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There was a time whenKorean manhwawas 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 toget the anime adaptations they deserve. Aspiring fans who want to get into the brilliance ofmanhwa 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 into anime becomes the norm, the following examples are a great way to show that this movement is already on the rise. Let’s look at thebest anime based on manhwa.
For the most part, only traditional anime will be highlighted, so Chinese ONAs like4 Cut Herowill be excluded. However, that is not meant as a criticism of the latter’s quality.
Updated on July 15, 2025 by Mark Sammut:TheSpring 2025 seasonis almost done, and its solitary anime based on a webtoon has been pretty underwhelming. Summer 2025 does not have any shows based on manhwa, but there are quite a few upcoming releases that will, hopefully, attempt to match Solo Leveling’s brilliance.
TurtleMe’sThe Beginning After The Endis an American web novel that was adapted into a webtoon in 2018, so it is not a Korean manhwa. That said, the latter is very similar to a traditional manhwa, so the story tends to be associated with that industry. While it will not be ranked among thebest anime based on manhwadue to its inception, the series deserves a mention since it is heavily associated with the medium.
Solo Levelingdominated Winter 2025, to the point of being comfortably that quarter’s standout anime. Consequently, season 2’s conclusion left a big hole that Spring 2025 has struggled to fill. That’s not to say the current season has no exciting action series, asFire Force,Wind Breaker,To Be Hero X,Lazarus, andYaiba: Samurai Legendare all pretty great; however, none of them are likely to enjoy the same level of exposure asSolo Leveling.
Leading up to Spring 2025’s start, some hype started to build around a new series that could maybe, possibly fill the void left by Sung Jin-woo:The Beginning After the End. While not a Korean manhwa, the source material is nevertheless one of the most beloved webtoons, earning praise for providing a refreshing twist on the isekai formula. TurtleMe’s story is 100% worth checking out, and it also should be a good candidate for an anime.
Unfortunately, the adaptation is very disappointing,undermining a decent journey with stiff animationand rushed pacing that strips the story of all its power. While there is always hope that an anime might be able to recover from a poor opening season,TBATEfailed to hit the mark so badly, I cannot imagine how a sequel would be able to steady the ship.The Beginning After the Endis, frankly, the worst anime based on a webtoon.
15Tower of God: Return of the Prince
MyAnimeList: 6.68
Tower of God’s seasons and cours are split as their qualities vary quite a bit.
The 2020 adaptation ofTower of Godgarnered more than its share of criticism during its run, especially due to being an adaptation of one of the most beloved manhwa webtoons of all time. As the years passed, a sequel grew more unlikely, and there did not seem to be too much anticipation for a follow-up; however, Summer 2024 rolled around and birthedReturn of the Prince. With a different studio at the helm and more traditional animation, hope rose that the sequel could build upon its predecessor’s rocky but still decent foundations. Sadly, this series is worse in nearly every way.
To be fair, I would argueReturn of the Princeis still watchable and has a couple of great moments, most of which are found in episode 5. However, it doubles down on the first season’s weaker elements while neutering most of its strengths. Moving at a blistering pace, the anime cycles through events at a million miles an hour, making the story and (more importantly) world-building difficult to follow for people who are not familiar with the source material. Important story beats are not granted time to breathe, causing big moments to lose their impact since they come and go without emphasizing their repercussions. Characters and concepts are introduced with very little set-up, almost like the anime expects viewers to already be familiar with them.
Even the animation is a step back from the 2020 release. While divisive, the first season’s art style was quality for what it was trying to be; comparatively, season 2 uses a more traditional aesthetic that is notably average and struggles to impress when compared to other big-name action anime. And, make no mistake,Tower of Godshould be a huge deal. The webtoon is rightfully considered among the most popular of its medium, almost on the same level asSolo Levelingin terms of exposure. Season 2 is just disappointing.
An ongoing show,True Beautyis still a work in progress. Yaongyi’s webtoon is fairly popular, to the point of inspiring a pretty great K-Drama in 2020. Honestly, that version arguably represents this story’s peak, condensing the fairly lengthy source material into a digestible 16 episodes fueled by charming performances and smart tweaks. Due to that show’s existence, the 2024 anime cannot help but feel unnecessary. Considering there are so many fantastic romance manhwa that could benefit from the spotlight, rehashing this particular tale feels like a missed opportunity, opting for a safe rather than an inspired choice.
Still,True Beautyis mostly OK, and nothing more than that. At school, Jugyeong is bullied due to her physical appearance and unorthodox hobbies like loving metal; however, things change when she follows some make-up lessons from a goddess, transforming her appearance and reputation. Suddenly, she is the talk of her school halls and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle.True Beautytouches upon a few interesting themes regarding beauty standards and the pressure they put on teenagers, which is nothing ground-breaking, but still worth watching. That said, Jugyeong can be a frustrating protagonist at times, and the anime struggles to make her sympathetic (and the voice acting does not help).
