Webtoons refer to a digital form of South Korean comics (manhwa). While manhwa was generally unknown outside of Korea when it first appeared, there was a boom in its popularity worldwide, owing to the fact that most manhwas were launched on digital platforms as webtoons. As most of the popular webtoons were created with adults in mind, we at Podium School felt it would be useful to highlight a handful that a younger audience could enjoy. So without further ado, let’s look at the 10 webtoon recommendations that are great for teenagers who look forward to entertaining themselves with either a gripping story or some excellent artwork.
Hooky
Genre: Fantasy and Adventure
Release Date: April 10, 2015
Status: Completed
Synopsis
Daniela “Dani” and Dorian Wytte, two 12-year-old witches miss the bus to magic school. Rather than going home, the twins begin their hunt for a new mentor. However, soon they are deemed to be traitors to their own kind!
The siblings are now being pursued by strong magical families, who are looking for the foretold King of Witches, as well as royals, who are searching for the missing princess. Together with a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see into the future, can the Wytte twins be able to clear their names and save their kingdom? Read Hooky to find out.
Why Should You Read Hooky?
Hooky may not “catch” your attention right away, but gradually you will surely be intrigued by the beauty and complexity of this webtoon’s tale and characters. The author has weaved a rework of old fairy tales as an intriguing narrative component into her webtoon. Furthermore, the characters as well as their interactions and relationships are all pretty distinct and realistic, and you will witness them going through challenges similar to yours. In fact, it is packed with quotes and lessons that teenagers can learn to tackle life as an adult. Some quotes are given below:
- “Why walk when we can race? Life’s too short to waste our time going for a walk.”
- “I’ve read, I’ve studied, I’ve learnt. Now I know I’m stronger. And I’ve got a plan.”
- “Oh, so I’m supposed to enjoy the good things that happen to me instead of living in fear that they’ll turn to dust in my hands”
Your Letter
Genre: Drama
Release Date: February 11, 2019
Status: Completed
Synopsis
Sori is a unique young lady, compassionate, sensitive, and wise beyond her years. Unfortunately, these are not the personality qualities that are normally valued in middle school, particularly Sori’s, where she is cruelly tormented for defending the innocent until she herself becomes a target. To get away, she transfers to a new school, but the same old issues resurface — that is until a strange trail of letters sends Sori on a magical scavenger hunt into the secret world that lurks just beneath the surface of her new middle school. The main trail is the work of an unnamed guardian angel, whose job appears to be to aid Sori with a smooth transition to her new school. But who exactly is this person? And why did he pick her?
Why Should You Read Your Letter?
This webtoon beautifully addresses the topics of bullying, solitude, childhood concerns, and the value of friendship. The basic manga-style artwork, in which characters transform into chibi-like creatures when they are in an extreme mood, is both fun and cute. Except for a few flashbacks, the straight story-telling is like a treasure hunt, with Sori Lee searching for new letters, keeping readers interested until the finish.
Odd girl out
Genre: Drama
Release Date: July 12, 2018
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis
This story is about Nari, a normal-looking girl, and her three friends. Nari’s inferiority issue is the story’s starting point. She first pushes them away due to how others talk about her while they’re together. In fact, she even rests her self-esteem on what others think of her. However, as the story progresses, she eventually learns to disregard what other people say and focus her attention on individuals who genuinely like her for who she is.
Why Should You Read Odd Girl Out?
This story depicts the life of any teenager navigating through tough situations in school. Unlike many other works of fiction, the gorgeous girls in the story are not presented as jerks standing in the way of the main character and her love interest. Instead, they all have true depth. Furthermore, the story deals with crippling everyday problems that teens go through including bullying and bulimia, and showcase the bravery and hard work it takes to overcome such issues. Overall, this is one of the best webtoon recommendations that prioritizes the friendship between the young girls over their love interests.
