Summary
Manhwa isa beautiful medium that lets individual artists express their emotionsand feelings in ways that isn’t quite possible through other mediums. The colorful panels and the long strip format allow artists to create unique compositions, and the web-based viewer experience allows artists to try interesting things with their comics.
The length of manhwa varies quite a lot, but they tend to be quite long in general, taking up several weeks to read in their entirety if they are completed. However, one-shot manhwa consist of only one chapter that can be read in a single setting, delivering the oomph of an entire story without all the time one would usually expect to invest.
7Samsara Hotline
Imperfections In Oneself
Samsara Hotlineis a very roughly drawn manhwa that exploresthe Buddhist concept of reincarnation, where everyone gets to choose where they get reincarnated through an office. The one-shot follows a famous musician who gets this option, and his thought process as he chooses what he wants to happen to him in the afterlife.
The rough art of this manhwa isn’t a turn-off by any means; in fact, it’s one of its strengths. It creates a uniquely messy mood that fits the message of the comic perfectly and depicts the emotions of the main character much better than a more traditional art style would have. The story is interesting and gives the reader something to think about.
6Happy Birthday To You
Of Loss And Moving On
The loss of a loved one canleave a deep mark on a person, and moving on from one’s loss is something that a lot of people struggle with.Happy Birthday to Youis a manhwa that explores the process of moving on. There isn’t a lot to the story since it is a one-chapter manhwa, but the emotions behind the art are raw and real, sucking the reader into the image that they create.
The art style of the manga is simplistic in a way that isn’t off-putting. It feels like a raw expression of emotion that comes from the heart of the author and delivers a punch to the reader’s gut that leaves them breathless despite the short length of the story that it depicts.
5Will We Live Happily Ever After?
Heartwarming Romance
Romance has no barriers, and there doesn’t need to be a long-winded 20-volume manga dedicated to a romantic endeavor; a one-shot starring an adorable princess and an even more adorable infamous thief works equally well.
Will We Live Happily Ever Afterfollows a rebellious and competent princess who gets up to some comedic shenanigans in order to avoid getting married for political reasons and ends up on the throne in the process. The story is lighthearted and fun, the art is simple but beautiful, and the romance is fantastic. What’s not to love?
4Grandma Got Abducted By Aliens
Extraterrestrial Loss
A whimsical tale with sad undertones,Grandma Got Abducted By Aliensfollows the story of a young boy who believes that his grandmother was, as the title suggests, abducted by aliens because of a call he got as a child. As a youngster in high school, he is searching for these aliens in hopes of recovering his beloved grandma.
A metaphor for loss or acute supernatural adventure, the exact nature of the story isn’t set in stone, being up to the interpretation of the reader. How they decide to understand the message is up to them.
3TURN BACK
There’s Only Your Choice
Another manhwa that deals with loss,TURN BACKfocuses on the regret that a person feels. Everyone has a few things they regret, but this manhwa highlights that focusing on the past won’t change anything.Processing loss and moving forward, and forgiving oneself to create a better future, is what is important.
Though it is quite bleak at the beginning, the comic has an undertone of positivity toward the end — as much as a story exploring death can have positivity. The message of the manhwa is quite beautiful, and it is delivered quite well through a unique premise and rugged art.
2The Last Question
Let There Be Light
An adaptation of the classic short story by the prolific sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov,The Last Questionis a tale of science and queries. It is a tale of the long-standing mysteries of the universe, and it is a tale that aims to find the truth behind all that ever was, ever is, or ever will be.
The constant and inevitable increase in the entropy of the universe is a fact that won’t be relevant on the cosmic level in any meaningful way for an inconceivably long time. The laws of physics bend to no-one, but perhaps it isn’t the laws of physics that need to bend, but the understanding of humanity.
1Welcome To The Island Of Cats
Heaven For Strays
Pets hold a special place in the hearts of peoplethe world over, and cats are one of the most popular house pets, alongside dogs. These beautiful creatures occupy a good portion of the world’s attention because of their cute behavior and adorable antics. However, stray animals suffer despite the great love showered on their domesticated counterparts.
Welcome to the Island of Catsis a short but heart-wrenching snippet into the life of a stray cat, largely abandoned by society as it searches for its kittens on an island that is entirely occupied by other stray cats.
