Some of the biggest titles in manhwa include action, fighting, and adventure, but even among all the fantastical elements, some things keep stories grounded and relatable. One of those things is family. Although they may not show up often, the main character’s family can sometimes serve as a source of motivation or a device used to break the tension in the story of a manhwa.

Those family moments add to characterization and world-building, as the focus is taken off the main character and onto the background. These moments in manhwa tend to be popular because these added details make characters more endearing. In recent years, there have been even more manhwa about family dynamics that explore specific character tropes and their impact on the setting.

Updated on July 20, 2024, by Garrett Huon: Many people love family manhwa because they’re very wholesome and cute. They serve as a nice break from the high action of shonen or the drama that comes with shojo manhwa. Most of the entries on this list are placed in a historical setting, but some of the manhwa featured offer phenomenal stories that are set in modern day, too. For those looking for manhwa that focus on family, there are plenty of great options available, and this update aims to showcase only the best.

14 My Daughter, The Music Prodigy

MyAnimeList Score: 7.14

• Published: 2021 to 2023
• Genre/Theme: Drama, Childcare, Music, Time Travel
• Author: Hansung Lee
• Illustrator: Harvey

Cho Sunghyun hits rock bottom after his daughter dies, and he realizes he spent his life working rather than living with her. Just when he decides to end his life, he wakes up ten years in the past. This time he vows to take care of his daughter and be a good father. It just so happens that his daughter has a natural talent for music.

Father-daughter stories are popular, but normally they are told from the perspective of the child. This manhwa is full of sweet moments and scenes where Sunghyun is reflecting on his past behavior and his neglect. It’s refreshing to see the dad work harder to improve the relationship instead of the child, which is a prominent approach in similar stories.

13 It’s My First Time Being Loved

MyAnimeList Score: 7.04

• Published: 2023 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Reincarnation
• Author: Miraenavi
• Illustrator: Huahuachi

The protagonist has lived 99 lives as a hero fated to sacrifice herself for the world. She’s never once been cherished by her family or the ones she’s saved, and each life has had the same bitter ending. Expecting the same from her 100th life, the protagonist is shocked to see a loving family waiting for her. In this life, she is Anastasia, the adorable youngest daughter of the Endeblanc ducal house.

From the beginning, the story establishes the protagonist’s personality and feelings after all her lives. Despite her jaded view of life, the story is still very wholesome, giving particular focus to the gestures of affection Anastasia receives from her family. It’s very uplifting to see how her character grows in this manhwa.

12 My Daughter Is The Final Boss

MyAnimeList Score: 7.35

• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Action, Fantasy, Childcare, Time Travel
• Author: Geulsseunya
• Illustrator: RK Studio

At the end of the world, Seojun Lee confronts the person responsible for the surrounding destruction. It’s his daughter, Seola Lee. He had neglected Seola and her mother since she was born, and now, it will lead to his death. However, he wakes up in the past with a new mission: to be a better dad.

This manhwa is great because most regression stories are driven by selfish desires or revenge. It’s rare that the protagonist actually regrets his past and actively looks to fix his mistakes. On top of that, the time Seojun takes to be a better partner and father is actually more interesting than all the hunter and dungeon content.

11 Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom

MyAnimeList Score: 7.44

• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Isekai, Villainess
• Author: Ilu
• Illustrator: Moguraeng

After overworking herself to death, Lily reincarnates as Abigail Friedkin, the evil queen in the Snow White-inspired novel she once read. Abigail hated her step-daughter Blanche in the book and constantly abused her, but now, she wants to fix their relationship. Unfortunately, consistent trauma is not so easily remedied.

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This story is very wholesome, as each family member is trying to overcome their personal issues to be a better person, specifically Abigail and Sabrian. Their romance is slow, so there is much more focus on them fixing their relationship with Blanche.

10 I Married The Male Lead’s Dad

MyAnimeList Score: 7.46

• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Romance, Isekai, Reincarnation
• Author: Eunchae Go
• Illustrator: Eongsseu

The protagonist dies in a car accident and is reborn in her favorite book “Persona.” Her new identity as Aisha Heathcliff means nothing to the original plot, so she takes personal liberties to watch the original main character, Abel Louvrement. Of course, her stalking gets her into trouble and causes more than a few misunderstandings, leading to an unlikely romance.

This manhwa is great for fans of romantic isekai. Even though the story may seem similar to many others, many great twists and story beats shake up the usual framework. It’s a fun and wholesome tale that stands out with its fun surprises.

9 My Daughter Is A Zombie

MyAnimeList Score: 7.69

• Published: 2018 to 2020
• Genre/Theme: Comedy
• Author: Yunchang Lee
• Illustrator: Yunchang Lee

The zombie apocalypse is usually a time of fear and panic, but this manhwa portrays it a little less seriously. Lee Jeonghwan and his daughter Su-ah immediately escape from the city, but Su-ah gets bitten in the process, turning her into a zombie. Jeonghwan doesn’t want to give up on her, and even after the crisis is over, she’s the last living zombie.

This manhwa features mostly goofy moments where Jeonghwan is trying to keep Su-ah from biting him and teaching her to live as a human again, but all those things only prove how much he loves her. Despite being a comedy, My Daughter Is a Zombie is one of the most heartfelt father-daughter manhwa to exist.