The Gamer
Genre: Action
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Status: Hiatus
Synopsis
Han Ji-Han is an ordinary high school student, who discovered a rare skill that allowed him to see the world through the eyes of a video gamer. Shortly after this discovery, he discovers a hidden realm full of people just like him. Now, Jihan must now learn how to navigate his newfound power in order to move up in life while managing coursework and performing tasks.
Why should you read The Gamer?
Despite a few hitches in the plot here and there, The Gamer is still worth reading. The protagonist of the webtoon is just like your regular Joe. He isn’t insanely reckless or possesses traits like impassiveness and overconfidence, something that is typically cited in several other webtoon protagonists. Instead, he is a thinker. Furthermore, the art style perfectly suits the webtoon’s game-like aspect. The colour palettes are fantastic, and the characters’ expressions shift throughout the story, making it quite interesting to read.
Batman: Adventures of the Wayne Family
Genre: Comedy and Superhero
Release Date: September 2021
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis
Batman requires a rest. Bruce Wayne has his hands full with new vigilante Duke Thomas arriving into Wayne Manor and an endless supply of adopted, foster, and biological superhuman children to deal with. Being a father can’t be more difficult than being Batman, can it?
In addition to Bruce Wayne/Batman and his devoted butler Alfred Pennyworth, the core cast includes Duke Thomas (The Signal), Jason Todd (Red Hood), Tim Drake (Red Robin), Damian Wayne (Robin), Cassandra Cain (Orphan), Stephanie Brown (Spoiler), Barbara Gordon (Oracle), and Dick Grayson (Nightwing).
Why Should You Read This Webtoon?
This webtoon by DC comics depicts the interactions amongst the Bat-family, a vitriolic, but loving surrogate family of vigilantes that work hard to keep Gotham City safe under the guidance of their master, Batman. Overall, this webtoon is wholesome with joyful, tender moments, which are so unusual in mainstream superhero comics. We also get a clearer look at how the Batman interacts with his children, as well as how they try to ruin his reputation as Gotham’s rich playboy.
The Last Dimension
Genre: Fantasy and Adventure
Release Date: March 9, 2022
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis
This story is set in a world where some of the youngsters have the ability to shapeshift, float, and do many other things. Fai, the protagonist of the story has the ability of precognition, which might be useful to the government or military. Fai’s predictions have always come true, and recently, they’ve gotten worse shortly before the arrival of the new transfer students. What could Fai and her new pals possible do to prevent the impending doom? It’s a good thing they’re not your typical kids!
Why Should You Read The Last Dimension?
The concept of roleplaying is an integral part of growing up. It enables young kids to create their own worlds, and with that, their own personalities. These universes eventually become both their sanctuary and their motivation. The Last Dinmnetion offers teenagers exactly this. It helps individuals to immerse themselves in an intriguing new universe of their own creativity and develop their personalities alongside the story’s characters.
Omniscient Reader’s View Point
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: December 6, 2018
Status: Completed
Synopsis
“Three Ways to Survive in the Apocalypse” was written and published over a decade ago, and Kim Dokja is the only reader who has seen it through to the finish. When the actual world collides with the plot of “Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse”, Kim Dokja’s unique understanding of the novel becomes critical to his survival. He then teams up with Yoo Joonghyuk, the novel’s original protagonist, to change the novel’s original plot and hasten the story’s end. As Kim Dokja and his party members go through the situations, they confront more tough threats and life-or-death difficulties, striving to stay alive while still working together as a team.
Why Should You Read This Webtoon?
The setting of the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint novel is unlike any other in the post-apocalyptic manhwa recommendations on our list. Despite the fact that it includes a levelling system, the premise is quite different. Instead of living in a monster-infested environment, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint depicts scenarios in which humans have to survive by clearing each of the star stream’s scenarios. Furthermore, the narration is another great aspect of the story. In general, a novel is only entertaining when it is well told, and the same can be said about the point of view from which it is written. This story is told from the perspective of the main character in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, but it occasionally shits to that of other characters. This style of narration makes it easier for the readers to learn about the side characters as well as empathise with their experiences and emotions.
