Summary
- Bullying is a common theme in school manhwa, often depicted brutally with intense action and drama.
- Main characters like Park Hanjun and Kim Hyunsung seek revenge and justice against their bullies.
- Stories like "Save Me" offer deeper context to bullying, showcasing complex characters and fully realized plots.
Going to school is a nearly universal experience, so it's no surprise that there are plenty of manhwa that take place in schools. Popular genres that appear in school settings are romance, slice of life, sports, and comedy, usually with students as main characters. As a place for learning and growth, a school has the potential to host many interesting and dynamic stories.
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One popular theme in school manhwa is bullying. Some of the most action-packed and dramatic stories revolve around the violence students inflict on each other. In Korean manhwa, depictions of bullying can be brutal. But behind all the fighting, some fantastic narratives speak about human behavior.
Updated August 22, 2024 by Garrett Huon: School bullying is a common topic in manhwa, so there are many good stories that focus on the subject or feature it in some way. This update adds three manhwa where bullying is the basis of the main conflict, even if the plot branches off later. School delinquents and gangs are inherently related in most stories, so these additions were made to reflect that.
14 Hectopascal
MyAnimeList: 7.17
- Chapters: 97
- Published: 2022 to 2024
- Genre/Themes: Action
- Author: Buffering
- Illustrator: Seonggeun Gil
This manhwa is a story about a high school student's fight against an organization of bullies. In the past, Park Hanjun fought against a group called Nexus and won, but ultimately failed to stop them because of their vast network of resources and connections. Now he plans to truly destroy Nexus with the help of a young CEO named Oh Junwoo.
Park Hanjun's fight against Nexus is a thrilling story full of intense fight scenes and dramatic confrontations. Hanjun and Junwoo are interesting and complex characters, and it's their determination and emotions that drive the story forward. The supporting characters are all good, if not a little stereotypical.
13 Devil Returns To School Days
MyAnimeList: 7.30
- Published: 2023 to Present
- Genre/Themes: Action, Time Travel, School
- Author: Sancheon
- Illustrator: Siwon
Bullying in manhwa is notoriously brutal, and in this one, the protagonist ends up in a ten-year coma. Kim Hyunsung was a great student with a good personality, but when he stepped in to stop bullying in the classroom, he became the target. It ultimately ended with him being pushed off the roof. After going back in time, he has a chance to get revenge.
This is a savage and brutal story. Kim Hyunsung wastes no time punishing his bullies and putting them in their place with information he learned while in a coma. For readers who enjoy the satisfaction of a good beatdown, Devil Returns to School Days is the perfect choice. It has a good balance of scheming and action, so it's always exciting.
12 Study Group
MyAnimeList: 7.41
- Published: 2019 to Present
- Genre/Themes: Action, Delinquents, School
- Author: Hyungwuk Shin
- Illustrator: Seungyeon Ryu
Having a good school environment is important for a good education, but when no one cares, even the best students will struggle. Even though his grades are terrible, Yoon Gamin wants to study hard and improve his scores, but it seems the entire school is bent on stopping him. He creates his own study group to find others who will help him study.
Despite its title, this manhwa has tons of fighting in it. The plot focuses mostly on reforming the school to create a good learning environment, but it quickly gets more complex and dramatic. Bullying ends up being the least of their problems as gangs and the mafia get involved.
11 Designated Bully
MyAnimeList: 7.22
- Published: 2022 to Present
- Genre/Themes: Action, Delinquents, School
- Author: Grimzo
- Illustrator: Grimzo
In a time when student violence has gotten out of hand, the government is at a loss. All their attempts to reign in the troublesome students have failed. They only have one option left: beat the bullies with an even bigger bully. That's where Kwon Daegun comes in. Before he dropped out, he was notorious for being the strongest fighter in Incheon. Now, he returns to school as a government bully.
This story revolves around fighting and comedy. There is some character development through Kwon Daegun's rehabilitation, but for the most part, it's the same cycle of fighting the next best person. This manhwa is good for people who like watching the main character dominate everyone else.
