What’s the Difference?
Manhwa and manhua are often confused because the words look and sound similar. While both refer to comics from East Asia, they come from different countries, cultures, and publishing traditions.The difference is simpler than most people expect.
What is Manhwa?
Manhwa refers to comics created in South Korea. Traditionally published in print, modern manhwa is now largely digital and closely associated with webtoons. Most contemporary manhwa is read online, in full color, and designed for vertical scrolling on mobile devices.
Today, when people talk about manhwa, they are usually referring to Korean webtoon-style series.
What is Manhua?
Manhua refers to comics created in China. Unlike modern manhwa, manhua has a more mixed publishing identity. Some manhua is published digitally, while much of it still follows traditional page-based layouts similar to manga.
Manhua may be read left to right or right to left depending on the publication, and its visual style varies widely. While digital platforms exist, manhua has not adopted a single dominant format in the same way manhwa has with webtoons.
The Key DIfference
The main differences come down to origin and format :
- Manhwa comes from South Korea and is primarily digital today
- Manhua comes from China and uses both print and digital formats
- Modern manhwa is closely tied to the webtoon format
- Manhua does not have one standardized digital format
The differences inflence pacing, art style, and accessibilty, especially for international readers.
Why They’re Often Confused
The confusion largely comes from language. The words manhwa, manga, and manhua share similar roots and meanings, all roughly translating to “comics.” For new readers, this makes them easy to mix up.
In practice, however, the reading experience is usually quite different once you understand where each medium comes from and how it is published.
Understanding this distinction helps readers navigate Asian comics more confidently and discover stories that match their reading preferences.
Important Links
- What is Manhwa?
- Manhwa vs Manga
- Manhwa vs Webtoon
- How to Read Manhwa?