China never "banned" or officially stopped making black-and-white (B&W) manhua, but the industry underwent a massive
commercial and technological shift that made the traditional B&W style almost go extinct in the mainstream.
Today, if you open a Chinese comic app, 99% of what you see will be full-color. Here is the breakdown of how and why that happened:
1. The Death of the "Lianhuanhua" (1980s–1990s)
Before modern manhua, China had a massive tradition of
Lianhuanhua (连环画)—palm-sized, black-and-white picture books. In 1985 alone, China printed over
8 billion of these. However, as Japan’s high-energy, cinematic
Manga flooded the Chinese market in the 90s, the traditional Chinese B&W style felt "old-fashioned" to the younger generation, and the industry collapsed almost overnight.
2. The Rise of "Xinmanhua" (The Manga Influence)
In the late 90s and early 2000s, Chinese artists began mimicking the Japanese style (B&W, screentones, right-to-left reading). This was known as
Xinmanhua (New Manhua). Magazines like
Story Comic published B&W chapters just like Japan’s
Shonen Jump. For a while, B&W was the standard for serious storytellers.
3. The "Webtoon" Revolution (2010s)
The real "death blow" to B&W manhua was the mobile phone. When the industry shifted from print magazines to digital
platforms (like Tencent Animation and Manhua), two things happened:
- The Vertical Scroll: Comics were redesigned for smartphones, moving away from the traditional page layout.
- Color as the Standard: Influenced by the success of Korean Manhwa (Webtoons), Chinese platforms realized that casual readers significantly prefer color on their screens.
Why B&W disappeared from the mainstream:
- Traditional B&W Manhua: Page-based print, niche/artsy, slow manual production, and usually read right-to-left.
- Modern Color Manhua: Vertical mobile scroll, mass appeal, fast studio-based digital coloring, and read left-to-right.
Does it still exist?
Yes, but it has moved "underground" or into the "indie" scene.
- Hong Kong Manhua: Famous "Wuxia" comics (like Storm Riders) often retained a hybrid style or very detailed coloring that feels more traditional.
- Artistic Choice: A few authors still use B&W for horror or "literary" manhua to create a specific mood, but they are rarely the "top-trending" hits on apps.
In short, China didn't stop
making them because of a rule; they stopped
buying them because the mobile-first, full-color format proved to be a goldmine.