Deep Dive: Shoujo Moments (Part II) With Phuong Ha and Rebecca Becerra
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2025 with our calendar of live events, recommendations, and on-demand content!
Discover your newest binge and get to know our staff a little better with the Asia Society Texas team's favorite ways to stay entertained! Through our Deep Dive features, we take you on a journey into the interests of individual staff members for an in-depth look at an art form, genre, or pastime.
Meet Phuong Ha and Rebecca Becerra
Phuong Ha is the Associate Director of Education and Outreach at Asia Society Texas. She grew up in the Alief area and loves supporting local businesses. In her free time, she enjoys binge-reading romantic comedies at home, finding a nice cafe to write in, and occasionally baking sweet treats for loved ones.
Rebecca Becerra is the Exhibitions Manager and Registrar at AST. In her free time, she enjoys art, reading heart-wrenching romances, and finding new places to drink bubble tea with friends.
Why we're focusing on shoujo manga, manhwa, and webtoons
As we shared in our previous Deep Dive, the shoujo genre brought us together as friends as we shared our love of shoujo manga, manhwa, and webtoons. In our previous podcast episode, we explored how these stories not only shaped us but also acted as community-builders between people of different walks of life.
This year, we decided to continue our love and exploration of the shoujo genre by exploring the ways shoujo moments appear in other genres and how these stories offer much more than just romance.
Below, find our mini guides and recommendations to help you explore the world of manga, manhwa, and webtoons!
Want to listen to the first episode? Listen to Deep Dive into Shoujo Moments (Part I).
Mini guide: Manga, manhwa, and manhua
What's the difference? If you’ve started dipping your toes into the world of comics, you might start to see these terms used, sometimes interchangeably. While they all share the same Chinese characters (or Kanji or Hanji), there are subtle differences:
Manga are Japanese comics and graphic novels that are geared at both adults and children. Manga has roots in Japanese artistic traditions, with most conforming to a style that was developed in the late 19th century.
Usually published in black and white, manga are typically serialized through magazines that feature various stories and authors in one edition. As more chapters are released, they are later republished as volumes known as tankōbon.
Manhwa is the Korean term for comics and print cartoons, and outside of Korea, it's used to describe comics of South Korean origin. Originally taking a lot of influence from manga, manhwa has over the years progressed into its own style, especially with the development of Webtoons.
Printed manhwa were usually read left to right and horizontally, similar to books and comics of many Western traditions, whereas webtoons utilize vertical scrolling due to their mobile nature. Webtoons are also unique in that they are usually published in color.
Manhua are Chinese comics, with the word first used in the 18th century to refer to a type of Chinese literati painting. Later, the term was used again in a more modern way to refer to political cartoons in the 19th century and since then have been associated with all Chinese comic materials.
Manhua can come in full color or black and white, and depending on where they’re printed will be formatted differently. If the manhua comes from mainland China, the text is read from left to right and placed horizontally (like Korean manhwa). But if the manhua is printed in Taiwan or Hong Kong, the text is read right to left and placed vertically top to bottom (like Japanese manga).
Where to find manga, manhwa, and webtoons
Your local library may be a great resource for manga and manhwa! Purchasing manga and manhwa can become expensive, ranging $10–$25 per volume which can add up quickly when there is a long series. In addition to allowing easy checkouts, Houston Public Library's online catalog has a helpful resource for finding and recommending related stories and authors.
Purchase in-person or online
Kinokuniya | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Half Price Books
Borrow
Houston Public Library | Harris County Public Library
Online
Webtoons | Tappytoon | Manta | Tapas | Asia Society Texas' Adventures of Asia
Our recommended reading
Manga recommendations
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity by Saka Minami
Recommended by Rebecca
Find it on: Kodansha.us
You're My Cutie by Nakaba Hurufuji
Recommended by Phuong
Find it on: Kodansha.us
A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima
Recommended by Rebecca
Find it on: Kodansha.us
Glasses with a Chance of Delinquent by Naruki
Recommended by Phuong
Find it on: Seven Seas Entertainment
Cardcaptor Sakura! and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card! by CLAMP
Recommended by Phuong and Rebecca
Find it on: Penguin Random House
Manhwa recommendations
Mystical by Van.J
Recommended by Rebecca
Find it on: Webtoons
I Shall Master This Family by Antstudio, Kim Roah, and Mon
Recommended by Phuong
Find it on: Tappytoon
The Fairy Legacy by nanlo (Original story), Sensei (Writing), and NAYUTA (Art)
Recommended by Rebecca
Find it on: Manta
Here Comes the Silver Spoon by Portofino (Story) and Nokcy (Art)
Recommended by Phuong
Find it on: Tapas
Author of my Own Destiny by Gyeoulip (Story) and Jeokbal (Art)
Recommended by Phuong and Rebecca
Find it on: Tapas
Our wildcard recommendations
Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takei
Recommended by Rebecca
Find it on: Kodansha.us
How to Grill Our Love by Shiori Hanatsuka
Recommended by Phuong
Find it on: Kodansha.us
About APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Beginning in 2021, Asia Society Texas has celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Houston community and beyond through a curated calendar of events for 31 ways to celebrate over the 31 days of May. Spotlighting the traditions, talents, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans, the calendar highlights the month's key Asia Society programming, providing a platform to showcase local artists, performers, educators, and leaders who contribute to the vibrant, multicultural tapestry of Houston while also featuring staff recommendations for our favorite music, books, movies, and more by Asian and Asian American creatives.
At Asia Society Texas, APAH Month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Asians and Asian Americans and to uplift their stories to a broader audience as part of our goal to inspire our larger community to better understand one another through culture, conversation, and connection. For information about sponsoring APAH Month and other projects like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.
Presenting Sponsor of APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Sponsors of APAH Month
Comcast
CITGO
APAH Month 2025 Calendar
Digital Calendar Interactive/Printable PDF
Past APAH Month Calendars
2024: Highlights | Details
2023: Highlights | Details
2022: Highlights | Details
2021: Details
About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
