With the success of series like Solo Leveling and The Beginning Before The End, it is safe to say that we can expect to see more anime adaptations of popular manhwas in the future.
For those of you that cannot wait for the next manhwa-to-anime adaptation, here are my top 10 recommendations for manhwa series that you can jump into for a read. Plus, if any anime studios out there are listening, all of these titles would make for some great animes!
10. Superhuman Era
If you want a simple manhwa that has a lot of good fighting between overpowered humans and overpowered monsters, but also comes with plenty of story depth, then you have to read Superhuman Era.
The story follows the main character Kang Lim, as he discovers his powers while fighting against Inhumans that have appeared in the world. The story is shrouded in mystery as to why the Inhumans are attacking, which is slowly revealed as we discover more and more about the war between the Superhuman and the Inhumans.
9. Return of the Mount Hua Sect
If you prefer martial arts manhwas, then Return of the Mount Hua Sect is for you. You follow the titular character Chung Myung, who has been reincarnated years into the future after facing a war with the Demon Sect.
Now far into the future, his Mount Hua Sect has been reduced to a small Sect far from its blazing glory of the past. Follow Chung Myung as he rebuilds the Mount Hua Sect from the bottom, just as he fights his way to the top.
8. Reincarnation of the Veteran Soldier
For those that want to scratch that isekai itch, Reincarnation of the Veteran Soldier is a must-read. The main character, Park Byung Jang, is a veteran soldier from Earth, transported into another world by the goddess Parla, only for him to turn on her for kidnapping him before his discharge from the military.
Park doesn’t get any superpowers like a typical isekai protagonist, and is instead sent to the furthest part of the new world to suffer. He meets with another goddess that helps him instead, by giving him the most prevailing power there is – a gun!
7. Eternally Regressing Knight (The Knight who only Lives Today)
At first glance, this looks like just another fantasy manhwa with a reincarnation theme, but read on and you’ll find out it comes with with a twist: the main character, Encrid, is reincarnated every time he dies. There are no superpowers in Eternally Regressing Knight, only pure grit and strength, as Encrid wakes up every day from death to learn how to overcome the wall that has been beset on him.
A must-read for any readers that play games, especially those that love difficult fantasy games like Dark Souls.
6. Overgeared
For those that love to read manhwa series about games, Overgeared is the right read for you. The main character, Shin Youngwoo is an unlucky person who is in debt from buying a gaming capsule to play a popular virtual reality game, Satisfy.
Luck finally strikes for his in-game character, Grid, as he obtains the legendary class Pagma’s Successor, a warrior smithing legend that is well known by the NPCs of the game. Grid is able to level and compete with other players not by his sheer power, but the power of his items. Even his unluckiness soon becomes an advantage for him.
5. I Became the Tyrant of a Defence Game
What about a manhwa that is not all happy endings, where there are consequences for your actions? I Became the Tyrant of a Defence Game is an isekai where the main character, a gaming streamer, has finally beat the game Protect the Empire on its hardest difficulty, only to find himself being transported into said game.
The streamer, is transformed into Ash “Bornhater” Everblack, the third prince of the Empire who now has to navigate, strategise and command his army to stop the invasion of the monsters from breaching his city. His decisions will dictate the life and death of the characters in the manhwa, so don’t get too attached to any of the characters – including the main character himself.
4. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
The ever-popular and well known Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint needs no introduction as one the top manhwa series that flips the fantasy genre on its head. Instead of a typical isekai where a protagonist is transported into a fantasy world, here, the fantasy world invades the real world, complete with monsters and quests to overcome.
The main character Kim Dokja is an avid reader of “Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World” who suddenly finds out that the events of his favourite book are now happening in the real world, and will have to use his knowledge of the story to survive. (Yes, I know, some of you would place this manhwa higher on the list, but I do have a problem with the plot armour that Kim Dokja has, which is only briefly explained as his keen insight on the novel.)
3. Eleceed
Another manhwa with a superpower setting, which leans more on comedy, but is still fully action-packed. Jiwoo Seo, one of the main characters, is an “Awakener” with the power of speed, and who lives alone with a pack of cats.
One day he picks up an injured cat who turns out to be Kayden Break, one of the top Awakeners in the world, who, while trying an experimental healing method, was turned into a cat. I can assure you that you will be falling on the floor laughing, while at the same time reeling in awe of the battle sequences, as you read through Jiwoo and Kayden’s story as a Mentor and Mentee in the Awakening world.
2. Survival Story of a Sword King in a Fantasy World (Latna Saga)
Yes, I am biased, and yes, I think Latna Saga is peak writing that covers action, comedy and even romance, which for a manhwa in the isekai genre, is difficult to find. Ryu Han-Bin is an otherworlder who was kidnapped from Earth into the world of Ratna, and must now survive the world’s game-like level up system. His objective after reaching Ratna is to reach level 5 to escape the tutorial area, but faces a bug where his level resets to 1 after reaching level 5.
After spending 22 years in the tutorial area fighting and surviving before being able to escape and finally explore the world of Ratna, he emerges with stats that far surpass his Level 4 title. While other otherworlders have already made a mark on the world of Ratna, Ryu Han-bin is just about to begin his adventure.
Honourable Mentions
Here are some honourable mentions – manhwas that are good but did not quite make the list: The Indomitable King, I’m Really Not The Evil God’s Lackey, Hero X Demon King X Villain, Martial Wild West, The Stellar Swordmaster, Hero Has Returned, The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide, SSS-Class Suicide Hunter, Return Of The Disaster-Class Hero, A Practical Guide To Evil, The Ember Knight, The Unbeatable Dungeon’s Lazy Boss Monster.
1. The Greatest Estate Developer
“Lloyd is Water, Water is Good, Lloyd is Good” is the summary of this hilarious, over-the-top, face-stretching, blackmailing, beautifully drawn manhwa. It is not an exaggeration when I say that I wait every week with a heavy heart for the next update of this masterpiece.
This series is an isekai where Suho Kim is transported into a fantasy novel he was reading, where he is given the role of a lazy noble, Lloyd Frontier, who is set to die at the hands of the novel’s protagonist, Javier Asrahan. Trying to avoid his fate, he tries every single thing he can think of – befriending, betraying, blackmailing, tricking, and deceving every character he meets.
Let me put my life on the line when I say, this is the best manhwa around and I cannot wait for it to be animated, especially for the chance to see Lloyd Frontier with his most cartoonish expressions.
Those are my top 10 manhwa recommendations that you should read, and always remember: Lloyd is Water, Water is Good, Lloyd is Good. Take care, and until next time.
