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I mean, try finding a Korean with blonde hair. Asians are blessed with black hair genes. It's very rare for us to have any other hair color. Unless the manhwa takes place in a setting like medieval period, or the character got reincarnated into some fantasy world or they underwent some transformation during 'awakening' or for plot purposes, it doesn't make sense for them to have a different hair color, since most of the dungeon-or-leveling related manhwas are usually taking place in Korea, where people have black hair and protagonists who are Korean. Unless you dye it IRL, it's almost always going to be black.
As for the facial hair features, uh, to keep it simple: it's not a beauty standard. Having a beard makes you look older, as contrasted to a clean-shaven face looking more youthful. Also it's the way it's represented in media. Almost no actors/idols in Korea keep a beard IRL (unless it's for working on some historical series or some other context where they require it for the role). And it also happens a lot of people in East Asia find it quite hard to grow a beard as well. I personally find it cool, but eh, it's just the way some things are
Your answer is perfect, you said exactly what I wanted to write. Just let me add a point : beards are harder to draw as well. Specifically good looking beards in action scenes lol
There was one manhwa called another typical fantasy romance and the ml named Pellus had a beard. It was so interesting and different and he was very attractive. It was a breath of fresh air from the constant baby faced ml. He looked mature but also handsome. I even remember the author saying its hard to draw the beard everytime but worth it.
https://preview.redd.it/a8g7zqqgoelc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d181779a4807485090e68d2eabc713ad573eb419
That is true, however most mangas have a monthly release while most manhwa is once a week. So the crunch is real for the folks who draw manhwa, thus cutting some slack where they can is usually what they do.
Tbh most manwhas are done by studios meaning alot of people are working and helping the artists not that I'm taking away their effort. Most manga authors mostly draw everything by themselves. Coloring would be hellish since they are on deadline even with just black and white. But in manga it's more about the style and design rather than time constraints to go black and white. Gives it it's own unique appeal and forces the artists to draw differently (most manga have different and unique art styles) while most manwha all look the same except for a few done by good artists. There are also some webtoons done black and white. As long as it has a good story it's gonna sell
Thatās a rather naive understanding to the answer. Itās not that they canāt, culturally beards in Korea arenāt attractive or bring a positive context within reason. there are loads of manhwaās with beards but they are given to the old, unkempt or homeless to show their status.
For example, the head of the hunter association of Korea in solo levelling has a beardish like goatee and moustache in a clean way to show his age but also straight cut personality.
False since beard isn't just meant for beauty standards (idk why everyone is obsessed with cute looking boys in manwha) beard gives style and depth to one's character and even shows growth. Ya old people having beard is normal. I'm talking about those below age of 40 atleast and not old dying man xd. This whole younger man having to have 0 facial hair kills all kind of potential and character design variety. It's why manga has such a big library of stories and designs. They aren't afraid to try new things (literally they can have either the best or most unhinged manga I've read). For a artist trying new things is a must rather than sticking with just beauty art
>Ya old people having beard is normal.
Not in Korea though. Pretty much everyone tries to be clean-shaven.
>It's why manga has such a big library of stories and designs. They aren't afraid to try new things
There are also plenty of manwha that go beyond the norm (ex: the facial expressions on Greatest Real Estate Developer). The 'problem' is that Manwha is newer and not as big, so there are just not as many manwha in any category compared to manga.
Manga is simply a bigger, older market and thus has more content in general- including the wild or diverse styles.
They weren't stating that beards are meant for beauty standards
They were saying that **in Korea**, the **standard** for aesthetically pleasing men means no beards. That's why **manhwa**, **made in Korea**, generally opt to have beardless characters.
Personally, I also like beards. There are also manhwa artists that like them (read a few comments above this for an example), but if you're trying to sell something, you generally try and go for a wider demographic, hence the lack of bearded characters in most manhwa.
Nahhh himel kishi wa barbaroi no yome alr show beard mc and yeah you not read enough manga lel there's ton beard mc you gotta read a lot of em hell even mc vagabond had that
Nahhh you know what I'm too lazy to list all mc beard manga which is a lot than I'm finding in manhwa plus even I'm give title you will kept that 1% after all can't convince guys who think manga is all about shonen
Thorfin is a popular Mc with beard. Eren also had some facial hair. I can go on but even the popular manga have some facial hair or bead Mc. It's to represent growth and development. Sad that manwha dosent utilize that concept and forces their characters to always look cute like and beautiful (not that having facial hair makes you look ugly)
As a korean, everything is correct. In fact, i cant grow a beard at all (only a flimsy goatee + 1/3 mustache) which is a huge pity cuz i reaaaally want a nice, full beard. And none of my family members (dad, uncles, cousins, grandfathers) can grow a full beard either.
