Chinese manga? What is it? Do you want to not only learn about it, but also read a review of the latest novelties? Here is a selection of the best Chinese comics. Waiting for you. It will be interesting, I promise.
Asian culture lovers know what Chinese manga is. This word is called comics in China. The peak of their development took place after 2006 – until then, comics by Chinese authors did not attract mass attention, because were quite mediocre (by modern standards), especially since Japanese manga has long been popular. But everything has changed, and interest in manhua 中国 漫画 (Chinese manga) is increasing every year. Here we have collected 18 of the most interesting Chinese comics (Chinese manga). So here’s the list:
- “Tales of Demons and Gods” (2015) 妖 神 记
- Battle Shattered Blue of Heaven (2012) 斗 破 苍穹
- “Their Story” (2014) 他们 的 故事
- “Throne Marked by God” 神 印 王座
- Divine Body Next Door (2016) 男 神 在 隔壁
- “The Ideal Husband and Me, or How to Steal 55 Kisses” (2015) 老公 带 回家 ， 偷吻 55 次
- Star Martial Arts God Technique (2016) 星 武神 诀
- Raising a Runaway Wife (2016) 调 教 小 逃妻
- Martial Arts Peak (2018) 武 炼 巅峰
- A Song of the Sand and the Sea: Pharaoh’s Concubine (2015) 砂 与 海 之 歌
- Battle Continent (2011) 斗 罗 大陆
- “Following the Sun” (2015) 朝 花 惜 时
- Raising an Aristocrat: Thirst for Revenge (2017) 重生 豪门
- Cheater Must Die (2019) 万 渣 朝 凰
- Revenge of the Princess Reborn (2018) 狂 女 重生
- “Adonis” (2016) 阿多尼斯
- Distance – Untouchable (2016) 猫 妖 撞上 鬼 夫 总裁
- “½ Prince” (2006) ½ 王子
Content
- What is Chinese manga?
- Chinese manga: classification
- Chinese Manga: Who Reads It?
- Chinese manga: story of appearance
- Chinese manga (manhua) – a unique cultural phenomenon
- Chinese Manga: Important Differences from Western Comics
- Chinese Manga: Hot Twenty
- Chinese Manga: Tales of Demons and Gods (2015)
- Battle-Shattered Blue of Heaven (2012)
- Chinese Manga: Their Story (2014)
- “Throne Marked by God”
- “The Divine Body Next Door” (2016)
- “The ideal husband and me, or how to steal 55 kisses”
- “Technique of the God of Star Martial Arts” (2016)
- Raising a Runaway Wife (2016)
- Martial Arts Peak (2018)
- Chinese manga A Song of the Sand and the Sea: Pharaoh’s Concubine (2015)
- “Battle Continent” (2011)
- Chinese manga “Following the Sun” (2015)
- “Raising an aristocrat: Thirst for revenge” (2017)
- “Distance – Untouchable” (2016)
- “The Cheater Must Die” (2019)
- “Revenge of the reborn princess” (2018)
- “Adonis” (2016)
- “½ Prince” (2006)
- conclusions
What is Chinese manga?
Manga refers to all comics that are produced in China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. Plus – the manga editions translated into Chinese. Today, most of 中国 漫画 manhua is produced in Taiwan and Hong Kong, although mainland China has seen significant growth in comic book production. They are popular and far beyond China.
By the way, in Western countries, comics are divided into Japanese (manga) and Chinese, manhua (there are also Korean, manhwa). But in Asia, the word “comic” is written with the same hieroglyphs, and the meaning of the word is the same. For example, Japanese manga in Chinese is 日本 漫画, pinyin ri ben man hua. Chinese manhua is 中国 漫画 ， pinyin zhong guo man hua and in Russian [zhongguo manhua]. Korean manhwa in Chinese is 韩国 漫画 pinyin han guo man hua.
Those. Manga (Japan), Manhua (China) and Manhwa (South Korea) in Chinese are written with the same characters with the addition of the country designation. Therefore, it would not be a mistake, by analogy, as the Chinese themselves do, to use the word “manga” with the addition of “Japanese / Chinese / Korean”. We’ll only cover Chinese manga here. And residents of Asia do not really distinguish between such publications by country of issue. For example, if a Chinese person emphasizes that this is a manga, he will call the comic “Japanese style manhua.”
