Webtoon-Based Content Gains Global Appeal with New Japanese and Taiwanese Productions

Courtesy of Manga official X account

Popular Korean webtoons are set to be adapted into international drama series, leveraging their global popularity and the widespread perception of webtoon-based content as entertaining.
 

▲ "Take Me, I'm Yours" / Courtesy of Manga official X account

The Naver romance webtoon series "Take Me, I'm Yours" will be remade as a Japanese drama series and broadcast on Nippon Television Network starting July 5, according to Naver Webtoon. Titled "With Me" (translated), the series, produced by Nippon Television Network, will star Japanese actors Maeda Gouki and Kubota Sayu as the main leads. "Take Me, I'm Yours" tells the story of Chan-yang, who is unexpectedly forced to live with the spirit of a chaebol heir. The webtoon series is currently available on Line Manga, Naver Webtoon’s Japanese platform, and had logged over 16 million views by the third week of May. 

▲ "Aqua Man" / Courtesy of Kakao Webtoon

Kakao Webtoon series "Aqua Man" is also set to be remade into a Japanese drama series, to be broadcast in 2025. "Aqua Man" follows the story of Na-ru and his friend Sung-joon, who harbors feelings for Na-ru. The webtoon series, serialized in Korea from 2016 to 2019, logged more than 200 million cumulative views. Kakao Entertainment is collaborating with Fuji Television Network to develop the drama series, with Fuji Television Network handling the onsite production. The drama is set to be broadcast on Fuji TV and streamed on the Japanese platform FOD in 2025. 

▲ "Nth Romance" / Courtesy of Kakao WebtoonAnother popular IP from Kakao Webtoon, "Nth Romance," is being remade into a Taiwanese drama series, scheduled to air in Taiwan at the end of 2025. According to Kakao Webtoon, the series will be produced by Taiwanese company IndieZ Entertainment. "Nth Romance" tells the story of Na-ri, who starts a new relationship with a charming man named Mu-gi. The webtoon series, which logged more than 130 million cumulative views in Korea, has been available to Taiwanese readers through Kakao Webtoon's Taiwanese platform since June 2021.

Experts indicate that Korean webtoons are attractive intellectual properties for international producers due to their global resonance. Seo Bum-gang, president of the Korea Webtoon Industry Association, stated that Korean cartoonists' exposure to various international contents imbues Korean webtoons with elements that appeal to global audiences. This quality makes them suitable for adaptation into international series.

Seo further noted the positive perception of Korean webtoon-based content among international audiences. "The success of webtoon-based series like 'Moving' on global streaming services has strengthened the belief that webtoon-based content will generally be entertaining," said Seo. He added that localizing these drama series with actors from the target countries and setting scenes in familiar neighborhoods could enhance their reception.

Sayart

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com