Manhwa With Controversial Endings

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Summary

  • The Gamer’s ending left fans feeling betrayed as key characters were separated, ignoring the obvious ship.
  • Noblesse’s anticlimactic ending disappointed fans with loose ends and no meaningful plot closure.
  • The Breaker: New Waves lacked closure, devaluing key characters as the plot focused solely on the protagonist.

I often witness Manhwa series reaching conclusions, whether it’s the dramatic swing of the axe or the gradual settling of a story towards resolution. However, some Manhwa series have stirred up controversy with their endings, leaving numerous fans in a state of bewilderment and dissatisfaction.

This collection includes series whose conclusions range from complete chaos to perplexing mystery, leaving fans piecing together the fragments for years. Some may have been consistently engaging throughout their narrative, but their finales were so unsatisfying they drove away their supporters. Regardless, this compilation encompasses shows with endings that fall into any of these categories.

Warning, This List Contains Spoilers!

7. The Gamer

Half A Thousand Chapters And A Ship That Sank

  • Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Dystopian, Fantasy, Comedy
  • Author: Sung San-young
  • Artist: Sang-ah

The Gamer evokes mixed emotions among its audience, often due to its tendency to leave plot threads unresolved and provide misleading hints regarding one of the most conspicuous non-romantic relationships in Manhwa history – between Kwon Shiyeon and Han Jihan. After enduring trials and tribulations side by side, their bond seems fated, yet the storyline suggests otherwise.

Unfortunately, rather than continuing their story, the author opted for an ending where Han Jihan vanished into the horizon, abandoning his pursuit of knowledge, magic, and power. Given Jihan’s insatiable thirst for these things, he simply commented, “Off to another universe,” before leaving his significant other behind. This sudden departure left many fans feeling a sense of disappointment and heartache, as their hopes for the couple were dashed. The fandom reacted with an outpouring of sadness, expressing their frustration after all the anticipation only to find themselves let down in the end.

6. Noblesse

Too Many Loose Ends

  • Genres: Action, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Gothic Horror
  • Author: Son Jeho
  • Artist: Lee Kwangsu

For devotees of the captivating Mahwa series blending vampires, werewolves, and beings dwelling among us, it’s no secret that its conclusion is one of the least satisfying and underwhelming in the genre. With numerous unresolved plotlines that left viewers momentarily hopeful for a future sequel, set decades ahead.

However, it wasn’t so, instead, a drape concealed a tangled web of storylines that failed to form a coherent narrative. Despite the fact that several arcs were well-executed and the intense battle sequences elicited enthusiasm for additional episodes, the final scene featuring an impending nuclear disaster was a mere firework display. Essentially, it amounted to: life continued as usual following the last arc, The End.

5. The Breaker: New Waves

Lacked Closure For Key Characters

  • Genres: Action, Martial Arts, Drama
  • Author: Jeon Geuk-jin
  • Artist: Park Jin-hwan

The follow-up to the highly acclaimed and impactful “The Breaker” series left many fans feeling underwhelmed, as they barely touched the third installment (Eternal Force). Despite the intricate world-building and character development in the initial series being lauded, New Waves falls short by neglecting significant characters, diminishing them almost unforgivably.

Ultimately, the story seemed to focus primarily on the main character (MC), with other characters serving more as background elements. Shi-Woon’s transformation into a typical Shounen protagonist was noticeable, and his acting in the second part didn’t quite measure up to his earlier performances. The ending felt underwhelming, undoing much of what the MC had learned, and it was a disappointing twist that many fans will find hard to stomach in a Martial Arts Manhwa. It just didn’t make any sense at all.

4. Sweet Home

The Ending Left Fans Confused And Frustrated

  • Genres: Horror, Psychological, Thriller
  • Author: Kim Carnby
  • Artist: Hwang Young-chan

In many Horror Manhwa, particularly those belonging to the Psychological Terror sub-genre, there’s a knack for building suspense to intensify the narrative and sometimes prolong the conclusion to the utmost limit, leaving survivors in a desperate struggle to escape. For instance, the series Sweet Home concludes with such an enigmatic and perplexing resolution that readers might have needed multiple re-reads just to confirm they were interpreting it correctly.

The author seemed overly preoccupied with satisfying fans and neglected providing a clear origin or rationale for the outbreak, Hyun’s transformation, and the reasons behind his descent into one of the series’ most malevolent characters. Unfortunately, this resulted in numerous unresolved plot threads, unpunished villains, and development that ultimately lacked significance.

3. Bastard

A High Stakes Story With A Disappointing Ending

  • Genres: Psychological, Thriller, Drama
  • Author: Kim Carnby
  • Artist: Hwang Young-chan

On occasion, readers might come across a captivating series that’s so engrossing and thoughtfully crafted, it becomes impossible to tear themselves away, leading them to read compulsively for hours on end. In this regard, the gripping tale of “Bastard” – a son unraveling the truth about his father being a serial killer and vowing to bring him to justice – fits the bill perfectly.

Unfortunately, the conclusion feels hurried and unsatisfying as each character seems to receive their desired outcome, with no repercussions or logic that aligns with reality, leaving readers feeling shortchanged. It remains unclear why the story ended this way, neither the fans nor the author seem to have a definitive answer.

2. Magician

One Of The Longest Fantasy Manhwa Runs, That Ended In A Lame Way

  • Genres: Fantasy, Action, Drama
  • Author & Artist: Kim Sarae

Over an extended period of 10 years or more, a Manhwa can foster attachment towards its characters due to their development as readers progress through each chapter. In this regard, Kim Sarae excelled. The narrative of Enzu and Iremi commenced with them as children and concluded with them as adults aboard a fortuitously timed ship. However, the conclusion was surprisingly incomplete and filled with gaps, leading fans to speculate that the author might have lost interest and chose to terminate the series himself.

In summary, the narrative, having spanned over a decade and featuring magical travels, still left many enigmas unresolved. The conclusion, in a hurry, seemed more focused on catering to fans and maintaining a semblance of continuity rather than being coherent. Characters Iremi and Enzu took up the role of raising Ethermask’s son, who was unable to form a family due to his condition. This twist felt contrived since he essentially adopted our main characters as a substitute for a traditional family. The ending, unfortunately, lacked logic entirely.

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2025-01-13 14:36