10 Must-Read Manhwa For Beginners

PUBLISHED SEP 17, 2022
From True Beauty and Noblesse to Solo Leveling, Mercenary Enrollment, and more, discover the best manhwa that beginners should read first.
Crunchyroll has recently announced that they have greenlit a second season of Tower of God, and fans of the original manhwa are ecstatic. In relation to Japanese manga, the term manhwa refers to web comics and print cartoons that derive specifically from Korea and usually incorporate South Korean culture to tell unique stories in a multitude of genres. With a massive wealth of Manhwa titles to choose from, it's easy for novices to become overwhelmed with endless options that prevent them from knowing exactly where to start.
Luckily, some manhwa are far easier and more accessible for beginners to enjoy than others. Whether light, dark, fantasy, supernatural, romance, coming-of-age, and more, the most ideal manhwa for beginners offer something for everyone.

Itaewon Class

One of the biggest recurring themes in manhwa is revenge, with Itaewon Class registering as a perfect entryway into the dramatic crime subgenre. Already adapted into a 2020 live-action Netflix series, Itaewon Class concerns Park Sae-ro-yi, a man who plans to avenge his father's death by becoming more successful than the food conglomerate that took his life. To do so, Park opens Danbam, a hot underground pub in Itaewon.
Also fusing classic manhwa underdog tropes, Itaewon Class is a great entry point for beginners, as it reinforces the old adage that the best form of revenge is achieving great success. Rather than walk right into blood-soaked revenge tales, Itaewon Class has moral underpinnings that will help novices better understand Korean culture.

Tower Of God

For those who enjoy the dark fantasy anime exploits of such popular manga as Sword Art Online and Death Parade, Tower of God is a great manhwa to start with. The story follows Twenty-Fifth Bam, a boy trapped beneath a giant mysterious tower where his best friend Rachel suddenly disappears. Doing whatever he can to rescue Rachel at once, Bam goes on an epic journey of a lifetime to slay hordes of ghouls, goblins, and more.
Written and illustrated by famed manhwa artist Lee-Jong Hui, Tower of God is very easy to follow and introduces recurring manhwa themes regarding childhood friendship, perseverance, making sacrifices, overcoming one's fears, and other salient lessons for children to learn at an early age. Also adapted into a TV series, as mentioned above, Tower of God is so accessible and popular that a season 2 was recently announced in August.

Something About Us

Once new manhwa fans exit the dark fantasy realm, it's time to head toward the light. A great entry point for beginners includes Something About Us, a romantic light novel-like anime series that concerns the love story between long-time friends Gayoung and Woojin as they enter university. Heartwarming, funny, and uplifting, the series is a great introduction to romantic manhwa.
A major staple in manhwa is the exploration of daily life set in scholastic environments, with Something About Us registering as a profoundly moving story about human connections, first love, and more set at a university. The manhwa is also short, sweet, and easy to get through, making it ideal for beginners who don't want to be bogged down with 1,000-page comics to start with.

True Beauty

Also adapted as one of the most popular Webtoons, True Beauty is a romantic story about being comfortable in one's own skin. The story concerns makeup expert Jookyung, who constantly changes her appearance with heavy appliances. Until she meets Lee, a new student in school, Jookyung struggles to learn that beauty is only skin deep and true happiness lies within.
An affirming story that rebukes Korea's national depiction of beauty to encourage readers to always be themselves no matter the consequences or what others think, True Beauty is a remarkable read for manhwa beginners grappling with their confidence and self-esteem relating to body issues and other physical misgivings.

Solo Leveling

Often hailed as one of the most essential manhwas of all time, Solo Leveling is a must-read for neophytes. The dark action-fantasy series based on the novel of the same name is set in a world where magical humans hunt monsters, and young Jinwoo is given the chance to level up by becoming a player within the world who must climb the ranks from an E-Rank to S-Rank hunter to save himself and humanity writ large. It's the definitive manhwa for isekai anime fans.
A timeless underdog story that more or less adheres to the classic hero's journey mythology, so many lessons can be gleaned from the story by novice manhwa readers, be it the hard work and training it takes to become the best in class, the vicarious RPG dynamics of Solo Leveling and 150 chapters offer a visceral experience like few others.

Cheese In The Trap

Known as one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially popular manhwas on record, Cheese in the Trap is a delightful romantic affair written and illustrated by Soonkki. The story concerns Seol and Jung, lovers from opposite sides of the tracks whose romance is complicated by the arrival of Seol's sister, In-Ho.
With 290 chapters to keep new readers glued to the page, Cheese in the Trap makes profound statements on class differences and lovelorn adolescence reminiscent of the timeless Romeo and Juliet adaptations with an added love triangle that goes into daringly unpredictable territory. Also bending into dark psychological themes of family betrayal, the manhwa has something for every new beginner.

Noblesse

Most manhwa experts would agree that Noblesse is an awesome introductory title for new readers to check out. The horror-themed tale fuses supernatural, mystery, dark fantasy, and schoolyard manhwa tropes into an enthralling whole by telling the story of Rai, a vampire hunter who awakens after 820 years in a coffin and goes back to school with his friend, Frankenstein.
The great thing about Noblesse for manhwa beginners to understand is the brilliant blend of the otherworldly with the slice-of-life ennui of the school week, providing an escapist form of entertainment for Rai, as well as the reader. The eternal battle between humans, vampires, and werewolves is so compelling that Noblesse became one of the first manhwas to be translated to English in 2007.

Mercenary Enrollment

With just 38 brisk chapters for new readers to breeze through, Mercenary Enrollment is one of the best manhwas to feature dark fantasy, action, and school life tenets. The story concerns Yu Ijin, the lone survivor of an airplane crash who loses his memory and works as a trained mercenary for 10 years. Now with his memories restored, Yu goes on a John Wick-like gauntlet of ultra-violence to rescue his missing sister and grandpa. For those who like the Demon Slayer anime, this is a must-read.
Boasting a worthy anti-bullying message as Yu avenges his sister's abusive enemies, Mercenary Enrollment is lean, mean, wildly entertaining, and teaches kids and new readers alike to forge an identity, and stick up for themselves and their loved ones. For action aficionados who enjoy such popular action manga as Berserk and Jujitsu Kaisen, Mercenary Enrollment is a must-read manhwa alternative.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

Created by Sing Shong, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint concerns Dojka, an office worker who suddenly wakes up inside his favorite apocalyptic web novel that has become a reality, leaving him as the only person to know how the world will end. As such, he uses his power to save humanity from oblivion.
Oftentimes, a new manhwa reader will be dissuaded by a story that features awesome artwork but a poor story and a slow overpowered main character, or some combination of the opposite. Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is a short yet unforgettable must-read for beginners everywhere precisely because it balances stupendous artwork with a smart overpowered protagonist who earns his ascent to greatness.

Purple Hyacinth

Another must-read manhwa for beginners to check out includes Purple Hyacinth, a mega-popular mystery tale concerning Lauren Sinclair, a young woman who has the ability to detect lies and uses her powers to protect the defenseless by teaming with an assassin to fight evil entities.
Also adapted into a Webtoon series with over 130 episodes, Purple Hyacinth is a female-centric underdog story that reinforces moral lessons about sharing, helping others less fortunate, overcoming the odds, and remaining true to oneself despite the temptation to be someone else. All great lessons for manhwa newbies to soak up!