Summary
- Niche adventure manhwa with a focus on exploration are hard to find, as most feature mixed genres.
- "Lout of the Count's Family" & "I Get Stronger the More I Eat" offer unique isekai premises & power-scaling stories.
- "Emperor Hunt" follows a hardcore female protagonist on a quest for justice in a morally ambiguous shounen manhwa series.
Most manhwa in the scene today are incredibly diverse. They span a range of genres like romance, mystery, action, and adventure. But while this diversity is great, it also brings a bit of inconvenience. Despite having such a broad range, it’s surprisingly difficult to pinpoint some of the more niche genres as the main focus.
8 Lesser-Known Isekai Manhwa You Should Be Reading
The isekai genre has been booming in recent years and there are a few unpopular manhwa that are just as good, which have gone unnoticed.
Take adventure manhwa, for instance. Most stories tagged with "adventure" tend to also include action in some way or another. Finding one that’s completely adventure without somehow stepping into other genres is not only difficult, it's downright impossible. This makes purely exploration-focused manhwa hard to find. Even though many power-scaling manhwa incorporate elements of exploration, only a handful truly prioritize it. These are perfect for those readers who are looking for a series where the thrill of discovery and world-building takes center stage.
1 Lout Of The Count’s Family
MC Is Isekai-ed Into The Body Of A Minor Villain And Vows To Stay Away From The Main Timeline
- Released: 2020
- Status: Ongoing
- Other Genres: Fantasy
Most isekai manhwa, where the main character is transported into the body of a misfit destined for a tragic end, is practically tailor-made for great exploration stories. Lout of the Count’s Family follows this theme perfectly. It revolves around the main character getting transported into the body of a man who's bound to have a horrendous end.
In this case, the main character finds himself in the body of a supporting character from a novel, one that's depicted as a minor villain whose sole purpose is to be beaten up by the novel’s hero. He's determined to avoid this fate and vows to live a quiet and peaceful life far away from the chaos surrounding the protagonist. However, that’s easier said than done. Every decision he makes seems to inadvertently draw him closer to the novel’s main events. This manhwa has an extensive world-building that the main character explores when he's transported into it.
2 I Get Stronger The More I Eat
Isekai Manhwa With A Unique Premise Revolving Around Gluttony
- Released: 2021
- Status: Completed
- Other Genres: Fantasy, Action, Psychological
I Get Stronger the More I Eat is a manhwa with a very unique premise, even by manhwa standards. The story revolves around a man who’s literally known as "Pet Shop"— and not for pleasant reasons. He has the bizarre ability to gain powers and skills from everything he eats.
6 Best Manhwa Where the Hero is a Monster
This subgenre is where the protagonist is a monster, often offering a fresh perspective on what it means to be a hero.
When he’s isekai-ed into a fantasy world filled with all kinds of fantastical beasts and strange powers, things take an interesting turn. Trolls, orcs, magical creatures, and monstrous beasts — all of them are now on the menu. And that’s exactly what he does. He begins traveling through this new world, consuming every living thing that crosses his path, until he becomes the strongest person in this strange, magical land.
3 Emperor Hunt
Unique Plot Line With A Hardcore Female Protagonist Who Does Lose Sight Of Her Goals
- Released: 2022
- Status: Completed
- Other Genres: Fantasy, Action
Shounen manhwa series with female protagonists are a rare find. Shounen manhwa with a morally ambiguous female lead who doesn’t lose sight of her goals because of a romance subplot? Even harder to come by in the vast sea of manhwa. Emperor Hunt is one such gem that doesn’t lose itself throughout its run.
It follows the story of an immortal woman who has to go through the pain of seeing her most beloved die. This heartbreak hardens her beyond belief, and she becomes determined to uncover the truth behind their deaths. Unfortunately, just as she sets out on her quest, the Earth she lives on is destroyed, leaving her with absolutely nothing.
