12 Best Gender Bender Manhwa You Should Read

Highlights

• Rising media focus on trans & gender-fluid communities reflects growing audience openness towards LGBTQ topics.
• Korean manhwa comics on gender-bending themes offer diverse stories, from introspective to lighthearted.
• Gender bender manhwa challenge stereotypes and explore complex topics like politics, bigotry, and gender roles.

While the past few years have been particularly rough for the trans and gender-fluid communities, there’s been a rise in media about them and the nature of gender as a whole. As varying as their quality can be, it shows there are audiences willing to keep their eyes, ears, and minds open towards the T & Q in LGBTQ.

It also coincides with a rise in Korean media, particularly their manhwa comics, as they’re now more readily available than ever thanks to Webtoons, Tapas, and other websites. Even here, readers can find some of the best gender bender manhwa around. Whether they’re deep, introspective stories about gender, or simple lighthearted tales about the subject, there’s something for everyone.

Updated on February 26th, 2024 by David Heath: With manhwa on the rise, there’s only going to be more of them covering all sorts of topics and themes. Some of the best ones even like to rock the boat by threatening readers’ minds with big topics, like politics, bigotry, and how thin the line that separates genders truly is. As a result, concepts like ‘being male’ or ‘being female’ prove to be more complex than people thought.

Not that all these great gender bender manhwa get that deep. There are strips out there that just want to have fun and frolic with the theme, though even the fluffiest romcoms can make people pause for thought. Thus, this list has been updated with more top examples of the gender-bender subgenre, and it’s been reformatted by score for ease of reading. Whether readers trust the numbers or their gut, they’re in for a good time with these manhwa.

12 The Lady I Served Became A Master

MyAnimeList Score: 6.67

• Writing taken from Tabby’s Star’s original novel
• Illustrated by Sigma
• Available on Tappytoon

Most of the stories on this list stray across gender lines through less drastic measures like dress and mannerisms. It fits the bill, though some readers might prefer something stronger, like actually transitioning. Which is what happens in The Lady I Served Became a Master. It sees Sua gets isekai’d into her favorite novel as Blair, the maid to Chloe, the illegitimate daughter of a noble family and Sua’s favorite character in the book.

As Blair, Sua stands by Chloe’s side throughout her darkest moments, where the two form a special bond. One that gets too special, as Chloe loses interest in her male suitors in favor of black magic. It all culminates in one day when Sua comes across a man who heavily resembles Chloe. What seems obvious to others forms a comedy of errors as Sua slowly realizes the man, Claude, used to be Chloe and wants to take their friendship to the next level.

11 His Majesty’s Secret Heroine

MyAnimeList Score: 6.85

• Written by Su-Yeong Han
• Illustrated by Do-Gyung Lee
• Available on Tapas

Lok Heun’s life takes a tragic turn when her mother is murdered, and her father is made into a fugitive after exacting revenge. To help clear his name, she places herself in the care of the Emperor Garyun, who aims to atone for the reign of his more brutal father. But he’s prone to mistakes, as he thinks Lok Heun is a boy. As such, he does all he can to mold her into being the ultimate fighter. Or as the English title says, His Majesty’s Secret Heroine.

He goes as far as sending her to hell to fight demons. Needless to say, this strains their relationship a bit. But tensions ease as Garyun gives Lok Heun the one thing she lost: a shot at a happy life once again. The manhwa did get an official English translation via Tapas. However, it suffers from typos, mistranslations, and other mistakes, leading to keener readers to go back to its unofficial but more accurate fan translations.

10 Queen’s

MyAnimeList Score: 7.06

• Written & Illustrated by Ha Sung-Hyun
• Fan translation only, or by buying the 2004 Tokyopop volumes

Readers will have to keep a sharp eye, as Ha Sung-Hyun also created the similarly named historical time-traveling romance Queen’s Man. It’s good, but not a gender-bending story like their earlier work Queen’s. Briefly published in the West in 2004 by Tokyopop, it’s about Pil-Hyun ‘Teddy Boy’ Jung, a pretty boy who likes to make teddy bears in his spare time.

