Summary
- The best romance manhwa beautifully depict the different dimensions of romance, with all of its highs and lows.
- Orange Marmalade is a strong addition to the vampire and human romance genre, offering a fun spin on paranormal romance.
- Who Made Me a Princess stands out among isekai romance stories, with an incredibly compelling plot and a fun protagonist. It is the best romance manhwa.
The best romance manhwa are some of the medium’s most intriguing and captivating stories, and rightfully so. Interpersonal relationships are always complicated, as intentions may be unclear and miscommunications arise, not to mention dissonant values and opinions. Adding romance into the mix only makes everything that much more difficult, yet likewise rewarding when couples do manage to find happiness together.
In a medium as varied and creative as manhwa, even a genre such as romance is bound to include a variety of different titles, ranging from grounded and relatable ones to supernatural and exciting ones. However, what the best ones have in common is that they all beautifully depict the different dimensions of romance, with all of its inherent highs and lows.
10 Orange Marmalade Offers a Fun Spin of Paranormal Romance
By Seokwoo
Set in a world where vampires coexist with humans, Orange Marmalade revolves around a forbidden love wherein two people manage to overcome their differences and find happiness together. Although the existence of vampires is neither a myth nor a secret, humans fear and despise them greatly, which is why they are forced to hide their identities. Baek Ma Ri, a young vampire disillusioned with the idea of interpersonal relationships due to past events and discrimination, ends up coming across Jung Jae Min, a likewise troubled boy who slowly but surely falls for her.
Though the genre of vampire and human romance has been thoroughly explored, Orange Marmalade is a strong addition that will likely appeal to any fan of supernatural romance. The series is a beautiful tale depicting the power and resilience of love, making one of the best romance manhwa available.
9 Operation: True Love is the Quintessential High School Romance Manhwa
By kkokkalee & Dledumb
Operation: True Love takes the classic complicated situation of high-school love and utilizes a supernatural twist to create one of the best romance stories. The story revolves around Su-Ae Sim, a girl stuck in a relationship with an indifferent boyfriend, Min-U Kang, who never puts in equal effort, failing to respond to her feelings appropriately. However, her life starts to change when a sentient phone named Jellypop suddenly shows up in her locker, commenting on her love life and choices. Drifting away from her boyfriend, Su-Ae starts to learn what true love is about and what it’s supposed to feel like.
High school is one of the most popular settings for romance stories, and Operation: True Love is a classic example of why high school is such fertile ground for romance stories. The heightened emotions and conflicting feelings of being a teenager make Su-Ae’s story incredibly compelling.
8 See, Hear, Love is a Sweet Romance With a Beautiful Hook
By Yeong-Hun GO
See, Hear, Love follows the unique romance between Min Geun Soo, who can’t see, and Jeon So Ri, who can’t hear. Geun Soo used to be a manhwa artist, but the need to take care of himself and his mother pushed him to his limits, to the point where the strain caused him to lose his eyesight. This was a devastating development for him, but it’s also what allowed him to meet So Ri, a deaf girl. Their relationship is not one without obstacles and difficult choices, but true love always prevails.
Though it might not be the most popular genre, romance stories involving disabilities are actually quite common in manga, manhwa, and anime as shown by big series like A Sign of Affection, which also features a deaf protagonist. See, Hear, Love offers a unique spin on this by having protagonists with different disabilities. This unique angle isn’t just good representation, it also makes See, Hear, Love one of the most compelling romance manhwa.
7 Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion is One of the Best Isekai Romance Manhwa
By Milcha & Whale
The trope of an ordinary person waking up in the world of a fictional world is common in isekai stories, but these characters typically end up being either the heroes or villains of their respective titles. This is where Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, as the titular Raeliana is an unimportant side character, fated to die at the end of her story. Aware of what awaits her, and unwilling to accept this fate, Raeliana looks to Duke Noah Volstaire Wynknight with the intention of changing the story and ensuring her survival, without realizing she is about to genuinely fall in love with him.
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion offers a new spin on the popular isekai and romance tropes that have risen to prominence lately. What makes the series work beyond its fun premise is its lovable cast of characters and the undeniable chemistry between its two central leads. All of this adds up to making Raeliana one of the best romance manhwa.
