Why are there different words for "manga" and "manhwa"?


So lately I have been noticing that a lot of people on fora tend to mistake
manga and manhwa. And of course, I know that manga stands for comics made in
Japan, and manhwa for comics made in Korea.

But what is the reason for the different naming? Or is there even a reason
besides them coming from different lands to begin with?

In the end they are both comics with usually (a bit dependent on the
artist/writer of course) same art/story building and the like.




Briefly: _manhwa_ is the Korean reading of the word 漫画, while _manga_ is the
Japanese reading.1 In their respective languages, both words basically mean
the same thing - "comics". In English, we use the Korean reading _manhwa_ to
refer to Korean comics, and the Japanese reading _manga_ to refer to Japanese
comics.

Why do we have different words for these things? **Because manhwa and manga
are _not_ the same thing.**

* * *

To explain what I mean, let me backtrack a bit and talk about why we don't
just call manga "comics". I know that these days there's something of a
backlash against the idea that "manga" is a distinct thing from "comics",
presumably a reaction against '90s-era weeabooism and orientalism that
identifies Japanese art as some sort of elevated form that is beyond
comparison with the art of the West.

There is a kernel of truth in this backlash, but it's been taken too far.
Reasonable people today will probably agree that there isn't anything about
manga that makes them inherently _superior_ to Western comics - but it is
certainly the case that manga and Western comics are _different_. In fact,
aside from being of the same medium, manga and Western comics (for the most
part) have essentially nothing in common! Art styles, typical plots / subject
matter, character archetypes, form factors, publication methodologies, etc.
all differ between manga and Western comics.

Now, manhwa and manga are more closely related than manga and Western comics,
but the same principle still applies - there are salient differences between
the two forms, which is why we often talk about them using two different
words. Foremost among the differences is the fact that they're largely written
by two different groups of people, and thus tend to reflect the interests of
two different cultures. (Try telling a Korean person that their culture is
basically Japanese, or vice versa - they probably won't be happy!)

In closing, I will reply to this claim of yours:

> In the end they are both comics with usually (bit Dependant on the
> artist/writer off course) same art/story building and the likes.

There's more to art than just medium. Medium matters, but so does content, and
it would be a gross oversimplification to claim that content of manga and
manhwa are essentially the same.

* * *

### Notes

1 More or less, anyway, modulo issues of character simplification.




Briefly: _manhwa_ is the Korean reading of the word 漫画, while _manga_ is the
Japanese reading.1 In their respective languages, both words basically mean
the same thing - "comics". In English, we use the Korean reading _manhwa_ to
refer to Korean comics, and the Japanese reading _manga_ to refer to Japanese
comics.

Why do we have different words for these things? **Because manhwa and manga
are _not_ the same thing.**

* * *

To explain what I mean, let me backtrack a bit and talk about why we don't
just call manga "comics". I know that these days there's something of a
backlash against the idea that "manga" is a distinct thing from "comics",
presumably a reaction against '90s-era weeabooism and orientalism that
identifies Japanese art as some sort of elevated form that is beyond
comparison with the art of the West.

There is a kernel of truth in this backlash, but it's been taken too far.
Reasonable people today will probably agree that there isn't anything about
manga that makes them inherently _superior_ to Western comics - but it is
certainly the case that manga and Western comics are _different_. In fact,
aside from being of the same medium, manga and Western comics (for the most
part) have essentially nothing in common! Art styles, typical plots / subject
matter, character archetypes, form factors, publication methodologies, etc.
all differ between manga and Western comics.

Now, manhwa and manga are more closely related than manga and Western comics,
but the same principle still applies - there are salient differences between
the two forms, which is why we often talk about them using two different
words. Foremost among the differences is the fact that they're largely written
by two different groups of people, and thus tend to reflect the interests of
two different cultures. (Try telling a Korean person that their culture is
basically Japanese, or vice versa - they probably won't be happy!)

In closing, I will reply to this claim of yours:

> In the end they are both comics with usually (bit Dependant on the
> artist/writer off course) same art/story building and the likes.

There's more to art than just medium. Medium matters, but so does content, and
it would be a gross oversimplification to claim that content of manga and
manhwa are essentially the same.

* * *

### Notes

1 More or less, anyway, modulo issues of character simplification.

