10 Webtoon Adaptations to Watch in 2021
3 AM.
You did it again! Stayed up all night to read/ binge your favourite Webtoon.
Your eyes grow tired as you close your phone, alas, you have completed the last chapter. But when one medium ends, another one begins — and that is the beauty of transmedia storytelling. We have sourced far and wide, to come up with a comprehensive list of 10 webtoon adaptations (cross-genres) that you cannot miss out on. Here’s the kick: the first 7 adaptations are already out — for your enjoyment at the start of 2021; the latter 3 will be upcoming ones that you need to look out for.
What are you waiting for? Time to dive in, and let us @uncultured_schwein be the cause of your sleepless night.
Adaptations already out:
1. Strangers From Hell
Listen, here’s your chance to see one of the highest-rated thriller Webtoon on-screen. Widely acknowledged for its impending sense of dread, get ready as Yoon Jong-Woo moves to Seoul. Low on budget, he resorts to staying at a cheap, and horrifyingly creepy apartment block. This show has everything from stunning psychos, a screamingly haunted atmosphere and creepy ajummas. An extra incentive that would get you to binge this series is the cast. Lee Dong-wok, Im Si-wan, Lee Jung-eun, and many more, make up a cast that will surely take your breath away.
You can binge Strangers from Hell on Netflix.
2. Mystic Pop-Up Bar
Meet Ssanggap Pocha — a mysterious bar that pops-up for those who seek it. The adaptation, English titled Mystic Pop-Up Bar, brings this bar to life. With the light that goes on only after dark, the owner, Woljoo, and her staff welcome both the living and the dead. Here, while they are served alcohol and food, the customers come to resolve their burden in life. You might be wondering, why does the place exist anyway? Spoiler alert: it has to do with a false accusation and a 500 year-old-sin. If you’re into comedy fantasy, you surely would not want to miss following along with the kick-ass team on their adventures.
You can watch Mystic Pop-Up Bar on Netflix.
3. Tower of God
Back in February 2020, Crunchyroll studio set to release a series of originals. The anime adaptation of the ongoing Webtoon Tower of God is a part of the plan. This adaptation is highly recommended by our colleague, Kaspar, who fawns:
“What I love about tower of god and its adaptation is seeing the webtoon style in an anime adaptation staying true to its original coloring. It gives the whole anime a unique and mystical vibe. And the soundtrack is just amazing!”
As of the moment of writing, there are 13 episodes that you can already check out on Crunchyroll.
4. Sweet Home
The live adaptation of this popular thriller Webtoon will officially make its debut on Netflix on December 18, 2020. The trailer depicts a dark, cynical setting — one that much reflects the tone of the Webtoon. Expect a fight for survival in a world where humans turn into monsters and lose their humanity. Make sure you add Sweet home to your list and come tell us all your thoughts on it!
You can watch Sweet Home on Netflix
5. Noblesse
Another colleague’s favorite of the Crunchyroll Originals is Noblesse- a fantasy following a “powerful vampire noble who is thrown into modern civilization after 820 years of slumber”. CBR praises its animation along with its “interesting characters [and] dynamics”. However, critics state the storyline is “incomprehensible”, which can quite easily be solved simply by watching the OVA titled Noblesse: Awakening as a proper series prologue.
You can watch it here on Crunchyroll.
6. True Beauty
The news of a live adaptation of True Beauty is one that is hard to miss. Fans are buzzing and excited to see one of the most beloved Webtoon adapted by TvN. Despite a minor change in the storyline — in which the female protagonist’s name is changed to Im Joo-Kyeong — a light-hearted romantic drama series is just perfect to ease you into this new year. With its first episode aired on December 9, 2020, this feel-good rom-com adaptation is ideal to cozy your nights.
You can watch True Beauty on Viki
7. Love Alarm (Season 1, Upcoming Season 2)
Love Alarm made headlines as the first Netflix original Korean Series. This live-adaptation is so successful that season 2 was set in motion. Still following the premise of love and technology, and picked up from the brutal cliff-hanger, season 2 will set out to answer all fans’ impending questions.
You can watch Love Alarm on Netflix.
Adaptations in production:
8. Lore Olympus
What can we say more than this award-nominated romance Webtoon deserves its adaptation? Announced in 2019, the animated adaptation is a joint production between Netflix and the Jim Henson Company. While the release date has not been finalized, the adaptation is said to follow the young adult genre. Despite non-concrete plans, we look forward to seeing the adaptation in the foreseeable future.
9. All of Us are Dead
Based on the widely acclaimed Webtoon Now At Our School, this adaptation is said to “have a fresh take on the Korean zombie genre”, set to release this year. The plot goes: a group of high school students faced an extreme situation; locked in their school, while a zombie virus rapidly spreads. An interesting initiative taken by this adaptation lies in its cast is made up of predominantly rookie actors. We cannot wait to see this Webtoon reimagined.
10. D.P (Desert Pursuit)
As our last recommendation, D.P (Desert Pursuit), based on the Webtoon D.P: Dog Days by Kim Bo-Tong, is another Netflix Original adaptation. Follow along Jun-ho, a South Korean Army private, who is assigned to a unit that tracks down and arrests deserters. This series will focus on the dilemma displayed by different perspectives present: of soldiers, and deserters. There is no released date planned yet.
To wrap it all up, the aforementioned list is one that we truly hope you check out in this new year of 2021. Given the cross-genre nature of it, we believe to have provided you with some notable adaptations to anticipate, or to catch up on (if you have yet to). If you enjoy the recommendations, please tell us all about it @U_Schwein.
