I haven’t read it yet, just part with Na Hwajin (I’m down bad for him). So far, honestly weird. He actually IS usually the kind of guy who cares if someone did or didn’t kill someone, the person who tries to find out the truth and help actual victims. Whole TRPA is based on fixing criminals (in extreme ways), so what’s that talk that he doesn’t believe people can be fixed? They better give him a good reason cause so far it seems very out of character for him
Absolutely, Na Hwajin is undoubtedly stronger and far more skilled than Gamin. While Gamin is certainly no slouch, taking down a group of adult gangsters is no small feat, and he’s far from your average high school fighter but it’s important to consider that Hwajin is implied to surpass even his colleague, the red head chick from Hanlim Gym, skill-wise. She herself has demonstrated Gamin-level feats, effortlessly dispatching dozens of gangsters despite being several weight classes below them etc. Moreover, she hails from the same special forces unit as Na Hwajin, which speaks volumes about her combat abilities.
Hell, even one of the new TRPA recruits (whose name escapes me at the moment, though she’s an absolute brute and a brilliant character) has shown Gamin-tier feats, yet she’s hilariously outclassed by the redhead in terms of skill. To summarise, the scaling goes like this: Na Hwajin >> Redhead >>>>>> High school brute. This makes the scenario of Gamin and Im Dajun needing to team up just to make Na Hwajin break a sweat entirely plausible, he’s indeed that overpowered.
Side note: as for the concern about Na’s behavior seeming slightly out of character, it’s worth noting that the kidnapped child is indirectly tied to his fiance's murder. As seen in True Education (read it for additional context), Na tends to enter a berserk state whenever he encounters anyone associated with her death. While the child was neither aware of the tragedy nor directly responsible for it, the situation remains an understandably sensitive and deeply personal matter for Na Hwajin, hence the somewhat erratic behavior.
I wrote bibles verses, sorry about that lads xd
See! I totally agree. I get Gamin is very strong, but that’s within his own universe, Hwajin is another level. Gamin is outstanding as a high school fighter (and common gangster level), but Hwajin is outstanding in spectrum of even special forces. It’s just not comparable, I would be shocked if he had any issues with them. Also, even high school level wise, if Gamin was compared to people from for example Lookism, I think he would fall really short too. I would be curious where Hwajin would fall on Lookism spectrum tho just cause people in that manhwa are so unrealistically and crazy overpowered that it doesn’t even really make sense at all (like all villains have crazy plot armor). I know they are completely different universes, but since they are also about high schoolers I wanted to add that in.
Also, if it’s about his fiancé then makes sense.
It’s a shared universe, so both of them exist within the same continuity, but I see your point, no worries lad. Lookism does feature characters with utterly absurd feats such as being able to destroy wrecking balls with a single punch which is far beyond street level, it’s outright superhuman. With that in mind, I’d say the top-tier characters in True Education and Study Group would likely rank as mid tier at best within Lookism, although I've heard Hanlim Gym (the red head chick first appeared there) got stronger feats, even comparable with Lookism but I'm not sure how credible this information is given that I've yet to finish Hanlim Gym.
That said, it’s all fictional, and the author has the creative liberty to do as they please. A high schooler defeating a highly trained operative from a secretive anti-terrorism unit might seem implausible, but it’s entirely possible in this context. After all, we’ve seen it happen before in other manhwas, take Viral Hit, for example - the protagonist, a 17 yo high schooler, managed to defeat a special forces dude, which made absolutely no sense, yet it still happened.
I haven’t finished Viral Hit and read it a while ago, so I have to restart the whole thing, but I think the difference is that in Viral Hit it’s all side characters so we don’t know how strong they really are in their universes, however here we do know kind of the strength scale and how high Hwajin really is on it and how his skills compare to others. Cause otherwise, going that way, big criminals shouldn’t be so easy to defeat either yet Gamin did it. So, I think it’s a bit different situation than in Viral Hit (like there you also have, if I remember correctly, some super skilled Yakuza guy who also realistically someone like the MC shouldn’t be able to take on).