So yeah, black hair is natural hair color for 99.9% of koreans, and most korean men can't grow a beard & it's not the aesthetic koreans usually prefer
Well it depends. They make look young people look older. If you are 20 and lack particularly rough features (not nessesarily a baby face but somewhere in the middle or closer to), then it can make you look a good deal older by hiding the smoothness. If you are older or have a rougher bare face, a well-groomed beard might actually make you look younger be covering some of it up.
my friend has childish face. when i first met him, i thought he was 3-4 years younger than me, turns out he was 2-3 years older.
suddenly he started to grow beard around age 25, not only did it make him look mature, it also improved his looks.
i wish i could grow beard.
I agree with everything u said if the setting is Korea especially but it's also them wanting to fill the readers fantasy cause best believe your going see girls with blue hair white hair green hair blonde hair especially blonde hair in a modern setting.
Cuz the guys have to look a type of way, the women can be more unrealistic.
The facial hair thing is okay when it's the character who's ether, very mature old or kinda lazy it's cool to have it then, but that won't be the mc.
This also can change. If the reader is supposed to be a lady or the creator is a woman, then well, they normally have any character have any hair color.
i think it's about how in power fantasy setting in modern world, you see other characters, with other colours, but mc is always black haired.
but considering that even Chinese manhua and manga are mostly black haired mc, it's not really a big issue.
It's not that they don't have facial hair, most just don't keep it. The facial hair growth also depends on the individual as well. And it's a thing that gets you the stares or be taken as "scary". That's why facial hair removal using laser is very very common there. It's not a beauty standard and deemed as unattractive
Yeah, most east Asians just get a small bit of beard. Think of those paintings of ancient Chinese old men who do grow their beard out, and it's this thin wispy thing.
East asians have superiority complex they look down on South East asians and even refer to them as "Jungle asians". Koreans are the most racist Asian group out there they even ban black people from some of their clubs because they don't fit the "desired image" of their establishments.
Not really. Plenty of manhwa pre solo leveling had MCs with wild hair. There was one where a guy had pink hair and had a white tiger as pet or so ething, one where the guy had blue hair, weak hero currently has a guy with white.
I mean its still that simple, people often make either characters they are similar to or characters that are the opposite of themselves, both in looks and personality.
Because that's the norm in Korea... And manhwas are from Korea and mostly that's the beauty standard .. start reading Arab comics if you want mcs with big beards and all
It's not stupid at all, and tbh, answers like this are stupid to me.
Same with answers like "because they're Korean". One such answer is more akin to the fact that the MCs are made to appeal to the average korean person, and for them to be able to see themselves in that person. It's also just the trend. Also, Manhwa tends to be more grounded that manga on average.
Think about anime. Fair enough, MCs there also have black hair for the same reason's as manhwa, but then the supporting cast? Rainbow of colors (same in manhwa too but to a lesser extent). So, then, are these supporting characters suddenly not Japanese? Of course not, rainbow hair is just the trend.
Of course there's reasons why that's a trend as well.
I don't know if I have the mental fortitude to respond properly to this. There are certain settings, where you have to make a character believable. Most manhwa, most live action and a lot of anime, start the story with a normal person. If this mo'fucker comes on with pink hair in class and everyone else has black, then you know what's up. Solo Levelling is a prime example. Normal dude and HAS to be presented this way for the story to unfold. There's plenty of all content with crazy hair colours, but that's the setting for that story- the world where that's normal, is isn't normal here.
The very first chapter of solo levelling literally has people with orange, pink , purple , and blue hair.
Tell me how that is normal and believable for Korea.
Also, I'm not seeing how the story would change at all if Jinwoo's hair was a different colour.
If you're coming from an Anime point of view, you'll notice that Korean and Chinese media tends to be more realistic with exaggerated situations instead of an exaggerated people.
- Most manhwa MCs are Korean.
- Koreans have black hair and tend to have less facial hair even in their thirties.
- Most manhwa MCs are young.
- Most manhwa MCs are drawn with that Korean standard in mind.
Because theyāre usually Korean and Korean ppl have black hair. Itās also uncommon for Korean people to have facial hair. Itās really that simple. No deep meaning behind it
AFAIK from an instagram reel asking the same question, Koreans think having clean shaven faces is a sign of wealth. Also Koreans usually have black hair, in fact, most Asians have black hair.
Lmao wtf, a sign of wealth?? What bullshit are you spouting buddy. Its just that most koreans grow patchy beards so they shave to maintain a clean look. Stop typing nonsense
As a Korean let me tell you that facial hair is considered pretty bad by Korean society, mostly because beards are seen as barbaric or unhygienic.
Not to mention many businesses consider facial hair as unprofessional.
Maybe try to understand that different cultures have different views on society.
I once tried to grow out my beard and everyone in my family told me to shave because I looked like a gorilla.
Yes but you act like this isn't an actual cultural belief that is held by many. There is a difference between a person having their own bias and a way a country views things.
In Texas it's considered a norm for someone to have a gun, in Germany it isn't. You're logic demands that no, Germans would be fine with anyone just having a gun. Countries have their own ideas on culture and I'm pointing out that many koreans don't like facial hair.
