Korean webcomics, known as manhwa, are getting quite popular around the world with their beautiful artwork and intriguing plots. One of the subgenres that appears frequently in manhwa is harem, focusing on both male and female protagonists. In this list, we’ll be talking about the 20 best harem manhwa/webtoons to read in 2023.
Table of Contents
What Is Harem?
The word harem originally refers to the practice kings and emperors had in ancient times, where they would have a household with multiple wives, concubines, and servants. At present, the term is used as the name of a subgenre where the main character has multiple love interests.
In the case of the harem manhwa, the protagonist is surrounded by potential love interests and shares romantic moments with each of them without actually choosing anyone to be his partner.
The center or the main attraction of the harem could be both a boy or a girl, and their number of romantic interests is usually higher than two. It’s a pretty self-indulgent subgenre where the viewer can enjoy the interest of potential lovers for themselves.
What Is the Difference between a Male Harem, a Female Harem, and a Reverse Harem?
There are two types of harem: one is called just harem while the other is called reverse harem. When the main character is a man and surrounded by beautiful women falling for him left and right, it’s called a harem. Similarly, when the main character is a woman who has attracted the affection of multiple men at once, it’s known as the reverse harem.
Harem where the love interests are all female is also known as the female harem while another term for the reverse harem is the male harem.
20 Best Harem Manhwa/Webtoons to Read in 2023
1) The Beloved Fake Saint
- Author: Financier, jn, Junye
- Chapters: 45+
- Status: Ongoing
In this reverse harem manhwa, we follow Ariel Celestin who is mistakenly appointed as a saint to help the crown prince secure more political power. Afraid that her fraud will be exposed, Ariel plans to flee from the palace to a temple with the help of the helpful gods.
But her plan is foiled when she catches the eyes of the crown prince, the pope, and a merchant all at once. Surrounded by handsome men who have taken interest in her, Ariel’s life is about to be changed forever.
2) Only I Can Speak the Ancient Language of Magic
- Author: Camotero, Gajang
- Chapters: 31+
- Status: Ongoing
The story of this manhwa revolves around Sisha who one day wakes up in a magical fantasy world. In this world, there is a secret library hidden from the general populace for a thousand years. The library contains books with unknown texts that no scholar has yet managed to decipher.
When Sisha sees the books, she finds with great shock that the texts in the books are all English which is completely unknown to the people of this world. Now with her status risen for knowing the mysterious texts, Sisha finds herself the object of affection for many.
3) A Returner’s Magic Should be Special
- Author: Soo-nan Yoo, Ukjagka
- Chapters: 235+
- Status: Ongoing
This action and harem manhwa relays the story of Desir, a magical prodigy who along with his party has been fighting demons for years in the Shadow Labyrinth. When he finally comes out, he finds that the world is facing armageddon and the majority of humanity is dead.
But at the moment of Desir’s own death, he is sent 13 years back in time. Now he must train harder to protect the world from the armageddon and protect his loved ones.
4) Villains Are Destined to Die
- Author: SUOL, Gwon Gyeoeul
- Chapters: 135+
- Status: Ongoing
Enjoying a game is one thing but getting sucked into that game might not be very fun. Our main character learns it the hard way when she finds herself transported to the world of her favorite game, not as a heroine but as the villainess Penelope Eckhart.
Doomed to the route of death at every point, Penelope must do everything to survive, including using her prior knowledge of the game to seduce the love interests for herself.
5) How To Use A Returner
- Author: Wooden Spoon, MIDNIGHT STUDIO, Domi
- Chapters: 86+
- Status: Ongoing
Another manhwa about transporting to another world, How To Use A Returner follows Lee Giyoung who suddenly finds himself in a deadly game where death awaits. If that isn’t bad enough, he also finds that he has the lowest stat out of everyone else summoned here.
But there is one ability he can use and that is his ability to see the status of another player. When he meets the cool and talented Kim Hyunsung, he finds that the guy is also a returner of this world like him. Find out what happens next.
6) The Beginning After the End
- Author: Turtle Me, Duta Permana
- Chapters: 206
- Status: Completed
Once upon a time, there was a powerful king named King Gray who had everything a person could want: status, power, and wealth. But behind all these, his heart was empty of ambition. Living a life of emptiness, he is later reborn as Arthur Leywin in a magical fantasy world filled with monsters.
Now Arthur is determined to make the most of this second chance at life.
7) My Apprentices Are All Devils
- Author: Chadian Dongman
- Chapters: 254+
- Status: Ongoing
After 300 years the Night King is resurrected and he finds all of his disciples have attained immortality and grown up to become gorgeous women. He now plans to tease and guide these attractive demons, surrounding himself with a harem of voluptuous women.
8) I Fell Into a Reverse Harem Game!
- Author: INUI, GOYA, Guseul
- Chapters: 93+
- Status: Ongoing
While the name of this manhwa is pretty straightforward, the plot has a twist to it that makes it unique. It tells the story of the protagonist who is transported to a reverse harem game as the villainess, Elvia Violette Cecelia.
Elvia has plenty of men falling for her and vying for her attention but she also knows that the main character of this reverse harem game is not she but her manipulative maid Arielle. How will Elvia fight Arielle and keep the harem of men for herself?
9) The Duchess Has a Deathwish
- Author: Hi My Dear
- Chapters: 56+
- Status: Ongoing
Another reverse harem manhwa, The Duchess Has a Deathwish follows our suicidal protagonist who is reborn as Selena, the villainess of a novel, after her death. She knows that Selena will die soon and spend her last days in a dungeon.