Also, I’m a chic and not a lad hahahaha
And in Lookism breaking wrecking ball is one thing, but also Gun fighting like literally hundreds of people, including super strong main/side characters we know full stories and skills of, including some with guns (I think) and coming out unscathed? I love that webtoon and I like overpowered characters, but villains in Lookism even I find a bit ridiculous They seriously have some S-tier MC plot armors.
Honestly, it’s been ages since I last read Viral Hit, but I do recall some absolutely insane feats from nearly every character in that series. For instance, the Taekwondo champion dude who could bend metal with his kicks and take on ten opponents single handedly - his father, if I’m not mistaken, is a friend of Manager Kim (who appeared in lookism, humiliated some of top tier lads there without even trying - he's even more OP in his own series), and they’re both elites among elites within the military (anti-terrorism units that operates on a global scale and later became contractors). Then there’s the Judo nerd-looking guy who’s ridiculously durable, capable of shattering concrete with his punch etc. And, if memory serves, the MC managed to defeat both of them, and bear in mind they're all a bunch of high schoolers
Couldn't agree more, it's absolutely ridiculous and I love it XD - considering I'm also (or rather used to be) a DC/Marvel fan (especially street tier characters), lookism characters can give them a run for their money. In fact, the top tiers in Lookism could likely carve out a reputation among DC and Marvel’s best martial artists, barring those with special abilities.
Oh and my point is, since it’s all fiction, anything can happen. For all we know, we might even see a bloodlusted Gamin take on the TRPA’s top tiers in a 1v3 scenario, including Na Hwajin himself. Who’s to say what’s next? Only the author has control over that but I'd be honestly disappointed if Gamin beats Na Hawjin for reasons we both know xD
I mean, duh, of course anything can happen since it’s fiction. However, not everythIng will make sense and make a consistent story. Imo if Gamin just suddenly takes out Hwajin “cause he’s that good of a fighter” I would just find that as bad writing. They would have to give him some complex and insane plan to make me believe that him taking Hwajin out was at all possible
I don’t believe there are any, tbh. I’ve read a few manhwas with decent female leads, but they’re not quite the same genre as SC or MK. A couple that come to mind, which incorporate fantasy elements, are Unholy Blood and my personal favorite, Reminiscence Adonis. There are a plethora of other similar manhwas, but their names escape me at the moment. If you’re after something strictly martial arts or fight-focused with a female protagonist, I’d suggest giving Girls of the Wild a try. It’s been sitting on my reading list for ages, but I’ve yet to find the time to properly delve into it, however, people really liked it so I guess that's a plus!
Yeah for sure, lookism top tiers would be far closer to superhumans rather than your typical street leveler, the only character (among the street level chars ofc) within the MCU that has the potential to shatter a boulder with a hit is Spiderman but he's a flat out superhuman+ when he goes all out so I don't think he truly counts as a street level character lol, the rest of them don't operate anywhere near close to that level, at least not regularly.
Oh, that's easily one of the best manhwas I've read but I dropped it at around chpt 240, just when things started getting good bahahaha, had a lot on my plate at the time and never managed to pick it back up. Now I've forgotten most of the plot so I'd have a to do a complete reread which feels like quite the hassle, it's currently sitting at over 300 chapters... ughhh
Rip the exam tho, somewhat relatable xD
I heard of that one, have it in my reading list as well. Honestly, it doesn’t have to be a female protagonist, I’m just so over writing women as sex objects or damsels-in-distress that only personality trait is to fawn over ML. That’s why I like Eleceed so much, probably best written women I’ve seen in an action manhwa. They are strong, have personalities and aren’t objectified. It really sucks that majority of PTJ stories have everything done great except their female characters, they really are trash. In Lookism even the ones that have actually been proven to be strong, I mean Crystal is one of the geniuses, don’t even get any screen-time? A lot of people try to excuse it that people would complain about violence against women if women were to fight, but that’s such nonsense. I mean looking at True Education, Arcane, Killer Peter etc, like no one has an issue with that there. Such a poor excuse
I actually attempted to read it 3 times before it actually stuck, but when it stuck, it REALLY STUCK hahahah. Right now I’m marinating it (I always with action manhwas catch up and then l let it sit for like 20 chapters to catch up again and repeat). I had to reread like 200 chapters of Lookism before, for the same reason as you so yeah hhahahah Had no idea who the characters were and what was going on, didn’t remember. I probably will have to re-read entire WindBreaker cause took a break from it due to stressful moment in the story and was waiting for it to pass, over 200 chapters later and it still didn’t pass… So yeah
Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. It’s utterly pointless, and then it devolves into a harem which is something I truly abhor in action-packed fantasy stories with a decent plot. It completely undermines the narrative. There’s no reason to introduce characters whose sole purpose is to fawn over the protagonist; it’s detrimental to the story as a whole.