10 Juvenile Offender
MyAnimeList: 7.34
- Published: 2023 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Delinquents
- Author: Namja-ui Iyagi
- Illustrator: Jongtaek Jeong
Most people would want to avoid being sent to a juvenile detention center, but Lee Yunseong needed to go there to get his revenge. In the past, he was bullied and harassed by a variety of people, and now most of them are in the same place. One by one, he plans to take them all down.
This manhwa is incredibly brutal and doesn't hold back when it comes to violence. The story itself seems impossible, but for people who like dark protagonists, there could be some appeal. It's definitely for a specific audience.
9 Save Me
MyAnimeList: 7.41
- Chapters: 63
- Published: 2016 to 2017
- Genres/Themes: Drama, Psychological, School
- Author: 1230
- Illustrator: 1230
Normally, bullying in manhwa is done for no reason other than to humiliate someone. Save Me gives more context than most stories as to why the events are occurring. Na Hyeongoh is at the top of his class, but he's harassed relentlessly about needing a wheelchair. Each day is torture, and there's no one he can turn to. That changes when Cha Namsoo transfers into his class, and they become friends.
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When it comes to storytelling, few bullying manhwa do it as well as Save Me. With a fully realized plot and complex characters, this story does a great job of leading the reader and giving information when it's needed.
8 To Not Die
MyAnimeList: 7.47
- Status: Publishing
- Published: 2021 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Drama
- Author: Parae
- Illustrator: Jinguk Lim
At the end of his rope, Im Dajun plans to end his own life. But after seeing an interview with someone who had killed his bullies, he decides to fight back instead. However, all it does is get him arrested, expelled, and kicked out of his family. Living on the streets now, Dajun needs to learn how to survive,
This story is intense, depicting the desperation some kids feel after getting abused at school. Though the degree of violence is exaggerated, the author does a great job of helping the reader feel and understand the victim's point of view.
7 Get Schooled
MyAnimeList: 7.58
- Published: 2020 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Drama, School
- Author: Yongtaek Chae
- Illustrator: Garam Han
When students act out, it can disrupt the learning environment and cause harm to everyone involved. To increase school safety, the Ministry of Education creates a new organization where agents fix the problems directly. That can mean a variety of things, but the solution is usually some physical therapy.
Despite the copious violence in Get Schooled, the message it tries to convey is a good one. Throughout various scenarios, the agents ultimately want to help victims and put those at fault on the correct path. Everything in the story is outrageous, but it's heartfelt at the same time.
6 At The End Of The Road
MyAnimeList: 7.74
- Chapters: 26
- Published: 2016 to 2018
- Genres/Themes: Boys Love, Drama, Suspense, Psychological, Reincarnation, School
- Author: Haribo
- Illustrator: Haribo
Reincarnation is usually seen in fantasy settings, but here, Yoon Taemin is reincarnated as Han Siwon after a car accident. It's not long after he wakes up that Taemin learns what happened and why. Han Siwon was the subject of bullying by those around him. Even his brother seemed to despise him. Now in Siwon's body, Taemin has to settle the issue.
Though this manhwa is Boys Love, the romance is a B plot that runs concurrently with the main conflict. Most of the attention is put on resolving the mystery of what happened to Han Siwon and who did it. There are some dark themes in this story, so it may not be for everyone.
5 Dokgo
MyAnimeList: 7.74
- Chapters: 90
- Published: 2012 to 2014
- Genres/Themes: Action, Drama, Delinquents, School
- Author: Meen
- Illustrator: Seung Hoon Baek
When his brother is beaten to death by school bullies, Kang Hyuk decides to stop drifting and figure out who did it. However, it's not too long after this that he loses both his parents as well. Hyuk adopts his brother's identity and returns to school, declaring war on all the bullies there.
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This story is front-loaded with tragedy and sets a heavy tone from the start. It's easy to tell what kind of story this is, but the fighting isn't really the point. It's a means to an end for Kang Hyuk, and it's easy to feel sympathetic towards him. Following him through each trial makes the payoff at the end much more valuable. It's worth reading despite its rough art style.