Best Anime Based On Manhwa

Highlights

• A rise in manhwa adaptations into anime by platforms like Crunchyroll is giving fans more access to this wondrous world of boundless imagination!
• Adaptations like “The Girl Downstairs” and “Noblesse” showcase the brilliance of manhwa stories but may have flaws in translation to anime.
• Anime adaptations like “Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion” and “Tower of God” bring unique stories to life but may need more seasons for full development.

There was a time when Korean manhwa was nothing more than an underappreciated form of entertainment. The sheer number of stories present in this medium is immense, and all of them were quite amazing and captivating in their own right. Unfortunately, a lot of these brilliant tales never really saw the light of day through the medium of animation, but this is a reality that is bound to change very soon.

After all, initiatives by companies like Crunchyroll have finally allowed some excellent manhwa to get the anime adaptations they deserve. Aspiring fans who want to get intothe brilliance of manhwa should check out their animeadaptations, which serve as great entry points into this wondrous world full of boundless imagination! While there’s still a long way to go before the idea of webtoons being adapted in anime becomes the norm, the following examples are a great way to show that this movement is already on the rise.

9 The Girl Downstairs

MyAnimeList: 7.60

Technically, The Girl Downstairs‘ adaptation is not an anime since it was handled by a Chinese studio; however, it still deserves a mention since it is among the better animated adaptations of a manhwa. The story revolves around a romance between a college (university) freshman, Joon, and an idol, Duna. The latter recently left the entertainment industry and is trying to start fresh, a process that is anything but simple.

The 8-part ONA adaptation is a quick watch since the episodes are just a bit longer than 10 minutes each, so this series can easily be completed in a single sitting. The show does a great job of giving viewers an incentive to care about the main couple’s blossoming relationship, all the while providing some insight into idol culture.

8 Noblesse

MyAnimeList: 6.89

Crunchyroll has recently taken on the brilliant initiative of adapting popular manhwa into anime adaptations to help new fans get into this medium. One of their most popular adaptations is Noblesse, a show that has become ridiculously popular due to its interesting premise.

The series follows a noble called Cadis Etrama Di Raizel — or Rai for short — who has been asleep for 820 years and is unaware of the technological advancements that mankind has gone through in recent times. After waking up in an abandoned building in Korea, he enrolls in high school and fights against a powerful corporation, which is as ludicrous and entertaining as it sounds.

While the show is certainly entertaining in its own right, some issues hold it back somewhat. For starters, the characters in the anime differ quite a bit from the manhwa, leading to fan favorites from the webtoon becoming rather forgettable in the manhwa anime. In fact, some of these characters are pretty unlikable, and it’s a shame that the adaptation wasn’t a perfect success despite having its strengths.

7 Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With The Lamp

MyAnimeList: 7.33

While overshadowed by another Winter 2024 anime adaptation of a manhwa, Doctor Elise is a solid show in its own right and a decent entry into the oversaturated isekai market. In a cute twist, the protagonist was originally from a fantasy kingdom where she died in shame. She then reincarnated on Earth and decided to become a doctor to make amends for her past life. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes and Elise dies prematurely, leading her to reincarnate as her previous self.

Although slightly convoluted, Doctor Elise is essentially a villainess story with a few extra steps. The manhwa and anime heavily focus on Elise’s medical background, ensuring the referenced information is largely accurate (at least, to an untrained eye) while also emphasizing the protagonist’s drive to prove herself in this field.

6 A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

MyAnimeList: 7.10

Debuting in a season packed with fantasy anime, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special slipped by the wayside as it struggled to stand out from the crowd. While nothing amazing, the series has a few positives in its favor, including a strong setup presented well by its first episode. Confronting an end-of-the-world threat, Desir, a powerful mage, stands alongside a few chosen heroes as humanity’s final hope; unfortunately, they fail, but the protagonist gets a second chance when he reincarnates as his younger self while on the verge of entering Hebrion Academy. With time not on his side, Desir must ensure that things play out differently to change humanity’s future.

As exciting as its opening episode is, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special settles into a familiar routine once it switches to the academy. School settings in fantasy anime are so commonplace that they have become tiresome, and this show does not do enough to differentiate itself in this area. That said, Desir is pleasant and sympathetic, and he is supported by two likable characters in Romantica and Pram. This show has the potential to achieve greatness through a sequel, but the first season is simply decent.

5 The God Of High School

MyAnimeList: 7.07

MAPPA is one of the best animation studios around, with shows like Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen being some of the best names in their resume. So, the fact that they were adapting one of the most popular manhwa around was bound to excite fans to no end. Their work on The God of High School is another masterful combination of animation, music, and storytelling to make for a riveting viewing experience. Watching Mori Jin fight against the odds in this competition for the ages is a visual treat that doesn’t get old anytime soon. MAPPA has truly been on top of its game, and the work they’ve put into animating The God of High School shows the mastery of its craft.

