The profession of acting has had a grip on the minds of the public since the day movies started gaining popularity.Superstars recognized and adored worldwidefor their roles in various motion pictures ignited a cult following that changed the landscape of the industry irrevocably. They spawn entire industries around themselves, agents that manage their roles, companies that hire them for ads, and some even start their own brands or collaborate with companies to become the spokesperson.
New age media really allowed the fans of actors and acting to get a behind-the-scenes look at their favorite personalities and the business of acting as a whole. However, curiosity is a cat that can never be sated, and media regarding the very institutions it is being produced in became a favorite genre among fans. Manhwa that focuses on acting and the entertainment sector shed a light on the unique culture of the Korean acting scene in a way that western audiences haven’t really seen before.
6Long Live the Drama King
The Tale of an Underground Director
The story ofLong Live the Drama Kingfollows Lee Hyunseok, a failed director whose debut drama was a commercial flop but was considered anunderrated masterpiece by die-hard movie watchers. Discouraged by the failure of his project, he never attempted to restart his career in the film industry and died an unfortunate death because of a car crash.
Instead of passing on peacefully, Lee gets the assistance of a legendary director (who’s a ghost) who gives him a second lease on life, a chance to do it all over again. Now, it’s up to the main character to make the most of the limited resources he once had and create a masterpiece to cement his name in the world of Korean cinema.
5No Outtakes
Mistakes Are For Casuals
Jaerin, a die-hard fan of the popular K-drama “Hwaya”, gets a job as an extra on the set of the drama that she is so in-love with. There, she gets into an accident alongside the lead actor, somehowtransporting both of theminto the world of the same drama that they were shooting. They don’t get any tutorial or grace period, and immediately get wrapped up in a life-or-death situation.
From the very start,No Outtakessets the tone that persists throughout the manhwa, where nothing is off limits. There are no second tries or retakes, only the ruthless world that these two must participate in without any mistakes. The high-stakes of the world that they’re a part of makes the two main characters come together, giving rise to a slow burn romance.
4The Definition of a Top Star
Make Your Wish a Reality, If You Dare
The tale of Sir Subtitle and Beloved,Definition of a Top Starfollows Seo Jihoon,a wanna-be actorwho had his dreams of becoming a famous actor shattered when he went through a tragic accident that scarred his face permanently. However, after helping an eccentric old man, he gains the help of a powerful spirit that vows to help him, the fated one, to make his dream a reality.
After his injury gets healed, Jihoon has to go through all the normal trials that an aspiring actor has to face. This manhwa is particularly fun to read because of the very relatable characters that populate its pages. The dynamic between the main character and the people around him is genuinely funny.
3Talent Agent and the Threads of Fate
The Underbelly of the Acting Scene
Talent Agent and the Threads of Fateis a manhwa that focuses on the agents that work with actors, pulling the spotlight to an often ignored part of the industry that is just as interesting as the other aspects. The story follows Kim Injoon, an up-and-coming agent who gets wrapped up in amix-up by the death reaper, almost resulting in his untimely death. However, he manages to get the ability to see the threads of fate as a boon from the encounter.
He uses his ability to great effect once he enters the field for the benefit of his career, and the careers of the actors that he manages. He has to navigate through the complexities of the entertainment industry while tackling with the inevitability of fate, and the concept of free will.
2Surviving a Fantasy Adventure Comic
Hell Hath No Fury Like An Author Scorned
Trash talking a beloved authorwhen they steer the story in an undesirable direction is quite common in the entertainment world, whether it be novels, manhwa, or even shows. However, sometimes online trash talk can come back to bite the troll who wrote it instead of fading into the obscurity of the interweb.Surviving a Fantasy Adventure Comicfollows Hero Lee, a comic fan who flamed his former favorite author when they started killing off the characters of the comic that they were writing.
Instead of ignoring him like they normally do, the author gives Hero an explanation, saying that the characters must live by their own merit. They also give him a chance to experience the story for himself, something that Hero accepts. Immediately after, he gets transported into the world of the comic as Villain No. 3, a nobody who shows up at the start of the comic and never again. Now he has to contend with an uncompromising narrative, all the tropes that come in the package, and a bloodthirsty author who doesn’t quite like him. This manhwa has a very playful tone, skirting around grim topics with the finesse of an ice skater. The acting aspect comes into play when the main character has to perform in front of the main cast in order to get attention from the author and gain screen time to avoid a deletion.
1Movies Are Real
Method Acting to the Extreme
As any cinephile will clamor at anyone who listens, the best acting is done by those that fullyimmerse themselves in their role. Actors who convince themselves that the movie or series that they are taking a part in is real, and they are the character they’re playing, and that the scene within the movie is as real as the sun or the moon. This form of acting is known as method acting, and it is favored by many superstars because of its effectiveness.Movies Are Realexplores the concept of this method acting with a little twist.
The main character starts experiencing the scenes that he’s a part of in full detail, finding them to be more real than the normal reality he is living in. This elevates his acting to an incredible level and gets him recognized by directors and producers, letting him land better roles. The mystery behind this phenomenon, the main character’s method of adapting to the different scenarios, and his climb up the ladder all combine to create a harmonious blend that’s hard to put down once picked up.
