to another world stories, is a quality found most prevalent in the manhwa medium, as the ideas of omniscience and foresight are quite alluring. Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion tells a story of both suspense and careful planning. Additionally, fans of the popular manhwa Who Made Me a Princess will surely enjoy this anime.

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3 Lookism Explores Korean Beauty Standards

Based on the manhwa by Park Tae-Jun

Lookism is an action drama anime produced by Studio Mir and exclusively streaming on Netflix as an original net animation (ONA). The story follows Park Hyung Suk, an insecure high school boy who transfers schools in an attempt to escape his problems. However, he wakes up to find that he has inhabited a new, more attractive body, and while this body is awake, his original body sleeps, and vice versa.

With this premise, Lookism paints a complex dichotomy between beauty and perceived beauty, and it dives into the complexity of problems that face different people who live in distinct situations. Thematically, Lookism provides heavy commentary on being grateful for what you have, but doesn’t shy away from exploiting Park Hyung Suk’s pretty boy face for some hilarious interactions and confrontations.

WATCH ON Netflix

2 Tower of God Opened the Doors to Manhwa in Anime

Based on the manhwa by SIU

One of the biggest manhwa to hit the anime scene, Tower of God caused much more than a splash at the time of its release. Produced by Telecom Animation Film, Tower of God did the work that its manhwa laid the groundwork for, weaving a combination of adventure, drama, supernatural abilities, and more.

As the story hones in on the initially unassuming Bam, the lonely child who enters The Tower to chase after Rachel, the only person who gave him human warmth, the world expands into an accumulation of mysteries that seem to want to burst out of the tower-climbing structure. Following this momentum, Tower of God executes on the narrative that it's been set up for, as the long-time favorite Webtoon finally gets put in motion.

The second season of Tower of God has been confirmed to be releasing in July 2024.

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1 Solo Leveling Takes Top-Tier Manhwa Art to Animation

Based on the manhwa by Chugong, Jang-Sung-rak, and Disciples

Produced by A-1 Pictures, Solo Leveling is an anime that squares off against the tower of expectations that’s been growing in front of its manhwa and web novel for years. Not only are the story, premise, and characters meticulously constructed, the manhwa adds an elevated punch that comes with its dynamic style of art. However, the producers of Solo Leveling know how to diverge from its manhwa without affecting the anime's atmosphere, leading to fresh perspectives. Despite this, the underdog story of the weakest E-rank hunter, Sung Jin-Woo, still faces expectations like never seen before.

So far, A-1 Pictures has given nothing to complain about and everything to praise, from witty introductions of long-loved characters to crisp and detailed animation in the fight scenes that have popped up so far. Although the Winter 2024 anime season is only about halfway over, and there is a lot of room for Solo Leveling’s anime to change its trajectory, what it has done so far with the urban fantasy world-building and character development of Sung Jin-Woo pushes the series to be the best anime adaptation of manhwa so far.

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