While Japanese manga has been around for decades and has established quite a firm foothold, there’s no denying that manhwa and Webtoons have grown huge in the last few years, threatening the unchallenged reign manga has enjoyed for years. Whether fans are looking for vibrant, colorful art or comics that were made to read on the go, manhwa are quite simply the way to go.
The medium has a little something for everyone, and while Webtoon is usually the go-to platform for reading manhwa, there’s still so much out there waiting to be discovered, with countless new titles gracing platforms like Tapas, Lehzin, Manta, and Tappytoon nearly every day.
10
Trapped at Home with the Male Leads
Where to Read: Tapas
At first glance, Trapped at Home with the Male Leads seems like a typical otome isekai. The protagonist is reincarnated into the novel as Cherry Sinclair, a minor villainess. Having forgotten entirely about her transmigration, Cherry lives a lavish, carefree life until her memories return, and she remembers that the apocalypse is just around the corner, as is her imminent death.
Now armed with her knowledge of the future, Cherry works to save herself from the oncoming monster apocalypse, starting by building a shelter. Despite originally being a minor character, her actions now garner the attention of major characters in the story, including the protagonist and the many handsome male leads.
While the characterization could be stronger, there’s no denying that Trapped at Home with the Male Leads works off a fascinating concept, blending the apocalyptic with romantasy in the best way.
9
The Rogue Producer Survives as an Idol
Where to Read: Manta
The world of show business is infamously cutthroat, and just when Seo Hoyoon thought he’d made it as a producer, his world is turned into an idol sim. Known for being cold-hearted and shrewd, Hoyoon had finally broken out as a genius producer with his idol survival show, but his malicious editing causes an idol to curse him for the backlash she’s been receiving.
The next morning, Hoyoon wakes up ten years younger in an alternate reality where the last decade of his career has been wiped out of existence. A mysterious system window pops up telling him he must make it as a top idol to log out of the game and return to his original reality.
However, as part of a flop idol group about to be disbanded, it’s safe to say Hoyoon has his job cut out for him. Regardless, using his decade of experience as a producer, Hoyoon sets out to make The Dawn a success. All in all, The Rogue Producer Survives as an Idol boasts an entertaining protagonist, a cheeky game system, and a fun, intriguing premise.
8
The Villain’s Survival Route
Where to Read: Tapas
The Villain’s Survival Route takes off when Kim Woojin, a game developer, finds out that one of the mid-tier bosses of his triple-A game was secretly modeled after him. Things take an even more complicated turn when Woojin gets sucked into the game as none other than Deculaine, the mid-tier villain in question.
Luckily, right before being sucked into the game, Woojin gave Deculaine a few redeemable skills purely out of spite. However, these skills alone might not be enough to guarantee his survival, especially since Deculaine has enemies everywhere who are out to get him.
The series is very strongly reminiscent of Villains Are Destined to Die, one of Tapas’ top titles, but with greater focus on its world-building and magic system, and with gorgeous art to boot.
7
The Gourmet Gamer
Where to Read: Manta
Fans of cozy, fantasy cooking anime like Delicious in Dungeon and Campfire Cooking in Another World, need to give Manta’s The Gourmet Gamer a try. The story revolves around Lee Rim, a chef who has lost his sense of taste and smell when he comes across a VR game called Real.
The VR game restores his lost senses, allowing him to rediscover his love for cooking, giving him absurd skills along the way. Meanwhile, word of his excellent cooking gets out fast, making Lee Rim, now widely known as Rice, quite a famous figure within the game.
While it may not be revolutionary per se, The Gourmet Gamer makes for a perfect casual read, especially if you’re looking for something light and enjoyable.
6
Welcome to Rose Manor
Where to Read: Manta
What happens when a writer takes Jane Eyre and turns up the supernatural factor to the max? The result is Welcome to Rose Manor, a recent addition to Manta’s digital library.
The series follows Richelle Howard, a former member of high society whose family falls into debt after the death of her father.
Eager to pay off her debts and get away from her mother, Richelle accepts the position as a private tutor at Bertrand Manor. Except, there’s something very wrong with the estate, the Otis Family that owns it, and even the job contract itself, which comes with some rather peculiar rules.
Richelle is poised to uncover all these secrets, perhaps at the risk of her own life, and even though the series is fairly new, it’s safe to say it already looks incredibly promising.
5
Augustus in the Human World
Where to Read: Tapas
Augustus in the Human World reimagines Disney’s The Little Mermaid as a BL where our little merman in question dreams of having an office job. Instead of saving a prince, Augustus Zidan ends up saving a drunken man who later turns out to be his new team leader, Mason Warner.