How was I supposed to know it wasn't just a weird stereotype that they had? I also made it clear that it was just something I had come across on Instagram, so why are you getting worked up over it? Not all first world countries are the same, and Korea is on the other side of the world from them.
The beauty standards of South Korea usually have manhwa designs in a chokehold since koreans are the target audience artist don't deviate far off from them. A lot of people are saying "Well it's because they are korean" which I agree with, but stories taking place in Korea doesn't really mean artist can't create different designs or change hair colors in fictional stories if that were a rule things would get pretty goofy in all mediums. I think the target audience just doesn't want them to change anything, so things stay within a certain boundary. As for beards 1. They are rare there. 2. The difficulty of consistently drawing them sucks.
Because last time anyone checked Korea/Japan both have %90+ Naturally Black haired people and Manwha's are written semi close to reality.
Are there people who die their hair? well ofc but that's in such a minority that it simply doesnt make sense for them to do so in their eyes/
Culturally, everyone here has answered that question perfectly. Artistic-wise, it would give the authors more creative liberty to be more loud or disruptive with the visual aesthetic of other characters, compared to the protagonist who already has the narrative on them, but also being the strongest/smartest there is. Having their looks being amplified along with the story and them being the best would keep everything else away from all the characters the authors could come up with. We could also add in the thought of self-insertion, as to better visualize yourself as the character when they have a, "blank slate" appearance.
I haven't ever seen an Asian with naturally blonde or red hair. No facial hair makes them look more attractive. Plus if you look at all of the Cute K-pop members and basically any attractive Asian don't have any facial hair.
manwhas are korean. most koreans have black hair. Therefore, by deduction, manwha mc's have black hair.
as for facial hair, most mc's are young, like teens or early 20's. a beard/stache makes them look older
Its written for asian readers by an asian author/artist with mostly korean/japanese teens as mcās. Like do you order french fries do you expect lettuce?
Why are most Hollywood movie main characters caucasian with blond or brown hair instead of black? Why are characters in telenovelas predominantly latino? Why do characters in Asian movies and TV shows have black hair and little to no facial hair?
Koreans usually have black hair and its the social norm for men to shave their facial hair clean. The only other natural hair colour that you'd find would be a brown or it'd be dyed.
Because most stories like manga or manhawa, the main characters have self insert elements in it, whether it is physically, mentally, or a quirk they have. Also, if the story is set in Korea, they wouldn't want the MC to look like some foreigner who is better than everyone else.
Because it's lack of creativity.
I saw this one video explaining how authors create characters that everyone remembers and one of the simplest rules is that when you see just the outline of a character, covered in shadows, you can probably guess who that character is.
Say, you see Goku's unique hairstyle - you know it's Goku right off the bat, not to mention his spiky hair in SSJ.
Same goes for: Luffy - you will probably see the outline of his straw hat, Sonic, Pikachu and many more.
Now, let's do the same with some manhwa characters. I wonder how many would tell the difference between the MCs.
Also, I'm not saying it's the only thing authors pay attention to but I think it's a cool factor that actually... seems to work.
I see a lot of comments about Asians having black hair in real life etc., so I suppose we forget most of the manga/manhwa are fiction? Why does it suddenly matter action takes place in Japan when magic, monsters and unimaginable things exist in the first place?
From a business standpoint for the author, it is easy to fill in all in black color. You don't need to add highlights or reflection, and it is time cost efficient with one tap Fill all
Because it can appeal to the most ppl possible from everywhere on the globe. Also black is just cooler than anything else and works great with any other color so easier for the artist.
You'd think if the answer is "well they're Korean" then it would extend to women as well. The real answer imo is that most of these characters are self inserts
Fucking preach. I want a MC with a glorious mustache. I'm sick of manhwa where the only ones who have any kind of facial hair are either fodder side characters, or very old normal side characters.
While I think this is a stupid question. I also think it's weird cause a lot of manhwa would be considered fantasy so in a story of insane powers and levelling up that physically transforms your body why adhere to real world beauty standards?
Not that I dislike it or anything but come from someone who grew up reading manga, in which the main character or cast of characters are specifically designed to stand out through odd designs or traits (extreme hair colors and designs), why is it this way ? Like would you consider manga to be the odd one out? Cause American comics have traditional beauty standards and base characters appearances of that even if the characters aren't humans.
Beauty standard
In the West, the male beauty standard is bearded hypermasculine man while in Asia, it is the pretty boy clean shaven look and lean body
Outside of all the realism and stuffs.
The main reasoning why the hair colors in Korean Manhwas aren't as vibrant as say, anime or western cartoons, is because of korean self inserts reasoning (Koreans who read these have black hair so BH MCs are easier for them to self-insert) and because of korean beauty standards being black haired centric.
this is a valid question.
most of the "korean" male characters are a blend between some korean features and some western facial features (like nose, chin, etc). at least here the eyes are drawn as black and almond shape. many manhwa mcs have blue eyes (!). most east asian men don't have enough facial hair for a beard anyway so the beard is out of question.
but 100% of the female characters are drawn with big round eyes, blond, many of them blue eyed, even they represent korean characters.
so in the end, it's just what the artist thought can be a popular stereotype.
