2025 graphic novels, manga, manhwa to look out for
Get ready because there are some favourites here!
Let us preface this article by saying that we are using “graphic novels” as a loose term for comics, manga, manhwa (and manhua). And of course it goes without saying that there are many graphic novels out in 2025 and we will not be able to cover all genres of them.
For more graphic novel recommendations, please see: graphic novels articles.
Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage by Roal and Yuri
Suitable for 14+.
Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage is quickly becoming a favourite for us, and the number 1 reason is definitely the gorgeous artwork. Set in a time period with dukes and princes, the series allows readers to enjoy all the pretty outfits and parties.The series so far does feature a lot of “miscommunications”, but that’s a classic romcom trope, so we will forgive that. A light read While this is said to be a fantasy manhwa series, the fantasy element is relatively light in the first 4 volumes.
Cherry Blossoms After Winter by Bamwoo
Suitable for 18+ for seasons 3 – 4 of the manhwa.
This cutesy-looking manhwa is actually a spicy BL after season 3 (there are 4 seasons of the manhwa) so don’t say we didn’t warn you! The series follows ex- childhood friends Haebom and Taesung who live under the same roof but don’t speak to each other. That is, until Taesung befriends Haebom again after seeing him being bullied at school. Seasons 1 and 2 have a strong plot, along with the fluffy bits, which we love. We found out that there is also a live action adaptation, which is available to watch on Rakuten Viki. There are only 8 episodes, and cover seasons 1 and 2 of the manhwa.
My Love Story with Yamada-Kun At Lv999
My Love Story with Yamada-Kun At Lv999 is a cute romance manga that follows the budding relationship between Akane and Yamada after they met on an online role-playing game. The 5th volume starts at episode 41, where they finally got together (and we became a giddy mess). This volume obviously features many cutesy scenes that we have been waiting impatiently for, but it’s not all fun and games. We won’t spoil anything but you can read all about the Yamada-kun universe, including details about the anime series, here.
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Lore Olympus is a firm favourite here on United by Pop, which is no surprise given how much we love our Greek retellings. We can’t tell you too much, in case you still haven’t read the series somehow, but this is one of our favourite volumes so far. This particular volume goes more into plotlines, including Apollo being Zeus’ son, and Kronos’ potential return, with romance taking more of a side step. We love how Rachel Smythe dealt with discussions relating to sexual trauma very carefully. This volume collects episodes 180–206 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.
Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson
This is not a graphic novel you pick up because you want something quick to satisfy your reading challenge. Instead, it is something that you will spend days absorbing. After all, in Ginseng Roots, Craig Thompson detailed his childhood, which was spent working on ginseng farms, and uses that to tell a story about the agricultural sector in the States and immigrants. He also did extensive research for the topic, going to Korea and China to interview locals and observe products. We might even say we like Ginseng Roots more than Blankets.
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
The original New York Trilogy came out between 1985 and 1986, and it’s a series of detective and mystery fiction. While the first book of the trilogy, City of Glass, got its graphic adaption back in 1994, the other two books only finally got translated into graphic novels recently. A great place to start for those who want to start the series, but too imitated to do so.
Upcoming releases to look out for:
- King’s Maker, Volume 1
- Wet Sand, Volume 2
- Volume 2 of Under the Oak Tree
- Volume nine of Lore Olympus, which collects episodes 207-233, will be released on October 7. With 280 episodes in total, we expect there to be 2 more volumes to go before the series is all printed in hardcover.
- The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway, Volume 1 October 21
- Cherry Blossoms After Winter, Vol. 3 will be released on November 11.
- Volume 5 of Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage will be released on October 28. As there are 123 episodes in this series, we expect there to be 3 more volumes.
