What are webtoons? How to read them, where to read legally and popular genres

TUREFF• •0

Webtoons are comics made for phones. Instead of pages and panels laid out across a spread, they flow down one long vertical strip you scroll with your thumb. They began in Korea and are now read all over the world, often in English translation released at the same time as the Korean original.

Where the format came from

Korean comics, called manhwa, moved online in the early 2000s, when portal sites started publishing comics for free to bring in readers. Artists began designing directly for the screen rather than for print, and the long vertical strip took shape. As smartphones spread, the format fitted them perfectly, and Korean platforms built large audiences at home before launching in other languages.

How the vertical scroll works

One long strip per episode: panels are stacked from top to bottom, with spacing used for pacing. A long gap can work like a pause; a sudden full-width image works like a page turn.
Usually in full colour, unlike most traditional manga.
Weekly episodes: most series release one episode a week on a set day, and long runs can reach hundreds of episodes over several seasons.
Read on a phone: the layout is made for a portrait screen. Many also have music or animated touches on official apps.

How free and paid episodes generally work

Official platforms use a few common models, and the exact rules vary by app and series:

Free with waiting: older episodes are free, and you can unlock some locked episodes for free by waiting a set time.
Fast pass or early access: pay with in-app coins to read the newest episodes before they become free.
Fully paid episodes or series: some titles, especially completed ones, are pay-per-episode.
Ads: some free episodes are supported by advertising.

Check the app's own help pages for how its currency and waiting system work before buying coins.

Reading legally

Pirate sites repost scanned or ripped episodes, often riddled with intrusive ads and malware risks. More importantly, they take money from the creators, who are often paid partly by views and purchases on official platforms.

Use official apps and websites, which offer large free libraries.
Many popular series are licensed in English, and some get official print editions.
If a series is not available in your language, following the official release and supporting the creator's channels still helps it get licensed.

Popular genres

Romance: office romances, school stories and historical romances are hugely popular.
Fantasy and action: hunters, dungeons, system-based levelling, regression and second-chance stories.
Romance fantasy: reincarnating into a novel as a villainess or a noble's daughter is a genre of its own.
Thriller and horror: the vertical scroll is excellent at slow reveals and jump scares.
Slice of life and comedy: short episodes about everyday life, often autobiographical.
Drama: family, workplace and coming-of-age stories.

Many webtoons are adapted from web novels, so a series you like may have a novel with more detail.

Adaptations

Webtoons have become a major source for Korean dramas, films and anime. Several popular K-dramas started as webtoons, and some action series have been adapted into anime with international audiences. An adaptation is often the reason people find the original, and reading after watching usually reveals plenty that the screen version cut.

Getting started

Install an official webtoon app and browse the rankings or genre pages.
Start with a completed series so you can binge without waiting.
Subscribe to ongoing series to be notified of new episodes.
Read the comments under episodes: they are part of the culture.

Which webtoon got you hooked, or what genre are you looking for? Share your recommendations and questions in the comments.