Manhwa - Solo Leveling

Manga vs. Manhwa: Which is more popular in 2024?

Charles Ono
Hello! My name is Charlles, and I'm passionate about Japanese culture, especially the world of anime. Here, I share curiosities, news, and everything related to this world...
Manhwa - Solo Leveling

In recent months, you've surely come across the manga vs. manhwa . But which of the two styles is ultimately dominating the screens, shelves, and hearts of fans? Is traditional Japanese manga still winning, or has Korean manhwa finally conquered its place in the sun?

In this post, we'll delve into the world of Asian comics, explore the characteristics of each one, and discover who's truly at the top of the popularity charts!

Shonen Jump
Shonen Jump

Growth of Manhwa

Thus, Manhwa – the South Korean version of manga – has grown steadily in the last decade or so. Furthermore, we've recently seen more Korean manhwa being adapted into anime. In fact, one of the most recent to receive an adaptation was Solo Leveling, which was a great success and we already have a second season planned for next year!

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Google Trends - Constant growth of Manhwa
Google Trends – Constant growth of Manhwa

On the other hand, manga has obviously been around for a long time. So, understandably, there's no need to point out the popularity of manga, as it's obvious and expected. Furthermore, we have renowned recent works like Kagurabachi and Dandadan, in addition to classics like One Piece and Hunter x Hunter, which has returned to weekly publication.

Manga vs Manhwa – A battle on YouTube

Google Trends - Comparison of YouTube views over the last 12 months
Google Trends - Comparison of YouTube views over the last 12 months

First, speaking specifically about YouTube, you can see that manga dominated between the two topics. But, the red line for Manhwa isn't so bad. However, in comparison, it's clear which has more popularity between the two in the last 12 months (2023-2024). On the other hand, we see that the red line for Manhwa has been more stable, while the blue line for Manga drops slightly at certain points.

Manga vs Manhwa – A Google Battle

Google Trends - Comparison over the last 12 months on Google
Google Trends - Comparison over the last 12 months on Google

When comparing manga and manhwa over the last 12 months via Google, you can see that the difference is the same as before on YouTube. In principle, there's nothing more to see here, except for the obvious fact that manga's dominance is clear.

Manga vs Manhwa – Global Overview

Google Trends - Comparison of the last 12 months worldwide
Google Trends - Comparison of the last 12 months worldwide

Finally, as we can immediately see, manga is more popular in almost every country. Furthermore, the blue colors on the map reflect manga, while red reflects Manhwa, and you can't see any red spots on the map. In short, the presence of Manhwa on the world map may not even exist (unless you zoom in considerably).

Therefore, it's clear that manga dominates thanks to its decades-long tradition. However, the growth of manhwa is astonishing in such a short time. In other words, perhaps in the future we could see this difference decrease even further, or even manhwa surpass manga!

So, folks, which side are you on in this manga vs. manhwa debate? Also, share your opinion and don't forget to join our WhatsApp .

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Hello! My name is Charlles, and I'm passionate about Japanese culture, especially the world of anime. Here, I share interesting facts, news, and everything related to this fascinating world that has fans all over the world.