That being said, fans have rightfully called out the show for skipping a ton of the world-building, leading to a series full of pretty fights without a ton of backstory to give weight to these encounters. This results in the show just adapting the amazing battles without giving any thought to the emotions that fuel these encounters, making for a rather vapid spectacle in the eyes of many.

4 Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke’s Mansion

MyAnimeList: 7.50

A great manhwa anime adaptation that is worth a mention, Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion had a few elements slightly altered in translation to be more relatable for Japanese audiences. The story is an isekai revolving around Park Eunha (Hanasaki Rinko in the anime), a person accepted into a university of her choice only to be pushed off a building to what she presumes to be her demise. However, instead of dying, Eunha actually wakes up in the body of Raeliana McMillan, a baron who was part of a novel she was reading.

However, Eunha soon realizes that Raeliana is a character who gets poisoned and dies, which kickstarts the very events of the novel in question. This prompts her to change her story, leading to her professing her supposed love for Duke Noah Wynknight, the protagonist of this novel. This leads to a hilarious series of events where Noah is blackmailed by “Raeliana” with all the knowledge she has gleaned from the novel, only for the Duke to actually fall in love with this character. Sweet and charming, the anime has adapted this story in a pretty nuanced manner that has led to many fans actively pining for a second season. Raeliana is the star of the show, especially during the anime’s first half when she is presented as a refreshingly productive character. As the story progresses and she begins to fall for Noah, she loses some of her agency and confidence, although she remains likable.

3 Lookism

MyAnimeList: 7.48

Lookism is quite a popular webtoon that has been ongoing for nearly a decade, producing 20 volumes in the process. It was only a matter of time before the concept received an anime adaptation, and Netflix swooped in to turn that possibility into a reality. Lookism follows Park Hyung Suk, a bullied teenager who is regularly attacked for the way he looks. One day, he randomly wakes up in basically a different body, a fact he uses to start a fresh life at school.

Although its premise is not particularly original, Lookism does an admirable job of making it feel fresh and emotional, especially since Park is quite a complex character rather than a self-insert protagonist. Admittedly, the manhwa is by far the superior product, but Studio Mir’s adaptation serves as a good entry point for newcomers.

2 Tower Of God

MyAnimeList: 7.55

Of course, it would be impossible to talk about excellent manhwa anime adaptations of manhwa without mentioning the phenomenon that is Tower of God. This show is easily one of Crunchyroll’s most popular original animations, with an excellent premise that will keep fans hooked for all thirteen episodes of this brilliant anime.

The story follows Bam, a boy who’s been trapped under a tower with his childhood friend Rachel for the longest time. However, after the latter decides to head into the tower of her own volition, a devastated Bam decides to climb the tower so that he can see his friend once again.

It’s a shame that this anime has lain dormant for so long since people would obviously want to see how this story develops over time. Unfortunately, until another season is greenlit for Tower of God, these valuable thirteen episodes will be the only animated portion of this story that fans will have to stay content with. If a second season does come out, then fans can only hope that the pacing of the anime is more measured, allowing scenes to breathe before moving on to the next bombastic spectacle.

1 Solo Leveling

MyAnimeList: 8.46

The most hyped-up anime of Winter 2024, Solo Leveling needed to be a triumph. Without question, Chugong’s story is the most popular manhwa of all time, serving not only as a getaway into the medium but also influencing plenty of other webtoons. Quality aside, Solo Leveling is a massive name, and a lackluster adaptation could have negatively impacted the changes of other manhwa receiving the same treatment. Admittedly, that is too much pressure to put on a single property, but anime based on manhwa only make up a very small percentage of each season’s lineup, and that will not change until there is a notable success story. Thankfully, Solo Leveling seems to be up to the task.

Set in an alternate reality where portals to dungeons have opened around the world and some humans have awakened special powers, Sung Jin-woo represents the bottom of the barrel when it comes to hunters. On one ill-fated expedition, Sung finds himself at death’s door, only to be saved by a strange message that offers him the role of a player. After accepting it, Sung picks up the ability to level up, setting him on a path to supremacy.

Solo Leveling brings to life an interesting world that has just enough mysterious ingredients to keep the story moving forward. However, the manhwa and its adaptation are primarily driven by action, and most of these sequences are generally brilliant. While Sung has all the makings of an overpowered protagonist, he is still regularly tested by both monsters and other hunters, allowing for thrilling fights that are both satisfying and intense.