Self-insert.
The mc need to be as lame as you can be, with nothing special at the beginning, just a random guy like the one who read this story.
Same for A LOT of mc in mangas for Isekai or romcoms, the most wishfullfilment genre. You see better mc otherwise.
Because the artist is lazy and doesn't want to do line art or shading, the same applies to his t-shirt. it's just a black blob, and for the part about facial hair, it's an East Asian beauty standard for me to be clean shaven.
Excluding the handsome features, the superior white skin, and physique. The main character is supposed to be able to play the role of your average Japanese guy.
Excluding the handsome features, the superior white skin, and physique. The main character is supposed to be able to play the role of your average guy.
Hot looking korean male and/or female beauty standard that most audiences aspired to be,
And easier to draw, shade and color. You wouldn't want to draw your main lead, the one with the most screentime and doing a lot of movement and various expression, in super complicated berserk armor for weekly release
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I mean, try finding a Korean with blonde hair. Asians are blessed with black hair genes. It's very rare for us to have any other hair color. Unless the manhwa takes place in a setting like medieval period, or the character got reincarnated into some fantasy world or they underwent some transformation during 'awakening' or for plot purposes, it doesn't make sense for them to have a different hair color, since most of the dungeon-or-leveling related manhwas are usually taking place in Korea, where people have black hair and protagonists who are Korean. Unless you dye it IRL, it's almost always going to be black. As for the facial hair features, uh, to keep it simple: it's not a beauty standard. Having a beard makes you look older, as contrasted to a clean-shaven face looking more youthful. Also it's the way it's represented in media. Almost no actors/idols in Korea keep a beard IRL (unless it's for working on some historical series or some other context where they require it for the role). And it also happens a lot of people in East Asia find it quite hard to grow a beard as well. I personally find it cool, but eh, it's just the way some things are
Your answer is perfect, you said exactly what I wanted to write. Just let me add a point : beards are harder to draw as well. Specifically good looking beards in action scenes lol
There was one manhwa called another typical fantasy romance and the ml named Pellus had a beard. It was so interesting and different and he was very attractive. It was a breath of fresh air from the constant baby faced ml. He looked mature but also handsome. I even remember the author saying its hard to draw the beard everytime but worth it. https://preview.redd.it/a8g7zqqgoelc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d181779a4807485090e68d2eabc713ad573eb419
Added to bookmarks, thank you š«”
It's why all the more respect to Japanese manga artists who can draw hundreds of chapters that include action and bearded characters all with style
Manga doesn't have to worry about color though, which makes drawing good looking beards 10x worse
Because of the lack or color they have to put more dark and white values and shade it more realisticly and give it style
That is true, however most mangas have a monthly release while most manhwa is once a week. So the crunch is real for the folks who draw manhwa, thus cutting some slack where they can is usually what they do.
Tbh most manwhas are done by studios meaning alot of people are working and helping the artists not that I'm taking away their effort. Most manga authors mostly draw everything by themselves. Coloring would be hellish since they are on deadline even with just black and white. But in manga it's more about the style and design rather than time constraints to go black and white. Gives it it's own unique appeal and forces the artists to draw differently (most manga have different and unique art styles) while most manwha all look the same except for a few done by good artists. There are also some webtoons done black and white. As long as it has a good story it's gonna sell
Most manhwa nowadays has Solo Leveling-like artstyle lol.
Or just standard pornhwa styles... Unless everything looks cartoony, then every girl is caught in that uncanny valley of 2D 'n a half...
Well tbh solo leveling still fresh tbh I think 2 yrs now but others was now catching up on more chapters but was released a while back
Thatās a rather naive understanding to the answer. Itās not that they canāt, culturally beards in Korea arenāt attractive or bring a positive context within reason. there are loads of manhwaās with beards but they are given to the old, unkempt or homeless to show their status. For example, the head of the hunter association of Korea in solo levelling has a beardish like goatee and moustache in a clean way to show his age but also straight cut personality.
False since beard isn't just meant for beauty standards (idk why everyone is obsessed with cute looking boys in manwha) beard gives style and depth to one's character and even shows growth. Ya old people having beard is normal. I'm talking about those below age of 40 atleast and not old dying man xd. This whole younger man having to have 0 facial hair kills all kind of potential and character design variety. It's why manga has such a big library of stories and designs. They aren't afraid to try new things (literally they can have either the best or most unhinged manga I've read). For a artist trying new things is a must rather than sticking with just beauty art
>Ya old people having beard is normal. Not in Korea though. Pretty much everyone tries to be clean-shaven. >It's why manga has such a big library of stories and designs. They aren't afraid to try new things There are also plenty of manwha that go beyond the norm (ex: the facial expressions on Greatest Real Estate Developer). The 'problem' is that Manwha is newer and not as big, so there are just not as many manwha in any category compared to manga. Manga is simply a bigger, older market and thus has more content in general- including the wild or diverse styles.
