GL webtoons are comics about romance between women. GL stands for Girls’ Love, and the genre sits close to yuri but is usually a broader label for webtoon and manhwa stories.
If you typed “gl webtoons” into a search bar, you’re probably past the wondering-what-it-means stage and into the wanting-a-good-list stage. Fair enough. GL, short for Girls’ Love, is the fastest-growing romance lane in the webtoon world right now, and it’s also one of the most confusing to search for, because half the internet calls it “yuri,” a quarter calls it “GL manhwa,” and the rest just calls it “sapphic webtoons” and moves on.
This guide sorts that out. We’ll cover what GL actually means, how it differs from yuri and BL, which titles are worth your time in 2026, and where you can read them without wading through five pop-ups per page. If you’re new to webtoons in general, our complete guide to manga is a good companion piece, it covers the format differences that also apply here, Visit more.
What does GL mean in webtoons?
GL stands for Girls’ Love. It’s a Korean term for comics centered on romantic relationships between women, and it’s largely replaced “yuri”, the older Japanese label, in webtoon publishing over the last decade or so. The shift happened as Korean platforms like Naver Webtoon, Lezhin, and Bomtoon took over the vertical-scroll format and built their own genre tagging separate from Japan’s print manga tradition.
Functionally, GL webtoons and yuri manga tell the same kind of story: two women falling for each other, with everything from slow-burn slice-of-life to workplace drama to fantasy epics built around that core relationship. The difference is mostly format and origin, not tone.
What is the difference between GL, yuri and BL?
People mix these terms up constantly, so here’s the breakdown in one place.
| Term | Origin | Format | Focus |
| GL (Girls’ Love) | Korean | Full-color, vertical scroll, phone-first | Romance between women |
| Yuri | Japanese | Black-and-white, right-to-left chapters | Romance between women |
| BL (Boys’ Love) | Korean/Japanese | Both formats exist | Romance between men |
| Manhua GL | Chinese | Full-color, vertical scroll | Romance between women, often gentler tone |
A rough pattern readers notice: Korean GL manhwa tends to skew toward adult, urban settings, office romances, idol-industry drama, psychological tension. Chinese GL manhua leans younger and softer, partly because of stricter content rules, so writers lean harder into emotional build-up instead of explicit content. Neither is “better”, it depends what mood you’re in.
If you’re coming from general manga and want a wider entry point before narrowing into GL specifically, the comics like Webtoon roundup is worth a look for format comparisons across platforms.
What are the best GL webtoons to read?
Here’s a working list of titles that consistently show up when readers ask for recommendations, spanning tone and platform.
Mage & Demon Queen, A fantasy comedy about an adventurer hired to kill a demon queen who, instead, falls for her. It’s one of the longest-running GL webtoons still updating, colorful art, and a genuinely funny script. Good starting point if you want low commitment and high charm.
Her Tale of Shim Chong, A historical retelling rooted in Korean folklore, fully completed at 90-odd chapters. Strong entry point for readers who want closure rather than an ongoing series, and the art leans painterly rather than typical webtoon house-style.
What Does the Fox Say?, Adult workplace drama, explicit later on, more grounded than fantastical. Not the gentlest starting point, but frequently cited as the title that “serious” GL readers point new fans toward once they’ve read a couple of softer series first.
Pulse, Another adult-skewing Korean title built around tension and slow reveal rather than meet-cute pacing.
Tamen de Gushi, The genre-defining Chinese GL manhua, running well past 200 chapters, slice-of-life college romance with a huge, dedicated following.
Soulmate, Sweet, accessible, complete, a common recommendation for readers who want something low-stakes and finished rather than an open-ended series.
A quick note on completion status: GL as a genre has a rougher history with cancellations and long hiatuses than BL or general romance gets, mostly because platforms have historically invested less in it. If an unfinished story bothers you, check status before starting, it saves disappointment three months in.
How do the top GL webtoons compare?
| Title | Origin | Status | Tone | Best For |
| Mage & Demon Queen | Korean | Ongoing | Fantasy comedy | Newcomers |
| Her Tale of Shim Chong | Korean | Completed | Historical folklore | Readers wanting closure |
| What Does the Fox Say? | Korean | Completed | workplace | Mature readers |
| Pulse | Korean | Ongoing | drama | Slow-burn fans |
| Tamen de Gushi | Chinese | Completed | Slice-of-life | Long-series fans |
| Soulmate | Korean | Completed | Sweet romance | First-time GL readers |
Where can you read GL webtoons?
Most of the titles above live on official platforms, WEBTOON, Tapas, Tappytoon, Lezhin, and Bomtoon are the main ones, and several offer free chapters with ads or a wait-to-unlock model before you hit a paywall. Reading through official platforms is the safest route: creators get paid, and you’re not gambling on a mirror site’s upload quality or pop-up count.
If you’re exploring aggregator sites and want to know what you’re actually getting into before you click around, our breakdown of what Webtoon XYZ offers and how to use it safely walks through the general safety considerations that apply to GL aggregators too. And if your interest in Korean-language webtoons extends past GL specifically, the guide to Korean webtoons available for free covers a broader spread of genres worth browsing.
Which genres are similar to GL webtoons?
GL isn’t the only underrepresented lane worth digging into. If you liked the found-family and power-dynamic elements in some GL titles, the player manhwa genre scratches a similar itch with a different premise, regression and power-leveling stories with strong character arcs. And for something stranger and more atmospheric, Jungle Juice manhwa is worth a read if body-horror-adjacent romance is your thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GL mean in manhwa or webtoons?
GL stands for Girls’ Love, the Korean industry term for romance stories between women. It’s the webtoon-era equivalent of “yuri,” which is the older Japanese term for the same genre.
Is GL the same as yuri?
Practically, yes, they describe the same kind of story. The difference is mostly origin and format: yuri usually refers to Japanese black-and-white manga read right-to-left, while GL refers to Korean full-color, vertical-scroll webtoons.
Are GL webtoons free to read?
Many are, at least in part. Official platforms like WEBTOON often offer full series free with ads, while others use a wait-to-unlock or coin system for newer chapters. Free previews are common even on paid platforms like Lezhin.
What’s a good GL webtoon for beginners?
Soulmate and Mage & Demon Queen are usually the first recommendations, both are accessible, lighter in tone, and don’t require prior context to enjoy.
Are GL webtoons appropriate for all ages?
It varies by title. Some, like Her Tale of Shim Chong, are rated Teen with no explicit content. Others, particularly Korean adult-skewing titles like What Does the Fox Say?, contain explicit content and are intended for mature readers. Always check the platform’s content rating before starting a series.
Why are there fewer GL titles than BL?
Historically, platforms have invested less in Girls’ Love than Boys’ Love, resulting in a smaller overall catalog. Readers generally note this means fewer total titles, but a comparatively high proportion of the ones that do get made are worth reading. For background on the format, see the Wikipedia entry on webtoons .
Conclusion
GL webtoons have gone from a niche corner of the romance genre to one of the most talked-about lanes in webtoon fandom, and the catalog, while still smaller than BL or general romance, has gotten genuinely strong. Whether you want something as light as Mage & Demon Queen or as heavy as What Does the Fox Say?, there’s now enough completed, well-reviewed GL content to build a proper reading list instead of settling for whatever’s finished. Start with one of the beginner-friendly picks above, check the platform and content rating before you commit, and branch out from there.
