Anime has always been associated with Japanese comics or manga. However, it’s not only manga that is adapted into anime, but also manhwa or webtoons from South Korea. While webtoons from South Korea are usually adapted into drama series, some of them have been turned into anime to maintain the visualization of every scene and character. Here are some South Korean webtoons that have been adapted into anime.
1. Tower of God
Tower of God is an action-fantasy webtoon by writer and illustrator SIU. It was adapted into a Japanese anime series and premiered on April 2, 2020. The anime, based on the webtoon first released on June 30, 2010, on Naver Webtoon, was produced by Telecom Animation Film and has 13 episodes.
Tower of God focuses on Bam’s story, a boy who gets trapped beneath the vast and mysterious tower with his close friend, Rachel. One day, Rachel leaves Bam behind and starts climbing the tower where they are trapped. Bam tries to find Rachel and ends up climbing the tower, facing various obstacles on each floor he reaches. TOP is the opening song for Tower of God, while Slump is the ending song. Both are performed by South Korean boy group, Stray Kids.
2. The God of High School
The God of High School is a martial-arts webtoon by Park Yongje. It was adapted into anime and premiered on July 6, 2020. The anime series, based on the webtoon first released on April 8, 2011, on Naver Webtoon, has 13 episodes and was produced by studio MAPPA.
The story of The God of High School centers around a martial-arts tournament called “The God of High School” (GOH) organized by a suspicious corporation. The winner of the tournament can request anything from the corporation. The story focuses on a 17-year-old martial artist named Jin Mo Ri who takes part in the tournament. During the tournament, Jin Mo Ri meets many participants with unique fighting styles, and he becomes friends with two participants named Han Dae Wi, an expert in karate, and Yu Mi Ra, a sword expert.
3. Noblesse
Noblesse is a webtoon by writer Son Jeho and illustrator Lee Kwangsu, which was adapted into anime by Crunchyroll. The first episode premiered on October 8, 2020. The anime series, based on the webtoon first released on December 30, 2007, on Naver Webtoon, was produced by Production I.G. Before it was adapted into anime, Noblesse had released its anime version with the title ‘Noblesse: Awakening,’ which lasted for 30 minutes. The Noblesse anime series itself consists of 13 episodes.
The opening song of the anime series titled BREAKING DOWN was performed by Jaejoong JYJ and produced by HYDE, while Etoile was the ending song performed by South Korean girl group, OMG. Noblesse tells the story of a vampire named Rai who wakes up from his long sleep of 820 years in an abandoned building in South Korea. As Rai tries to adapt to the human environment, he meets Frankenstein, who is his loyal servant. Rai enters a school founded by Frankenstein called Ye Ran High School. However, in the midst of his new life, Rai is disturbed by mysterious attacks from a group calling themselves “Union.” The story of Noblesse focuses on Rai, Frankenstein, and others as they fight against the “Union” group.
4. LOOKISM
LOOKISM, an action webtoon by Park Tae Joon, officially got its anime adaptation and premiered on December 8, 2022. The anime adaptation of Park Tae Joon’s first webtoon series that appeared on Naver Webtoon was produced by Studio Mir and comprises eight episodes. Unlike most anime that usually use voice actors from Japan, the LOOKISM anime uses voice actors from the webtoon itself. This is because the production of the LOOKISM anime was done by a studio from South Korea, so the language used in this anime is Korean.
LOOKISM tells the story of a high school student named Park Hyung Suk who becomes a victim of bullying due to his appearance, which is considered fat and ugly. However, one day, Park Hyung Suk is surprised because he suddenly can switch between two different bodies. Through LOOKISM, Park Tae Joon tries to raise social reality about a group of iljin (groups of children who like violence) that are often found in South Korea.
5. The Reason Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke’s Mansion
The Reason Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke’s Mansion is an isekai reincarnation webtoon from the Kakaopage application. It has also been added to the list of Korean manhwa or webtoons that have been turned into anime. The anime series is based on the webtoon written by Milcha and illustrated by Whale, and will be produced by studio Typhoon Graphics. The first episode is set to release on April 10, 2023.