Chinese manga: classification
However, the style of Chinese manga differs from its “relatives”. The characters are portrayed more realistically (as much as possible for comics). On the other hand, Chinese manga is often colored, which is rare for a Japanese “relative”. Mostly, color comics are produced in Hong Kong. You need to read Chinese manga either from right to left or from left to right (depending on the authors).
Chinese Manga: Who Reads It?
Much in comics depends on the audience they are intended for. In this regard, the classification of Manhua (Chinese manga) is quite similar to the classification of Japanese manga. The audience distinguishes:
- Comics for boys. Mostly, this is science fiction, adventure, military themes. But relationships and studies can also be affected – something that also interests teenage boys.
- For girls. Basically, school and love topics are covered, although science fiction, adventure, and so on can also be found.
- For youth. In such a Chinese manga, typical problems of growing up, relationships, including sexual ones, are usually displayed.
- For women. The realities of adult life are displayed, but the comics are focused on housewives or their opposite – a business woman.
- For adults. The plot can have different themes – historical, political, cultural, economic. Serious stories for adult men and women.
- Erotic. They belong to an adult theme and are divided into several genres (lolicon, zhengtaikun, hentai). For obvious reasons, we will not cover this topic on this site.
Also, the manga differs in the number of images, i.e. by the amount of content. There are three subspecies: single (one image, often without a plot), short (several pages), long (may be published for several years). According to the theme, manga is divided into fantasy, science fiction, and school.
The place of production of Chinese manga deserves a separate classification. As mentioned above, mainly comics are produced in Hong Kong and Taiwan – both regions have their own style. For example, Hong Kong manga is comic plots or action films, while Taiwanese manga is characterized by monochrome execution, using traditional Chinese graphics.
As for mainland comics, they have not yet formed their style – their development began relatively recently. But Hong Kong is the territory of China, and Taiwan, though de facto an independent state, is de jure considered the territory of China.
Chinese manga: story of appearance
Despite the centuries-old history of China and Chinese painting, the prerequisites for the emergence of manga appeared only about 20 years ago. Indeed, drawings that resemble modern comics have existed in China for a long time, and today you can see examples of those “comics”, even in the form of stone bas-reliefs.
On the other hand, traditional manga appeared much later, the beginning of the development of the genre is considered to be 1867. Manga evolved, but the dire events of the 20th century, starting in 1966, set the genre far back. And until the 90s, artists could only express themselves through propaganda posters.
The revival of the genre began in the 80s, after the reforms 改革 开放 – the first comics, based on famous works, gained popularity in China and beyond, including Europe. Growth and development were thwarted by a wave of imported comics, most notably Japanese manga (日本 漫画), which quickly became popular in China.
The reason was simple. There are many good artists in the Celestial Empire, but there was a big problem with the plots – the first mangas were drawn based on a famous literary work. And with stories from scratch it was more difficult.
In addition, serious literature attracted a limited circle of readers, and teenagers and children were fond of manga. But it was the abundance of Manhua in China that helped the development of manga. More precisely, the abundance of pirated publications. And the problem was finally solved at the government level. In 1995, a project was launched to support the development of Chinese manga itself.
Creativity, publishing capacity, publishing platforms – everything was taken into account in this project. By the way, the level of censorship in comics is quite low. Perhaps this is what makes Chinese comics a cultural phenomenon different from Japanese or Korean.
Chinese manga (manhua) – a unique cultural phenomenon
Chinese Manhua 中国 漫画 is unique, balancing between manga and European comics, creating its own worlds and recognizable style. So, if we compare the characters of the Chinese comics with the Western ones, then the difference immediately becomes visible: Western heroes are perfect. The Chinese are presented with all their emotional experiences and problems.
Heroes develop and grow, while Western ones … they are already perfect and stable. This means that the characters in Chinese comics are more human in contrast to American comics, where solid super-duper mothballs of the same type, exaggerated heroes without a single flaw and “Achilles heel” and without a historical past.
Chinese Manga: Important Differences from Western Comics
The theme of the Chinese manga is also interesting. Yes, there are many directions. But at the heart of almost any story, from fantasy to comics for girls, there is a social direction. That is, China itself, with its types, mentality and specifics.
However, Chinese manga does not show reality as it is. And they do not show China the way the propaganda people want it to be. No, in the manga China is real, but the way the authors would like to see it.
