The King's Avatar — the official 2023 manhua
At a glance6 volumes
The King's Avatar has had several comic versions. The most recent, published on Tencent Animation by the Xianman Culture studio (鲜漫文化), drawn and scripted by TAKU and Yinsu Xiao, has been released in bound volumes since 29 May 2023 by Zhejiang Literature & Art. Six volumes are out in China.
Origins and publication
This version comes after less successful attempts. An earlier manhua, drawn by D.LAN Canglan and published on the Dajiaochong platform from 2015, was collected in four volumes in 2017 before stopping in 2018 because of the platform's troubles. The 2023 version, with covers by Bawang, the novels' illustrator, starts the story from the beginning.
The manhua has also been translated abroad, notably in Germany by Manlin Verlag from 2024.
How it differs from the donghua
The manhua follows the novel from Ye Xiu's arrival at Happy Internet Café. It shows Glory's battles in dynamic panels with a manga-like style, and keeps more of the humour and dialogue scenes than the donghua. On the other hand, it moves slowly and has so far only covered the start of the story.
Reception and success
Readers praised its careful art, faithful to the characters, after earlier versions judged uneven. The manhua remains less known than the novel and the donghua, but it gives the franchise the comic entry point it was missing.
Trivia
- It is the third attempt to adapt The King's Avatar into comics.
- The volume covers are by Bawang, who already illustrated the novels.
- The Dajiaochong version reached 197 online episodes before stopping, with no official announcement.
My take
The manhua is the most pleasant way to rediscover the start of the story. The art is lively, the characters expressive, and the fights are easy to follow even if you don't know Glory. Too bad it moves so slowly: it leaves you wanting more.
Who is it for?For manga readers and anyone who prefers drawn art to the donghua's 3D battles.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
The authorHu Dielan 蝴蝶蓝The master of the online-game novel