Manhwa

Manhwa (Korean pronunciation: [manhwa]) is the general Korean Chinese term for comics and print cartoons (common usage also includes animated cartoons). Outside of Korea, the term usually refers specifically to South Korean comics.

Manhwa has been influenced by the dramatic modern history of Korea, resulting in a diversity of forms and genres, including a mainstream style akin to manga. Distinctive manhwa can be found in editorial comic strips, artistically oriented works, and webcomics serials.

History of the term

Linguistically, 漫画 (manga), 漫畫 (manhua), and 만화 (漫畫 manhwa), 漫筆畫(Manbilhwa) all mean comics in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean respectively. The term, along with manga, is a cognate of the Chinese manhua. Complications arise because in these languages the terms manga/manhua/manhwa can all mean comics in general. The author of a manhwa is called a manhwaga.

Adaptation of term

The relative obscurity of Korean culture in the Western world has caused the word "manhwa" to remain somewhat unknown in the English-speaking world. Instead, English translations of manhwa have achieved success by targeting the manga and anime community, to the extent that manhwa are often marketed as "manga."