But when his crush opts for his more masculine classmate Gyung-Ju, Pil-Hyun tries to shed his delicate nature by asking the manhwa artist Bok-Nam for help. They made their name with their strip ‘How to Escape Being a Pretty Boy’, so surely they and their friends can help. But they have their own plans. As a result, Pil-Hyun goes on a journey of laughs and tears as he learns to accept himself for who he is.

9 Click

MyAnimeList Score: 7.14

• Written and Illustrated by Lee Youngran
• Available on Netcomics

For another story with transition, Click takes things in a more scientific direction, albeit still rather fantastical. For the first 16 years of his life, Joonha was an ordinary (if pigheaded) boy who went through life with few problems. But then he faints in shock when he loses a certain part of himself. It’s only when he wakes up that he discovers the truth about his family. They have a genetic mutation where they switch sexes following puberty.

His father was actually born a woman, and now Joonha will go the opposite direction and become female. Now he has to eat a large serving of hubris as he has to adjust to his new life as a girl. It’s funny enough, as Joonha’s sexism gets turned on its head. But not everyone clicked with his redemption arc, most notably Yuricon founder Erica Friedman via her Okazu blog (“I will never understand straight women’s attraction to men who are loathsome”).

8 Mookhyang: Dark Lady

MyAnimeList Score: 7.50

• Written by Dong-jo Jeon
• Illustrated by Gugit
• Available on Tappytoon

Mookhyang: Dark Lady is a little different from the other entries here, as it’s an adaptation of a novel. Partially. The original Mookhyang novels by Dong-jo Jeon are big sellers in Korea, detailing the adventures of the titular character, the hierarch of the Demonic Sect. He rises through the ranks, seeking what it means to become stronger and master Chinese kung fu, while taking on a range of old masters and evil forces.

Dark Lady adapts the novel’s second arc, where Mookhyang is cursed by his rivals in the Blood Sect. They send him to another realm full of Western fantasy figures like elves, wizards, and knights. He tries to overcome the curse with his manipulation of mana, only to end up cursed again and turned into a woman. Now the martial arts master/mistress has to overcome two curses, while adjusting to how things are for the fairer sex for a while.

7 Secret Alliance

MyAnimeList Score: 7.51

• Written and Illustrated by Lero
• Available on Lezhin Comics

Secret Alliance takes things in a more horror-orientated direction. Eun ‘Shanshan’ Sian suffered a traumatic experience with an ex-boyfriend, developing a fear of men in the process. As a result, she gets sent to an all-girls school, where she becomes popular. However, she feels suffocated by her overbearing mother, and despite her fears, she isn’t into other girls.

Unfortunately, she catches the attention of Yuri, the prettiest girl in school, who won’t take no for an answer. She becomes the yandere from hell, stalking Eun after school and at work. Her only help comes from Hyun, the boss at her part-time job. He starts off stuck-up, but eventually warms to Eun’s plight. It’s a twisted psychological horror that requires a strong stomach, but rewards the reader with a sweet ending.

6 The Dawn In Moscow

Anime Planet Score: 3.8/5 Stars

• Written by Jangmi Hwang
• Illustrated by Shano Lee
• Available on Tappytoon

All Siyoon Lee wanted to be was a concert pianist. Even when his parents wished against it, he pursued his dream. But his career ended as soon as it began when he got in a car accident that rendered his right hand immobile. Having lost everything, he tries to commit suicide. However, instead of facing oblivion, he comes face to face with a horde of servants.

The Dawn in Moscow sees Siyoon become Tatiana Belchenova, a Russian heiress. As strange as it is, it gives him, or rather her, an opportunity for a fresh start. With her old skills intact, she enrolls at a prestigious music academy to resume her dream of becoming a pianist. Her only obstacles are her jealous rivals, amorous admirers, her new family’s dark secrets, and the real Tatiana, who’s still lingering inside her head. Tickling the ivories on the national stage will be the least of her worries.

5 Change

Anime Planet Score: 3.8/5 Stars

• Written & Illustrated by Jin Yuan
• Fan Translations only

For such a simple title, Change (a Chinese manhua rather than a Korean manhwa) has a dramatic start. Da Wei and He Jun dreamed of working together to rise to the top and become the strongest in the country. That is, until He Jun had to go abroad to study, leaving Da Wei to head to high school alone. He passes on his ring and title of ‘Qingfeng’s Big Boss’ to his friend before leaving. Putting it on, Da Wei promises to use his strength to become so well-known they’ll reach He Jun wherever he goes, only to get struck by lightning the moment he raises his ring-clad fist in the air.

