Seoul, October 20, 2024 – Kakao Entertainment surprised fans at the New York Comic Con 2024 by dropping the news that one of its flagship IP titles, The Beginning After the End (TBATE), will be adapted into an anime version slated to debut in 2025. The web novel was released by Kakao Entertainment’s North American platform Tapas, and the anime adaptation will stream globally on Crunchyroll, North America’s largest anime platform.

This marks a major milestone, as it’s the first time a Korean author’s web novel is being adapted into an anime for the North American market. The news, and the upcoming adaptation, is expected to generate significant buzz in Korea.

The announcement was made during the TBATE panel session, with author TurtleMe and representatives from Crunchyroll in attendance. The surprise reveal, paired with an exclusive preview of the upcoming anime, ignited excitement and cheers from the audience. The additional news that TurtleMe will serve as executive producer for the adaptation heightened the enthusiasm for this highly anticipated project.

What is <The Beginning After the End(TBATE)>?

The Beginning After the End is one of Tapas Entertainment’s original IP titles discovered in the U.S. The web novel gained immense popularity thanks to Kakao Entertainment’s Novel-to-Comics system, which identifies and transforms hit web novels into webtoons to create valuable IP that resonates with readers worldwide.

The story follows Arthur, a former king who is reincarnated into a magical world filled with monsters and who embarks on an epic journey to reshape his destiny. Its unique fusion of Eastern and Western fantasy, coupled with its engaging storytelling, has garnered widespread attention. Originally launched on Tapas, the series has been translated into seven languages, including Korean, Japanese, and French, and generates approximately $500,000 (about KRW 680 million) in monthly revenue, solidifying its place as a major global IP.

Beyond its success as a webtoon & webnovels, the series’ paperback editions have also been well-received in North America, where comic publications are highly popular. The webtoon has also been reverse-exported to South Korea, where it is serialized on Kakaopage.

The show’s immense popularity has made its Korean creator, TurtleMe, into a global fan favorite. At the Anime NYC event in 2022, over 400 fans attended his talk show, and the Tapas Entertainment booth was overflowing with visitors. His widespread appeal was reaffirmed at this year’s New York Comic Con held from October 17-20, where TurtleMe’s panel session and signing event attracted a large crowd of devoted fans.

Information and Significance of the Production of the TBATE Animation

A team of accomplished people who have spent their careers specializing in animation has been engaged to handle the adaptation, with TurtleMe taking on a key role as executive producer. The team includes Keitaro Motonaga, director of Date A Live and Katanagatari, series composer Takamitsu Kouno, character designer Masami Sueoka, and music composer Keiji Inai. The animation is being produced by Slow Curve in collaboration with Studio A-CAT. TurtleMe will not only oversee production but will also ensure the story is adapted and directed in a way that stays true to its core themes and characters.

As this is the first time a Korean author’s web novel has been adapted into an anime for the North American market, it’s expected to draw considerable attention from the industry. Kakao Entertainment plans to use this milestone as a springboard to explore more opportunities for adapting Tapas’ original IP into films, TV series, and other media formats.

“When I first started writing The Beginning After the End years ago, I never imagined it would reach such incredible heights,” said TurtleMe. “I’m so grateful for the overwhelming support from fans, which has made this all possible. I can’t wait to celebrate the first broadcast next year with both long-time readers and new viewers.”

“This collaboration marks a historic moment for webtoons expanding into the world of animation,” added Mike Zhu, Head of Comics, Film & TV at Tapas Entertainment. “It highlights the growing influence of webtoons and web novels on the broader entertainment industry, and we’re excited to see how fans will respond to this adaptation.”

*If you want to read more news about TBATE, click here.