Baihe Manhua: Resource Post

[douqi]

Some baihe manhua are adaptations of existing works (generally of baihe novels), while others are original. At the time of writing, the latter significantly outnumber the former. It is only fairly recently that some of the most popular novels have been licensed for adaptation as manhua.

The baihe manhua translation scene is noticeably more active than the baihe novel translation scene. Official translations into English are available in some cases, and fan translations are available for most of the major baihe manhua. In the lists of notable works that follow, I will provide links to official translations where these are available, as well as to relevant fan translations (in the case of the latter, where I can be satisfied on a balance of probabilities that they are not machine translations).

Baihe manhua and where to find them

Many baihe manhua, including those that have been adapted from existing works, can be found on the two major manhua platforms Bilibili Manhua (哔哩哔哩漫画) and Kuaikan Manhua (快看漫画), which host a broad range of manhua from different genres. Both of these platforms publish in Chinese only, with no translations into other languages available. However, it should be noted that there is an international version of Bilibili Manhua called Bilibili Comics, which carries a much more limited selection of manhua translated into a range of different languages (generally including English). Unlike its parent platform, Bilibili Comics has a dedicated GL section for ease of browsing, and a number of translated baihe manhua (both original and adaptations) can be found there. Kuaikan Manhua, meanwhile, does not have a dedicated international platform, but a number of its titles have been licensed for translation by international-facing platforms such as Webcomics, Tapas, Tappytoon and INKR.

Apart from these two major platforms, some manhua creators have also been known to publish on the social media platform Weibo (微博), Lofter, a platform meant primarily for fan works, or Afdian (爱发电), the Chinese equivalent of Patreon.

Note: Due to region-based restrictions, it is possible that you will only be able to open links to Kuaikan Manhua via their app.

Notable baihe manhua (adaptations)

As stated previously, a number of popular baihe novels have been adapted into manhua form over the last couple of years. The most notable of these manhua adaptations include:

• Police thriller Miss Forensics (我亲爱的法医小姐, pinyin: wo qin'ai de fayi xiaojie), with art by Shu Nü Sen Te (鼠女森特) and script by Shayu (鲨鱼) based on the novel of the same title by Jiu Nuan Chun Shen (酒暖春深), originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. A fan translation is available here.
• Showbiz romance Miss Gu and Miss Qu (顾小姐和曲小姐, pinyin: gu xiaojie he qu xiaojie), with art by C Naisi (C奈司) and script by Qi Qi (琦琦), based on the novel of the same title by Wan Zhi (晚之), originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. An authorised translation is available from Tappytoon under the title Twin Flames of Destiny (no, I don't know why they've chosen a title that sounds like an overwrought D&D novelisation either). A fan translation is available here.
• Videogame/virtual reality-themed story Perfect Girlfriend Online (年下的心思有点野, pinyin: nianxia de xinsi you dian ye) by Ni Fa Fa (尼发发), an adaptation of Middle-Aged Love Patch (中年恋爱补丁, pinyin: zhongnian lian'ai buding) by Ning Yuan (宁远), originally published by Bilibili Manhua. An authorised translation is available from Bilibili Comics. A fan translation is available here.
• Contemporary age gap romance For the Rest of Our Lives (余生为期, pinyin: yusheng weiqi) with art by Lu Qingshan (陆青山) and script by Qubing Xiancao Dong (去冰仙草冻, literal translation: Grass Jelly Without Ice), based on the novel of the same title by Min Ran (闵然), originally published by Bilibili Manhua.
• Showbiz romance Waiting for You (余情可待, pinyin: yuqing kedai) with art by AirRabbitYan and script by Qubing Xiancao Dong, based on the novel of the same title by Min Ran (闵然), originally published by Bilibili Manhua. An authorised translation is available from Bilibili Comics under the title My Feelings Can Wait. A fan translation is available here under the title Long-Awaited Feelings.
• Showbiz tragedy Burn (烧, pinyin: shao) with art by Shu Nü Sen Te (鼠女森特) and script by Chu Dao (初岛), based on the novel of the same title by Chu Dao, originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. A fan translation is available here.
• High school romance Her Mountain, Her Sea (她的山, 她的海, pinyin: ta de shan, ta de hai) with art by Huo He (火禾) and script by Youzuo Culture (悠作文化) based on the novel of the same title by Fu Hua (扶华), originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. A fan translation is available here under the title Her Mountain, Her Ocean.
• Republican era thriller Couple of Mirrors (双镜, pinyin: shuang jing) with art by Fu Te (福特) and script by Sikong Banxia (司空半夏), adapted from the live action drama of the same title, originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. A fan (text) translation is available here.
• Tomb-raiding adventure Reading the Remnants (问棺, pinyin: wen guan), with art by Boyi Animation and Comics (博易动漫) and script by Qubing Xiancao Dong, based on the novel of the same title by Qi Xiao Huang Shu (七小皇叔), originally published by Bilibili Manhua.

