Webtoon and Crunchyroll Pair Up to Produce Animated Content

Fresh on the heels of last week’s announcement that the popular Webtoon Lore Olympus would be turned into an animated series from the Jim Henson Company, Crunchyroll revealed today that they have partnered with Webtoon to develop and co-produce original animated content.

If you’re still unfamiliar with Webtoon, even after all my lovely recommendations, it’s the #1 webcomics app. Free to download on both iOS and Android devices, the app boasts 55 millions active monthly users, over 15 million daily readers, and more than 100 billion annual views. There are so many titles to discover that it’s near impossible to read them all, and my few recommendations don’t even put a dent into the available comics that you can choose from (some of which have been going on for years). The diverse array of content includes fantasy, sci-fi, action-adventure, romance, LGBTQ+, horror, comedy, and more. Basically, you’ll be hard-pressed not to find anything that interests you.

The upcoming animated projects will be based on Webtoon’s vast catalogue of properties, which is extremely exciting. After all, some of the top comics are the platform are some of my favorites, recommended here over the past year. Comics like I Love Yoo, SubZero, unOrdinary, and True Beauty may end up getting animated, which would be incredible. I’ve often thought that many of these titles would make amazing cartoons. I thought the Lore Olympus news would be difficult to top, and then they come out and announce that we’re getting more animated series based on these titles. I’m not sure how this could possibly get any better.

The new animated content will offer fans a new way to experience their favorite stories, while also offering creators a way to expand their audience by moving their creations to a new platform. Something I’m excited about is the possibility of more merchandise from these titles! Webtoon has a shop now, and of course the individual artists usually sell merch if they table at conventions, but I am in love with idea of, like, a Lasser figurine, or charms of Kousuke and Yeong-Gi.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with WEBTOON,” said Crunchyroll General Manager Joanne Waage. “WEBTOON has a tremendous catalogue of content and creators that resonate deeply with our audience and we can’t think of a better way to delight fans than by bringing these stories to life through animation.”

“There is tremendous crossover appeal with our audiences … and exceptional creative synergy on the types of stories we want to tell,” said WEBTOON SVP of IP Development Taylor Grant. “We’re excited to partner with Crunchyroll to bring our globally appealing characters to audiences and consumers in new ways, as well as create new opportunities for our talented creators.”

Crunchyroll, with over 2 million subscribers and 50 million registered users, is the world’s most popular anime brand. It delivers premium Japanese animation to over 200 countries and territories worldwide. It also offers its subscribers a robust, 360-experience with their favorite anime series, including events, such as the recently-wrapped Crunchyroll Expo, the upcoming AnimeNYC, Crunchyroll Games, merchandise, licensing and more.

Both companies will handle the distribution, licensing, and retail of each new series.

Hit me with your wish list! Which Webtoon do you want to see animated? Which series do you think will get the animated treatment first?

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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