Brighter, more fun, exciting, populated by charismatic inhabitants. A country where something interesting is happening all the time, and maybe even dangerous. Not that boring, ordinary, familiar world in which many Chinese live (oh well, why only Chinese). And not the world invented by the official State Department propaganda from the Marvell studio and others like it.
And the world that could be. Well, every artist has his own right to portray the world as he wants. And if it is glamorous bright China – why not? Moreover, all types are preserved in Chinese manga.
And if you get to China, you will immediately recognize them – in salesmen, police officers, schoolchildren, office workers. This is the cultural phenomenon of Chinese manga. Yes, Chinese comics differ from Japanese ones, although they develop according to similar principles and models. And this is good, because the more differences, the more interesting. As the saying goes: “Let a hundred flowers bloom.”
Chinese Manga: Hot Twenty
Chinese comics began to appear not so long ago, and have gained popularity only in recent years, but this does not mean that they do not deserve attention. Manga is popular in China itself and in France (as it is the main cultural partner since the colonies), and slowly but surely Chinese comics are beginning to conquer the hearts of the whole world. Among the large number of Chinese manga released, the names of the creators and the titles of the works that the readers especially liked, we will tell about them.
Chinese Manga: Tales of Demons and Gods (2015)
Chinese Manga: A Tale of Demons and Gods
A gripping story about a magical world filled with magic, demons, spellcasters and gods. The main character, Nie Li, dies at the beginning of the story in a battle with the Sage Emperor. The soul of the magician is reborn in his own body, only 13 years old. Then he did not stand out for special talents, his spiritual power was almost the same as that of ordinary people. He did not even dream of taming demons, but with new knowledge and experience, he will be able to correct all the mistakes of the past.
Battle-Shattered Blue of Heaven (2012)
Chinese Manga: Battle Shattered Blue Skies
The main character of the manga is Xiao Yan. A young man endowed with many talents. He lives in a world that is fraught with many treasures and serious dangers. But at one point he loses his reputation, strength and disappoints the hopes of his beloved mother. You might think that a dark curse has been sent to the hero, and it is at this moment that he meets with his betrothed, getting into a lot of troubles that he will have to somehow cope with.
Chinese Manga: Their Story (2014)
Chinese Manga: Their Story
The comic tells the story of high school student Sun Jing and her love. The main character in many ways behaves like a guy, has a light and easy character, and has many friends. One day she falls deeply in love … with a girl. The blonde does not leave her thoughts in any way, but the heroine does not know her at all and does not understand what to do next? Until he unexpectedly meets his beloved at the bus stop.
“Throne Marked by God”
Manhua: The Throne Marked by God
The story tells about a fictional world in which humanity is almost extinct, and demons rule the show. Of the last forces, five temples join the union. They are soon joined by a little boy hoping to become a knight and save his mother. He will have to discover many features in himself, fight demons, and perhaps even become a divine knight, those who are able to inherit the throne …
“The Divine Body Next Door” (2016)
Manhua: The Divine Body Next Door
Su Shuangshuang has a new neighbor. The young man is very sexy, has a nice abs and a full set of blocks. The girl admires the beauty of the man and begins to follow him through the window.
“The ideal husband and me, or how to steal 55 kisses”
The ideal husband and me, or how to steal 55 kisses
Lu Jin Nian and Qiao Anhao have been married for 13 years, but the marriage was of convenience. The heroes love each other, but over the years they have done many terrible things. This completely confused their relationship. Will they be able to confess their feelings to each other?
“Technique of the God of Star Martial Arts” (2016)
Star Martial Arts God Technique
The world was changed, many people died, and magic was lost, of all types of martial arts, only three remained: Dragon, Fire and Stars. All wizards strive to get to the Tower of the Gods, in which, according to legend, the road of Immortality passes, but not every hero can get there, and even more so go this way. But Ye Xinghe – a pupil of star magic, in the company of his charming girlfriends will try his luck and set off on a journey to the legendary path.
Raising a Runaway Wife (2016)
Raising an Runaway Wife
The protagonist Nan Gong Han meets the woman of his dreams – the light, innocent and gentle Dong Ma Ding, who has two children. But a few years ago in the life of the heroine there were events that disgraced her, and it is not known whose fault it was. The hero falls in love with a girl, but they have a difficult relationship. Moreover, it is not clear why her eldest son is so similar to him …
Martial Arts Peak (2018)
Martial arts peak
The manga tells the story of Yang Kai, a student of the Heavenly Pavilion, a school that educates its students rigorously, preparing them for life’s hardships and victory in martial arts battles. In order to get to the top of the martial arts, you need to go through many tests, while remaining strong and courageous. The main character is more likely to be regarded as a mediocre student, but he does not give up and continues to improve, believing that work can conquer everything.
