There’s no denying that manhwa and webtoons are becoming increasingly popular, with some titles gaining international fame even over famous manga. As a result, animation studios are utilizing this surge in manhwa popularity as an impetus to produce new anime adaptations of manhwa.
Nowadays, anime is not only derived from manga or light novels, but also from manhwa or Korean comics. Some titles like Solo Leveling, God of the High School, and Tower of God have received positive reviews from viewers, which shows that this phenomenon really exists.
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New Manhwa Adaptation Anime
10. 1 Second
Naver Webtoon’s action manhwa, 1 Second, has been announced in October 2023 to get an anime adaptation. The project is being produced by NAMU Animation and Duripix.
The first season of the anime 1 Second consists of 13 episodes and will reportedly finish production in 2024. The anime tells the story of the struggles of firefighters, especially the main character Hosu, who has the ability to see the future and achieve a 100% rescue success rate when fighting fires.
9. A Returners Magic Should Be Spicial Season 2
The next new anime adaptation of a manhwa is the sequel to “A Returners Magic Should Be Special.” The anime, which adapts the webtoon by Wookjakga, consists of twelve episodes and airs in the fall of 2023.
After the 12th episode, the anime will have a sequel that is currently in production, although there is no exact release date yet.
The story follows Desir Arman, one of the last surviving wizards, who goes back in time to before the war broke out. Now, he has a chance to become stronger and change the future.
A Returners Magic Should Be Special is a fantasy anime that is often overlooked, but has an interesting storyline.
8. Terror Man
Terror Man is an intriguing manhwa series that is part of YLAB’s Super String webtoon universe and its most iconic work. The series is also published in English by Ablaze Publishing.
This manhwa is the work of Han Dong-Woo and Ko Jin-Ho as the illustrator. It tells the story of Jungwoo Min, a protagonist who has a gray morality. He has the ability to see disasters and use threats to prevent people from getting caught up in them, so he ends up becoming a terrorist.
This popular manhwa will receive an anime adaptation by Studio Bazooka, in collaboration with Dr. Movie, a Korean animation studio that has previously collaborated with various Japanese studios and co-produced the second season of The Rising of the Shield Hero.
Although the anime was announced in early 2023 with a trailer from streaming platform TVING, to date, Terror Man has not announced an official release date.
7. Tomb Raider King
The next new anime manhwa adaptation is Tomb Raider King. Tomb Raider King is a manhwa that adapts a web novel by SAN.G. The story follows Jooheon-Seo, an explorer who loves adventures inside mysterious tombs that hold powerful relics to uncover the secrets behind them.
After being betrayed by his superiors, he goes back 15 years in time and starts a new life with the ambition of becoming the Tomb Raider King. The series is very popular, and some people even consider Tomb Raider King as Solo Leveling’s biggest competitor due to the similar themes between the two stories.
An anime of Tomb Raider King has been announced by its author, SAN.G., on the X platform, and will release in 2026. While no additional details were shared about the series, SAN.G later reposted on X revealing that Studio EEK would be working on the project.
6. Season of Blossom
Studio XTorm will be working on the Season of Blossom anime. Xtorm is a new studio that specializes in adapting various Korean manhwa and web novels. “Season of Blossom” itself is one of the best romantic manhwa with a rating of 9.89 and has been viewed more than 79 million times on the Naver Webtoon platform. Its success even led it to get a live-action adaptation that was released in 2022.
Season of Blossom stories are presented in anthology form, where each part takes place during one season of the year and features a different main couple. The themes range from first love, friendship, bullying, mental health, to grief.
This anime will feature the first part titled Bunga Bomi. Although it will reportedly be released in the first quarter of 2024, there is currently no further information about this project.
5. The Boxer
The latest anime adaptation of manhwa that will be released next is The Boxer. The Boxer is a sports-themed manhwa by the writer who also created the popular work, The Horizon. In 2023, Studio XTorm announced that the manhwa would receive an anime adaptation, with plans for a global release in the second half of 2025.
The Boxer is one of the best completed manhwa, thanks to its dark and emotionally charged storyline. The story utilizes the competitive world of boxing to depict a journey of searching for meaning in life, identity, and personal growth that is both profound and brutal, despite looking like a typical sports series.
This manhwa presents a straightforward and no-nonsense story, exploring themes such as bullying, discouragement, self-discovery, and effort. When it later becomes an animated format, it will surely leave a deep impression on its viewers.
4. Gosu
Gosu is an extremely popular manhwa that has been viewed more than 1.4 billion times on Naver Webtoon and Line Manga platforms. It is a sequel to the manhwa Yongbi the Invincible by Ryu Ki-woon and illustrated by Mun Jung-hoo.
The story in Gosu follows the journey of Gang Yong, who chooses to seclude himself and train hard after becoming determined to avenge his teacher’s death. However, he will realize that his path to revenge is not a long one. Gosu truly showcases martial arts that captivates readers with strong characters and impressive fight scenes.
Toei Animation will be working on the Gosu anime, in collaboration with Studio N, which has previously successfully adapted popular dramas from webtoons, such as See You in My 19th Life and the horror manhwa Sweet Home.
This shows that they have the potential to create a series that could be a worldwide hit. Although the announcement regarding this anime was made in 2023, considering Toei Animation is currently focusing on the Dragon Ball Daima project, it is likely that more information about the Gosu adaptation will only appear in 2025.
3. True Beauty
Next up is Yaongyi’s manhwa, True Beauty. This manhwa tells the story of Jugyeong Lim, a girl who is often bullied for her looks. To change her fate, she decides to use makeup, which makes her famous at school and on social media.
However, she then gets caught up in a love triangle with two men who don’t know her true face. The manhwa was also adapted into a live-action movie in 2020, which quickly gained popularity outside of South Korea and became a hit on Netflix.
Although the premise of this manhwa may seem simple, True Beauty provides an honest look at unrealistic beauty standards and their impact on young women and men.
It serves as a social critique and tackles themes such as bullying, the cult of beauty, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. For those of you who love romantic comedies, True Beauty is the perfect choice. The True Beauty anime just started airing in August 2024 on Crunchyroll.
2. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
The next new anime adaptation of manhwa is Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a web novel by the same author as The World After the Fall.
It has captured the attention of fans around the world and has been adapted into five live-action films, with the first film set to premiere in 2024.
With its growing popularity, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint will also receive an anime adaptation produced by Aniplex.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint tells the story of Kim Dokja, an employee who finds her world suddenly connected to a novel she once read. Now, he is the only person who knows how the story ends.
At the moment, there is no further information regarding the animation studio that will be handling the project or the release schedule for the series. ORV is one of the most anticipated anime adaptations and is sure to catch the attention of Solo Leveling fans who love main characters with growing powers.
1. Solo Leveling Season 2
The first season of Solo Leveling has achieved global success thanks to its dynamic storyline and stunning animation. Fans are eagerly looking forward to Sung Jinwoo’s journey to level up.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the second season of Solo Leveling is one of the manhwa adaptations that fans are most looking forward to. This season will see Jinwoo master his newly acquired powers.
Also, while the Solo Leveling story focused on Sung Jinwoo’s efforts to increase his strength, in the Red Gate arc, the series began to highlight more supporting characters and introduced more powerful hunters.
This further expands the story world and reveals some of the mysteries in the system. Solo Leveling season 2 will be released in January 2025.
