Although manhua (Chinese comics) has risen in its popularity, it has been difficult to find official English translations and platforms they can be read on for international fans. Most are fairly inaccessible to readers outside of China, but it looks like that's about to change. Bilibili, a Chinese site that focuses on sharing videos, animation, manhua and games, now has an official English-translated version called Bilibili Comics, after appearing to have reached out to existing translation teams.
Much of the available manhua are BL (Boys' Love), but there are other genres that will certainly pique readers' interests. For now, Bilibili Comics has made all of its manhua free to read online, but that could change in the next few months. In the meantime, here are seven great manhua to check out for free right now.
Heaven Official's Blessing
FUNimation released its very first donghua internationally last year, and Heaven Official's Blessing was adapted from Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's novel and follows a twice-banished, thrice-ascended god who spends much of his time collecting scraps or helping the heavens solve mysteries to clear his debt. While investigating the mystery of a ghost bride, Xie Lian encounters a powerful, mysterious being, the Crimson Rain Sought Flower, who wants to accompany Xie Lian.
Heaven Official's Blessing is a love story that transcends time and the three realms -- the heavens, the mortal world and the ghost realm. While the donghua does an excellent job animating the scenes in the novel, the art in the manhua is on another level, with its attention to detail and colors. So far, the available translated chapters are getting close to where the first season of the donghua ended.
Global Examination
The whole world in Global Examination gets thrust into a deadly examination where examinees are forced to answer questions correctly in order to live. If they leave the examination room, they'll be disintegrated. If they break the rules, they'll be punished. The subject of each exam seems to be random and is focused more on solving riddles, and the ones who preside over the exams are being chosen from the examinees who survived.
Despite seeming to be the ones with power, the examiners also have restrictions, including the most important rule: do not be in a relationship with the examinee. Examinee You Huo gets trapped in these exams and meets the highest-ranking examiner, Qin Jiu. The two constantly butt heads, with You Huo not seeming to care one iota about breaking the rules, but the two soon realize that they share a past that they have no memory of.
Dragon and Phoenix Flip
Set in the modern era, Dragon and Phoenix Flip follows an agent-idol relationship except it's not the traditional one you might think of. After getting fired by her client, Fang Minzhu is desperate for work, so when popular idol girl star Liang Youxi puts out an application for agents, it seems perfect for her. The problem is that Liang Youxi is looking for only male agents due to a traumatic accident, leaving Fang Minzhu no choice but to change her appearance to that of a man, but Liang Youxi has a secret of her own.
On the outside, Liang Youxi seems to be a sweet 17-year-old girl, but Fang Minzhu quickly discovers that appearances are deceiving. Liang Youxi is temperamental, demanding and wants Fang Minzhu to sleep outside of her door on the floor, and Fang Minzhu has to bite her tongue if she wants to keep her job.
Baili Jin Among Mortals
What happens when a flower fairy drops her queen's stained-glass plate that holds some heavenly pork? She gets banished to the mortal realm. In Baili Jin Among Mortals, Baili Jin meets a manager of a cafe named Lin Muxi, whose first words are telling the flower fairy that she smells good.
Baili Jin has some difficulty getting accustomed to the human world and trying to find some way to get back to the heavens, but she finds solace in Lin Muxi's company. The GL (Girls' Love) manhua is cute and heartwarming, and the love story is satisfying to watch. Along with the main couple, the manhua also features another couple who take in Baili Jin since she doesn't have a home, and they have their own problems that are just as interesting.
Touch Your World
This BL manhua features a man who sees things in black and white. Xie Cheng is initially fine with it, but after a young man knocks into him, his world suddenly bursts into color, and he can't turn away anymore.
The young man in question is named Bai Lu, who is a graphic designer accused of plagiarism, causing him to be suspicious and paranoid about everyone around him, all except Xie Cheng. When his assistant goes on break for two weeks, it leaves Bai Lu scrambling to find someone to be her replacement, and Xie Cheng enthusiastically volunteers, as he wants to continue to see in color.
Social Temperature
Song Yuan Xun and Fang Zhao Mu couldn't be any more different. Song Yuan Xun is a cold but popular young man who is homophobic, and Fang Zhao Mu is a gentle but lonely exchange student. One day, Song Yuan Xun's friend plays a joke on him and installs a dating app on his phone, where he accidentally matches with Fang Zhao Mu.
The latter is excited to finally have someone he can call a friend, while Song Yuan Xun tries to keep his distance from him, using the persona of "Andrew." However, Song Yuan Xun inevitably falls in love with the kind Fang Zhao Mu, while Fang Zhao Mu falls in love with "Andrew," so now he must deal with the truth.
Zombie World
Let's face it, zombie apocalyptic stories aren't anything new, and it can be hard to find something that has a unique twist. Zombie World isn't really anything new in terms of content and storyline, but the way it has been formatted with close-ups depicted through individual panels makes the reading experience much more visceral.
The story follows a family of three as they struggle to survive in quarantine. They live in an apartment, but the way that it has been set up with metal bars, it looks more like a glorified jail cell. A virus has turned much of the population into zombies, and with the city under lockdown, food and water will soon run out, raising the stakes even more.