8 A Man’s Man

MyAnimeList Score: 7.71

• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Drama, Showbiz, Time Travel
• Author: Taegung Kim
• Illustrator: Dogado

At the height of his career, Han Yuhyeon is left alone with no one to celebrate becoming the CEO of Hansung Tech Company. His wife left him, and his colleagues were all sacrificed for his rise to the top. After a trip to a bar, he is sent back in time to right before he is hired at Hansung. With years of experience under his belt, Yuhyeon will correct his mistakes from his last life.

This manhwa is a great reflection of toxic work culture and the sacrifices it demands. Although it’s very dramatized, it displays the importance of work-life balance. Yuhyeon works hard to maintain his relationships and goes through a great deal of change in this story.

7 To Be An Actor

MyAnimeList Score: 7.77

• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Drama, Time Travel, Workplace
• Author: Gogwang
• Illustrator: Dusi

Jang Youngkuk ends his own life after realizing he’d abandoned his own mother, but instead of dying, he is sent into the past, eating with his mom. Given a new life, he promises to take care of his mother and be the son she needs. However, his past life seems to haunt him as more and more signs appear, telling him to be an actor.

To Be An Actor stands out among other manhwa featuring actors or celebrities because it focuses on more than just Youngkuk’s career. Although most of the story does detail his life as an actor, what’s important is the reason why he acts. It’s for the love of the craft and for his mother. There aren’t many manhwa that focus on the relationship between mother and son.

6 My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me

MyAnimeList Score: 7.85

• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel
• Author: Yoonseol Han
• Illustrator: Seungu

When her father dies, Parashati expects to have the support of her family and fiancé. Instead, she was poisoned by her stepmother and betrayed by her lover. However, instead of dying, Parashati wakes up the day after her father’s funeral. Determined to survive, she goes to Duke Lapileon to offer a marriage contract.

Despite the nature of their relationship, Parashati is able to forge genuine connections with the duke and the other members of the Lapileon dukedom. They grow closer as certain tragedies are brought to light because she is the one to discover them. Parashati may seem like an ordinary protagonist, but her maturity does wonders to set her apart from other main characters.

5 Mother’s Marriage Contract

MyAnimeList Score: 7.87

• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Time Travel
• Author: Siya
• Illustrator: Hae-Yun Choo

Lyrica’s mom is normally drunk all day doing nothing. However, one day she runs out the door without a word. Before she knows it, Lyrica is moved into the royal palace and becomes the kingdom’s new princess. Through her innocence and childish ambition, Lyrica leaves an impression on everyone she meets.

Many protagonists in manhwa are children with the mind of an adult, but having an actual child narrate and guide the reader is very rare. The whimsical art style can be taken as how Lyrica sees the world, and the way the colors shift with her emotions is proof of that. This unique perspective is what makes this family-focused manhwa worth reading.

4 Teenage Mercenary

MyAnimeList Score: 7.89

• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Action, School
• Author: YC
• Illustrator: Rakhyun

Yu Ijin was thought to have died with his parents during a plane crash ten years prior. One day, he returns home to his sister and grandfather, who had believed he was alive the whole time. Now, they could truly move on as a family. However, Ijin has a big secret. He’s a trained mercenary, and for the last ten years, he’s been through many battlefields.

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Despite all the fighting and intense drama, this manhwa is ultimately about Ijin trying to settle his past with his present. There are many ghosts and regrets that haunt him, but they only serve to make him love his family more.

3 The Male Lead’s Little Lion Daughter

MyAnimeList Score: 7.92

• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Drama, Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation
• Author: Latine
• Illustrator: Ttona

After reincarnating into a novel, the protagonist lives in a poor orphanage, living in squalor due to corrupt management. When Duke Voreoti comes searching for a child to adopt, she confronts him directly and earns his favor. He gives her the name Leonia, and they become a new family of two, slowly learning about and caring for one another.

Leonia is one of the most mature child protagonists seen in this genre. Due to gaining memories of her past life, her mannerisms and dialect come off as more adult, but she’s still very childish. The way she changes her thinking at a moment’s notice helps emphasize the consequences of her reincarnation.

2 A Stepmother’s Marchen

MyAnimeList Score: 8.13

• Published: 2019 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel
• Author: Nyangi-wa Hyangsinnyo
• Illustrator: ORKA

Shuli was sold by her family to Marquess Johannes von Neuschwanstein. He trains her and teaches her how to manage his estate and territory as well as how to interact with other nobles and their fickle ways. She was only sixteen when this happened, and Johannes’s children didn’t like her. Their hatred only grew when he died, and Shuli was left to manage everything by herself.

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This story is mostly positive with a few dramatic moments, but it focuses on how the children feel towards Shuli and how Shuli feels about them. The author does a great job of using political issues to progress the story and deepen their relationship.

1 I Shall Master This Family

MyAnimeList Score: 8.24

• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genre/Theme: Time Travel, Fantasy
• Author: Kim, Roah
• Illustrator: Mon

The Lombardis family is the wealthiest in the kingdom aside from royalty, and their words can influence the economy of the entire kingdom. Firentia works hard for the family, but due to mistakes made by her uncle, the family falls. She dies in a carriage accident later and reawakens in the past as a child.

This story is similar to other time-travel manhwa, and Firentia is able to use her knowledge of the future to her advantage. However, the most exciting parts are the inner family conflicts. The illnesses that plague certain family members and the problem of succession are examples of great arcs in the story.

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