Overall, it is an exciting manhwa that makes you want to read more with each scroll. The plot is action-packed and unique, and the characters grow and mature beautifully as a result of the challenges they endure.
Lumine
Genre: Drama
Release Date: May 7, 2017
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis
Lumine, a fugitive werewolf, is hired as a bodyguard by a teenage witch named Kody. Lumine, desperate to befriend Kody, goes to great lengths to gain Kody’s confidence, while Kody tries hard to keep Lumine away from him. Their lives become considerably difficult as they are left to fend for themselves due to a terrible accident. To find out what is threatening the main character’s life, we will have to delve deeper into the story of Lumine.
Why Should You Read Lumine?
In this story, witches and werewolves coexist with normal humans in a magical realm. Their presence is well acknowledged and accepted, and they are valuable members of human society. The depiction of the harmony between the three species is one of the best parts of the story. Furthermore, the characters are entertaining, and everyone has their own peculiarities that set them apart from the crowd. This is one of the most engrossing webtoon in our recommendations and is definitely worth reading for the narrative alone.
Tower of God
Genre: Action and Fantasy
Release Date: June 30, 2010
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis
What do you want? Money or wealth? What about honour and pride, authority and power? Revenge? Or something that surpasses all of them? Whatever you want is right here, in the structure they call “The Tower”. This strange structure contains a variety of habitats and is pervaded by a mysterious force known as “Shinsu,” which in other comic universes has powers similar to magic. Furthermore, it is home to a diverse range of intelligent creatures.
The story follows Twenty-Fifth Bam who spent most of his life imprisoned under a huge and mysterious Tower, with only his close friend Rachel to keep him company. As Rachel enters the Tower, Bam is horrified. Now, he’s ready to go to any length to see Rachel again, even if it leads to his death.
Why Should You Read Tower of God
Even though this manhwa touches on a lot of what a shounen reader would be familiar with (journeying with friends, powering up, etc), this is a fascinating read, that puts a new spin on old themes. The art is a touch rough, but it’s pleasant to look at and quite unique, especially in combat scenes. The only criticism is that the art style can be gender-neutral, hence, leaving you confused about which of the characters are male and which are female.
The characters are where the Manhwa really shines, with a big array of people to love and hate and plenty of variety in each character’s personality. In fact, this is one of those webtoon recommendations that become more enjoyable once the character backstories are fully out.
Overall, if you enjoy a novel with a cunning storyline, action, depth, plot twists, a diverse cast of characters, and a glimpse of human nature, then Tower of God is for you.
Solo Leveling
Genre: Action and Fantasy
Release Date: March 4, 2018
Status: Completed
Synopsis
In a world where hunters, people with magical talents, must face dangerous creatures to save humanity from destruction, a famously weak hunter named Sung Jinwoo finds himself in a seemingly never-ending struggle for existence. After narrowly escaping death in an immensely powerful dungeon, a strange user interface known as the System selects him as its single-player and grants him the exceedingly uncommon ability to level up in strength. Follow Jinwoo as he confronts a variety of human and monster adversaries on his journey to discover the secrets of the dungeons and at the same time, the true source of his abilities.
Why should You Read Solo Leveling
It’s not as if the storyline in Solo Leveling is fantastic, but the execution requires serious admiration. Yes, it is your typical story about monsters invading the planet through portals and people fighting them. Furthermore, there is your main character, who has a weak personality and eventually gets too powerful. However, despite these common tropes, Solo Leveling is in a league of its own.
Sung Jin-Woo, the main character, is the most eye-grabbing in the entire webtoon. From being a weakling who was constantly bullied by other hunters to being South Korea’s finest hunter, this MC definitely stands out. In addition, side characters with amazing personalities, like Cha Hae-In and Go Gun-Hee, add on to the perfectly executed plot.
The artwork is perhaps everyone’s favourite component of this manhwa. In terms of artwork, Solo Leveling is by far the greatest of any other webtoon recommendations on our list. This amazing art style makes the action scenes especially good, as it captures all movements and expressions of the characters while depicting their skills, abilities, as well as their situations remarkably.
