People suddenly turn into monsters reflecting their innermost desires. If this isn’t sad enough, Hyun’s world goes through a “monsterization” apocalypse.

Hyun Cha is depressed and suicidal, having gone through traumatic high school years and subsequently losing his family in an accident. Take two weary sci-fi tropes and combine them into a webtoon about survival and self-realization, and you will get one of the best horror manhwas ever created. Nonetheless, the attraction is palpable, with essential themes about beauty, self-esteem, and true love skillfully blended well. Similar to Jugyeong, the manhwa can somehow paint over some of its flaws in bright colors, which readers can glean later as the story progresses. She forms an unlikely relationship with two of the most popular boys in the school, and yes, of course, they’re K-Pop handsome. She uses her newfound skills to change her life, transforming herself into a famous, attractive beauty. Of course, it’s probably her MC powers acting up. One day, she decides to binge-watch makeup tutorial videos and ends up mastering the art. The webtoon is about Jugyeong Lim, a teenager bullied in her younger years for being perceived as ugly. So it was no surprise that True Beauty found its way to readers’ hearts in 2018, significantly boosting manhwa’s readership at the time. While the manga-reading populace’s appetite is predominantly occupied by shounen and isekai, webtoons offer popular representatives of romance, horror, and even LBTQ+. One great thing about webtoons is the vast array of popular genres.

Bastard by Youngchan Hwang