I don’t mind romance at all, but it needs to be done right. Female characters should have distinct traits and well rounded personalities. Take, f.e, The Greatest Estate Developer manhwa (GOATED asf), it features some brilliant female characters. The queen, for instance, is strong and genuinely well-written. I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you haven’t read it yet, then what can I say... you’re seriously missing out a lot, ya gotta give it a read sometime. I'm currently waiting for updates while rereading the last 25 chapters of "The Dark Magician Transmigrates After 66666 Years" (good shit, the plot starts to thicken towards the latest chapters, it's still ongoing).
In the MCU, yeah true. The comics are a completely different story though, especially when it comes to feats. The main issue lies in the sheer number of writers, each bringing their own unique approach to the characters they’re handling. This makes it incredibly difficult to find consistency in power levels or even a middle ground, particularly for the more overpowered characters. Street-levelers, on the other hand, tend to remain relatively consistent despite the varying writers.
As a huge Batman fan, I can confidently say the guy is absolutely insane in some storylines. Just recently, he used Supergirl’s own weight to counter her speed blitz and physically threw her away... I mean, come on! I know he’s Batman, but that’s just ridiculous. And here’s the kicker, he’s not even the best martial artist in DC, that title belongs to Lady Shiva.
It really highlights how convoluted power scaling can get in DC and Marvel, largely due to the sheer number of writers involved. In contrast, manhwas and manga tend to avoid this issue, which is honestly a bit refreshing and I love it.
Bahahah tell me about it! I've got the same problem, you start a series, take a break and then when you come back to it, it's like "who the heck are these people? What's going on" and then you'll have to reread it from the start, which is akin to biking uphill, kinda tiring but Ig if it's worth it then it's worth it.
I agree so much! I hate harems with a burning passion, but I also usually don’t like romance in pure action either. It’s alright if it’s a genuinely interesting FL, she doesn’t exist just to be a love interest, and they have a lot of chemistry, however most of the times that’s not the case. Tbh, even in Solo Leveling (I’m glad romance was kept to side stories) even tho FL was strong, their major connection was just her having a crush on him. I don’t think they had chemistry built up throughout the story). The greatest developer I didn’t read cause idk, art style is super important to me and that one isn’t really my type.
However, when it comes to female characters, some people also mistake their sheer existence for harem??? Which is also annoying. There is this manhwa I’m reading and like 50% (I think around that, maybe a little more, but genuinely not like a majority), especially the major character, are women. And I see SO MANY men complaining that it’s harem and whatnot, when only one of those characters is actually into MC??? You know there was actually a study that showed that when there’s 50%, or even a bit less, in a conversation then men perceive that as a female dominated environment. Those guys in those comments made me think of that study. It’s honestly absurd, especially when they have no issue when manhwa is 99% just men.
But yeah, action has quite an issue with writing good female characters
I completely understand where you’re coming from, the art plays a significant role. It took some time but that style of artwork eventually grew on me, and I ended up falling in love with the series.
Honestly I have no idea about the comments. I rarely read them, and believe it or not, this is literally the first time I’ve interacted with anyone on this site in over five years, lol. Reading manhwas is just a hobby for me, and seeing people take it too seriously can really kill the mood, you know? Bringing up topics like sexism in something meant to bring joy or provide a temporary escape from reality feels like such a massive L.