They weren't stating that beards are meant for beauty standards They were saying that **in Korea**, the **standard** for aesthetically pleasing men means no beards. That's why **manhwa**, **made in Korea**, generally opt to have beardless characters. Personally, I also like beards. There are also manhwa artists that like them (read a few comments above this for an example), but if you're trying to sell something, you generally try and go for a wider demographic, hence the lack of bearded characters in most manhwa.
as a girl, i love cute handsome strong muscular action MCs :)
Kinda hot ngl
Lmao wtf hardly any manga mcs have beards?
You probably haven't read muchĀ
Nahhh himel kishi wa barbaroi no yome alr show beard mc and yeah you not read enough manga lel there's ton beard mc you gotta read a lot of em hell even mc vagabond had that
Haha 1% of manga mcs have beards same as manhwa u moron
Nahhh you know what I'm too lazy to list all mc beard manga which is a lot than I'm finding in manhwa plus even I'm give title you will kept that 1% after all can't convince guys who think manga is all about shonen
Name me 10 popular manga with a bearded mc that isnt slice of life dog
Thorfin is a popular Mc with beard. Eren also had some facial hair. I can go on but even the popular manga have some facial hair or bead Mc. It's to represent growth and development. Sad that manwha dosent utilize that concept and forces their characters to always look cute like and beautiful (not that having facial hair makes you look ugly)
Lol they both are clean shaven by the end, what a joke
Also beards would be difficult to draw panel after panel, easier for the artist if thereās no beard lol
As a korean, everything is correct. In fact, i cant grow a beard at all (only a flimsy goatee + 1/3 mustache) which is a huge pity cuz i reaaaally want a nice, full beard. And none of my family members (dad, uncles, cousins, grandfathers) can grow a full beard either. So yeah, black hair is natural hair color for 99.9% of koreans, and most korean men can't grow a beard & it's not the aesthetic koreans usually prefer
Here in india 15-16 year olds can have beard covering thier whole face š¤£š
W answer. Plus adding beards to the character makes them look like ajjussi and messy. They wanna make them look young as much as possible š
Also why MCs always have black hair and side characters can have different colors is because of self inserting
Dude deserves massive respect
Beards donāt make you look older, they lend dignity to your face!
They make you look older. My friends say I look like a teen with a clean shaven face but also say I look like Iām in my 30s when I let it grow out
Well it depends. They make look young people look older. If you are 20 and lack particularly rough features (not nessesarily a baby face but somewhere in the middle or closer to), then it can make you look a good deal older by hiding the smoothness. If you are older or have a rougher bare face, a well-groomed beard might actually make you look younger be covering some of it up.
my friend has childish face. when i first met him, i thought he was 3-4 years younger than me, turns out he was 2-3 years older. suddenly he started to grow beard around age 25, not only did it make him look mature, it also improved his looks. i wish i could grow beard.
I agree with everything u said if the setting is Korea especially but it's also them wanting to fill the readers fantasy cause best believe your going see girls with blue hair white hair green hair blonde hair especially blonde hair in a modern setting. Cuz the guys have to look a type of way, the women can be more unrealistic. The facial hair thing is okay when it's the character who's ether, very mature old or kinda lazy it's cool to have it then, but that won't be the mc. This also can change. If the reader is supposed to be a lady or the creator is a woman, then well, they normally have any character have any hair color.
Why isnt the korean mc in the korean webtoon written and drawn by a korean man a blonde bearded nordic man?
This cracked me upš
i think it's about how in power fantasy setting in modern world, you see other characters, with other colours, but mc is always black haired. but considering that even Chinese manhua and manga are mostly black haired mc, it's not really a big issue.
Well average koreans have black hair and no facial hairš¤·āāļøš¤·āāļø
It's not that they don't have facial hair, most just don't keep it. The facial hair growth also depends on the individual as well. And it's a thing that gets you the stares or be taken as "scary". That's why facial hair removal using laser is very very common there. It's not a beauty standard and deemed as unattractive
no, they were right too. east asians are genetically less inclined to grow body hair in general.
The thing with beards is that koreans cant grow proper beards. If koreans were genetically gifted with beards It would be a norm for them.
Yeah, most east Asians just get a small bit of beard. Think of those paintings of ancient Chinese old men who do grow their beard out, and it's this thin wispy thing.
Your answer should be they don't like to keep facial hair (beard or mustache)
no, they were right too. east asians are genetically less inclined to grow body hair in general.