To make matters worse, she’s transported to another world known as Hetra. Here, she finally comes across the person responsible for all her suffering — the one who caused the pain that shaped her. Now, Yeul must navigate the unfamiliar ways of this new world to see her plans through and deliver the justice she seeks.
4 Solo Glitch Player
MC Is Isekai-ed Into His Favorite Game And Has To Use Glitches To "Cheat" His Way Up The Food Chain
- Released: 2020
- Status: Ongoing
- Other Genres: Fantasy, Action
Being the chosen one and getting isekai-ed into an MMO? That’s the dream for most gamers. Solo Glitch Player is a manhwa that primarily revolves around this fantasy, following a gamer transported into his favorite world. That world, in this case, is called Paradiso, and the main character knows it like the back of his hand.
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Isekai loves its MMORPGs. Here are the top isekai anime about being trapped in a game.
However, now that he’s actually there, things aren’t as simple as they seemed from behind a screen. He has to navigate this seemingly familiar world and use everything he knows to not only survive but also carve out a place for himself. His ultimate goal is to become an invaluable part of the game’s world — by turning himself into its main character. But, of course, living the dream is a lot harder than just dreaming it.
5 Latna Saga: Survival Of A Sword King
Main Character Is Stuck In A Tutorial Stage
- Released: 2019
- Status: Ongoing
- Other Genres: Fantasy, Action
Latna Saga: Survival of a Sword King is a power-scaling manhwa that revolves around an overpowered main character who has to work for his otherworldly strength. What makes it stand out is its unique take on the isekai trope. Instead of focusing on a single “chosen one” being transported to another world, it features an entire race of “otherworlders” who are isekai-ed.
The story follows Hanbin Ryu, a man recently discharged from the military and looking forward to a peaceful life. That is until he’s thrown into a literal version of “hell,” where he’s forced to train endlessly to grow stronger. Think of it as a tutorial before the main game — except his tutorial lasts over a decade, with him reliving the same hellish cycle again and again.
When Hanbin finally escapes, he finds himself in yet another unfamiliar and immensely dangerous world. Sure, he’s strong — but is he strong enough to make it in this strange, new place?
6 Dungeon Reset
A Dungeon Crawler Manhwa, Basically
- Released: 2020
- Status: Ongoing
- Other Genres: Fantasy
Dungeon Reset is basically a dungeon crawler in the form of a manhwa. Instead of focusing on an overpowered protagonist smashing through levels, this series is all about survival, solo-playing, and thinking outside the box.
The story follows Dawoon, an ordinary guy who gets trapped in a dungeon alongside others. These dungeons are meant to cycle through adventurers, resetting everything once a player dies or clears the stage. But when Dawoon accidentally glitches the system and survives something he wasn’t supposed to, the dungeon’s reset process skips over him.
23 Best Dungeons In Anime
For a variety of nuanced reasons, these dungeons stand out among the rest of their anime counterparts.
He's now stuck in an ever-changing deathtrap called level 1 without anything that will ensure his survival, which prompts him to become creative and use his resourcefulness to survive. He also has a much higher chance of clearing the dungeon stages considering how the rules of the game do not apply to him anymore — he's essentially a bug in the system.
7 The Demon King Diaries
Power-Scaling Adventure With The Main Character As A Demon King Incarnate
- Released: 2018
- Status: Completed
- Other Genres: Fantasy, Comedy
The Demon King Diaries is another power-scaling adventure fantasy that puts a fresh twist on very common isekai tropes. It follows a demon king incarnate on her journey to becoming the strongest in a strange new world she’s been whisked away to.
Hanra San is a recent high school graduate, finally done with her college applications and ready to enjoy some well-deserved alone time. However, her plans are derailed when she’s suddenly transported to a demon world and discovers she’s the next Demon King. Realizing there’s no way back, Hanra decides her best option is to go with the flow and train to become what she’s destined to be.
7 Isekai Anime That Focus On Character Development
These anime not only entertain with their fantasy elements but also deeply engage audiences with their complex characters and depth.