That's an intriguing study. I get why some people dislike having all-female casts in action manhwas, some hate it for good reasons when it feels forced and others just do it purely for hate, or in other words, incels, yes they do exist in all platforms, and you shouldn't pay any mind to them. Personally, I don’t mind an interesting FL at all, in fact, most of my friends (both genders) enjoy FL stories but dislike female characters that feel like they’ve been thrown in just for the sake of it with no real substance or contribution to the overall story. All in all, I like to think of it as a matter of preference rather than anything deeper. Otherwise, it delves into complicated territory I’d much rather avoid entirely.
That having been said, I also understand the frustration when a story starts pushing particular narrative about men or women, to the point where it feels like the author(s) is forcibly pushing their ideology onto the readers. The moment a decent story (regardless whether it's manhwa, manga, or comics) veers in that direction, I drop it instantly. I'm just built that way (I'm certain most people are too).
Lmao, relatable. I don’t bother buying them anymore. I just read them online. There are plethora of sites where you can read them. I started reading comics around 2012–2014, and I felt completely lost at first too. To make it easier, I focused on the mainstream universes, Earth Prime for DC and Earth-616 for Marvel (at the time DC's mainstream universe was killed in flashpoint event and New 52 Earth was introduced but in 2016 they basically rebooted their universe and reverted back into the old one, by killing off their characters and emerging some of them 'cause that's what the fans wanted). I also explored Elseworld stories (multiverse tales, crossovers, and so on), which eventually helped me get back on track.
I know this doesn’t exactly make it easier for someone just starting out with comics, it’s definitely a hot mess right now, but I figured I’d share my experience since I’m such a fan, lol.
Based. For me it's "the returner's magic should be special" - it is the best manhwa I've ever read, I actually reread it twice. It's complete now, I recommend reading it, if you're into action packed fantasy genre with decent character development then it is definitely for you, and the artwork isn't half bad so you don't need to worry.
Yeah if story is good then I can also move past the art style, but it honestly really depends.
On this I have to disagree though. I think bringing up important topics (when they are relevant) is very important. Criticism where the criticism is due should be shared even if the story is just meant to bring joy. I think a lot of people get emotionally invested in the story and that’s normal, so do I. That’s kind of the point of storytelling. Of course some people take it to the extreme, however to not notice that fiction does impact our reality would be ignorant. So, yeah, I do think that if story is genuinely problematic then authors should be held accountable for it. Media are a very powerful tool.
When it comes to sexism especially, it’s kinda what you said isn’t it? About author pushing ideologies onto readers? Just it usually may not feel as much like it if it’s not directed at you. People say that pretty much only when it comes to progressive stuff, but never really when it comes to old-fashioned ones. Which is a bit ironic, because the feeling about forced ideologies is the same for the other side when it comes to what we deemed normal. The only reason a lot of things feel forced is because they weren’t represented before like things that we now consider common. Of course, there are things that are 100% forced and very in your face (like a lot of live action adaptations), but very often people complain even if they aren’t at all. Often it is smth deeper than a preference. Of course it’s not always the case, as Arcane is one of the most progressive shows and it’s popularity is crazy because of how well written it is, but I think you know what I mean. So, I think this subject is also subjective.
I have it on my reading list! The best manhwa I’ve ever read quality wise, honestly could be Omniscient Readers Viewpoint. World building is crazy, chemistry between characters, writing of female characters, art-style. Everything is peak. Lookism would also be up there if it wasn’t for their trash female characters and a bit absurd power scale But the world building and character design is also insane (I love how every side character has genuine backstory and great importance for the story).