He wakes up moments later in the hospital to find he’s lost his buff, muscular body, and a lot more. The strike turned him into a dainty, cute girl. It’s played for yuks, but his search for another way to gain fame and He Jun’s attention is no laughing matter, as it takes a different kind of strength to make it as a woman in the world.

4 Be Still My Heart

MyAnimeList Score: 7.69

• Written and Illustrated by Ha Il-Kwon
• Available on Webtoon

The premise behind Be Still My Heart sounds curious, yet it’s innocent enough for Webtoon to recommend it to readers of all ages. Its lead, Sugu, is straining under the pressure of having to keep his grades up, and impressing his school’s vice principal, who just happens to be his father. The only way he can get relief is through his secret interest: swimsuits. He’s more into the outfits than who’s fitting into them, so to speak.

But when he’s caught peeping at the all-girls water polo team, the homeroom teacher gives him one way out: disguise himself as a girl and join the team. What would otherwise be a legal mess becomes an awakening for Sugu, as he learns there’s more to the sport and his disguise. It takes a sweet turn as the story becomes less about fanservice and more about one boy learning to appreciate water polo and his newfound friends.

3 Savage Garden

MyAnimeList Score: 7.75

• Written and Illustrated by Lee Hyeon-Sook
• Volumes available for purchase from the Crunchyroll Store

Lee Hyeon-Sook made her name with dark romances like The Flower of Evil, and Seduction More Beautiful Than Love. So, it’s no surprise that Savage Garden isn’t exactly light or fluffy beyond her eerily attractive artwork. It takes place in 18th Century England, where Gabriel falls in love with Jeremy. She’s the orphaned daughter of a fallen noble family, and he’s the illegitimate son of a nobleman.

However, when Jeremy gets killed in a tragic accident, Gabriel is made to take his place at an all-boys school for noble children. To anyone else, this would be the chance of a lifetime. But as Jeremy, Gabriel soon discovers it’s a harsh place that’s more brutal than she could’ve ever imagined. It’s a sad tale that’s perfect for readers looking for something more bittersweet.

2 Surviving A Harem

Anime Planet Score: 3.9/5 Stars

• Written & Illustrated by Jeonbun
• Available on Webtoon

Change saw one guy’s athletic abilities altered by a sudden gender change, but they still had better luck than Jun Yu in Surviving a Harem. He’s a lightweight boxing champion whose fortunes take a downward turn when he’s dumped by his girlfriend Ji-Hye, then hit by a car. Instead of regaining consciousness in hospital, or not at all, he wakes up as Yujun Russell, the female lead in the dating game ‘Love Paradise.’

The game’s AI sets him a challenge: if he’s able to charm all 3 of the game’s main characters, he’ll get a shot at regaining his old life. Otherwise, he’ll have to live on as the foster daughter of a noble family. It sounds cushy, but Jun wasn’t all that good at charming women, let alone appealing to men. With his old life on the line, he’s now got to learn to do that fast and, in the process, see where he went wrong in his old relationship.

1 From Today On, I’m A Boy

Anime Planet Score: 4/5 Stars

• Written and Illustrated by Jelack
• Available on Foxtoon (Korean only)

Usually, most gender-bending undercover stories involve the protagonist having a tricky time adjusting to their disguise, and the love interest having a crisis over learning the truth. From Today On, I’m a Boy manages to avoid those clichés, as Shiru was already more masculine than the average girl. She just has to go full man until graduation to win a ₩1 billion bet (approx. $77,000).

Instead of struggling to be ‘manly’ enough, Shiru’s pretty secure in her new (if temporary) identity. The drama comes from how other people outside her group react, from bullies trying to ‘expose the truth’, to romantic struggles that break the usual crisis formula. It’s more down-to-earth, and often heartwarming in how supportive Shiru’s friends can be. This manhwa is a great recommendation for readers looking for something sweet and platonic.