Summary
Romance is one of the media’s most popular genres, and many creators like to add it where they can, even if it doesn’t fit. However, reading the same kind of love story can get boring, so some people choose to spice up their work by adding elements from other genres, including the supernatural,which can involve ghosts, vampires, and other mystical concepts.
Supernatural romance is popular not only because it makes stories more exciting but also because it incorporates unique relationships that couldn’t appear elsewhere. Because of the rise of books likeTwilightby Stephanie Meyer, subjects of speculative fiction have gained an inherently romantic aspect, which can encourage fantasies of love and romance with the supernatural.
10Angel Buddy
A Sweet Paranormal College Romance
Seeing ghosts is a staple in supernatural media, and inAngel Buddy, Sooho has had this ability his entire life. Dealing with spirits is part of his daily routine, but that changes when he sees an angel outside his classroom, especially after breaking one of its wings. Feeling guilty, Sooho takes responsibility for the injured angel, and as they cohabitate, they begin to develop romantic feelings.
For the most part,Angel Buddyis a supernatural slice-of-life story about Sooho and Taker’s growing relationship. There are some minor conflicts with ghosts and other angels, but they don’t have too much of an impact on the plot. Things only get exciting toward the end. There’s also NSFW content in this manhwa, which some readers may not want to see, but overall, it’s apretty sweet and wholesome story.
9Oh! Holy
The Popular Girl Meets The Outcast
In anime and manga, romantic comedies often include some bizarre scenarios and absurdist humor.Oh! Holyis a manhwa that embodies those elements and adds a spooky twist. The story follows Jamie Oh and Holy Joo, childhood friends who lost contact when they were young. Jamie is shy and meek, and the only friends he keeps are the ghosts he sees. Holy is extremely popular and athletic. Despite their mutual feelings, paranormal circumstances keep them from confessing.
As an older manhwa,Oh! Holyhas many elements that aren’t seen in stories today. Strong female leads are common now, but Holy isn’t a perfect person, and her flaws aren’t necessarily endearing. Jamie is nothing like contemporary male leads. It’s interesting to see how much romance manhwa has changed and how trends have shifted over the years. Nevertheless, this story is cute, funny, and a refreshing break from today’s manhwa.
8At The End Of The Road
A Body Swap BL With Extra Drama
Body swapping is often used as a gag in romance stories, but that’s not the case in this manhwa. After dreaming of a young boy’s suicide, Yoon Taemin dies in a car accident and wakes up in the hospital in the body of Han Siwon, the boy from his dream. Unfortunately, there are problems in Siwon’s life as he’s unilaterally hated by everyone, even his brother. With no other choice, Taemin must find the truth if he wants to live peacefully.
At The End Of The Roadisone of the few BL manhwathat doesn’t fully revolve around the main characters being in a relationship and has a unique story. The romance is an important secondary plot, but the real story is about Taemin adjusting to his new life and learning what happened to the original Siwon. This manhwa is SFW, but it does discuss things like sexual assault, domestic abuse, and suicide.
7My Life As An Internet Novel
Jumping Between Parallel Universes
Isekai is usually set in fantasy worlds, but the setting of this story is the same as the real world. The difference is that it’s filled with cliché elements from romance novels. One day, Hahm Dani wakes up to find the entire world has changed. Her school no longer exists, a stranger claims to be her best friend, and there’s a group of boys in her class called the Four Heavenly Kings. Unfortunately, staying away from the plot is more difficult than she initially thought.
At first glance, this manhwa may seem like a generic reverse harem, butMy Life As An Internet Novelis an interesting story that delves into the psychology of isekai. Many of the conflicts in the story occur as a result of Dani’s disconnect with her new world. She is constantly struggling with the idea that the life she’s living could disappear. Despite these heavy themes, this manhwa is still enjoyable to read.
6Pinocchio
The Story Of A Life-Changing Magic Necklace
Enchanted or cursed items are often seen in supernatural stories, and in this one, it’s a necklace. Choi Haram buys a necklace for the new school year, and when she has it on, she’s able to see a ghost boy named Yu Gaon who doesn’t have any memories. While the two figure out his past and spend time together, Haram slowly begins to develop feelings for Gaon, but since he’s a ghost, they’ll never be able to be together.
