A bang-up place to lounge
Korea has a lot of bangs. PC bangs (cybercafes), noraebangs (singing rooms), laundry bangs, jjimjilbangs (bath houses), and board game bangs, to name a few. Many places of amusement and convenience are called “bangs” (rooms) in Korea. (There are even a few naughty places like the telephone bang, where you’re connected to anonymous women for indecent conversations). Many of these bangs became relevant to me in my adult life, but there was only one bang for me as a kid, the one I frequented with relish. Manhwabangs, or comic-book “rooms,” were a haven for kids, the unemployed, and others with plenty of time to kill in an era without smartphones. A paradise for goof-offs where they can munch on snacks and laze around surrounded by thousands of comic books. It’s a nostalgic place of fond memories for so many people.
Are manhwabangs now defunct, since webtoons have the upper hand over comic books and the comics that are read are usually done so online? Not so. Manhwabangs are not simply for reading manhwa. It’s a multipurpose place where you can discover new releases, share thoughts with the friend sitting across from you, and nurse a hangover with a bowl of ramen after you’ve drunk till dawn and are waiting for the first bus or subway train back home. Manhwabangs have not disappeared; they have transformed into manhwa cafes.
The first of what can be called a manhwa cafe opened in 2014 in front of Hongik University. I was between jobs at the time, and I needed a change of scenery from my vinyl sofa deeply steeped in cigarette smell. So I went there with another jobless friend in tow. I’d been told that it’s just like a cafe where I could sprawl on a plushy seat with pretty cushions, sip iced Americano, and read comic books in comfort. And I was not disappointed. I was happy there, eating kimchi stir fry rice and tteokbokki and drinking coffee. As for comic books, there were 30,000 to choose from, and you could search for books on a computer using a state-of-the-art system of that time. Within one year of opening, the cafe owner received franchise offers, but he declined. Manhwa cafes have popped up in various places since then to become a part of mainstream culture.
I still occasionally visit manhwa cafes. There’s one inside a shopping mall near my home where I can become one with a beanbag, grab a bite at the food court, and return to the cafe to lounge some more. I used to get smacked on the back when my mom found out I’d been wasting time at a manhwabang. Nowadays, I see moms and kids visiting manhwa cafes together and choosing what they want to read. Of course, there are some things that are gone forever: jjajangmyeon delivery, 24 hours of operation and rental services. As well as the dilemma of choosing to pay by the hour or by the number of books. Oh, well. Manhwa cafes still provide a pleasant environment in comfortable spaces with easy access to various eats. For visitors to Korea facing rainy, cold, or hot weather, manhwa cafes are a must-visit.
Translator: Culture Flipper English Team
Original Content in Korean: cultureflipper.com/blog/a-bang-up-place-to-lounge-ko
Japanese Translation: cultureflipper.com/blog/a-bang-up-place-to-lounge-ja