omg agreeeeed, i find most of the new bl manhwas just.... really boring? like they're mostly repetitive, derivative, and hacky
what are your fave new BL manga? i need good manga to replace the webtoon brainrot
Mangas are usually good. Manhwas are just too much that you have to read dozens to finally discover the really good ones
Yes, and most manhwas don't dare to experiment with new narratives, nor do they break away from clichés—at least not in a fresh way; 90% of BL manhwas feature essentially the same type of plot and dynamics. Furthermore, the majority of Korean female authors turn out to be incredibly classist, xenophobic, and self-centered.
uhmm I have a large repertoire of works that I like, but there are some that I always reread: shangri la no tori, coyote, Raion Gotoki no Kuni Kara, contradit, Hitori de Yoru wa Koe Rarenai, koi ga oshitara, yoake no uta, ignat no hanayome, fangs, Omae no Hou kara Kiss shitekure yo, dear gene, Hitsuji no Kawa wo Kita Kemono, Zaijian Countdown…
I could count on one hand the BL manhwa that actually try to tell something new—and possess high-quality writing and storytelling. Beyond that, the vast majority simply repeat the same cliché plots with the same types of dynamics zzzzz
Among them, ennead is one of my favorites
I think a far bigger problem for me when it comes to Manhwa is the length. Japanese Manga can also be generic, but they are usually short, so it doesn't take too much of your time. Manhwa, on the other hand, can be stupidly long. I don't know how many times I picked up very highly rated Manhwa, only to realize 50 chapters later that it's not going to get better.
clearly you are a person of taste, because I've already read all but three of these idk what that says about how long i've been reading lol
but i will be reading those three immediately!
I super duper agree
I understand it’s just a matter of taste, but there’s always something…refreshing?about Japanese BL.
Like even the silliest or most.. repetitive? low-brow? Seemingly rushed ones always make me feel some sort of way. Whether it’s the vibe or dialogue, even if they are the trope-iest of all mangas, they most of the time seem intentional? Maybe because they were few and far between or more difficult to produce? Or that the volumes tend to be short or oneshots even? They just turn out to be so much more impactful. Not dragged out. I just cannot describe what makes the reading experience so different but it just is.
When I’m on this site, I almost always just hunt for old JBLs
Japanese authors always take the time to introduce fresh themes—even if they occasionally fall back on certain clichés—and consistently strive to deliver works of considerable quality. In contrast, *manhwa* often feature a generic art style and a narrative quality that deteriorates with every new season released. You can even sense just how lazy some Korean authors have become; they don't even bother attempting to offer anything original, knowing full well that their most loyal—and ass-kissing—general audience will swallow whatever shit they churn out.
Nowadays, I appreciate seeing translated manga even more, amidst all the manhwa garbage out there. Scanlation groups used to put out a lot more English-translated manga, but ever since manhwa blew up in popularity, manga translations have become scarce. It’s a real pain to hop onto any site and see that 80% of the translations are for manhwa. To be honest, there have been some really great new releases and fascinating BL manga coming out lately, but hardly anyone is picking up new projects to translate anymore.