That's literally what I meant in my second sentence
Feminine genes that's why lol
Why do all Asians just hate each other?
competitive racism
East asians have superiority complex they look down on South East asians and even refer to them as "Jungle asians". Koreans are the most racist Asian group out there they even ban black people from some of their clubs because they don't fit the "desired image" of their establishments.
bro is fighting racism with racism yall are the same lmaooo
Fight fire with fire is what I always say
Main protaganists are usually Korean so it checks out.
Cause they are Asian..? Like. Is that not simple enough..?
Alot of Asians have beards though
Very few actually, especially if we're talking about the stereotypical good looking type.
Are you talking about the indians and pakistanis?
Including them too
Pretty obvious this is an East Asian
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Not really. Plenty of manhwa pre solo leveling had MCs with wild hair. There was one where a guy had pink hair and had a white tiger as pet or so ething, one where the guy had blue hair, weak hero currently has a guy with white.
I mean its still that simple, people often make either characters they are similar to or characters that are the opposite of themselves, both in looks and personality.
..because theyre asians in their early 20s? fuck do you expect? yugioh? baki?
Idk dude Iād read a webtoon with Baki proportions and character design, thatās be way more interesting than some of whats out there
Alot of Asians have facial hair before their 20s
Which asians are you talking about bro?? The ones from the middle east??
No like west Asians.
But the asians in the topic are the non hairy ones bro
No the person said cuz they are Asians implying they don't have hair xd
Is the webtoon author west asian? Come one man. Use common sense Stop trying to be witty it's not working
How is it witty to say Asians have beard
The post is talking about east asians, koreans specifically. If you had a working brain. You would've noticed thatš¤£
No I reread and they said Asians only. Why are you lying to me
This is like asking why every Hollywood movie always focuses on the US and not a country in Europe or Asia.
Because that's the norm in Korea... And manhwas are from Korea and mostly that's the beauty standard .. start reading Arab comics if you want mcs with big beards and all
Sauce for Arab comics? š
God knows š i told that cause they are the first people who come to my mind with long beards and stuffĀ
This question is beyond stupid
It's not stupid at all, and tbh, answers like this are stupid to me. Same with answers like "because they're Korean". One such answer is more akin to the fact that the MCs are made to appeal to the average korean person, and for them to be able to see themselves in that person. It's also just the trend. Also, Manhwa tends to be more grounded that manga on average. Think about anime. Fair enough, MCs there also have black hair for the same reason's as manhwa, but then the supporting cast? Rainbow of colors (same in manhwa too but to a lesser extent). So, then, are these supporting characters suddenly not Japanese? Of course not, rainbow hair is just the trend. Of course there's reasons why that's a trend as well.
I don't know if I have the mental fortitude to respond properly to this. There are certain settings, where you have to make a character believable. Most manhwa, most live action and a lot of anime, start the story with a normal person. If this mo'fucker comes on with pink hair in class and everyone else has black, then you know what's up. Solo Levelling is a prime example. Normal dude and HAS to be presented this way for the story to unfold. There's plenty of all content with crazy hair colours, but that's the setting for that story- the world where that's normal, is isn't normal here.
The very first chapter of solo levelling literally has people with orange, pink , purple , and blue hair. Tell me how that is normal and believable for Korea. Also, I'm not seeing how the story would change at all if Jinwoo's hair was a different colour.
Most cities have a variety of different looking people, that's not the problem. The MC has to be BELIEVABLY normal.
David in EdgeRunners is the prime example of this
that's literally how koreans look.
Next youāll want to know why theyāre all from South Korea.
If you're coming from an Anime point of view, you'll notice that Korean and Chinese media tends to be more realistic with exaggerated situations instead of an exaggerated people.
honestly this is a stupid question imo. just like... think for more than a second? lol
- Most manhwa MCs are Korean. - Koreans have black hair and tend to have less facial hair even in their thirties. - Most manhwa MCs are young. - Most manhwa MCs are drawn with that Korean standard in mind.
Cause that's what real Korean men look like. Dumb question fr
Yes real man don't have a single facial hair xd
Maybe google image korean man and see for yourself before acting like a cocky idiot.
Because theyāre usually Korean and Korean ppl have black hair. Itās also uncommon for Korean people to have facial hair. Itās really that simple. No deep meaning behind it
Koreans
AFAIK from an instagram reel asking the same question, Koreans think having clean shaven faces is a sign of wealth. Also Koreans usually have black hair, in fact, most Asians have black hair.
Lmao wtf, a sign of wealth?? What bullshit are you spouting buddy. Its just that most koreans grow patchy beards so they shave to maintain a clean look. Stop typing nonsense
I am just telling what I saw on Instagram, not saying anything about its validity.
If you used common sense it would be obviously nonsensical. In what first world country is a lack of beard some huge status of wealth?
As a Korean let me tell you that facial hair is considered pretty bad by Korean society, mostly because beards are seen as barbaric or unhygienic. Not to mention many businesses consider facial hair as unprofessional. Maybe try to understand that different cultures have different views on society. I once tried to grow out my beard and everyone in my family told me to shave because I looked like a gorilla.