Pinocchiois a timeless romance that’s still loved despite its age, which is clearly seen in its illustrations. Some readers may be put off by how it looks, but the plot and characters are actually interesting. There are quite a few twists in the story that most people would never predict. It’s a well-written story that has good, likeable characters.
5A Good Day To Be A Dog
A Cute Love Story About Generational Curses
Classic romances are hard to mess up, which is whyA Good Day To Be A Dogis fairly well loved. This story follows Han Hana, a normal teacher harboring a peculiar secret. Her family is cursed, and after kissing someone, they will turn into dogs every day at midnight and stay that way until morning. While at a staff dinner, Hana gets drunk and mistakenly kisses her coworker Jin Seon, which starts her transformations, and the only way to stop them is to kiss Jin Seon as a dog. Unfortunately, he’s scared of them.
Many older manhwa emulate the feeling of classic Shojo manga, and this one is no different. From the art to the characters, it’s all very reminiscent of romance manga from the early 2000s, with a great balance of humor and story. However, like 2000s manga, the story does drag in places, and the characters sometimes act obtuse for the sake of the plot.
4Operation: True Love
A Magic Phone Gives Dating Advice
Fate and destiny are hot topicsin supernatural manhwa.Operation: True Loveis about the idea that people will only get a certain amount of love in their lives, and nothing can change it. Despite her love value being zero, Shim Su-Ae continues to fight against her fate, using the magic phone that sends her dating advice. Things get worse when she finds her boyfriend kissing her sister.
Romance stories can be frustrating, which can make them extremely hard to read since most people don’t want to be stressed over a story.Operation: True Loveis like that. It has some fantastic drama, but it can be incredibly hard to get through without any payoff. It takes about twenty chapters for the story to really get going, and many people may not get there.
3Super Secret
Her Childhood Friend Is a Dog
Supernatural stories often incorporate fantasy elements into a mundane world. This story is about two friends who live together, Emma Ji and Ryan Nam. Emma’s parents live overseas, so the Nams take care of her. The problem is, Ryan’s family has a huge secret: they’re all fantasy creatures. They do a pretty good job of hiding it, but Emma comes home early one day and finds a giant wolf on her veranda, starting an odd chain of events.
Super Secretis a slice-of-life manhwa in the form of 4-panel gag comics. This can make the story feel a little awkward at times because it isn’t separated into real chapters, but it also means it’s very easy to read. The story starts rather lighthearted and goofy, made up of minor conflicts and character development. It does get a bit more serious as the relationship between Emma and Ryan evolves, but for the most part,it’s just a fun comic.
2Unholy Blood
The Secret Life Of A Korean Vampire
Supernatural stories often include nonhuman characters, and vampires are one of the most popular. InUnholy Blood, vampires have begun to rule society’s underbelly using their superior strength and abilities, causing mass fear and hysteria. Park Hayan isa vampire in hidingwho is just trying to get by, but after a certain incident, vampires begin targeting her, which forces her to unleash her powers and confront the past that she’s forgotten.
Action manhwa starring female protagonists are rare, andUnholy Bloodis one of the best. Hayan’s journey is full of challenges, each one more difficult than the last, as she faces her trauma while also fighting for her life. The author does a great job of building suspense throughout the story and balancing the heavy moments with the romance in the background. This manhwa is an emotional rollercoaster and an incredibly well-crafted story.
1Secret Lady
A Girl Who Sees Ghosts Is Reincarnated
Isekai can be hard to categorizeas supernatural because many of them include magic and other fantasy elements. InSecret Lady, Rosentine Arzen’s powers are clearly labeled as unnatural. Rose can see and speak to ghosts, an ability she retained from her past life, but she hides it from her new family to avoid being labeled as a witch. She only embraces that power when she overhears a plot to assassinate the second prince, Charteris Kartazen, and goes undercover to stop it.
The first thing people notice aboutSecret Ladyis the artwork. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful, whimsical, and detailed, which helps create a fantasy atmosphere. The drama of the story is enhanced by the lights and shadows used to highlight or obscure the panels. The plot is thrilling and entertaining, and the author is able to incorporate the romance without it feeling forced, especially in the middle of the political conflicts and assassinations.