Overall, the execution and its characterization, has made this webtoon a masterpiece. Although there is some violence in the webtoon, no gory moments are depicted. Thus, it is suitable for teens of age 14 and above. However, parental guidance is required for kids under this age.
Final Thoughts
The majority of webtoons that have been released deal with mature themes like romance and relationships. The principal topics of these webtoons can sometimes be inappropriate for teenagers, despite the fact that they are not allowed to portray bad language or sexual content by law. Thus, we at Podium School have compiled this list of 10 fantasy, action, slice of life, and drama webtoon recommendations suitable for all teen readers out there.
FAQs
What is the difference between Manga and Webtoons?
Manga refers to any type of Japanese comic book. However, the rest of the world began to refer to Japanese comics as “mangas”. Because of how huge and distinct the manga industry is in compared to the bulk of other comics around the world, they were given their own category. On the other hand, webtoons are digital comics that first originated in South Korea. The table given below discusses the differences between the two forms of storytelling in detail.
| Manga | Webtoons |
| Manga in Japan is often published in volumes. As a result, they’re created with the intention of being read like a book by flipping through the pages. | Webtoons are created for phone experience rather than box models and several pages. As a result, they’re printed on a vertical strip that may be stretched across an infinite canvas. |
| You flip the book like a normal book, except right to left rather than the other way around. | Webtoons are read from top to down as they are published as vertical strips. |
| Mangas are usually black and white. | Webtoons are frequently coloured. |
| For example, Demon Slayer. | For example, The Second Coming of Gluttony. |
Will Solo Leveling have an anime or TV adaptation?
According to the rumours, an anime based on Solo Leveling will most likely be released in March 2023, and will be publicly available to view on platforms such as Funimation and Crunchyroll. This anime adaptation is rumoured to be TV-14, which implies that it is suitable for ages 14 and above.
What are the differences between Odd Girl Out and its TV adaptation, The World of My 17?
The World of My 17, released in April 2020, is a popular web drama adaptation of the webtoon Odd Girl Out. However, the show does not follow the webtoon very closely. We have listed out 5 differences between the two in the table below:
| The World of My 17 | Odd Girl Out |
| Focuses less on Nari’s growth and struggle to overcome her insecurity and bulimia. Furthermore, in the show, her friend, YuNa help Nari be accepted back by her friends. | The webtoon beautifully portrays the courage it required for Nari to gain confidence and overcome her eating disorder. In addition, here Nari got her place back among her friends by herself. |
| Focuses less on friendship and more on romantic relationships. | Focuses more on the friendship between the four girls. |
| Changed MiRae’s background. In the show, she is popular, girly and lives to be the centre of attention. | In the webtoon, MiRae is tomboyish as easygoing. Furthermore, she was a victim of evil editing and cyberbullying, which are not shown in the drama. |
| Seon Ji is a dumb character in the drama. | In the webtoon, Seon Ji is portrayed as a ditzy and kind-hearted girl who is hardworking and likes to help her friends. |
Why is Rachel from the Tower of God hated?
Tower of God is unquestionably a series about the journey rather than the goal. In fact, the bonds Bam forms with his newfound buddies are the focus of the story. This is partly owing to Bam’s previous relationship with Rachel. However, the story’s writer took a surprising turn that no one could have predicted. They made Rachel an infamous antagonist.
Rachel is a character that is regarded favourably by the series’ author, yet with venom and malice by fans. This is because, the readers get a glance into Rachel’s mind at the end of the manhwa’s prologue, and learn that she had been envious of Bam for having what she didn’t. As a result, she pushed him over the Tower in an attempt that nearly killed him. To elicit sympathy, she also pretended to be unable to walk and utilised Bam to ascend higher up the Tower. These wrongdoings have led numerous readers to develop feelings of hatred towards this character. Furthermore, her character’s representation might spark a bigger conversation regarding depictions of female villains and patterns of fandom sexism on the internet.
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