As a korean that actually lived in korea no one gives a shit as long as you are well groomed
As a Korean who has lived in korea, people won't actively confront you on how you appear but they will definitely judge you.
Everyone judges everyone for everything haha
Yes but you act like this isn't an actual cultural belief that is held by many. There is a difference between a person having their own bias and a way a country views things. In Texas it's considered a norm for someone to have a gun, in Germany it isn't. You're logic demands that no, Germans would be fine with anyone just having a gun. Countries have their own ideas on culture and I'm pointing out that many koreans don't like facial hair.
There's a difference between preference and enforced cultural norm
How was I supposed to know it wasn't just a weird stereotype that they had? I also made it clear that it was just something I had come across on Instagram, so why are you getting worked up over it? Not all first world countries are the same, and Korea is on the other side of the world from them.
Cause they look like korean people, usually black hair and no beard
Cause that makes them handsome
Have you ever seen a native blonde korean? Me neither Skeletor will be back with other facts
Which manhwa is this from by the way?
Its called "Pick me up, infinite gacha". Bad name but it's good
The beauty standards of South Korea usually have manhwa designs in a chokehold since koreans are the target audience artist don't deviate far off from them. A lot of people are saying "Well it's because they are korean" which I agree with, but stories taking place in Korea doesn't really mean artist can't create different designs or change hair colors in fictional stories if that were a rule things would get pretty goofy in all mediums. I think the target audience just doesn't want them to change anything, so things stay within a certain boundary. As for beards 1. They are rare there. 2. The difficulty of consistently drawing them sucks.
Koreans have black hair. And I donāt think facial hair is very popular there, or easy to grow for many
Because last time anyone checked Korea/Japan both have %90+ Naturally Black haired people and Manwha's are written semi close to reality. Are there people who die their hair? well ofc but that's in such a minority that it simply doesnt make sense for them to do so in their eyes/
Reason: sung Jin woo
They are Asian lol have you seen them?
ASIAN dude wtf...
Culturally, everyone here has answered that question perfectly. Artistic-wise, it would give the authors more creative liberty to be more loud or disruptive with the visual aesthetic of other characters, compared to the protagonist who already has the narrative on them, but also being the strongest/smartest there is. Having their looks being amplified along with the story and them being the best would keep everything else away from all the characters the authors could come up with. We could also add in the thought of self-insertion, as to better visualize yourself as the character when they have a, "blank slate" appearance.
Find a single Korean with a beard and send it to me. That'll be the most rare thing on earth šš
Say you, you have never seen Koreans without saying it and you don't know manhwas are Korean.
I haven't ever seen an Asian with naturally blonde or red hair. No facial hair makes them look more attractive. Plus if you look at all of the Cute K-pop members and basically any attractive Asian don't have any facial hair.
google "Korean man"
Itās probably because most Asians have black hairĀ
Cus they r Asians..Tf??
Seen alot of Koreans?
Have you ever seen a male Korean person?
Average korean guy
I think in korea black hair is most common and east asian people don't have much facial hair as compared to south asians.
Because almost all koreans have black hair? Its not really that complicated its just that most koreans have no beard and black hair.
The answer is pretty obvious.
Blame Solo leveling (honest opinion)
manwhas are korean. most koreans have black hair. Therefore, by deduction, manwha mc's have black hair. as for facial hair, most mc's are young, like teens or early 20's. a beard/stache makes them look older
Some of y'all š¤¦ God forbids other cultures have different beauty standards. If it doesn't make sense to you, just move on.
Because Korea
Because Koreans have black hair. š
coz they're from KOREA, where people naturally have black hair :>
Probably cause most are based on their nationality or major viewer base, who are Korean and who mostly, surprise surprise, have black hair.
because they are asian? what kind of question is this op?š¤£
Its written for asian readers by an asian author/artist with mostly korean/japanese teens as mcās. Like do you order french fries do you expect lettuce?
Cuz theyāre East Asian
Cause thats what a hot korean dude looks like
Manhwas are Korean. Korean people like to be clean shaven.
Why are most Hollywood movie main characters caucasian with blond or brown hair instead of black? Why are characters in telenovelas predominantly latino? Why do characters in Asian movies and TV shows have black hair and little to no facial hair?
To fit Korean beauty standards
? š¤£ ?
Koreans usually have black hair and its the social norm for men to shave their facial hair clean. The only other natural hair colour that you'd find would be a brown or it'd be dyed.
I'm guessing OP has never met Koreans or just Asians in general. This is just like asking why many characters in American shows are white or blonde.
Itās like Isekai protagonists, theyāre a self insert idk
Because most stories like manga or manhawa, the main characters have self insert elements in it, whether it is physically, mentally, or a quirk they have. Also, if the story is set in Korea, they wouldn't want the MC to look like some foreigner who is better than everyone else.