6 A Good Day to Be a Dog Shows How Comedy Can Work in Romane Manhwa
By Lee Hey
One thing that is clearly identifiable from its title is that A Good Day to Be a Dog is a romance story, unlike any other. The story follows Han Hana, a teacher afflicted with a family curse that turns her into a dog the first time she kisses someone. The only way to break this curse is to get a second kiss from the same person, while still in the form of a dog. Ironically enough, the one person she ends up kissing is Jin Seon, a coworker who is simply terrified of dogs.
In spite of its unserious-sounding title, A Good Day to Be a Dog proves to be one of the most entertaining romance manhwa ever. The series’ more comedic tone lends it an air of irreverence that makes A Good Day to Be a Dog endlessly readable.
5 Bastard is One of the Darkest Manhwa With Romance
By Carnby Kim & Youngchan Hwang
Bastard is a truly unique title as well as one of the best manhwa on Webtoon, as it is significantly darker compared to the other romance manhwa. It follows the life of Seon Jin, a boy dealing with bullies at school and a psychopatic father at home, who forces him to assist in murdering innocent people and hiding their traces. However, his hopeless prospects begin to change when a ray of sunlight enters his world, in the form of Yoon Kyun, a girl who not only helps him escape his situation but also teaches him about love.
While Bastard isn’t a straight-up romance, the central relationship between Jin and Yoon is a major element of the story. Bastard is a manhwa for any romance fan looking for something a bit darker.
4 Girls of the Wild’s Adds Martial Arts to Romance Manhwa
By HUN & Zhena
The events of Girls of the Wild’s take place in the titular Wild’s Private High School, an elite all-girls school focused on producing the strongest warriors in the martial arts world. When this school changes its policy and allows male applicants, only one is brave enough to apply. Having obtained the scholarship that he so desperately needed, Song Jae Gu may consider himself lucky, but he soon learns that this environment is unlike any other, and that he can’t survive without learning to fight.
Despite being tense and action-packed, Girls of the Wild’s martial arts story still allows Jae Gu time to fall in love and develop relationships with various interesting strong girls. The martial arts edge and the interested characters all contribute to making Girls of the Wild’s a wholly original and enthralling romance manhwa.
3 Something About Us Shows How Convention Doesn’t Have to Be Bad
By Lee Yunji
Something About Us proves that there is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to romance, as the age-old tale of childhood friends growing closer and falling in love will always be enjoyable, provided the execution is competent. The story revolves around Woojin Han and Gayong Doh, who became the best of friends in high school, forming a genuine friendship based on trust and mutual respect. However, as they grew older and continued to explore each other and themselves in their college years, their relationship likewise evolved.
The realistic characters and heartwarming interactions set Something About Us apart from others, in spite of its common premise. While there are more than a few unique romance manhwa, that doesn’t mean a series inherently needs a killer premise. Strong writing and romantic chemistry can be more than enough for most readers, as proven by Something About Us.
2 Seasons of Blossom is a Gorgeous Exploration of Youth
By HONGDUCK & NEMONE
Seasons of Blossom follows not one, but multiple different love stories. With all of these stories taking place between adolescents just learning what life and love are about, Seasons of Blossom succeeds not only as a romance story, but also as an exploration of youth in general, depicting themes such as mental health and bullying.
Above all else, Seasons of Blossom remains a brilliant and touching study of love, with all of its ups and downs. From the happy moments and precious memories, to the turmoils of romance and the complicated nature of interpersonal relationships, the genuine and realistic characters portrayed here experience all ranges of emotions.
1 Who Made Me a Princess is the Best Romance Manhwa
By Plutus & Spoon
Who Made Me a Princess is a fairly typical isekai romance story of a woman from modern-day Korea who finds herself as the secondary character of a novel she was reading. Now known as Athanasia de Alger Obel, a secondary character in “The Lovely Princess”, she must find a way to change the story, as her fate is initially a tragic one, of dying at the hands of a father who, due to her mother dying in childbirth, never showed her any affection. In the midst of trying to ensure her survival, Athanasia also manages to develop friendships and romantic relationships in this new magical world.
Isekai stories focused on characters being transported to the world of a game or story they’re reading have become quite common, which is why it’s so remarkable that Who Made Me a Princess stands out. The series has an incredibly compelling plot and Athanasia is a fun protagonist. With all of its strengths put together, Who Made Me a Princess is the best romance manhwa and every fan of love stories should give it a read.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