13Tower of God Season 2: Workshop Battle
MyAnimeList: 6.90
As a direct continuation ofReturn of the Prince,Workshop Battlebarely qualifies as something new. However, as theseTower of Godarcsare presented as separate entries rather than a 24-episode cour, it will be treated as its own thing. Unsurprisingly, most of its predecessor’s main issues are still present. The animation is stiff, causing fight sequences to fall flat since they lack urgency, speed, or flare. This has been a big issue throughout season 2, especially since the vast majority of episodes are framed around battles and arguably should be saved by them. Instead, they mostly fall flat.
Yet, despite being far from great and sharing nearly all the same shortcomings,Workshop Battleis a considerably more enjoyable ride thanReturn of the Prince. That largely comes down to the arc itself, which wastes little time in getting to the meat of things by launching a battle royale to determine who will make it onto the Archimedes ship and compete in the Workshop Battle. Unlike the Summer 2024 season’s fragmented structure and the influx of new faces, its follow-up benefits from having most of the story’s main players present from the start, all of whom have fairly clear motives and rivalries.
Look,Workshop Battleis nothing to write home about, nor is it worth a recommendation on its own. The action leaves a lot to be desired, and the pacing refuses to allow any room for important plot points to breathe or for any significant world-building. This is still an underwhelming adaptation of the legendary webtoon, but if someone manages to sit throughReturn of the Prince, they are likely to have an OK time withWorkshop Battle.
OK, this is not much of a series.Semantic Error, the manhwa, is a pretty great Boys Love story that follows two very different guys who start on a terrible note, but they end up getting closer. The manhwa takes quite an extensive look at the characters' relationship, taking readers on a satisfying and complete journey. The source material is well worth seeking out by anyone interested in this romance subgenre, and it even received a top-notch South Korean live-action adaptation.
TheSemantic Erroranime is just an extension of the manhwa, to the point of being pretty much indecipherable without familiarity with the latter. With just four short episodes, the series provides a snapshot look at a few key moments in Sangwoo and Jaeyoung’s romance, highlighting their dynamic at different points in their relationship. While by no means bad, the anime is impossible to recommend as a standalone release.
A 10-episode adaptation consisting of short episodes,4 Week Loversis based on a pretty popularBoys Love manhwathat lasted for four years and produced more than 100 chapters. Suffice it to say, an hour is hardly enough to properly adapt the source material, so the anime can only be recommended as a companion piece to the manhwa. Now, to be fair, this series stands on its own better thanSemantic Errorand attempts to tell a somewhat complete story. Things move a bit too quickly to be that satisfying, but the adaptation works well enough as an introduction to this world or just a quick BL diversion.
Dojun and Jaehee dated during high school, but the former ended up ghosting the latter. In a twisted turn of events, they end up as roommates at college, which reignites their relationship following a peculiar incident. Jaehee breaks his arm while protecting Dojun from a fall, which he then uses to convince his ex to pretend to be his boyfriend for a month. Things got steamy pretty quickly.
Honestly, this setup is a bit uncomfortable and presents Jaehee as manipulative. However, context for their relationship is provided through flashbacks showing their high school years, and these segments are the best part of the anime.
Noblessefollows 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 certainly entertaining in its own right, some issues holdNoblesseback somewhat. For starters, the characters in the adaptation differ quite a bit from the manhwa, leading to fan favorites becoming rather forgettable. Some of these characters are pretty unlikable, too, which can make it difficult to really care about the story. Still, I do thinkNoblesseis worth a watch, especially for people into vampires.
Debuting in aseason packed with fantasy anime,A Returner’s Magic Should Be Specialslipped 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 Specialsettles 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.A Returner’s Magic Should Be Specialhas the potential to achieve greatness through its announced sequel, but the first season is simply decent.
MAPPA is one of the best animation studios around, with shows likeAttack on TitanandJujutsu Kaisenbeing 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 onThe God of High Schoolis 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 animatingThe God of High Schoolshows the mastery of their 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.
Ultimately, I cannot wholeheartedly recommendThe God of High Schoolbecause the anime is a fairly poor and unsatisfying adaptation of the manhwa. I would say that the latter is required reading to properly follow the adaptation’s story, and that should never be the case.
While overshadowed by another Winter 2024 anime adaptation of a manhwa,Doctor Eliseis a decentmanhwa animeadaptation in its own right, along with also being a passable entry in the isekai genre. 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 Eliseis 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. While decent for the most part,Doctor Eliseloses quite a lot of steam during its second half, and it is let down by a weak plot and underwhelming secondary characters. The show is watchable, but nothing more than that.
