For the longest time, Japanese manga adaptations have been the backbone of the anime industry, as shows use their source material as a guide to help bring unique stories to life. Recently, though, Webtoons have had a lot to offer for the anime industry.
Thanks to Tower of God and God of High School’s success, we’ve compiled a list of ten other Webtoons that deserve anime adaptations of their own.
The Breaker Series
The Breaker series began as manhwa, setting the stage for the elite martial artist Chunwoo Han and the bullied child Shiwoon Yi. In this story, we see how Han uses his skills to mentor Yi in order to fight the oppressions in the main protagonist’s life. Despite its sorrowful side, the narrative combines comedy and seriousness to balance things out.
More recently, the series has taken off in Webtoon with The Breaker: Eternal Force, following the journey of Haje Kang. The story follows a formula similar to the original regarding the importance of teacher and student bonding.
This time around, it is Kang’s upperclassman Si-un Lee who takes on the role of the “most powerful martial artists in the Murium.” However, a secret lingers in this underworld, a fact that Haje learns the hard way.
Hardcore Leveling Warrior
Out of all the Webtoons, many readers have been hoping for an anime adaptation of Hardcore Leveling Warrior. Since its release in 2017, it has garnered upwards of over 231 million reads, showcasing an almost perfect score of 9.75 out of 10. The Webtoon depicts the tale of Ethan, who has earned his way to the top of the leaderboards in the game Lucid Adventure.
But regardless of Ethan’s number one player status, he finds himself killed by a mysterious player, taking him back to the dreaded Level 1. That doesn’t stop him, though, as he fights his way back to the top.
Even more so, the creator, Sehoon Kim, has carried on the Hardcore Leveling Warrior escapades in the highly-anticipated sequel, Earth Game.
About Death
The idea of what comes after death has always been a terrifying yet fascinating quandary. About Death explores that talking point, compiling a collection of stories revolving around “the inevitable rhythm of life and loss.” Everything brought up in the Webtoon is relatable to the point where you find yourself wondering what a conversation with Death would be like if you were in this same situation.
It also really helps that they make the Grim Reaper such a down-to-earth character as well, a grim contrast to what many imagine it to be while living — often just due to the fear of the unknown death brings.
Even though the source material it has to go on is a bit lacking, a series exploring the meaning of life and what comes after has the potential to be a fantastic one-off anime you can consume quickly.
The Greatest Estate Developer
The Greatest Estate Developer is another highly requested Webtoon that readers want to see as an anime. The fun-filled adventure centers around a civil engineering student, Suho Kim, after he wakes up as a character in one of his fantasy books.
Suho, now as a Lloyd Frontera, takes on the duty of a carless noble who, unfortunately, comes with a ton of family debt. On the bright side, Kim utilizes his contriving knowledge from the real world to craft inventions in this fabricated universe. He’ll have some help with many friends along the way, from an enormous hamster to a loyal knight.
The story of Frontera continues to rise in viewership, establishing 63 million reads. Like most on this list, The Greatest Estate Developer showcases one of the most high ratings with a 9.91 out of 10.
Dr. Frost
Yonggang University psychologist Dr. Frost is heralded as a one-of-kind genius in his craft. No one understands humans better. With the help of his student assistant, Yoon Seong-Ah, Frost deep-dives into the human psyche, exploring others’ motivations and emotions. Along the way, he soon discovers that there are parts of himself he lost long ago that need further exploration.
The dual lifestyle Dr. Frost leads as a professor by day and bartender by night helps him understand humanity bit by bit. All to help him decipher the puzzle that is life. The Webtoon has at least gotten some love outside of the Webtoons medium; the manhwa got a brief live-action television run of 10 episodes between 2014 and 2015.Â
Live-action wasn’t the best medium to feature the series’ talent, though, so it isn’t surprising that it didn’t receive too much fanfare, especially since it only aired in Korea. Nevertheless, an anime adaptation could help revitalize the short-and-sweet mystery into the modern age.
Hectopascal
Hectopascal has been on the rise in the Webtoon universe, depicting the revengeful story of Hanjun Park. After losing a case to the gang Nexus in a grueling showdown, the high schooler has been down on his luck. It ultimately caused his family to lose their gym business, leading to his pact to never fight again.
That is, until someone presents a briefcase full of cash to Park to help him settle the score. Now, on the path of vengeance, he will use his fists once more to take down those who wronged him in the past.
If you’re looking for a more mature storyline (with a significant amount of swear words, I may add), then you should definitely give Hectopascal a read. It may one day get the anime adaption it deserves, but only time will tell.
Act Like You Love Me
Switching up the pace, we have the romance Webtoon Act Like You Love Me. You’ll fall in love with the characters Ji-eon and Doyun Nam as they deal with an unlikely situation.
As Ji-eon tries to find work, she takes on the role of a personal assistant to Doyun Nam, a famous actor who doesn’t treat her too kindly. Things change, however, when she takes out her anger on a mysterious doll that has the power to control him. As a result, Doyun will now be at her beck and call, beginning with him apologizing at her crummy apartment.
Act Like You Love Me could certainly be an excellent entry in the anime romance selection, especially with the likes of Tomo-Chan Is a Girl and HoriMiya.
Kubera
In Kubera’s world, immortal beings (Suras) with both human and animal-like forms co-exist with humans across various planets and realms. When she comes home to find her village destroyed by these god-like creatures, Kubera embarks on a mission of revenge.
Like Tower of God, Kubera boasts an extensive roster of compelling characters and a captivating storyline full of mystery and intrigue. More than anything, the story’s attention to detail lends to worldbuilding, covering many unique areas that only a show with this setting could.
If you’re looking for a creative, high-fantasy series for the long haul, this is definitely one that you should pray to the Suras gets an anime adaptation.
Omniscient Reader
Many Webtoon readers wonder why Omniscient Reader has yet to receive an anime adaption. In fact, Webtoon has even dedicated a video specifically to that subject to give us more reason. The long-running series follows the office worker, Dokja, who enters the world of his favorite web novel, similar to The Greatest Estate Developer.
Comparatively, Omniscient Reader exhibits a darker tone as Dokja learns the dreadful truth about the fate of the world. He is the only one who knows how the universe will end, and it’s up to him to try to put a stop to it.
Looking at the entire series collection, it has more than enough source material for a long-lasting anime, especially with its abundance of over 100 chapters.
Teenage Mercenary
With over 150 million reads, it would be hard to miss the Webtoon Teenage Mercenary. Like Omniscient Reader, the story has been ongoing for several years, taking you on the journey of Ijin Yu. He previously suffered a tragedy at a young age when his parents lost their lives in a plane crash, ultimately leaving him alone in a foreign land.
This leads Yu to a mercenary life, where he then returns to his homeland as a changed teenager. He has one last year of high school left, which comes with its own sets of challenges in his fight for survival.
Despite his past, Ijin Yu’s shot at an everyday life can be just as challenging, and he needs to find out what it takes to make it on this new path.
Published: Jan 9, 2024 05:43 pm