Highlights
- Not every piece of literature needs to have a happy ending to leave an impact on its audience.
- Unconventional endings in manhwa can sometimes deliver a more memorable and challenging experience.
- From tragedy to sacrifice, manhwa like “My Boo” offer deep exploration of love and loss in unconventional ways.
A perfectly concocted piece of literature consists of a very endearing start, an all-rounded body, and a satisfying end. Nothing is out of place for this sort of work, and it appeases every last member of its audience. However, as nice and safe as a story like this sounds, it doesn’t exactly pull at its reader’s heartstrings. It doesn’t cater to the one very real reality of this world: not everything ends happily.
When it comes to manhwa, or any piece of visual work really, the standards of a happy ending or a seamless conclusion become downright unrealistic. There’s never any sort of humane twist to such endings, making them seem like they’re unattainable to the average person. And while that’s not theoretically a bad thing, it does sometimes feel disingenuous. So, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally delving into series and books that fully embrace their flaws, delivering endings that are tinged with sadness or bittersweetness.
Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead
1 My Office Noona’s Story
Perfect Definition of Right Person, Wrong Time
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Writer(s) |
Palmeiro (Story), Wasakbasak (Art) |
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Genre(s) |
Romance, Drama, Slice-of-life |
Don’t be tricked by the apparently easygoing slice-of-life setting of this office romance—it’s as heartbreaking as romances go. My Office Noona’s Story features two unlikely characters, with completely different lives, personalities, and roles in society, that end up falling in love with each other, despite the utterly contrasting nature of their situations.
Manager Son is introduced to his charming older colleague, Manager Ahn, and instantly falls in love with her. But, the realism in this manhwa arises from the MC’s indecisiveness towards committing to Manager Ahn fully and her maturity in realizing that this might not be healthy for the two of them. So, despite going through so much together, the two conclusively decide to part ways as distant acquaintances and eventually end up with other partners in the long run.
2 Scholar Who Walks The Night
Explores The Ramifications Of Immortality
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Writer(s) |
Han Seung-Hee (Art), Jo Joo-Hee (Story) |
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Genre(s) |
Mystery, Romance, Supernatural |
Scholar Who Walks the Night, also known as Vampire of the East, is a fantasy romance manhwa that features vampires and their dilemma about immortality. As absurd as it sounds, it explores the more “human” side of them—the side that loses itself every time they outlive a mortal loved one. It also creates a sort of conflicting reality for different vampires, where one is proud of his origin and the other is not. Ultimately, the manhwa dips into some very heavy philosophical concepts.
It’s set in historical Korea—the Joseon Dynasty—and revolves around a human girl, Yangsun, who has to dress up as a man to make ends meet. Her occupation as a bookseller naturally lets her meet all sorts of people, but the one that stands out the most is that one scholar vampire she can’t help but be attracted to. While Yangsun and the vampire, Kim Sungyul, against all odds, eventually end up together, her mortality emerges dominant, and she ends up succumbing to her old age. The conclusion is left open to interpretation, but it’s conceivable that Sungyul, unable to bear the loss of his beloved wife, follows her into the afterlife.
3 Navillera: Like A Butterfly
Touching Story Of An Elderly Man Pursuing His Passion Before His Time Runs Out
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Writer(s) |
Hun (Story), Jimin (Art) |
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Genre(s) |
Comedy, Drama, Slice-of-life |
Typically, the “bittersweet” or “tragic” end to a certain story is confined solely to romance manhwa with a tragic backdrop to it. For these types of manga, a sad ending is unquestionably the endgame and hence it never catches its readers by surprise. Conversely, some hidden gems in the manhwa industry do not come off as anything remotely close to the description above but end up having a conclusion that people find hard to digest. Navillera, for better or for worse, is one of the primary examples of this.
It follows the story of Mr. Shim, an old, hardworking man who’s spent most of his life living and earning for his loved ones. As much as he appreciates and loves them, at 70 years old he’s realized how much time he’s lost not doing what he’s passionate about—Ballet. Throughout the manhwa, Mr. Shim dedicates his time and health to learning the intricacies of ballet until he’s good enough to perform for a major audience. Now, one would expect the story to end there with everything all peachy and happy, but it doesn’t. The manhwa ends after a 7-year time skip that showcases Mr. Shim’s rapidly deteriorating health and his lingering issues with possible dementia.
4 The Horizon
A Dark Tale That Delves Into The Trauma Of Losing Someone As A Child
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Writer(s) |
Jeong Ji-Hoon |
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Date |
Adventure, Drama, Psychological |
One would think that a manhwa set in a post-apocalyptic world ridden with war and death would have action as its predominant genre. Yet, The Horizon, being one such manhwa, deviates from this convention. It predominantly focuses on the psychological implications of an apocalypse caused by war—particularly on the psyche of a child.
The manhwa is seen through the lens of a young boy, whose only known aspect to the readers is his solitude. Consequently, he grows attached to a girl he randomly comes across and decides to dedicate his entire being to protecting her from the relentless horrors surrounding them. Across the entirety of the book, the two characters go through the most unimaginable adversities and somehow manage to survive. Unfortunately, toward the end of the story, the girl unexpectedly loses her life, leaving the boy heartbroken and completely defeated. Following a substantial time jump, readers encounter the boy, now aged, nearing the end of his life due to natural causes, as everything concludes.
5 Days Of Hana
Main Character Loses His Life For A Bigger Purpose
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Writer(s) |
Jung Seok Woo |
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Date |
Drama, Romance, Supernatural |
For a manhwa that initially comes off as unassuming and ordinary, Days of Hana sure takes a dark turn very quickly. It explores some very heavy themes surrounding abuse, cruelty, discrimination, and racism, which undoubtedly give it a somber essence despite its cheerful, vibrant art.
It follows the story of two childhood friends, Hana and Haru, whose friendship has withstood all the tests of time despite their outlandish situation, evolving into a romance against all odds. Hana is a human, and Haru is a werewolf—a lower class that is heavily discriminated against and is usually expected to serve humans. After living his life in fear and hatred, there’s only so much Haru can take. He eventually rebels because of his circumstances and is ultimately killed off. After the tragedy, Hana uncovers Haru’s last note to her, along with a violin he bought before he passed away. The manhwa ends with Hana playing the violin for Haru’s apparition. His demise proves to be pivotal, as it leads to werewolves in the Days of Hana universe finally attaining equal status thanks to his sacrifice.
6 My Boo
Forbidden Love That Ends In The Lovers Losing Each Other Forever
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Writer(s) |
Jeongseo |
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Date |
Drama, Romance, Supernatural |
There’s nothing more heartbreaking than a forbidden love that goes against the laws of the universe itself. My Boo is a love story that’s anything but ordinary. It follows the life of a woman gifted with the ability to see ghosts. In an attempt to experience a semblance of normalcy, she moves into a supposedly “haunted” apartment, only to find herself falling for the very ghost that resides in it.
So Yuri has always been highly cautious of her shamanic abilities and interactions with the ghosts she can see. She makes every effort to minimize her contact with them and has no particular fondness for the unique “superpower” she possesses. However, Ko Jun coming into her life changes that. She starts getting close to him and, for better or for worse, falls for him despite not being able to have any physical contact.
Unfortunately for the two of them, all the ghosts in the realm of My Boo lose the little physical presence they have in the world after four years of their death—Ko Jun meets So Yuri after three. The manhwa ends with Ko Jun thanking So Yuri for being with him, and finally disappearing from the world forever. So Yuri chooses to carry on, living fully through his memories.
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