–UPDATED!–
Good day everyone!
It’s been a very long time since I last posted and I have a lot of unfinished articles piled in my computer. All the texts are okay but the photos are not so I need to work on that as soon as possible.
Anyway, I got free time today so I decided to make this short article of my favorite manhwas and other comic strips that are accessible online.
A little background for some who haven’t heard of the term “manhwa.” English people have their comic strip, print cartoon, animated cartoon, graphic novel, illustrated story, etc. and all these terms are just the same with the description of a manhwa. Accordingly, manhwa is the term used to refer to Korean comics. It’s also similar to Japanese manga in this case. For further reading, you can check this site http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Manhwa.
For this article I won’t give a plot summary or spoilers because you can find a lot online. I’ll just be giving suggestions and my personal review to pique your curiosity.
Now, let’s get straight to the list and skip unnecessary nonsense from me.
1. Noblesse Review
http://i12.mangareader.net/noblesse/242/noblesse-3473415.jpg
I first got to know about manhwas because of Noblesse. Back when Manga Traders still existed, I chanced upon this manhwa while looking for a new manga. What I loved in Manga Traders before was you could download the chapters to your computer and read the files anywhere and anytime. They also have the option to download the chapters by volume. So I downloaded the first five volumes (Chapter 1 to 25, I think) of Noblesse. I always do that whenever I encounter a new story. I would read several chapters before deciding to continue or not. It would give me enough info and interest to keep on reading. Back to the Noblesse Review. The first few chapters might not be amazing because the graphics/drawings are not that good but as you progress the illustrations become better. The illustrator has a sense of fashion too and I really appreciate him because the breasts (of the women) are drawn as close as possible to reality. And all the chapters are colored too! Awesome right?
Noblesse is at Chapter/Episode 356 (English translated) as of June 1, 2015. From December 21, 2014 up to March 2, 2015, the release of Noblesse was delayed due to health reasons of the author and illustrator. Noblesse has a new illustrator also.
Read the English version of Noblesse here:
http://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/noblesse/list?title_no=87
You can also know more about Noblesse here:
http://noblesse.wikia.com/wiki/Noblesse_Wiki
2. The Gamer Review
http://doujutsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Gamer1.png
I stayed with Noblesse throughout its production until the unfortunate break happened. I didn’t think of looking for a new manhwa. Instead I was just hopping through my old files of anime and manga. When Noblesse came back, I tried to look for another manhwa to keep me busy since Noblesse’s releases are every Mondays only. So, my next discovery was The Gamer.
At first, I thought The Gamer was another cliche high school story. It is though, however, with a twist. Personally, The Gamer could be a bit boring and text heavy at some points. I do that, I skip reading some text balloons because I’m too indolent to process all the words in my head. The Gamer is not difficult to follow if you are familiar with Role-Playing/Simulation/Strategy games. It’s similar to Ragnarok (the anime and the video game) in some ways. A low profile, lazy, and ignorant boy suddenly discovers he has a great power that he would use to help other people. So far, his aim is to improve and use his power to save a damsel-in-distress whom he met a few times only. I’m really disappointed with that plot, but we’ll see if the story progresses better in the future.
The graphics are well done and it’s full-colored. I don’t find the lead character handsome or appealing in any way, but that’s just my opinion. It shouldn’t affect your decision to read the manhwa.
Read the English version of The Gamer here:
http://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/the-gamer/list?title_no=88
3. Gepetto Review
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I read 52 chapters of this manwha today. Yep, from Episode 1 to Episode 52 in one day. That’s how interested I am and how reliable our internet connection is today.
Gepetto started in 2012 and still ongoing. I originally found this in Line Webtoon when I was looking for other manhwas to read. In Line Webtoon, there are 52 currently uploaded chapters as of this article’s posting date. However, in Manga Fox there are already 112 chapters accessible.
Geppeto’s characters have a resemblance to the story of Pinoccho. There are two main characters in the story having the name of Pinoccho. The plot revolves around the search for Gepetto’s inheritance. The story’s pace is really fast and it will definitely hook you up. Gepetto is set in the future, where andriod robots are at war with humans.
This is another full-colored manhwa with awesome graphics. I love how the eyes of the android robots look when they are activated.
Read the English version of Gepetto here:
http://www.webtoons.com/en/sf/gepetto/list?title_no=81&page=1
http://mangafox.me/manga/gepetto/
4. Westwood Vibrato Review
If you can stand stories full of feelings (mostly drama), I would recommend that you read Westwood Vibrato. There are two things I love about this manhwa, first is that it has something to do with musical instruments. Second, the stories attached to the musical instruments are super amazing and inspirational. Each chapter features a song and a musical instrument. These instruments are like strings that attach the life of a person to another. You know that cliché, where one single act creates a chain reaction? This is that type of story. Read it to understand what I mean. My most favorite episodes are Track 2 (Go, My Heart, On Golden Wings) and Track 8 (My Way). Comment your favorite episode below too!
Anyway, the protagonist of Westwood Vibrato is Cornelia Bobo Warshaw. She is a musical instrument repairer. Before that, she used to repair weapons used by rebels and terrorists. (SPOILER) Her leg was cut off so that she would not be able to leave the community – a community of children repairing guns and other weapons. She realized that what she was doing was wrong, so she started musical instruments instead. Every time a customer comes to have their instrument repaired, she would ask them to tell the story of the instrument and the player. As the client tells their story, Cornelia relives the story as if she there when it was happening.
Read Westwood Vibrato here:
http://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/westwood-vibrato/list?title_no=537&page=2
http://mangafox.me/manga/westwood_vibrato/
5. Winter Woods Review
Read Winter Woods here:
http://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/winter-woods/list?title_no=344
I have recently discovered Winter Woods. It tells the story of an experiment who wants to experience “living.” There are a lot of plot twists on this manhwa so I’m telling you to fasten your seat belt while reading it. I read 33 chapters in just one night. Every chapter raises a lot of questions so it would keep you reading until the next chapter and then you would realize it’s already 3 am.
Winter Woods, originally EL-01, is the protagonist of the story. He looks creepy, isn’t? It’s because he’s been alive for so many centuries. He is a creation of an alchemist who lost his wife while giving birth. While coping with despair over the loss of his wife and child, he decided to “make” his own family. He made so many experiments, each time failing. The problem was the heart – it could not function. Winter was the 1001st experiment, the last experiment, and the successful experiment. However, his heart still could not beat.
Now, Winter is living with Jane Reina, a frustrated writer. Jane wants to make a story out of him. Unknowingly, everything is set up by the researchers working on Winter Woods. They want to know more about Winter, and see if he could develop feelings and emotions.
I’ll leave the rest for you to read. It is really interesting, and the story is on-going.
Anyway, you may also want to check Line Webtoon’s website because they offer a lot of illustrated comics not only manhwas. They even have a Challenge League for aspiring authors and illustrators.
These are some of my manhwa favorites that I recommend for you to read. There are a lot of manhwas that you can find and there are some popular ones which I did not include in this list. The reason is because I’m still assessing them or I don’t prefer them.
alcinoe of mighty wisdom 
