Are you a romance fan who's looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite genre? Webtoon, a digital platform that publishes webcomics created by diverse artists from around the world, is a great place to experience an exciting love story. Maybe you're already a fan of romantic webtoons but need some recommendations. Either way, this list ranks some of the best romance webtoons for your enjoyment.
If you love Greek mythology, Lore Olympus is a great choice - it's a modern retelling of the love story between Hades and Persephone, and currently one of the most popular webtoons today. Want to get your blood boiling with an exciting revenge story? Try Marry My Husband, which also received a K-drama adaptation. Just want a down-to-earth romance about characters who seem real? Put Cheese in the Trap on your to-read list.
Which romantic webtoon do you like best? Vote on the best romance webtoons and help us determine which are fan-favorites.
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1Maybe Meant to Be
Authors: honeyskein (Story), damcho (Art)
Premise: Jia Han's life isn't going well. At 32, she's a freelancer who lives with her parents because she doesn't have any work. Her parents are hoping that she'll move out soon. When she learns that her childhood friend Mincheol Jin is in the same situation, she jokingly suggests that they get married to get their parents off their backs. To her surprise, he says yes.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Sadly, this is a story that many 30-somethings can relate to. It's hard to find work, and it's hard to afford rent pretty much anywhere in the world. If you're struggling with the same issues as Jia Han and Mincheol Jin, you'll be able to commiserate. But it's not all wallowing - the popular marriage of convenience trope is well-executed here.
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2The Mafia Nanny
Authors: Violet Matter (Story), sh00 (Art)
Premise: Davina intends to do her job as an elite nanny with professionalism, which means not getting too attached. But when she's hired by Venetian underboss Gabriel Angelini to take care of his son Mikey, he also re-introduces her to a world of underground crime that she thought she left behind. She stays because she might be able to uncover some secrets about what the organization did to her own family, but with the danger posed to her charge by his father and with her growing feelings for said father, that won't be easy.
Why It’s Worth Reading: The plot of Mafia Nanny sounds serious. But while many of the events that go down are life-threatening, the tone can sometimes be lighthearted, funny, or even absurd. The series does an awesome job of balancing the serious with the silly. If you're a fan of Spy x Family, this could be a good next read.
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3Seasons of Blossom
Authors: HONGDUCK (Story), NEMONE (Art)
Premise: Laid out in four parts that represent the four seasons, this series depicts a variety of relationships. Some stories feature romances between high school students, while others focus on young adults.
Why It’s Worth Reading: These stories are surprisingly deep. They deal with emotionally challenging subjects like mental health, grief, and bullying. The characters have to endure tragic situations that readers might be able to relate to. If you want to read a webtoon that doesn't shy away from the hard stuff, try this one.
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4Operation: True Love
Author: kkokkalee (Story), Dledumb (Art)
Premise: Just because you're dating someone doesn't mean that you'll be close to them. Su-ae Shim has been dating her boyfriend Minu Kang for years, but it seems like he couldn't care less about her. Meanwhile, he seems a little too interested in her sister. But Su-ae is also starting to notice Minu's best friend. Meanwhile, she has to navigate all these romantic ups and downs with the help of a sentient phone named Jellypop.
Why It’s Worth Reading: It can be easy to lean too hard into one element or the other, but this series does a great job of blending a sci-fi thriller with a romantic tale. Also, it features a love triangle. While some people aren't fans of this trope, it still has plenty of supporters. You might be one of them.
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5Marry My Husband
Authors: sungsojak, LICO
Premise: While Jiwon is being treated for cancer, her husband betrays her in the worst way possible. Not only does he sleep with her best friend, he does something much worse - he ends her life. But Jiwon isn't done living yet. Once revived as her younger self, she has one goal: to make sure that her former friend ends up married to her horrible husband instead of her.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Revenge stories are the best when the target is so awful that you kind of want to get revenge on them yourself. A man who cheats on his wife with her best friend is bad enough, but a man who does it while she has cancer is somehow ten times worse. Watching Jiwon seek out her vengeance is deeply satisfying. But it's not all darkness. Since it's a romance, she meets some potential suitors along the way.
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6My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me
Authors: Han Yoon seol, seungu
Premise: After experiencing a massive betrayal at the hands of her step-family and her fiancé, Pereshati Zahardt is unexpectedly transported backwards in time. She decides to pursue a marriage contract with Grand Duke Therdeo Lapileon, a war hero who also has unwanted marriage prospects. Therdeo is reluctant at first because his family possesses blood that is toxic to anyone who touches it. But when they discover that Pereshati is immune to his blood, he agrees. His family is absolutely delighted.