Much like a fish out of water, Augustus finds himself still learning to pick up on human social cues while also struggling to acclimate to his new job as an intern, though that does not dull his enthusiasm in the slightest.
From the notion of paying rent and taxes to the office printer and the posters on the wall, Augustus seems enamored by everything around him, making him quite an endearing protagonist.
However, the biggest question is whether he can break down Mason’s icy cold walls. Overall, while it may be in its early stages, Augustus in the Human World already displays plenty of charm and potential, making it definitely worth a read.
4
Welcome to the Dungeon Hotel
Where to Read: Tapas
If fans are ever tired of every dungeon series being a generic action, power fantasy, and want to try something different for a change, Welcome to the Dungeon Hotel has got them covered. The series follows Lee Jeonghyo, who wants nothing to do with dungeons ever since her father, an S-rank hunter, died in one.
Being an unawakened, Jeonghyo takes the last of her inheritance and decides to move to the quiet countryside, which is where she stumbles into a dilapidated hotel. However, as soon as she enters the hotel, she awakens as a “hotelier” class hunter.
The entrance of the hotel connects to various dungeons, making her hotel a respite for tired and injured hunters, all while being a lucrative venture for her.
With an intriguing premise much like the popular K-drama Hotel Del Luna, Welcome to the Dungeon Hotel offers a refreshing take on the dungeon trope, and the fact that it’s produced by Carrotoon makes it even more worth checking out.
3
Dungeons and Crayons
Where to Read: Tapas
Dungeons and Crayons is yet another new manhwa that brilliantly reinvents the dungeon hunter trope. Rather than follow an adult or even a teenager like most series, Dungeons and Crayons is centered around a four-year-old S-rank hunter named Han Groo.
Despite only being in kindergarten, with her broken production skills, Groo has already made a name for herself as Fakesaw, an illegal supplier of antidotes and other awakened goods, carrying out her underground deals through a remote-controlled stuffed pink bear riding a tricycle.
As an orphan, her goal is to use her untaxed profits to find her parents, until she encounters a huge roadblock—she’s too young to actually open a bank account. This is when Groo decides to join a guild, and not just any ordinary one, but Orchestra, Korea’s number one guild, led by Ohn Joorim.
Fearing her powers falling into the wrong hands, Joorim inevitably ends up adopting Groo, which is where Dungeons and Crayons‘ wholesome little story takes off.
Since there isn’t a time skip, the series is pure childish shenanigans through and through, making for a refreshing, fun little read that fans of anime like Buddy Daddies and High School Babysitters would especially enjoy.
2
Nameless Flower
Where to Read: Lehzin
Nameless Flower revolves around Ruan, the heir to House Marcellion. With his older brother suffering from asthma and a weak constitution, the responsibility of being the heir falls on Ruan, thrusting him into a world of endless lessons and training.
Having had enough, Ruan one day runs away to the mountains, where he befriends a little boy picking herbs. The two never share their names, but their friendship grows deeper with every meeting, until it catches the attention of Ruan’s father.
Wanting to separate the two, Ruan is sent away to continue his education, but before he leaves, he promises the boy to find him again when he returns as an adult.
But of course, finding each other again isn’t as easy as Ruan had imagined, especially without even a name to go off. Despite being new and quite short, Nameless Flower is exceptionally well-written, with a beautifully tragic story.
1
William of the Wardrobe
Where to Read: Manta
Released on Manta in February 2025, William of the Wardrobe is a beautiful Narnia-esque romance. The series revolves around Julia Green, a twelve-year-old from Pasadena, California. One night, a beautiful woman pops out of Julia’s closet, claiming to be from 19th-century London.
Except this gorgeous woman turns out to be a fifteen-year-old boy named William, whom she subsequently nicknames Juliet-boy. After a night of exchanging countless stories, William goes back into the wardrobe, intending to head back to 1875.
Three years pass, and from her childhood sweetheart breaking her heart to her parents’ divorce, Julia’s life is changing faster than she can keep up. Just when she needs him the most, William finally returns, offering her a shoulder to cry on. However, as much as Julia wants him by her side, it might be a complicated wish to fulfill, especially since her Juliet boy might just be William Shakespeare himself.
From unraveling William’s past and personal life, to facing the challenges life throws her way, William of the Wardrobe is much more than a star-crossed romance.
The series is beautifully written through and through, with a whimsical story full of yearning, angst, and poetry-worthy dialogue, making it a must-read gem.