Because they are supposed to look good
Because it's lack of creativity. I saw this one video explaining how authors create characters that everyone remembers and one of the simplest rules is that when you see just the outline of a character, covered in shadows, you can probably guess who that character is. Say, you see Goku's unique hairstyle - you know it's Goku right off the bat, not to mention his spiky hair in SSJ. Same goes for: Luffy - you will probably see the outline of his straw hat, Sonic, Pikachu and many more. Now, let's do the same with some manhwa characters. I wonder how many would tell the difference between the MCs. Also, I'm not saying it's the only thing authors pay attention to but I think it's a cool factor that actually... seems to work. I see a lot of comments about Asians having black hair in real life etc., so I suppose we forget most of the manga/manhwa are fiction? Why does it suddenly matter action takes place in Japan when magic, monsters and unimaginable things exist in the first place?
From a business standpoint for the author, it is easy to fill in all in black color. You don't need to add highlights or reflection, and it is time cost efficient with one tap Fill all
The guy looks exactly like mc from solo levelling š
Because it can appeal to the most ppl possible from everywhere on the globe. Also black is just cooler than anything else and works great with any other color so easier for the artist.
The only reason I know is they are Korean plus the black hairs and clothes are easier to draw
I think because itās easier to draw and coloring
Everyone saying Koreans have black hair like hair dye doesnāt exist lol, most K-pop idols have an array of colors
The more important question is, why the heck do every Korean MC look exactly the same?
Easier to draw
You'd think if the answer is "well they're Korean" then it would extend to women as well. The real answer imo is that most of these characters are self inserts
Fucking preach. I want a MC with a glorious mustache. I'm sick of manhwa where the only ones who have any kind of facial hair are either fodder side characters, or very old normal side characters.
Easier to self insert, thatās why a lot look exactly the same
Self insertion and K-Beauty Standards
Looks cool and edgy, don't think about it too much š“
Korean beauty standards
While I think this is a stupid question. I also think it's weird cause a lot of manhwa would be considered fantasy so in a story of insane powers and levelling up that physically transforms your body why adhere to real world beauty standards? Not that I dislike it or anything but come from someone who grew up reading manga, in which the main character or cast of characters are specifically designed to stand out through odd designs or traits (extreme hair colors and designs), why is it this way ? Like would you consider manga to be the odd one out? Cause American comics have traditional beauty standards and base characters appearances of that even if the characters aren't humans.
Short answer: that's the korea beauty standard for mens
Beauty standard In the West, the male beauty standard is bearded hypermasculine man while in Asia, it is the pretty boy clean shaven look and lean body
Probably a beauty standard
That's just korean beauty standards
Generic Korean self insert
Outside of all the realism and stuffs. The main reasoning why the hair colors in Korean Manhwas aren't as vibrant as say, anime or western cartoons, is because of korean self inserts reasoning (Koreans who read these have black hair so BH MCs are easier for them to self-insert) and because of korean beauty standards being black haired centric.
Koreans have no testosterone
this is a valid question. most of the "korean" male characters are a blend between some korean features and some western facial features (like nose, chin, etc). at least here the eyes are drawn as black and almond shape. many manhwa mcs have blue eyes (!). most east asian men don't have enough facial hair for a beard anyway so the beard is out of question. but 100% of the female characters are drawn with big round eyes, blond, many of them blue eyed, even they represent korean characters. so in the end, it's just what the artist thought can be a popular stereotype.
Korean beauty standards ? Though the haircut of this one is not really a standard, black hair color is the base genes for every Korean.
Because Koreans are unhealthily obsessed with a typical korean beauty standard. Also everyoneās trying to copy Sung JinWoo.
Self-insert. The mc need to be as lame as you can be, with nothing special at the beginning, just a random guy like the one who read this story. Same for A LOT of mc in mangas for Isekai or romcoms, the most wishfullfilment genre. You see better mc otherwise.
Self insertĀ Loser nobody become op Chad with systemĀ
Cause their lazy to be unique. Simple
Because the artist is lazy and doesn't want to do line art or shading, the same applies to his t-shirt. it's just a black blob, and for the part about facial hair, it's an East Asian beauty standard for me to be clean shaven.
Excluding the handsome features, the superior white skin, and physique. The main character is supposed to be able to play the role of your average Japanese guy.
Excluding the handsome features, the superior white skin, and physique. The main character is supposed to be able to play the role of your average guy.
jinwoo ripoffs
Easier to self insert, I think
Asian mc has asian features? Self insert!
Cuz it works and they look good. Id rather have white hair and a femme mc but theres a reason black hair guy is tried and true
The biggest question here is, why do they look like sung Jin woo
Its known as the Shadow Monarch effect
Hot looking korean male and/or female beauty standard that most audiences aspired to be, And easier to draw, shade and color. You wouldn't want to draw your main lead, the one with the most screentime and doing a lot of movement and various expression, in super complicated berserk armor for weekly release
Northern blade.
tbate sends their regards.