Why It’s Worth Reading: One of the major themes of this series is found family. Pereshati's original family was cruel to her, but she went out and found people who truly love and appreciate her. That's a heartwarming theme. Also, the romance between Therdeo and Pereshati is a real slow burn, but it's worth the wait as their relationship develops in a realistic and meaningful way.
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7Villain with a Crush
Author: seyoon
Premise: When humans gain supernatural powers, police officer Han Doryeong practically becomes a superhero. His ability to apprehend criminals makes him wildly popular - but that popularity makes him a target for the villainous Black Dog. He has no choice but to take a leave of absence to protect himself, but he's worried about who will protect everyone else. When he meets Rosa Park, he finds an unexpected solution to his problems.
Why It’s Worth Reading: The main female character is so down bad for the man she loves that she unintentionally gets herself branded as a villain. That kind of desperation is sad in real life, but hilarious in fiction. Overall, it's an awesome comedy, but not to worry - it has its sweet romantic moments, too.
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8After School Lessons for Unripe Apples
Author: Soonkki
Premise: For the happy and extroverted middle schooler Mi-ae, life is great - that is, until a childhood friend named Cheol transfers to her school. She hopes that the two can reconnect, but he's totally unresponsive to her efforts. She isn't sure what to do, but one thing's for sure - she's not giving up easily.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Although they struggle to get along in the beginning, the two main characters grow into an adorable dynamic. Also, both of them actually act like middle schoolers instead of tiny adults, which means that readers closer to their age will find them more relatable, and older viewers are more likely to see their childhood selves in them.
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9My Reason to Die
Author: YUJU
Premise: Just before she was about to try out for the national taekwondo team, Ji-o is injured and has to sit it out. While attempting to recover, she meets a mysterious “bad boy” named Gyeol. Gyeol has a great heart, but he's involved in some unsavory things that Ji-o doesn't know if she can handle. Can their love flourish despite this?
Why It’s Worth Reading: One of the best things about this series is how unpredictable it is. It's almost impossible to guess what will happen next, which keeps readers invested. Also, if you like bad boys, Gyeol will definitely satisfy that passion, even though he's a genuinely nice person. The ending is bittersweet, which fits the tone of the rest of the series.
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10See You in My 19th Life
Author: Lee Hey
Premise: Jieum Ban has been reincarnating into new bodies for over 1,000 years. Each time, she remembers all of her old lives clearly. When she loses her 18th life early, she decides to use her 19th life to reconnect with someone from her past.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Seoha Mun, the man Jieum wants to reconnect with, still hasn't really gotten over her demise. His memories of her 18th reincarnation make moving on a challenge, despite the fact that the person who wants him now is actually the same person. The series offers a fresh and innovative take on the “reincarnated lovers” trope.
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11A Good Day to be a Dog
Author: Lee Hey
Premise: Han Hana has avoided ever kissing anyone because of a familial curse that causes her to transform into a dog each night if she does. The only way to break the curse is to kiss the same person who triggered it while in canine form. Unfortunately, she impulsively kisses someone who is afraid of dogs, making it a lot harder to get that kiss.
Why It’s Worth Reading: If you like your romance lighthearted and fluffy, this series is a good choice. The characters aren't dealing with life-threatening problems, they're dealing with their feelings and their character growth. The story has a lot of funny moments, so you'll probably have a good laugh while reading it. Also, the art is super cute.
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12Romance 101
Author: Namsoo
Premise: Jung Bareum is a university student who has her life perfectly planned out… except in the romance department. She's convinced herself that she doesn't have time, but the appearance of two guys with very different personalities might change that for her.
Why It’s Worth Reading: If you like slow burn romance, this one is for you. Bareum starts off not really liking her new male acquaintance, but the two are ultimately able to connect. The characters are realistic and compelling, and the scenarios they find themselves in are relatable rather than contrived.
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13Age Matters
Author: Enjelicious
Premise: 29-year-old Rose Choi is about to turn 30 without any meaningful relationship or prospects. She ends up taking a job as an assistant to the 23-year-old CEO of Lime, Daniel Yoon. At first, Rose finds Daniel intimidating and rude, while Daniel sees Rose as needy and desperate. But the two soon start to see each other in a more positive light, and find themselves falling in love.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Age Matters is a character-driven story that focuses on two very different people who help each other come to terms with difficult pasts. Their relationship is rocky at first, but it develops into something satisfying. If you're into a more moderate and realistic version of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this could be worth your time.
