As popular works classified as super intellectual property (IP) are being reborn as dramas, more cases of webtoon platforms and content providers participating directly in production are increasing.
According to the webtoon industry on the 12th, the first to meet viewers will be Naver Webtoon's "Study Group," starring Hwang Min-hyun, which will be produced as a Tving original drama on the 23rd of this month. "Study Group" tells the story of Yoon Ga-min, the protagonist who dreams of entering a four-year university from a vocational high school, who inevitably ends up fighting in order to focus on studying. It is one of YLAB's representative works that has been serialized since January 2019 and, despite an eight-month hiatus, it ranks 11th among the popular works in Naver Webtoon's Saturday serialization.
On the following day, the 24th, Netflix will release the series "Trauma Center," adapted from the Naver Webtoon "Severe Trauma Center: Golden Hour," starring Ju Ji-hoon and Chu Young-woo. "Severe Trauma Center" is a medical drama centered on Baek Kang-hyeok, a surgeon with a prickly personality but unmatched skills, and the severe trauma team he leads. The original web novel, written by a current doctor, has accumulated 38 million downloads, achieving good results within the modern fantasy genre, and the webtoon adaptation has also gained popularity.
In April, Kakao Webtoon's "Bunny and the Oppas" will be made into an MBC drama. It is a somewhat cliché romance story depicting events that unfold as various men approach Bunny after she fails her first love. However, capturing the unique excitement of youth romance well, the original webtoon has recorded 170 million views and has gained great popularity not only in South Korea but also in Japan, China, Taiwan, and Thailand.
These dramas are already established IPs that have been validated at the web novel and webtoon stages. Thus, it's noticeable that webtoon production companies and platforms are not just selling the rights but also participating directly in production. "Study Group" is planned by Studio Dragon, and the in-house independent corporation (CIC) YLABplex, the IP holder, is producing it. In the case of "Severe Trauma Center," which began as an exclusive work on Naver Series, Naver Webtoon's subsidiary Studio N participated in the production.
"Bunny and the Oppas" has been directly produced by Kakao Entertainment, and the Kakao Webtoon "Bad Fate" is also set to be co-produced by Kakao Entertainment along with its affiliated film company Wolgwang and Baram Pictures, and is expected to be released as a Netflix series this year. Given that the original readership is solid and the story's appeal is validated as a super IP, it is interpreted that they are opting for direct production rather than merely selling the rights in order to share profits in the event of the drama's success.
It is also noted that being a webtoon-related corporation allows for a proper understanding of the factors contributing to the original work's popularity, which enhances the charm during the adaptation process into a video.
A Kakao Entertainment official said, "We are pushing for crossovers in various content areas because we understand the original IP best," adding, "Winners of calls for applications, 'In-house Match,' and 'Nam-Nam' are representative examples, and fans of the original work, as well as new target audiences, are expanding our fandom."