Notable baihe manhua (originals)

Notable original baihe manhua include:

• Their Story (她们的故事, pinyin: tamen de gushi) by Tan Jiu (坛九), a high school slice-of-life story, originally published by Tencent Animation and Comics. A fan translation is available here. The artist also has a Twitter presence here (thanks to halfcactus for highlighting this!)
• Soulmate with art by Keran Bing (可燃冰) and script by Wen Zhi Li Zi (文枝栗子), a time-travelling romance in which a 27-year-old woman wakes up to find her consciousness in the body of her 17-year-old self, originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. Authorised English translations are available from Tapas and INKR. An English print edition has been licensed by Monogatari Novels.
• Straight Girl Trap (直女陷阱, pinyin: zhinü xianjing) with art by 42 Du Natie (42度拿铁, literal translation: 42 Degree Latte) and script by Qubing Xiancao Dong, a contemporary office romance, originally published by Bilibili Manhua. An authorised translation is available from Bilibili Comics.
• Baili Jin Among Mortals (人间百里锦, pinyin: renjian baili jin) with art by Julys and script by Viva, which tells the story of a minor goddess who is banished to the contemporary mortal realm as punishment, originally published by Bilibili Manhua. An authorised translation is available from Bilibili Comics.
• She Is Still Cute Today (今天的她也是如此可爱, pinyin: jintian de ta ye shi ruci ke'ai; also known as She Is Also Cute Today) by Guo Si Te (郭斯特), a high school romance, originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. An authorised translation is available from Webcomics. A live action adaptation of this manhua wrapped filming in 2022 but has yet to be released.
• My Mom's a Superstar! (我的妈妈是大明星, pinyin: wode mama shi da mingxing) by Shi Yi Er (時一二), told from the perspective of a girl who discovers that her actress mother is being shipped with other women by her fans online and decides to help her mother find a girlfriend, originally serialised on the creator's Weibo account. A fan translation is available here.
• That Time I Was Blackmailed by the Class' Green Tea Bitch (关于被班上绿茶威胁那件事, pinyin: guanyu bei banshang lücha weixie na jian shi) by Xian Jun (闲君), a high school romance, originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. A fan translation is available here.
• My Dearest Nemesis (亲爱的死对头, pinyin: qin'ai de si duitou; also known as My Dear Enemy) by Xian Jun (闲君), an office romance, originally published by Kuaikan Manhua. A fan translation is available here.

I would like to thank Lunaa of Zephyr Scans for her valuable insights into the baihe manhua scene, without which this post could not have been written. Check out the Zephyr Scans Discord server here! Special thanks to superborb for doing the thankless grunt work of proofreading and checking each link.

Comments

[halfcactus]

I love Their Story! I mostly "follow" it through tanjiu's Twitter account tanjiu9 though I think the Twitter versions are text-less so I still check the associated Weibo posts haha.

[douqi]

Ah amazing! I didn't realise she had a Twitter account, going to add it to the post now :)

[aurumcalendula]

I just saw that Baiheverse has licensed Bilibili Comics' English translation of Straight Girl Trap (I'm assuming it's the same one that was on the international platform).

I do wish they'd mentioned the artist and script writer on its info page -that seems like an odd oversight, imho.

[douqi]

Thanks for the heads up! It does seem like an odd omission not to mention the creators' names at all, or the translator(s)' names. In the current climate, if I were a publisher, I'd take extra care to make it clear that the translations were by actual humans and not AI.