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14Let’s Play
Author: Leeanne M. Krecic (Mongie)
Premise: Sam Young is an aspiring game developer who just put her first game up for download. When she receives a negative review from a popular gaming streamer, she's bombarded with bad ratings from his fans. She's hoping to never have anything to do with him, but that plan goes out the window when he unexpectedly moves in next door.
Why It’s Worth Reading: A game developer and her critic aren't the likeliest of duos, so if you like a little conflict to start off your romance, this might work. It's an innovative, modern reason for characters to start off as enemies. It's also nice that the streamer isn't really a mean person - his criticisms were fairly light, and he was trying to do his job, not humiliate the creator. On the other hand, it's totally understandable that Sam was hurt.
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15Cheese in the Trap
Author: Soonkki
Premise: After being manipulated and mistreated by a wealthy classmate Jung, Seol drops out of college. When she returns, Jung is uncharacteristically kind to her - actually, he wants to date. Naturally, she isn't sure if she should trust him. Has he actually changed, or is this just another ploy to make her miserable?
Why It’s Worth Reading: While Soonkki's other series focuses on middle schoolers, this one takes on the world of college. The author is just as skilled at rendering the experiences of young adults getting an education. Things are a little more complicated here because the characters are older. Those added layers of complexity really help bring the story to life.
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16True Beauty
Author: Yaongyi
Premise: After being bullied for her “unattractive” face, Lim Jugyeong decides to take matters into her own hands and craft a more beautiful face with makeup. She goes from being harassed for her looks to being celebrated for them. But then Lee Suho enters her life. He's actually seen her real face, which means that she'll do whatever it takes to keep him quiet. But through her relationship with him, she starts to realize that maybe her face isn't all that matters.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Before she started creating webtoons, the author Yaongyi worked as a model. Her story deals with the pressures that girls and women face because of their appearance. A model, whose whole job relies on her looks, is perfectly situated to write about the topic with nuance and understanding. Her knowledge comes through in her work.
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17Down to Earth
Author: Pookie Senpai
Premise: Kade is an average guy with an ordinary life until an alien girl crash lands in his backyard. She might be exactly what he needs to open up his boring world.
Why It’s Worth Reading: From To Love Ru to Monster Musume, there's no shortage of romances about an ordinary guy and a non-human girl. This is a good thing, as it means the creator took a well-trodden trope and made it their own. If you vibe with the idea of a cute alien girl rocking a regular guy's world, you'll probably vibe with this webtoon too.
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18SubZero
Author: Junepurrr
Premise: Clove is the last remaining princess of the fast-dwindling Dragon Clan. Desperate to protect her clan from complete ruination, she makes a major sacrifice - marrying her greatest enemy.
Why It’s Worth Reading: SubZero is a high-stakes fantasy series that invokes the popular enemies-to-lovers trope. The art is appropriately dramatic for the story, which is an intriguing mix of action, political intrigue, and of course romance. While some find the plot to be a little predictable, the characters are engaging enough to make up for it.
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19Lore Olympus
Author: Rachel Smythe
Premise: Lore Olympus is a modern retelling of the classic Greek myth, The Taking of Persephone. It focuses on the drama and entanglements of the various Greek gods, who turn out to have just as many problems as humans do.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Lore Olympus has a great story, but what truly makes it shine is the art. The pink, blue, and purple characters are delightfully stylized. Since many of them are meant to be gods, the inhuman style is fitting. The visuals are worthwhile for pretty much anyone, but this series is especially recommended if you were one of those kids who read every Greek mythology book you could find after learning about it in school.
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20Spirit Fingers
Author: Han Kyoung Chal
Premise: Socializing isn't really Amy Song's strong suit, but she's not about to let her awkwardness keep her lonely forever. She joins an enigmatic art club called the Spirit Fingers. Despite seeming to be too cool for this world, the members welcome her with open arms. This new group might be exactly what she needs to embrace her true self and make connections.
Why It’s Worth Reading: Sometimes, series that focus on clubs or groups don't work out because all the characters aren't pulling their weight. In Spirit Fingers, every character has a purpose. What's more, all of them have unique designs. Given that the series is about art, the quality of the art is even more important than it usually is. Amy's coming-of-age process is compelling and realistic.
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