My apologies lass, I had a long day, couldn't respond in time. I get what you’re saying, and I think you make a rather fair point. Fiction does indeed have an impact on reality, and it’s true that ignoring that entirely would be a bit shortsighted. Media is a powerful tool, and when it perpetuates harmful stereotypes or ideologies, it can reinforce those in the real world. That’s why it’s important for creators to reflect on their work, like f.e example the drama that happened with True Education, at one point the author(s) gave a misrepresentation of black people, you know the stereotype of your average black person is ugly, and it backfired on the team responsible for publishing the manhwa but it was later fixed so when authors are willing to acknowledge and correct those mistakes, it shows growth and responsibility, which is something I respect. What really gets to me, though, is when people blow things out of proportion for childish reasons. Take a manhwa that’s supposed to focus on female characters and their stories, it’s always the same small group that complains about having an all-female cast. Like, brother if you don’t like it, don’t read it, yeaht? But they still find a way to whine about it regardless. The same goes for people who hate all-male casts, yeah misandry is a thing, but honestly, the ones who complain about all-female casts seem to be the loudest in the room. It’s such a frustrating double standard, and I fully understand why it would annoy you and it's well within your rights to point it out. Personally, I don’t let it bother me too much because I don’t pay much attention to it, but I can see how it can ruin the experience for others.
That said, I think it’s also about balance. Storytelling is meant to entertain, but it can also challenge perspectives and start conversations. However, when a story starts feeling like it’s more focused on pushing a specific narrative than telling a good story, that’s where it loses me. For me, the escapism and enjoyment are a big part of why I read these works in the first place. When it becomes too preachy or one-sided, it can feel like the author is prioritizing their ideology over the characters and plot, which just isn’t my thing.
I think you’re right that some people might overreact or complain about things that aren’t actually forced, especially when it’s something new or different from the norm. But at the same time, I feel like it’s valid for readers to voice their frustrations if something genuinely feels out of place or poorly executed. Representation matters, but it needs to be done with care and depth. A well-written character, regardless of their gender or background, can resonate with anyone. It’s when characters feel like they’re added just to tick a box that people start to disengage, myself included.
In the end, I guess it really does come down to personal preference and how each person interprets the story. For me, if a story handles these topics in a way that feels natural and adds to the narrative, I’m all for it. But if it starts to feel like a lecture or an agenda, I’d rather move on to something else. That’s just how I approach it, but I appreciate hearing your perspective, it’s given me something to think about.
Oh yeah, I actually started ORV about three months ago and then completely forgot it existed, lmao. I’ve only read the first three chapters so far. I’ll definitely pick it back up when I have more time on my hands. Speaking of manhwas with great world-building, The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live a Normal Life comes to mind. The plot, the suspense etc it’s got every element a solid fantasy story needs. Even the art is beautiful. You just have to bear with it for the first 19 chapters, where it’s more of a "decent 7/10". But after chpt 19, it levels up to a masterpiece, IMHO. I think it’s definitely worth it.
That said, I should let you know it has no romance element and barely any female characters, which might be a bit of a downer for you, understandably so. But since you’re into a story that focuses heavily on character growth, strategy, and a well-built fantasy world, I’d say give it a shot!
Also I was gonna mention arcane for well written female characters (leads)... that show is INSANELY good. A fucking masterpiece, I dare say so. That is how you write female characters without having to shove all that woke stinky shit down the audience's throat, it's perfectly balanced. My fav characters there are jinx, ekko and Viktor and I’m eagerly waiting for the third season, even though it’s going to be more of a spin-off (or maybe a completely new show, but still connected to the original). This time, they’re focusing on Noxus, and I can’t wait. They’ve already introduced Katarina, Elise, and LeBlanc, and of course, my favorite top-lane character from the game, Darius. I’m so hyped to see how they’ll bring his story to life this time around.
First of all, sorry for such late response. I was in the middle of exams so I didn’t have time. Wanted to give this a proper attention so I waited to be done.