Chinese manga A Song of the Sand and the Sea: Pharaoh’s Concubine (2015)
A Song of the Sand and the Sea: Pharaoh’s Concubine
Avril Modiate is a girl who lives for her own pleasure, she is very rich and is the sister of the King of Business. On her 17th birthday, she receives a Nefertiti bracelet as a gift, which the Empress received as a gift from Ramses II. When the main character puts on an ornament on her hand, she is transferred to ancient Egypt at the time of Sati the First and becomes the concubine of the son of Pharaoh (Ramses 2) She doesn’t know how to get back to her, and will she want to leave the prince?
“Battle Continent” (2011)
Battle continent
Tang San is studying martial arts at one of the most legendary schools – the Tang Clan. One day he decides to steal a secret manuscript with the teachings of the sages, thereby breaking the law. Trying to escape punishment, he jumps from the top of Hell’s Peak and ends up in another dimension, where spirits rule, and martial arts have never existed. The hero will have to get used to a new place and go through many adventures.
Chinese manga “Following the Sun” (2015)
Following the Sun
The story tells about Ahn Ke Le’s love for an unusual guy. At school, he is an unremarkable young man with glasses, but when a young man is resting in nightclubs, he turns into a sexy playboy who collects admiring glances from girls. The main character does not know that this is the same person.
“Raising an aristocrat: Thirst for revenge” (2017)
Lu Ahn Ran has lived a life of misery. As a child, her father disappeared from the family, at the age of 15 she was paralyzed, and a year later her mother died in a car accident. The girl was killed by her fiance and the traitor’s girlfriend. But she was reborn, returning to her 15th birthday, and became a noble aristocrat who will no longer allow herself to be mocked and will correct all mistakes.
“Distance – Untouchable” (2016)
The story begins with how the main character manages to set fire to her own apartment. Immediately after this, a bat flies to the moon (not surprising, because the girl is a witch) and brings a letter from her grandmother. She asks the girl to move her in order to teach her magic. Already on the spot, the heroine learns that her neighbors are a family of cute werewolves.
“The Cheater Must Die” (2019)
not photo
Manhua: The Cheater Must Die
Su Lü Xianwei moves through the earth thanks to the “Secondary Female Characters’ Revenge System” and meets with girls whose young men treated them unfairly and went to other women, helping them to avenge this attitude. The heroine does an excellent job of her duties, carrying the flag of punishment to all traitors.
“Revenge of the reborn princess” (2018)
Chinese Manga: Revenge of the Reborn Princess
The princess is betrayed by her lover – Li Jian, because of him the heroine is brutally killed along with her child. But the girl returns to the world of the living to take revenge on the traitor. Perhaps she still loves him? Which path will the princess take?
“Adonis” (2016)
Chinese Manga: Adonis
The manga tells the story of two lovers – Yana and Arkhad. Both heroes are selfish, ambitious and professional fighters. They torment each other, because Yana wants only love and care from her partner, and Arhad wants to subdue her. During a fierce battle of the army, Yana dies, but, for unknown reasons, she manages to come back, and the heroes meet again. How is their story going this time?
“½ Prince” (2006)
Chinese Manga: ½ Prince
The adaptation of a Taiwanese novel by Yu Wo follows the adventures of a girl Feng Lan with a strong character and ambition. In the world where she lives there is virtual reality, a game in which a person is capable of anything. There you can be whoever you want and fulfill any of your dreams. The girl joins the game and decides to choose the image of a guy, a mighty warrior and a handsome man, who evokes the enthusiastic cries of women.
Conclusions
Chinese comics will not be denied interesting content. Many Chinese artists work in the manga style, but their target audience is schoolchildren, so long, but uninteresting series are produced. If the author wants to become famous, he must come up with his own. Therefore, taking three or five comics aimed at an adult audience, you would not even think that they were released in the same country – the plots and artistic techniques differ so much. In this regard, Chinese manga outperforms Japanese comics. We hope that among the works of Chinese manga, you will find what you like.