Not wanting to go through that ordeal and to live in general, Selena tries to die again and again, only to be stopped by her friends and family every time.
10) Close as Neighbors
- Author: Semni
- Chapters: 36
- Status: Completed
Up next is the adult harem manhwa Close as Neighbors which tells the story of Theo Son, a guy who is very close with his neighbors, April and May Min. Eventually, their relationship gets more intimate than normal neighbors should share between them.
Throughout the story, Theo meets many attractive women and finds himself surrounded by a harem of girls. There are many explicit scenes in this manhwa but the story is also interesting,
11) Twice the Love
- Author: Siamtwins
- Chapters: 54
- Status: Completed
Twice the Love is all about spicy art and marital drama. It is about a couple, Alex and Becky, and how their marriage crumbles when Becky’s attractive sister Brooke comes to visit them.
Alex soon gives into temptation and begins an affair with Brooke, crushing Becky’s heart. But when Becky begins an affair of her own, Alex finally gets to taste his own medicine.
12) Mercenary Enrollment/Teenage Mercenary
- Author: YC
- Chapters: 150+
- Status: Ongoing
As a child, Ijin Yu’s life turned upside down when he was stranded in a foreign land because of a plane crash that killed his parents. Devoid of food and shelter, he had to toughen himself up and become a child mercenary to survive the harsh world.
Years later, as a teenager, Yu returns to Korea to his relatives and enrolls in a high school. He thinks his harsh days are over until he realizes that his high school life is another battle entirely.
13) Random Chat/The Girl from Random Chatting
- Author: Park Eun Hyuk
- Chapters: 217+
- Status: Ongoing
Choi Joonwo is a loner high schooler who spends his days anonymously chatting online with random strangers. When one day he encounters a pretty girl in a private chat, he believes his golden days are finally coming.
Turns out his new chatmate is none other than Yoon Seungah, his beautiful classmate. Now that the cover is anonymity is removed, Joonwo finds his life changing from a loner to someone else.
14) Virus Girlfriend
- Author: Dark Litchi, Manyu
- Chapters: 474+
- Status: Ongoing
When a zombie apocalypse comes, Ling Mo awakens his hidden power: the ability to control zombies. Armed with this useful ability, he survives the doomsday and eventually finds his girlfriend, Ye Lian.
However, to his shock, Ye Lian has already been turned into a zombie and has no recollection of the past. Ling Mo now must do everything for their survival while trying to get Ye Lian’s memories back.
15) Dark Star Emperor
- Author: 崔世鹏 川夜
- Chapters: 261+
- Status: Ongoing
At the moment of death, the terribly sick Su Xiaobai is transported to another world, carrying a piece of the soul of Long Ming, also known as the infamous Star King. He also receives a special ability called Infinity of Darkness.
But such power comes at a price; he begins to feel unbearable pain whenever he’s excited.
16) Rule As A Monarch Under The Skirts
- Author: Unknown
- Chapters: 31+
- Status: Ongoing
The story is set in a world where only women have spiritual powers and can cultivate them into something stronger. The main character, Li Junxian, finds himself transported to such a world where all the powers are wielded by women and men serve under them.
Li Junxian wants to cultivate powers himself and become stronger. His goal is to bring men into official and military positions and have women serve under them. In this process, he earns himself quite a harem of ladies.
17) Immortal Swordsman in The Reverse World
- Author: 冬漫社
- Chapters: 381+
- Status: Ongoing
The protagonist of the story, Chu Qing, once mistakenly opened the door to the Fairy Realm where he pursued the art of Cultivation for 300 years. One day he accidentally opens the door to the time when he was 17 years old.
But in this time and world, the behaviors of men and women are swapped, meaning women now behave like men and vice versa. Chu Qing now must impress the women of this world while trying to find a way to return to his own world.
18) Silent War/My Kingdom
- Author: Tharchog, Yansae
- Chapters: 160
- Status: Completed
My Kingdom, also known as Silent War, is about a guy named Hyun-soo who is being bullied all his life up to his adulthood. As an adult, he’s still a pushover, walked over all the time by the dangerous men he works for.
His only strength is his betting skills, and when he’s finally pushed to the edge, he decides to use his betting skills to earn huge amounts of money and steal the girls of his bullies. This harem manhwa features adult themes.
19) Absolute Hypnosis in Another World
- Author: Kamadi, Onedollar, Grilled Mero
- Chapters: 70+
- Status: Ongoing
Absolute Hypnosis in Another World is a pretty straightforward story with a lot of explicit scenes. It’s an adult harem manhwa, telling the story of a guy named Hypno who is granted the power of hypnosis in a new world.
Hypno’s ultimate goal is to create a huge harem full of beautiful women for himself. With that goal in mind, he sets out in this new world and meets a scorchingly attractive woman, only to find out that she’s married.
20) The Second Coming of Gluttony
- Author: Ro Yu-jin
- Chapters: 110+
- Status: Ongoing
The story of The Second Coming of Gluttony revolves around Jihoo Seol, a powerful man who is given another chance to relive his life at the brink of death. However, now that he’s back to his past self, he realizes he is not the strong man he is to become and needs to train harder to get stronger.
He begins to see glimpses of his future and suddenly finds himself blessed with surprising luck. But when the luck stops coming, his life is in ruins. That is until he meets a woman who will change the course of his life.
The list of the 20 best harem manhwa/webtoons to read in 2023 ends here. Most of these manhwa are available on platforms like Webtoon and Tapas. Give these a go and for more manhwa suggestions, visit Otakus’ Notes.
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Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.