I agree with majority of things you said, however I think with all-male and all-female cast, there are some important things to take into consideration. Like 1. Why are they only one gender? Like if it’s prison then it makes total sense since prison is divided by gender. 2. I don’t think it’s a double standard, because I think it’s like a difference with “punching up” and “punching down” situations. All-male casts are a standard, all-female casts… honestly I don’t think I’ve ever seen any? In any way, if it’s not specific setting that makes sense, then I think it should be balanced in both. Otherwise I consider that to just be bad writing. I can somewhat understand it if it’s a realistic setting and obviously, for majority cases, women are not as strong as men. However, how many of those manhwas are actually realistic? They aren’t, not at all. The issue is, that for vast majority of all-male cast it is simply that, bad writing. There are female characters, they are just horribly written. It doesn’t make sense for there to be no good female characters, because the setting isn’t either realistic or specific (like I said with prison). And this is a standard, not an exception, which is why I believe it should be criticized.
I totally agree about your second point! Good writing is a story that makes valid points without sounding preachy or shallow. I think the Barbie movie is a good example of that. I was very excited about it and had high expectations, I think the premise was very good, however the delivery… rather disappointing. I guess I’m glad it was made because a lot of people needed to hear those things, since I’ve heard them constantly it didn’t have that much impact on me. Writing just for me wasn’t the best quality. It reminded me of social media progressiveness and what people say on Twitter, from the directors previous works I just simply had higher expectations. It was an entertaining movie, but it definitely wasn’t outstanding to me.
I also fully agree with your third point. Even people who are a part of minorities do not like forced characters. You can really tell when it’s forced or just done for “diversity”. I think Arcane is the best example of progressiveness and representation done right.
I also appreciate your perspective! I like productive exchanges of arguments
ORV also can have a bit of a slower start tbh. It took me a little bit until I got sucked into it. Romance wise, I don’t care at all, actually I kind of dislike romance in action manhwas. When the protagonist is a woman, more often it feels more natural to me (though not always, sometimes it’s so forced too), but with stories when men are protagonists it 9 out 10 times just feels out of place. Like the female lead is not interesting, barely relevant to the story and it’s just a downer. Lack of female characters is more of the downer for me but I can bear with it. I did for most stories I read :’)
Arcane is indeed an absolute masterpiece. Besides well-written characters, also their representation of disabilities (like you don’t even notice them most of the time, I realized Sevika not having an arm was a disability well after the show ended), sexualities, male vulnerability etc. It’s all just so insanely well executed. My favorites were Jinx, Vi and Ekko.
Also, the new shows won’t be spin-offs, they will be entirely different shows. However, I am so excited. I also seen that video and the characters seem so interesting. I will say though, especially the designs of women, I just know that show will have a strong grip on me.
She really wanted them to set her son straight, but was like “Only do it with my methods, they don’t work but make them work. If you try your methods that actually help, it’s invalid, you just don’t get how special my son is” Like be fr You either accept their help or you don’t
That’s literally the problem with so many parents, they choose to do something in their own method and when it doesn’t work instead of actually doing proper research they choose methods from others that they think are going to work & when they dont they blame it on the kid or others & not themselves
What’s the use of swords-master in the family if he’s never there when needed
Yeah, I kinda agree. Like the eldest is the heir, but they never showed him as an appropriate leader or deserving of inheriting the title. He is always shown to be helpless in need to be saved cause he ends up where his brother should be. He hasn’t been very dependable so far, and their father also doesn’t play much role in that. On the other hand Theodore is never there when needed and was also shown as kinda useless in the field of his brother a.k.a politics. Also, how can the little prince be treasured by the emperor and empress but also so neglected and abused? Doesn’t make sense.
I mostly read it for the art style and family dynamic
Finally! I’m so glad he proposed, but I wonder if they will address the issue of the difference between their lifespans. Or just be like “and they lived happily ever after” and end it.
I respect that actor’s opinion, but I absolutely could never date someone so possessive and jealous. Each to their own I guess tho I know it’s also strong in Korean dating culture










First things first, hope all the bastards who were behind the 8th unit die very slow deaths. Okay, so:
1. I’m guessing Ceres is the 1st prince? He was sent off super young, so it wouldn’t make sense for the 2nd prince to be behind it, so probably it was the empress (per usual).
2. Yet again, I hope they all die for this.
3. I love FL so much. Also, her and Ceres are basically like a married couple. They did almost everything together already, they have so much tension, chemistry and affection. I just want them together already